Bamboo Physiology questions

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Clearsky
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Bamboo Physiology questions

Post by Clearsky »

A few bamboo physiology questions:

1) Does the bamboo stake (being green in color) participate in photosynthesis? In other words, if the bamboo leaves are cut and only the stakes are left, does it still transport energy to the rhizome?

2) How does xylem and Phloem work for bamboo, and which part is doing the Phloem?

3) Does the rhizome really rely on photosynthesis to get the energy it needs to expand horizontally as well as making new shoots? Or can the rhizome simply get nutrients and energy from the soil underground? So is bamboo still viable without culm?
Nicholas
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Re: Bamboo Physiology questions

Post by Nicholas »

Clearsky wrote:A few bamboo physiology questions:

1) Does the bamboo stake (being green in color) participate in photosynthesis? In other words, if the bamboo leaves are cut and only the stakes are left, does it still transport energy to the rhizome?

2) How does xylem and Phloem work for bamboo, and which part is doing the Phloem?

3) Does the rhizome really rely on photosynthesis to get the energy it needs to expand horizontally as well as making new shoots? Or can the rhizome simply get nutrients and energy from the soil underground? So is bamboo still viable without culm?

Hi, I'm no botanist so if you want a more well-founded answer you should probably seek one out.

For 1) In principle the cells with chlorophyll in the culm do participate in photosynthesis however I'm not sure if it is enough to properly sustain the plant

2) You may find answers to your question here: https://idl-bnc-idrc.dspacedirect.org/b ... L-8719.pdf

3) Being part of a plant, the rhizome can't just magically derive all its required nutrients from the soil alone. Else why would the rest even exist? A rhizome is no mushroom ;) In short, once a rhizome system has depleted its stored nutrients it will no longer be viable.

I hope that helped a bit

All the best,

N
Tarzanus
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Re: Bamboo Physiology questions

Post by Tarzanus »

Nicholas answered already, I would just like to add that bamboo stores some resources in culms as well, which means they can transfer the energy back to feed the rhizomes. That's the (suspected?) reason, why bamboo can shoot much better if winter damage doesn't destroy culms completely even if they perish during spring and never leaf-out again. Compared to top-killed bamboo which declines much harder. I am not sure if that is true, I've read quite a lot about it and I believe it until I get better info or experience.
Clearsky
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Re: Bamboo Physiology questions

Post by Clearsky »

Thanks to both for your replies. The web link to the digital book helps a lot.

So the above ground part (culm and leaves) are important for the bamboo as a viable plant. In that case bamboo is not in-destroyable as some have suggested.

The underground part of bamboo appears to me much like the internet. It has nodes and inter-nodes and they are well connected :D .
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