Saccharum sinense

Saccharum sinense
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Clade:Angiosperms
Clade:Monocots
Clade:Commelinids
Order:Poales
Family:Poaceae
Genus:Saccharum
Species: S. sinense
Binomial name
Saccharum sinense

Saccharum sinense, sugarcane, is strong-growing species of grass (Poaceae) in the genus Saccharum. It is originally cultivated in Guangzhou, China where it is still commonly grown. It is a more primitive form of sugarcane with a hybrid origin from wild species of cane.[2] A number of clones exists that are often included in the S. officinarum species as the Pansahi group. The most notable member of which is the Uba variety of cane. They are a perennial plant that grows in erect clumps that can reach up to 5 meters in high and have a red cane with a diameter of 15 mm to 30 mm.[3]

Cultivation

Close up photograph of the red coloured cane of S.sinese.

This verity of sugarcane is noted for being hardier than other verities as well as being better adapted to poor soils and dry conditions. It tends to be leafier, with relatively hard thin red coloured canes. The plant does best in temperatures that range between 20 °C - 32 °C but is capable of tolerating ranges from 12 °C - 38 °C and very short periods of light frosts. The plant grows best in well drained soil with a pH rang of 5-6.[3]

The plant is still extensivly cultivated in the Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, and Zhejiang regions of China.[1]

Specimens and clones

Specimens of this cane were sent to Calcutta, India in 1796[2] from where specimens were sent to Durban, South Africa to help establish the sugar industry there. From Durban specimens were sent to Mauritius in the late 1800s where they adopted the name Uba due to arriving in a water soaked box that had washed off the boxes' original wording "Durban" and leaving only the letters "uba". The cultivation of the heavier yet less valuable Uba verity (due to its lower sucrose content) in Mauritius was instrumental in events that led up to the Uba riots of 1937.[4]

The clone Tekcha of this verity was cultivated in Taiwan. Clones of S. Sinense have been used in various breeding programs that have produced many modern verities of modern sugarcanes.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 "Saccharum sinense in Flora of China @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
  2. 1 2 3 "Saccharum sinense in Chinese Plant Names @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
  3. 1 2 "Saccharum sinense - Useful Tropical Plants". tropical.theferns.info. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
  4. ↑ Storey, William Kelleher (1995). "Small-Scale Sugar Cane Farmers and Biotechnology in Mauritius: The "Uba" Riots of 1937". Agricultural History. pp. 163–176. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.