The Ambonese Herbal, Vol. 3

HERBARIUM AMBOINENSE Book VI. Chapter VII.

This reed remains always green, and it never provides straight stalks that can be compared with the black bamboos described in the Atlas of China Refers to the Novus Atlas Sinensis by Martino Martini (1655) in the Province of Chekiang Zhejiang, page 116.

Shows a branch of the spiny tree-reed called Bulu Baduri Malay: Bulu (bamboo) and Duri (thorn), which is perhaps the thicker and taller fence-reed of the East Indies, called Corkipillu by the people of Malabar. Plukenet, Mantissa, page 28.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

The Wild Tree-Reed. Bulu swangi.

The eighth and strongest species of reed is the Bulu swangi Literally "Spirit Bamboo" or "Witch Bamboo," named for its use in ritual or its formidable nature. In its appearance, it differs from all preceding types, for it bears the smallest or narrowest leaves, from six to ten inches long and one finger wide. They are smooth, green, and finely striped, but not as wrinkled as those mentioned before. In the entire plant, few or no such bristly and prickly hairs are found, except on the sheath of the Robongthe tender young bamboo shoot; thus, all its branches and hollow stalks are very smooth, turning yellowish as they ripen. At the nodes, however, some blunt tips are seen, though they are not true thorns.

Its stalks are somewhat straight and tall, reaching from twenty-eight to thirty feet and more, yet they are not as straight as the previous species. At certain nodes, they are quite curved and winding. The sections between the nodes also have a short furrow or groove. Furthermore, this reed is the strongest of all, although the substance of the hollow stalks is not as thick as the previously mentioned Teba Tebaa specific variety of thick-walled bamboo. Usually, the walls are at least a pinky-finger thick, and thinner in the upper sections. These sections are about a foot or a foot and a half long; the thickest of them reach the girth of a leg, while others are as thick as an arm.

The roots of this plant run crosswise and are knotty like Ginger, equaling the thickness of a small arm. They are very tough and cannot be easily broken.

This reed has several varieties. The most common is the yellow one just described, whose stalks turn yellowish at the trunk.

The second variety is more wild in nature and rougher; its leaves and stalks remain green and are longer and thinner in substance. It is considered the female of the species. This one grows taller, reaching a height of fifty feet, and its stalks are straighter.

The third and most elegant variety is that which is called Bulu gading, Aurgading, and Aurcuning Malay/Indonesian: Gading means ivory; Kuning means yellow, and in the Amboinese language Domu Habocca. Its stalks are entirely yellow and polished like ivory, from which it takes its name. One type of this variety is usually completely yellow, while another is variegated with a few narrow green stripes against the yellow. Its leaves are smaller than those of the common type.

The Bulu swangi sends out its Robongshoot during the new and full moons, though not in every month. These shoots are very sharp and reach the thickness of an arm. I have observed that within the space of fourteen days, they grow to a height of ten or twelve feet. Within three months, the owners can have fully grown stalks fit for carrying heavy loads. The first tender shoot or Robong bears many sharp tips and a wide base, which seems to spring directly from the earth. However, if one digs about half a foot deep, a knotty root is uncovered, as thick as an arm, which curves upward for a length of one or one and a half feet and is connected to the mother trunk. Thus, the trunk first sends its "arms" downward, fixes them in the earth, and then raises itself again to form that shoot, which always appears around the new moon and sometimes around the full moon.

This reed also possesses that property noted above: the young stalks are much thicker than the adult ones. The younger stalks are straight and over a leg in thickness after the rough sheath falls away; when the shoot is twelve or fifteen feet high, it is elegantly polished and green. The older ones, however, are no thicker than an arm, gradually becoming pale yellow, yet not at all wrinkled.

This reed remains always green, and one cannot obtain straight trunks from it to compare with the black bamboos which the Chinese Atlas describes in the Province of Chekiang on page 116.

Shows a branch of a thorny Tree-Reed, called Bulu Baduri; which is possibly the "Wall-Reed" of the East Indies, thicker and larger, called Corkipillu by the Malabars, from Plukenet in his Mantissa, page 28.

VII. CHAPTER.

The Wild Tree-Reed.

The eighth and strongest kind is the Bulu swangi, differing in appearance from all the preceding ones, for it has the smallest, or indeed narrowest leaves, from six to ten inches long, a finger wide, smooth, grass-green, and finely striped, but less wrinkled than the previous kinds. On the whole plant, one finds little or nothing of the prickly hairs, except on the sheaths of the Robong Bamboo shoot, so that all the branches and pipes are very smooth, light yellow when they ripen, and at the nodes one sees several blunt points, but no actual thorns.

The trunks are indeed straight and high, of twenty-eight and thirty feet, and more, yet not so straight as the preceding kinds, and at some members remarkably crooked or bowed; also the members have a short furrow or groove at the nodes. Furthermore, this is the strongest reed of all, although the substance of the pipes is not as thick as in the preceding Teba Teba, namely, ordinarily a pinky-finger thick, and at the upper members somewhat less. The pipes are about a foot or a foot and a half long, the thickness like a leg, others like an arm.

The roots run crosswise, and are knotted like Ginger, in the thickness of a small arm, very tough and unbreakable.

This reed has some variations, for the most common is the yellow, just described; namely, whose pipes on the trunk become light yellow.

The second is somewhat wilder in nature, has somewhat rougher leaves, and the pipes remain grass-green, are longer, and thinner in substance, and are held for the female; this grows somewhat higher, namely to fifty feet, and straighter in its poles.

The third and most beautiful kind is that one which they call Bulu gadu, Aurgading, and Aurcuning, in Amboinese Domu hahocca, whose pipes are straight yellow, and as smooth as ivory, from which they have the name; one sort of it is thoroughly yellow, another painted with few and narrow green stripes through the yellow; its leaves are smaller than on the common sort.

The Robong shoot of the Bulu swangi comes out in the new and full moon, yet not every month, very pointed, in the thickness of an arm, and I have noted that within a time of fourteen days it shot up to the height of ten to twelve feet, and the owners can have full-grown trunks from it in the time of three months, fit to carry loads. The first emerging Robong has many sharp points, and a broad foot, which seems to come out of the earth, but if one digs about half a foot deep, one finds that it curves upward again with a knotted root, which is easily an arm thick, in the length of one or one and a half feet, and is attached to the main trunk, so that the same sends its arms downward first, fixes itself in the earth, and then shoots upward again to form a Robong, and which one always sees come forth around the new moon, sometimes also by the full moon.

So this reed also has the above-mentioned property, that the young is much thicker than the old, for the young poles are straight, and easily a leg thick, after the casting off of the rough sheath, when the Robong has shot up twelve to fifteen feet high, beautiful, smooth, and grass-green, but the old ones are no more than an arm thick, gradually becoming pale yellow, and yet not at all wrinkled.