This wonderful species is one of the most well-known bamboo among the malays in Malaysia and Indonesia. The reason for this is, only mature and green bamboo from this species is used as one off vessel (for lack of a better word) to cook lemang -  a traditional malay food made from glutinous rice and some coconut milk. Hence it was named Lemang Bamboo by the locals. It's scientific name is Schizostachyum Brachycladum and in Malaysia, its available in its green variant.
However, this article is not here to discuss about lemang, but to discuss about what unique properties offered by this species and it's benefits to our favorite hobby - jungle survival skills and bushcraft. Locals said that lemang can't be made with any other type of bamboos and I honestly agree (because I'm also a local! lol!). There are unique properties of lemang bamboo that allows this and we will see if we can use it for our uses in the jungle aside from cooking lemang. I'll try my best show how to recognize this particular species of bamboo and hopefully I can also describe the properties of this bamboo so we all can better use it in jungle survival skills training and bushcraft.

The Size, Length Between The Nodes and Straightness.
Lemang  Bamboo are easily recognizable because of these three particular properties and saying in general, these three are how most bamboo species can be distinguished from each other. In fact, most of the uses we can extract from most species of bamboo are also from these three properties.

• Size ~ Lemang Bamboo are considered medium size with a diameter between two to four inches when mature. Even the smallest young culm would be around one and half inch in diameter. Many uses can be made possible due to the size. Combine proper size with its convenient length and the unique thin walls of this species allows it to be used as a very effective steamer or cooking vessel. The size also permits splitting of the bamboo easily and allow us to use it as effective general containers, as cups or even as a plate, albeit a peculiarly long one.
• Length Between The Nodes ~ Lemang bamboo is considered second in length between the nodes (also known as section length), after Temiang bamboo (Blowpipe Bamboo). It's section length is usually not less than one and a quarter foot long but very rarely above four feet. The normal section length when mature would be around three feet. This is very useful when cooking, making table tops, wall sections and so on.
• Straightness ~ This is one of the most useful properties of Lemang bamboo is also one of the most distinguishable. Lemang bamboo is straight lengthwise. Its straight at the nodes and also straight at it's sections. If its bent, usually the bend is very gradual along the whole culm and was caused by the weight of its own foliage or other external factors. So when the foliage is removed and the bamboo is laid on the ground, it would seem straight without any drastic angles at the nodes. A straight bamboo, when split or opened, will make a relatively flat surface.This helps a lot if you are building jungle furniture like a rack, a long bench, table tops, shelter walls or even bed platform (but for God's sake, remove the miang first, mate).

 

The Culm Color 

Color is usually matte (not glossy) dark green with white powdery miang (see below). But its not unusual to see any bamboo culm with greyish green color and covered with white spots (see above pic). That grey color and white spots indicates a type of fungal infection. Please avoid taking the infected culm for cooking purposed. Though there are no harmful effects reported, it is not exactly a good, safe bushcraft practice.

 

 

The "Miang" (as in mee~young)

Miang is a Malay word for a substance that gives you an itchy feeling and sometimes even an allergic skin reaction. It shares some characteristics like a Stinging Nettle's needles but I am reluctant to describe it as needle as miang is not that severe. I use the Malay term for this because I can't seem to find a suitable word for it in English. With very few exception, most bamboo species growing in Malaysia have miang. But on Lemang Bamboo, there are two types of miangs and this can be used as a distinguishable feature.

• The white miang. Located on the green bamboo sections, it is powdery and denser starting from the section's upper node, gradually thinning down to mid section of the same node. The white miang is not painful upon contact, but severely irritating at best moments later. The effect may last for a few days and when I was in Combat Medical School, I heard at least in one instance almost cause anaphylactic shock to a patient after the patient somehow inhaled the miang powder.
• The black miang. It is a larger miang, almost one milimeter in length and black in color. This miang is located on the outside surface of the Culm Sheath. It stands like hair and stings mildly when contacting your skin. Therefore, always avoid holding on to the culm sheath thinking it may give you protection from the fine powdered white miang, it may give you a worse reaction because the black miang can penetrate your skin.
• See below on how to avoid both miangs while harvesting Lemang Bamboo.

 

The Culm Sheath