Bambusa forbesii (Ridley) Holttum
Gramineae
Distribution New Guinea, New Britain, Cape York Peninsula (Australia). For map click: Map298.TIF.
Uses In the highlands of Irian Jaya (Indonesia), culms are used for making arrow heads, water pipes and traditional handicrafts. In Morobe district (Papua New Guinea) local people use culms for casual drinking vessels.
Observations Densely tufted bamboo. Culm 4-5 m tall, erect first then drooping or leaning on nearby vegetation, diameter 3 cm at the base, relatively thin-walled; internodes up to 60 cm long. Culm sheath covered with pale hairs; blade broadly ovate with cordate base, spreading; auricles large with long bristles. Leaf blade 30-60 cm x 6-10 cm, base cordate. Inflorescence usually terminating a leafy branch; pseudospikelets flat, up to 10 mm long, several to many in a cluster at each node. Throughout New Guinea it is found from sea-level up to 1500 m altitude, on river banks, margins of disturbed lower montane forest and is common in low regrowth vegetation.