Nastus Juss.
Gramineae
Major species and synonyms
-Nastus elatus Holttum.
-Nastus elegantissimus (Hassk.) Holttum. Synonyms: Bambusa elegantissima Hassk., Schizostachyum elegantissimum Kurz.
Vernacular names
-N. elatus: Papua New Guinea: mingal (Changlap), mengagi (Kerowagi).
-N. elegantissimus: Indonesia: awi eul-eul (Sundanese, West Java).
Distribution
The genus Nastus is mainly found in the southern hemisphere from Madagascar and Réunion to the Solomon Islands, with great diversity in Madagascar and New Guinea. For map click: Map279.TIF. In South-East Asia, there are about 11 species, each of them having a very limited distribution and being found only in montane forest. N. elatus grows wild in the highlands of Papua New Guinea (altitude 1200-1900 m). For map click: Map298.TIF; N. elegantissimus is endemic in Pangalengan area in West Java, Indonesia (altitude about 1000 m). For map click: Map263.TIF.
Uses
-N. elatus: culms used for housebuilding and musical instruments; shoots edible, often eaten raw.
-N. elegantissimus: culms used to construct frames for drying tobacco leaves and for fences.
Observations
Slender, erect or scrambling bamboos (climbing in Madagascar). Culms up to 20 m long, diameter 1-5 cm; internodes usually hollow, 20-40 cm long. Branches many at each node, subequal. Inflorescence semelauctant, a panicle or raceme, borne on a leafy branch; spikelet 10-25 mm long, consisting of 3-5 glumes, one floret and a rachilla extension. In New Guinea about 8 species are found in mixed lower montane rainforest, disturbed montane forest, or mossy forest. N. elatus, a large erect native bamboo species in the highlands, about 20 m tall and 5 cm in diameter, is of considerable importance and has also been introduced in the lowlands of Queensland (Australia).