A common species, found between 2,800m and 3,500m, usually above Borinda grossa and Yushania hirsuta or Y. pantlingii, but below flatter areas with widespread Yushania microphylla and Sarocalamus racemosus. It prefers steeply sloping sites. Thamocalamus extends right along the Himalayas, and has several species. T. spathiflorus has hairy culm sheaths and prominent oral setae on leaf sheaths, often on long pendulous branchlets with many short internodes. The variety bhutanensis of central and eastern Bhutan is distinguished from subsp. spathiflorus of western Bhutan by its asymmetrical culm sheaths with one horizontal shoulder. It also has irregular auricles, as well as much thicker wax on

the new culms. The culms are smooth and shiny in subsp. spathiflorus, becoming yellow or red when exposed. They are waxy in var. bhutanensis, becoming yellow or black with age. This species is not commonly harvested, especially when larger bamboos are available nearby, as it has small culms that are brittle and have swollen nodes, which makes them unsuitable for weaving. It is very important for wildlife however, providing food for animals such as red pandas and bears, and shelter for birds such as pheasants. It is also browsed by livestock in winter. It does not hinder regeneration of trees, as seedlings can grow in the gaps between the clumps, which are quite open, not as dense as areas of Yushania.