Dendrocalamus giganteus Munro

Culms 20–30 m, 20–30 cm in diam.; internodes 30–45 cm; wall 1–3 cm thick. Branches several. Culm sheaths deciduous, initially purple, thickly leathery, brown hairy; margins broadly rounded; auricles reflexed, wavy; oral setae absent; ligule 6–12 mm, serrulate; blade reflexed, ovate-lanceolate, 13–38 cm. Leaf sheaths glabrous; ligule 1–3 mm, serrulate; blade usually oblong-lanceolate, to 45 × 10 cm. Inflorescence branches pendulous, long. Pseudospikelets 4–12(–25) cm. Spikelets 10–15 × 3–4 mm; florets 5–8, apical one sterile. Glumes 2, 3–4 mm; lemma broadly ovate, margins ciliate, apex mucronate; palea about as long as lemma, 2-keeled, keels ciliate, 2-veined between and 1-veined on either side of keels. Anthers ca. 6.5 mm, apex apiculate. Pistil ca. 1 cm, shortly hairy. Ovary ovoid; style long; stigma 1, purple. Caryopsis oblong, apex obtuse, plumose.

It is a tropical plant. It often grows in high mountains. It must have temperatures above 5°C. They are frost tender. It cannot tolerate drought. It prefers rich moist soil. In Nepal it grows between 200-1300 m altitude. In Yunnan it grows between 380-1,900 m above sea level. In Cairns Botanical garden. In XTBG Yunnan.

Young shoots are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. They are cooked with meat or fish.

The plants can be grown from seed. They can also be grown by dividing established clumps. Sections of the young stalk will shoot if cut and placed horizontally in a growing medium in a warm place. The cuttings should be 50 cm long and planted 20 cm deep.