Botany
Erect, loosely tufted. Stems are yellowish or yellowish=green, up to 17 meters high, 15 cm in diameter, naked at the base, without spiny branches. Leaves are lanceolate, up to 35 cm long, 4 cm wide. Spikelets are oblong, clustered along the branches of the inflorecence, about 1.5 cm long. This species is smaller than Bambusa spinosa.

Distribution
At low and medium altitudes in settled areas throughout the Philippines.

Parts utilized:
Stems, roots, leaves.

Constituents
Rich source of natural silica.
Bamboo shoots are rich in potassium, high in phenolic acids.
Yields flavonoids, carbohydrates, glycosides, proteins and alkaloids.

Properties
Abortifacient, antidiarrheal.
Considered astringent, emmenagogue, vulnerary, febrifuge, antidiarrheal.
Extracts yield antioxidant and vitamins.
A rich source of flavone, phenolic acid, lactone and polyose.

Uses
Folkloric
Decoction or infusion of roots used for kidney problems.
The aequous sap of the plant used for phthisis.
In Trinidad and Tobago, dog owners use the leaves to treat diarrhea and control ectoparasites.
In Nigeria, reported use as abortifacient.
In Indian folk medicine, used in the treatment of various inflammatory conditions.
Nutrition
The young shoots (labong) are also edible as vegetables, but inferior to B. spinosa.
Others
Construction: Used for building houses, furniture and bridges, but inferior to B. spinosa.
Cosmetics: Used as ingredient in skin care products. Also, as tooth polisher.

Studies
• Abortifacient: Study of aqueous extract of B. vulgaris leaves on pregnant Dutch rabbits substantiates abortifacient potential probably through changes in the implantation site, altered hormone levels and partly, estrogenicity.
• Toxicological Studies: No clinical signs of toxicity were observed in any of the animals during the study. The absence of overt toxicity such as increase in maternal deaths and clinical signs suggest the extract was not toxic when administered repeatedly to pregnant rabbits in the first 9 days of pregnancy.
• Hypotensive Effect: Study in rabbits of macerated aqueous extract from sheets of B. vulgaris showed a hypotensive effect that was gradual, reversible and dose-dependent.
• Antibacterial: Methanolic extracts from air-dried plant material showed strong antimicrobial activity against S. epidermis and S. aureus. Among gram negative bacteria, maximum activity was observed on E. coli.
• Antimalarial: (1) In a study of 30 species of plants belonging to 28 genera in 20 families, five, including Bambusa vulgaris, were documented for the first time for their use in the treatment of malaria. Study results provide basis for further pharmacologic studies. (2) In-vitro study of 14 plant species used in Cuba showed two extracts, B. vulgaris and Punica granatum as active against P. falcifarum.
• Anti-Inflammatory: Study of methanolic extract of B. vulgaris on rats and mice showed dose-dependent and significant inhibition of inflammation in all the experimental models. Phytochemical screening revealed flavonoids, carbohydrates, glycosides, proteins and alkaloids. There was no mortality in doses up to 2000 mg/kg p.o. Phytochem characterization of B vulgaris yielded triterpenoids, polar compounds with phenol free groups and fluorescent metabolites as major phytocompounds.

Veterinary Toxicity
Toxicity was reported on horses feeding on bamboo leaves during times of pasture scarcity. Neurological illness was associated with ingestion of large amounts of leaves of B. vulgaris f. vulgaris. In the study, the disease showed no relationship to poisoning by hydrocyanic acid.

Availability
Cultivated or wildcrafted.
Extracts, oils and supplements in the cybermarket.