Bamboo belongs to the Poaceae family, specifically in the Bambusoideae subfamily and the Bambuseae tribe. Giant bamboos hold the title of being the largest in the grass family. Typically, bamboo stems are characterized by hollow internodes, with vascular bundles dispersed throughout the cross-section, rather than arranged in a cylinder. Unlike dicotyledons, bamboo lacks woody xylem, resulting in columnar stems due to the absence of secondary-growth wood, even in palms and large bamboo. Notably, bamboo is among the fastest-growing plants globally, with some capable of growing over 60 cm daily, thanks to a unique rhizome system. However, their growth rate is highly influenced by the local soil and climate. Bamboos hold significant economic and cultural value in East and Southeast Asia, being essential for construction, food, and various other applications.
There are over 70 genera and approximately 1,450 species of bamboo, thriving in a wide range of climates, from cold mountainous areas to hot tropical regions. Bamboos are found throughout East Asia, from 50°N latitude in Sakhalin down to Northern Australia, and westward to India and the Himalayas. They also grow in sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas, stretching from the Mid-Atlantic United States to Argentina and Chile, reaching as far south as 47°S latitude. Continental Europe, however, lacks native bamboo species. Recently, efforts have been made to cultivate bamboo commercially in the Great Lakes region of eastern-central Africa, notably in Rwanda.
Taxonomy of Bamboo
Botanical Classification of Bamboo:
KINGDOM: Plantae
PHYLUM (DIVISION): Magnoliophyta
CLASS: Liliopsida
SUBCLASS: Commelinidae
ORDER: Cyperales
FAMILY: Gramineae (Poaceae)
SUBFAMILY: Bambusoideae
TRIBE: Bambuseae
SUBTRIBE: Bambusinae
The class, subclass, and order classifications are based on Cronquist (1988), with the lower levels being widely accepted though they may vary among classifications.
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