KP Sharma

A bamboo species that is much sought after by Bhutanese archers has been confirmed as a new bamboo species in the world.

Bamboo expert Sangay Dorji and a team of researchers confirmed the discovery of Yushania sagittifera, locally known as Dam Yangka-Dew or Dew Yangka, in Wangdue.

The bamboo holds significant cultural value and is used for making arrows.

According to a press release from the National Biodiversity Centre (NBC), the team visited Tangka-Tsho, Jalla in Wangdue, and documented the species starting in November 2019.

Yushania sagittifera locally known as Dam Yangka-Dew or Dew Yangka

The herbarium specimens of the species are stored at the National Herbarium, and the plant is cultivated at the Royal Botanical Garden in Serbithang under NBC.

The press release also mentions that two other Yushania species have been renamed, bringing the total number of Yushania species in Bhutan to seven.

The authors state that there are more bamboo species to be investigated and explored, especially in parts of the country that remain unexplored or inaccessible.

The press release further reveals that with the help of a world-renowned bamboo expert and author Chris Stapleton (PhD) and the Journal of American Bamboo Society, the team identified and confirmed the new species in June 2023.

Sangay Dorji expressed his interest in studying bamboo and has previously documented new bamboo species in Bhutan.

The research article on the discovery of this new species was recently published in the Journal of American Bamboo Society in June 2023.

The research was conducted by a team from the Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS), the National Biodiversity Centre (NBC), the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and the Royal Botanic Garden Kew in the UK.

The study was funded by NBC and supported by other relevant agencies.