B. malingensis Flowering

Howzit,

The single specimen of Bambusa malingensis in the Badlands Bamboo collection has flowered and died. It happened rather suddenly about a month ago, just at the end of the wet season. Within a fortnight, the entire four year old clump set seed and died. Apparently, none of the seed was viable, as there are no new seedlings sprouting around the dead clump. 

The event could have been due to stress, as the adjacent clump of Nastus elatus is not looking too happy either, but I put that down to the climate - N. elatus is a mountain bamboo that shouldn't be growing on a low hill in the arid tropics.

Does anyone have a B. malingensis that is flowering? How about an alternative explanation for its behaviour?

While on the subject of flowering, our M. baccifera does not even look like flowering. My friends in India reckon that is unbelievable. Do members have any similar tales of M. baccifera in Oz?

Cheers ... Geoff Kyle.