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Bamboo. The common name of the arborescent grasses belonging to the genus Bambusa or of allied genera. There are many species, belonging to the warmer parts of Asia, Africa, and America, and growing from a few feet to as much as one hundred feet in height and reaching a foot in diameter. The best known species is Bambusa arundinacea, common in tropical and sub-tropical regions. From the creeping underground rhizome, which is long, thick, and jointed, spring several round jointed stalks, which are generally straight and erect. The stems grow to their full height unbranched; but afterward throw out horizontal branches. Some of the plants are armed with spines. The oval leaves, eight or nine inches long, are placed on short footstalks. The flowers grow in large panicles from the joints of the stalk. Some stems grow to eight or ten inches in diameter, and are so hard and durable as to be used for walking sticks, flutes, etc.; the plant is used for innumerable purposes in the East Indies, China, and other Eastern countries, Cottages are almost wholly made of it, also bridges, boxes, water pipes, ladders, fences, bows and arrows, spears, baskets, mats, paper, masts for boats, etc. The young shoots are pickled and eaten, or otherwise used as food; the seeds of some species are also eaten. The substance called tabasheer is a siliceous deposit that gathers at the internodes of the stems. The bamboo is imported into Europe and America as a paper material as well as for other purposes. One species of arundinaria forms the canebrakes of southern United States.

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