Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is a plant species in Poaceae, a large grass that grows strong, a sturdy stalk, rich in sucrose as a simple sugar that accumulates in the stem segment and is widely cultivated in the tropics for the production of sugar, ethanol and others.
S. officinarum has tall and broad stems, has no branches, grows upright, 3-5 meters high or more, has a waxy coating that is grayish white, especially on young stems. Each segment has a border where the leaves grow and has a bud which is commonly called the "budding eye".
Incomplete leaves consisting only of strands and midribs, sitting at the base of the segment, long strands of 1-2 meters long, 4-7 cm wide and pointed end. The midrib grows elongated and covers the vertebrae, attached to the stem in an intermittent sitting position and protects the buds.
Root fibers grow at the base of the stem, 0.5-1 meters long and only the tips of young roots have hairs to absorb nutrients. Sugarcane grows well with uniform rainfall until the age of 8 months and this need is reduced just before harvest.
Plants grow well in hot and humid climates, altitudes 5-500 m, temperatures 28-34C, humidity above 70%, fertile soil and enough water but not stagnant and pH 5-6. All stems contain sugar water to 20% content.
This species is grown for the production of sugar, ethanol and other industrial uses in tropical and subtropical areas around the world. The stalks are squeezed using a machine in a sugar factory. The sap or juice is filtered, cooked and bleached so that it becomes granulated sugar. The process produces 5% sugar, 90% bagasse, molasses and water.
The stalks and by-products of the sugar industry are used for animal feed. Pigs fed sugar cane juice and soy-based protein supplements produced stronger piglets that grew faster than pigs on a conventional diet. Dry leaves are biomass that has a high calorific value for fuel and electricity generation. Sugar cane juice is often used as a refreshing drink.
TAXON
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Tribe: Andropogoneae
Subtribe: Saccharinae
Genus: Saccharum L. in Sp. Pl.: 54 (1753)
Species: Saccharum officinarum L. in Sp. Pl.: 54 (1753)
HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS
Saccharifera officinalis Stokes in Bot. Mat. Med. 1: 132 (1812)
Saccharum officinarum var. genuinum Hack. in C.F.P.von Martius & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Bras. 2(4): 256 (1883)
HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS
Arundo saccharifera Garsault in Fig. Pl. Méd.: t. 111 (1764)
Saccharum atrorubens Cuzent & Pancher ex Drake in Fl. Polynésie Franç.: 256 (1892)
Saccharum bataviense André in Pl. Feuill. Ornem.: 207 (1866)
Saccharum fragile Cuzent & Pancher ex Drake (1892)
Saccharum glabrum Cuzent & Pancher ex Drake (1892)
Saccharum hybridum R.M.Grey in Rep. Harvard Bot. Gard. Cienfuegos Cuba: 68 (1927)
Saccharum infirmum Steud. in W.Lechler, Berberid. Amer. Austral.: 56 (1857)
Saccharum luzonicum Cuzent & Pancher ex Drake (1892)
Saccharum maddenii André (1866)
Saccharum monandrum Rottb. in Acta Lit. Univ. Hafn. 1: 285 (1777)
Saccharum occidentale Sw. in Adnot. Bot.: 17 (1829)
Saccharum officinale Salisb. in Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 17 (1796)
Saccharum officinarum var. atrorubens Cuzent & Pancher ex Drake (1892)
Saccharum officinarum var. brevipedicellatum Hack. in C.F.P.von Martius & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Bras. 2(3): 256 (1883)
Saccharum officinarum var. fragile Cuzent & Pancher ex Drake (1892)
Saccharum officinarum var. giganteum Kunth in Enum. Pl. 1: 474 (1833)
Saccharum officinarum var. glabrum Cuzent & Pancher ex Drake (1892)
Saccharum officinarum var. jamaicense Sickenb. in Mém. Inst. Égypt. 4: 302 (1901)
Saccharum officinarum var. litteratum Hassk. in Pl. Jav. Rar.: 50 (1848)
Saccharum officinarum var. litteratum-breve Hassk. (1848)
Saccharum officinarum var. luridum Hassk. (1848)
Saccharum officinarum var. luteum-durum Hassk. (1848)
Saccharum officinarum var. luzonicum Cuzent & Pancher ex Drake (1892)
Saccharum officinarum var. obscurum Cuzent & Pancher ex Drake (1892)
Saccharum officinarum var. oceanicum Endl. in Ann. Wiener Mus. Naturgesch. 1: 158 (1836)
Saccharum officinarum var. otaheitense Hassk. (1848)
Saccharum officinarum var. otaheitense Roem. & Schult. in Syst. Veg., ed. 15[bis]. 2: 285 (1817)
Saccharum officinarum var. purpureum Kunth (1833)
Saccharum officinarum var. rubicundum Cuzent & Pancher ex Drake (1892)
Saccharum officinarum var. rubrum-altum Hassk. (1848)
Saccharum officinarum var. rubrum-humile Hassk. (1848)
Saccharum officinarum var. tahitense Kunth (1833)
Saccharum officinarum var. tahitense Andersson in Öfvers. Kongl. Vetensk.-Akad. Förh. 12: 154 (1855)
Saccharum officinarum var. variegatum André (1866)
Saccharum officinarum var. violaceum Pers. in Syn. Pl. 1: 102 (1805)
Saccharum rubicundum Cuzent & Pancher ex Drake (1892)
Saccharum spontaneum subsp. luzonicum Hack. in A.L.P.P.de Candolle & A.C.P.de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 6: 116 (1889)
Saccharum violaceum Tussac in Fl. Antill. 1: 160 (1808)
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VERNACULAR NAME
Afrikaans: Suikerriet
Arabic: قصب السكر المخزني
Bunun: Sibus
Chinese (simplified): 甘蔗
Chinese (traditional): 甘蔗
Czech: Třtinovník cukrový
English: Sugarcane, Sugar Cane, Noble cane
Filipino: Tubo, Tubuh
Finnish: Jalosokeriruoko
French: Canne à sucre
German: Zuckerrohr
Hawaiian: Kō
Hindi: गाना - असी - इचू - इख - इक्षु - उख - ईख - पुंडिया Ganna, Asi, Ichu, Ikh, Ikshu, Ukh, Eekh, Pundiya
Hong Kong: 甘蔗
Indonesian: Tebu
Italian: Canna da zucchero
Japanese: サトウキビ
Java: Tebu
Kannada: Petta patti kabbu, Khabbu, Kabbu, Iksu
Korean: 사탕수수
Láadan: Meénehesh
Lushai: Fu
Macao: 甘蔗
Malayalam: Karibpu, Sherdi, Us, Karimbu
Malaysia: Tebu
Maluku: Tep
Manipuri: Chu
Mizo: Fu
Otomí: Dusho
PNG: Ale, Kowu, Tuma
Polish: Cukrowiec lekarski, Trzcina cukrowa
Popoluca: Dathshí
Portuguese: Cana-de-açúcar
Russian: Сахарный тростник благородный
Sanskrit: Ikshu, Pundakah
Slovak: Trstina cukrová
Spanish: Caña de azúcar
Sunda: Tiwu
Taiwan: 甘蔗
Tamil: கரும்பு - புண்டரம் Karumbu, Pundaram
Telugu: Cheruku
Thai: อ้อย
Tibetan: བུ་རམ་སིན།
Tsonga: Mova
Urdu: گانا Ganna
Aryo Bandoro
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