DefinePK

Abstract

ABSTRACT Occurrence of Bamboo in Pakistan. Dendrocalamus strictus (Roxb.) Nees is a tropical species. As a natural growth, it is extremely rare and is known to occur only at a very few places in Pakistan. It was recorded so far in the Margalla Hills, Nurpur Hills and Chattar, Islamabad-Murree Road, in eastern Salt Range and Shahpur, Kandi and in Billawar, Mirpur, Udhampur and Jammu upto an altitude of 800 m (Stewart, 1972). During a recent visit to Buner, the present author spotted a few clumps growing in nature also at Ambela, Maskipur and Bagra in Buner at about 800 m. The first two spots lie on raised stream banks with some damp soil and the third on a field border. A few more clumps are also reported to occur in the lower Buner. These are the only known remnants of natural bamboo in the country. This new record thus extends the western geographical limit of this bamboo from Margalla Hills to lower Buner.