Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets Bambusa tuldoides - Punting Pole Bamboo
![](https://images.echocommunity.org/5d28aeb9-399b-4ca1-bba9-567571bb55d4/thumbnail.jpg?w=400)
Edible Portion: Shoots
A densely tufted bamboo. The culm or stem is erect but nodding at the tip. They grow 6-10 m tall. The stems are 3-5 cm across at the base. The young stems are covered with white wax. The internodes are 30-36 cm long. The lowest 1 or 2 nodes have a ring of grey silky hairs above the sheath scar. The stems branch from the nodes. The leaf blade is sword shaped and 10-18 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. Flowering can start at 50 years of age. In China clumps usually die after flowering but in other locations plants can remain alive.