Melocanna baccifera
mautak
- height
- 10–25 m
- culm ⌀
- 2.5–7 cm
ninety-eight percent of mizoram's bamboo is mautak. flowers once every 48–50 years — the current thingtam cycle began in 2024–25.
- construction
- edible shoots
- weaving
- paper pulp
research
the references.
the species that grow here, and the measurements the rest of the studio's work sits on.
scope
what lives here.
the research section is a working document. it keeps the species reference — eighteen of the thirty bamboos of mizoram, with what each is most used for — and points to the acoustic measurement work that runs alongside the rest of the studio. it is written for anyone who needs to look something up.
species reference
six of thirty.
Bambusa tulda
rawthing
- height
- 6–23 m
- culm ⌀
- 5–10 cm
strong, straight, and durable. the workhorse of mizo timber-scale construction.
- housing
- scaffolding
- furniture
Dendrocalamus longispathus
rawnal
- height
- 12–24 m
- culm ⌀
- 8–15 cm
the species carried water before pipes did. large-diameter culms with naturally long internodes.
- construction
- water pipes
- crafts
Dendrocalamus hamiltonii
phulrua
- height
- 15–24 m
- culm ⌀
- 12–18 cm
premium edible shoots. culm sizes rival timber.
- edible shoots
- construction
- poles
Bambusa pallida
rawlak
- height
- 6–15 m
- culm ⌀
- 3–6 cm
flexible culms, thin wall — the weaving species.
- basketry
- mats
- fencing
Schizostachyum dullooa
rawthla
- height
- 8–15 m
- culm ⌀
- 2–4 cm
thin-walled, highly flexible. the flute-maker's bamboo.
- fine weaving
- handicrafts
- musical instruments
measurements
the mautak tuning chart.
the first systematic acoustic record of Melocanna baccifera. methodology prototyped at the bio design lab in sikkim in april 2026; mautak collection begins in aizawl in may. the research notes from the calibration work are posted as they come.