Description

Bambusa arundinacea, the spiny bamboo, is a large, thorny, clump-forming bamboo of the family Poaceae (subfamily Bambusoideae), native to the tropical and subtropical forests and moist plains of the Indian subcontinent. The hollow internodal cavities of mature culms occasionally deposit a white, waxy, opaque siliceous substance — Tabasheer or Vansalochan — composed primarily of amorphous silica with small quantities of calcium, potassium, and water. This uniquely plant-derived silica concretion is documented in classical Ayurveda as Vamsarochana and in classical Unani pharmacopoeia as Tabasheer — incorporated in the celebrated respiratory formulation Sitopaladi Churna (listed in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India) and in Rasayana preparations for respiratory health, cognitive support, and general Pitta-alleviating applications. Harvested from mature bamboo culms in Assam, West Bengal, and Karnataka.