Culm characteristics and volume-weight relationship of a forest bamboo (Melocanna baccifera (Roxb.) Kurz) from northeast India

Culm characteristics of Melocanna baccifera, locally ‘muli’, culms at five different culm ages of 11 girth classes (5–6 to 15–16 cm) were studied from Cachar District of southern Assam, northeast India. We recorded internode length, internode diameter, number of internodes per culm, total culm height, total culm green weight and total culm volume of all five culm age classes. Data were gathered on 165 culms, each culm age class containing 33 culms with 3 culms per girth class. Culm height ranged from 3.2 to 15.3 m with highest mean of 9.15 m (in three-year old culms) and maximum culm height was recorded in four-year old culms. Highest mean and maximum internode length (27.45 and 54.2 cm, respectively), internode diameter (3.12 and 4.75 cm, respectively) and total culm green weight (5.42 and 12.87 kg/culm, respectively) were recorded in three-year old culms and lowest in current-year culms. Best fitted regression models for all parameters were developed. Significant linear relationships between culm green weight and culm solid volume were documented for all five culm age classes. Their corresponding best-fit regression models were also developed.