Arborescent, shrubby or rarely climbing bamboos, sometimes thorny; culms arising from a thick rhizome, usually caespitose, occasionally stoloniferous. Culmsheaths variable, usually broad; imperfect blade broad, triangular. Leaf-blades shortly petiolate. Inflorescence usually a large leafless compound panicle bearing spikelets in heads on spicate branchiets, sometimes in leafy panicles or paniculate spikes. Spikelets with 1-several fertile florets usually subtended by 1 or more glume-like bracts in addition to the glumes; lemma ovate-lanceolate, usually mucronate; palea 2-keeled, the keels ciliate or not, the apex usually entire; lodicules 3, membranous, generally obtuse, ciliate; stamens 6; style 1; stigmas 1-3. Caryopsis oblong or linear-oblong, acute or obtuse, furrowed on one side; pericarp thin, adherent.

A genus of about 70 species in the tropics and sub-tropics of Asia, Africa and America; 2 species are cultivated in Pakistan.

The generic name Bambusa Schreb. (1789) is conserved in favour of Bambos Retz. (1789) although there is circumstantial evidence that the latter was published first. Under Bambos arundinacea Retzius cited Arundo bambos auct. rather than Arundo bambos Linn. It is generally agreed that Arundo bambos Linn. is of uncertain identity and the name is thought to include more than one species. It is therefore regarded as a nomen confusum (Holttum in Taxon 5:26. 1956) and the more usual name for the type species, Bambusa bambos (Linn.) Voss., thus has no standing. Retzius included the single species Bambos arundinacea in Obs. Bot. 5:24. 1789; this is the type of both Bambos and Bambusa and its correct form of citation is Bambusa arundinacea (Retz.) Willd.

Lower Taxa

• Bambusa arundinacea (Retz.) Willd.
• Bambusa glaucescens (Willd.) Sieb. ex Munro

Related Synonym(s):

• Bambusa nana Roxb. = Bambusa glaucescens (Willd.) Sieb. ex Munro
• Bambusa spinosa Roxb, ex Buch.-Ham. = Bambusa arundinacea (Retz.) Willd.