Bamboo is a very large subfamily of the cereal family. There are approximately 1200 species in this subfamily. The most famous representative of bamboo is "common bamboo" or Bambusa vulgaris. This plant is known for its extremely fast growth.
Bamboo records
Almost all bamboo plants grow to impressive sizes. For example, Dendrocalamus brandsisii in favorable conditions can grow up to 38 m (this is the height of a twelve-story building), the circumference of the stem of such a plant reaches 80 cm.
Plants of this subfamily are very important industrial crops in some countries of the world. Due to its extremely high growth rate, bamboo is used as a cheap and affordable building material. The record growth rate of bamboo recorded in Japan is 120 cm per day. The Japanese claim that if you look closely at the stem of a bamboo, you can see the growth process, which is doubtful, since even with a similar growth rate, the plant stretches only 5 cm per hour.
Common bamboo is common in both hemispheres of the Earth, while its homeland is unknown. Numerous stems grow from the rhizome very quickly (the growth rate of bamboo is up to 0.75 m per day), their length on average reaches 15-18 m. Bambusa tulda, which is widespread in Indochina, can grow by 22 m in one month. In the upper part, the stems branch strongly … Bamboo leaves reach a length of 18 cm.
A group grown from one rhizome (or the entire population in an area) does not bloom for several decades, after which it blooms very abundantly and at the same time, bears fruit and dies off. In some cases, after fruiting, only the ground parts of the plant die, and the rhizome remains. The frequency of its flowering depends on the type of bamboo. Some plants bloom once every 10 years, while others bloom once every 100.
How bamboo is used
If you grow bamboo as an ornamental plant, remember that bamboo has an extremely developed rhizome, thanks to which it is able to cover large areas. This can be prevented by creating special fences in the soil that the rhizomes cannot overcome.
Bamboo, due to its incredible vitality, high growth rate and prevalence, is widely used for the manufacture of hats, light and durable furniture, wicker curtains and baskets. In Java, for example, bamboo is used to make dishes for baking - in hollow fragments of bamboo trunks, various foods are baked on coals. In Europe and the USA, ski poles, umbrella handles, walking sticks, fishing rods are made from bamboo. In the late 19th century, bamboo was used to make lightweight bicycle frames. Nowadays, bamboo stalks are used to make a lightweight and very durable fabric.
