BAMBOO

It deals with the morphology and physiology of the bamboo plant. Morphology refers to the outward appearance of the plants components, while physiology refers to their biological function. Weve done our best to merge these two distinctions to give you the overall idea of how bamboo works. Bamboo is structured beautifully and is unique from other plants and trees that share similar characteristics and features. The main components of a bamboo plant include rhizomes, roots, culms, branches, leaves, and flowers.

Rhizomes Rhizomes are horizontal stems extending from the domain plant that travel underground with the objective of colonizing new territory. As rhizomes spread through the soil they collect and store the primary nutrients for growth. The storage of energy is the primary reason we see bamboo exhibit rapid and massive growth. This also gives bamboo plants the ability to utilize energy created from both photosynthesis and that which is stored in the rhizomes. Branches - The majority of bamboo species will grow multiple branches from a single bud, located at the node. Some genera, such as Chusquea, have the ability to grow multiple buds at from each node. Leaves Leaves are present at every main portion of the bamboo plant, which includes the rhizomes, culm, and branches. The anatomy of the leaf itself includes a blade, sheath, and ligule. Leaves are first present in the rhizome where they are almost completely comprised of the sheath. At this stage, leaves serve as a protective cover to encase the rhizome as it travels underground. Roots The primary function of roots in bamboo is to anchor the culm to the ground. Without a root system, the culm would be at vulnerable to damage from severe weather. This also allows the culm to hold more weight, giving it the ability to grow more leaves over wider distances. Culms Culms are the most visibly distinguishable feature of a bamboo plant. Culms can vary in size, shape, color, and even smell. The appearance can range from thick or thin, tall or short, erect or bent, and can exhibit irregular patterns such as those found in Tortoise Shell Bamboo (P. heterocycla f . heterocycla Kiko). Most culms are round in shape, but some species can take on a square like appearance. The color of the culms also has a wide range of characteristics.