Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family,in the case of Dendrocalamus sinicus individual culms reaching a length of 46 meters,up to 36 centimeters in thickness and a weight of up to 450 kilograms. The internodes of bamboos can also be of great length. Kinabaluchloa wrayi has internodes up to 2.5 meters in length. and Arthrostylidium schomburgkii with lower internodes up to 5 meters in length,exceeded in length only by papyrus. By contrast,the culms of the tiny bamboo Raddiella vanessiae of the savannas of French Guiana are only 10–20 millimeters in length by about two millimeters in width. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain,but it probably comes from the Dutch or Portuguese language,which originally borrowed it from Malay or Kannada.
Phyllostachys is a genus of Asian bamboo in the grass family. Many of the species are found in central and southern China,with a few species in northern Indochina and in the Himalayas. Some of the species have become naturalized in parts of Asia,Australia,the Americas,and southern Europe.
Apoclada is a genus of Brazilian bamboo in the grass family).
Phyllostachys aureosulcata,the yellow groove bamboo,is a species of bamboo native to the Zhejiang Province of China. It is a running bamboo with a distinctive yellow stripe in the culm groove that is often grown as an ornamental.
Bambusa vulgaris,common bamboo,is an open-clump type bamboo species. It is native to Indochina and to the province of Yunnan in southern China,but it has been widely cultivated in many other places and has become naturalized in several regions. Among bamboo species,it is one of the largest and most easily recognized.
Phyllostachys heteroclada,the fishscale bamboo,also known as "water bamboo",is a running bamboo. The water bamboo name comes from the air canals in the rhizomes and roots that allow this bamboo to grow in more saturated conditions as compared to similar species. This species can also have abrupt kinks at the base of the culms. Maximum height can reach 35 ft with a diameter of 2 in. It is cold hardy to around -5 °F. It grows well in USDA zones 6b-10.
Bambusa tulda,or Indian timber bamboo,is considered to be one of the most useful of bamboo species. It is native to the Indian subcontinent,Indochina,Tibet,and Yunnan,and naturalized in Iraq,Puerto Rico,and parts of South America.
Phyllostachys rubromarginata,the reddish bamboo or red margin bamboo,is a species of Phyllostachys bamboo,native to Central China,specifically Guangxi and Guizhou.
Bambusa oldhamii,known as giant timber bamboo or Oldham's bamboo,is a large species of bamboo. It is the most common and widely grown bamboo in the United States and has been introduced into cultivation around the world. It is densely foliated,growing up to 20 metres tall in good conditions,and can have a diameter of up to 10 centimetres.
Bambusa lako,known as Timor black bamboo,is a large species of bamboo originating from the island of Timor;its black culms may reach 21 m (69 ft) in height. A 2000 molecular study places it as closely related to the similar Indonesian species Gigantochloa atroviolacea,from which it was separated in 1997;it may soon be placed in that genus. Bambusa lako can only be grown in climates that are mostly frost-free.
Phyllostachys parvifolia is a running bamboo with thick culms that grow tall for a bamboo that endures cold weather.
Phyllostachys edulis,the mōsō bamboo,or tortoise-shell bamboo,or mao zhu,,is a temperate species of giant timber bamboo native to China and Taiwan and naturalised elsewhere,including Japan where it is widely distributed from south of Hokkaido to Kagoshima. The edulis part of the Latin name refers to its edible shoots. This bamboo can reach heights of up to 28 m (92 ft). This particular species of bamboo is the most common species used in the bamboo textile industry of China and other countries,for the production of rayon. Moso is less cold-hardy than many phyllostachys,surviving at a reduced height down to 5 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 °C).
Phyllostachys aurea is a species of bamboo,and is of the 'running bamboo' type,belonging to the diverse Bambuseae tribe. It is native to Fujian and Zhejiang in China. It is commonly known by the names fishpole bamboo,golden bamboo,monk's belly bamboo,and fairyland bamboo (Australia).
Phyllostachys virella is a hardy running bamboo with culms that grow thick relative to its height with a subtle scent suggestive of sandalwood.
Bambusa bambos,the giant thorny bamboo,Indian thorny bamboo,spiny bamboo,or thorny bamboo is a species of clumping bamboo native to southern Asia. It is also naturalized in Seychelles,Central America,West Indies,Java,Malaysia,Maluku,and the Philippines.
Phyllostachys bambusoides,commonly called madake,giant timber bamboo,or Japanese timber bamboo,is a species of flowering plant in the bamboo subfamily of the grass family Poaceae,native to China,and possibly also to Japan.
Bambusa chungii,commonly known as white bambooor tropical blue bamboo,is a large,tall bamboo species,often found in Hong Kong,and originating in southern China and Vietnam. Its blue-green or white culms often reach a height of 10 m.
Dendrocalamus hamiltonii,or Hamilton's bamboo,is a species of bamboo,12–15 cm in diameter and growing up to 15–18 m in height,found in South Asian countries such as,India,Sri Lanka,Bhutan,Nepal,Pakistan,and far eastern China.
Dendrocalamus giganteus,commonly known as giant bamboo,is a giant tropical and subtropical,dense-clumping species native to Southeast Asia. It is one of the largest bamboo species in the world.
Phyllostachys bissetii is a species of bamboo found in Sichuan,Zhejiang provinces of China and introduced elsewhere. It is among the most cold-hardy bamboos. Its culms are relatively thin for its height in comparison to other running bamboo species.
