Bamboo Taxonomy: Botanical Classification and Species Data

Bambusa vulgaris 'Wamin' or Dwarf Buddha Belly Bamboo is a tropical and subtropical clumping bamboo native to South China.

Identifying different types of bamboo rhizomes can feel complex and overly technical. Most people encounter a confusing mix of terms: Clumping vs. Running, Sympodial vs. Monopodial, or the taxonomist’s favorites, Pachymorph vs. Leptomorph. While these terms are often used interchangeably,...

The stem is the part of the bamboo plant that grows above the ground, it is usually straight and cylinder-formed (to some extent oval). These bamboo stems have nodes (diaphragms) between two internodes, that strengthen the stem.

Bambusa is a medium to large size bamboo genus, and very popular among growers and cultivators. They are usually very strong and have thick culm walls, with small branches and small leaves.

The genus Cephalostachyum is a primitive tropical and subtropical bamboo. Species of this bamboo grow in dense clumps with thin-walled weak culms.

Bamboo species of the genus Chimonobambusa are running bamboos with swollen nodes that bear thorns in many species, they have 3 branches at the nodes.

Bamboo species of the genus Chusquea are mountain clumping bamboos native to the tropics and subtropics of South and Central America. Unlike most other bamboos, the stems of Chusquea species are solid, not hollow.

Bamboo species of the genus Dendrocalamus are large clump-forming subtropical bamboos with large branches and leaves, and are usually tick-walled. Most species prefer high humidity and mountain areas.

Dendrocalamus asper also known as Rough Bamboo or Giant Bamboo is a giant tropical and subtropical dense clumping species native to Southeast Asia. This timber bamboo is used as a building material for heavy construction, and shoots are consumed as a vegetable.

Attribute	Description
Scientific Name	Dendrocalamus asper
Synonyms	Bambusa aspera, Gigantochloa aspera
Common Names	Rough Bamboo, Giant Bamboo
Family	Poaceae
Tribe	Bambuseae
Genus	Dendrocalamus
Height	15 - 30 m
Diameter	8 - 20 cm
Growth Habit	Dense Clumping
Climate	Tropical - Subtropical
Hardiness	-4°C
Edibility	★★★★☆ (4 of 5)
Flowering Cycle	30-120 years
Origin	Bangladesh, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam
Uses	Construction, Furniture, Water Containers, Cooking Pots, Laminated Boards, Handicrafts, Musical Instruments, Food

...

Bamboo species of the genus Fargesia are medium to small mountain clumping bamboos, found in the alpine conifer forests of East Asia (China, Vietnam, and Burma). In China they are known as 'jian zhu' (arrow bamboo).

Dendrocalamus brandisii also known as Velvet Leaf Bamboo, Teddy Bear Bamboo, or Sweet Dragon Bamboo is one of the largest tropical clumping bamboos in the world. It grows native in Southeast Asia and is often used as a building material. [table id=127...

Gigantochloa is a tropical genus of giant clumping bamboo, similar to the genus Bambusa. Bamboo species of this genus grow native in South and South-East Asia: Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China, India, and Bangladesh.