GIANT GRASS
Bamboo is actually a giant grass.
FAMILY: Grainier (Panacea)
It grows from a network of rhizomes (underground root like stems.)
There are more than 1200 species of bamboo. The bamboo family is roughly divided into two groups according to their rhizomes. Sympodial (clumping species), and monopodial(running). Almost all of the clumpers are tropical or sub-tropical, although a few such as Fargesias, are extremely cold hardy.
Bamboo is a wonderful plant. It has a unique ecology. There are many historical facts and customs in connection with a Bamboo.
“There is a story about an Englishman who went to Japan. After being exposed to bamboo, he became fascinated by it, so he decided to enumerate all of the uses for bamboo. The story goes that after months and months, having found over 1000 uses, he gave up and went back to England stating that it couldn’t be done in one lifetime. The Chinese, a culture which reputedly “leap frogged“ the stone age, because they discovered the value of bamboo so quickly, have recorded over 1500 uses of bamboo in daily life . “
How often does the material of the house you live in, the clothes you wear, the music you listen to, the paper you write at, the pen you write with, the nutritious food and beverage you consume, come from the same plant? How often?