What Determines the Length of Bamboo Internodes?
What determines the length of bamboo internodes? Is it the species only, or are there other factors involved?
⭐ Best Answer:
The length of bamboo internodes varies greatly from species to species, and the climate and soil it is grown in. Also, bamboo internodes are much shorter towards the base and tip of the culm (stem) compared to the internodal length in the middle of the culm.
Generally speaking the more nodes, the stronger the bamboo. A bamboo culm is at its strongest at the base (largest diameter, more nodes, thickest walls), that's because it has to support the weight of the entire culm, branches and leaves.
So why are the internodes also short toward the tip of the bamboo? This has two reasons:
The branches grow from the nodes. Most bamboo species have little to no branches in the middle of the culm, but primarily at the top, and sometimes near the base. That's why there are more nodes and shorter internodes at the top.
Since there is a lot of weight from branches and leaves at the top, it also has to be strong and flexibel. Hence, lots of nodes and short internodes.
