Sometimes called banslochan or tabashir, bamboo manna is a silica-rich substance found in the nodal joints of some rare species of female bamboo plants. Silica is necessary for the bones, connective tissue, and collagen and confers strength and flexibility.  Bamboo is the richest known source of silica and is used medicinally in both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine as a restorative herb, especially for the lungs. It is antipyretic, antispasmodic, and antiparalytic.  Some consider it an aphrodisiac as well.