Bamboo: Difference between revisions

'''Bamboos''' are a diverse group of mostly [[evergreen]] [[perennial plant|perennial]] flowering plants making up the [[subfamily (biology)|subfamily]] '''Bambusoideae''' of the grass family [[Poaceae]].<ref>{{Citation |last=McClure |first=F. A. |title=The Bamboos: A Fresh Perspective |date=2013-10-01 |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.4159/harvard.9780674428713/html |work=The Bamboos |access-date=2023-08-29 |publisher=Harvard University Press |language=en |doi=10.4159/harvard.9780674428713 |isbn=978-0-674-42871-3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Canavan |first1=Susan |last2=Richardson |first2=David M. |last3=Visser |first3=Vernon |last4=Roux |first4=Johannes J. Le |last5=Vorontsova |first5=Maria S. |last6=Wilson |first6=John R. U. |date=2016-12-23 |title=The global distribution of bamboos: assessing correlates of introduction and invasion |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plw078 |journal=AoB Plants |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=plw078 |doi=10.1093/aobpla/plw078 |issn=2041-2851 |pmc=5499700 |pmid=28013249}}</ref><ref name="Ayer 100027">{{Cite journal |last1=Ayer |first1=Santosh |last2=Timilsina |first2=Sachin |last3=Aryal |first3=Anisha |last4=Acharya |first4=Amul Kumar |last5=Neupane |first5=Asmit |last6=Bhatta |first6=Kishor Prasad |date=2023-08-01 |title=Bamboo forests in Nepal: Status, distribution, research trends and contribution to local livelihoods |journal=Advances in Bamboo Science |volume=4 |pages=100027 |doi=10.1016/j.bamboo.2023.100027 |s2cid=259134632 |issn=2773-1391|doi-access=free |bibcode=2023AdBS....400027A }}</ref> [[Giant bamboo]]s are the largest members of the grass family, in the case of ''[[Dendrocalamus sinicus]]'' having individual stalks ([[Culm (botany)|culms]]) reaching a length of 46 meters, up to 36 centimeters in thickness and a weight of up to 450 kilograms.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 28, 2003 |url=https://forests.org/articles/reader.asp?linkid=25225 |website=Forest Conservation Portal |title=World's Biggest Bamboo Plant Found in Southwest China |access-date=April 4, 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031110222335/https://forests.org/articles/reader.asp?linkid=25225 |archive-date=2003-11-10}}</ref> The [[internodes]] of bamboos can also be of great length. ''[[Kinabaluchloa|Kinabaluchloa wrayi]]'' has internodes up to 2.5 meters in length.<ref>{{cite web |last=<anonymous> |date=n.d. |title=Bamboos of Thailand - Kinabaluchloa wrayi |url=https://sites.google.com/view/bamboos-of-thailand/1-native-species/kinabaluchloa/kinabaluchloa-wrayi |access-date=February 24, 2015}}</ref> and ''[[Arthrostylidium schomburgkii]]'' has internodes up to 5 meters in length,<ref>{{cite journal | last= Schombergk | first= Sir Robert H. | date= 1841 | title= Some Accounts of the Curata....etc | journal= Trans. Linnean Soc. London | volume= 18 | issue=<not stated> | pages= 559–560 }}</ref> exceeded in length only by [[Cyperus papyrus|papyrus]]. By contrast, the stalks of the tiny bamboo [[Raddiella|''Raddiella vanessiae'']] of the savannas of [[French Guiana]] measure only 10–20 millimeters in length by about two millimeters in width.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Judziewicz |first1=Emmit J. |last2=Sepsenwol |first2=Sol |date=2007 |title=The World's Smallest Bamboo: Raddiella Vanessiae (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Olyreae), a New Species from French Guiana |journal=Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=1–7 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34395112#page/9/mode/1up}}</ref> The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, but it probably comes from the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] or [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] language, which originally borrowed it from [[Malay language|Malay]] or [[Kannada language|Kannada]].<ref name="Ayer 100027"/><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kelchner |first=Scot A. |date=2013-05-01 |title=Higher level phylogenetic relationships within the bamboos (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) based on five plastid markers |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790313000626 |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=67 |issue=2 |pages=404–413 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2013.02.005 |pmid=23454093 |bibcode=2013MolPE..67..404K |issn=1055-7903}}</ref><ref name=oed>{{Cite OED|bamboo}}</ref>

Bamboos include some of the fastest-growing plants in the world,<ref name="Farrelly">{{cite book |last=Farrelly |first=David |title=The Book of Bamboo |publisher=Sierra Club Books |year=1984 |isbn=978-0-87156-825-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/bookofbamboo00farr}}</ref> due to a unique [[rhizome]]-dependent system. Certain species of bamboo can grow {{convert|91|cm|in|abbr=off}} within a 24-hour period, at a rate of almost {{convert|40|mm|in|frac=4|sp=us}} an hour (equivalent to 1&nbsp;mm every 90 seconds).<ref name=Guinness>{{cite web |website=Guinness World Records |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-3000/fastest-growing-plant/ |title=Fastest growing plant |access-date=22 August 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903081941/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-3000/fastest-growing-plant |archive-date=3 September 2014}}</ref> Growth up to 120 centimeters (47.6 inches) in 24 hours has been observed in the instance of Japanese giant timber bamboo (''[[Phyllostachys bambusoides]]'').<ref>{{cite book |last1=Austin |first1=Robert |last2=Ueda |first2=Koishiro |date=1970 |title=Bamboo |location=New York |publisher=Walker/Weatherhill |page=193}}</ref> This rapid growth and tolerance for [[marginal land]], make bamboo a good candidate for [[afforestation]], [[carbon sequestration]] and [[climate change mitigation]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Singh |first1=Lal |last2=Sridharan |first2=Srinidhi |last3=Thul |first3=Sanjog T. |last4=Kokate |first4=Piyush |last5=Kumar |first5=Phani |last6=Kumar |first6=Sunil |last7=Kumar |first7=Rakesh |date=2020-11-01 |title=Eco-rejuvenation of degraded land by microbe assisted bamboo plantation |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669020307123 |journal=Industrial Crops and Products |volume=155 |pages=112795 |doi=10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.112795 |s2cid=225025086 |issn=0926-6690}}</ref><ref name="Masisi 100009">{{Cite journal |last1=Masisi |first1=Bhoke |last2=Zabel |first2=Astrid |last3=Blaser |first3=Jürgen |last4=Augustino |first4=Suzana |date=2022-12-01 |title=Fighting climate change with bamboo in Africa: The case of Kyela, Rungwe and Mufindi districts – Tanzania |journal=Advances in Bamboo Science |volume=1 |pages=100009 |doi=10.1016/j.bamboo.2022.100009 |s2cid=253535691 |issn=2773-1391|doi-access=free |bibcode=2022AdBS....100009M }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kumar |first1=Raushan |last2=Thangaraju |first2=Mohan Manu |last3=Kumar |first3=Manoj |last4=Thul |first4=Sanjog Tarachand |last5=Pandey |first5=Vimal Chandra |last6=Yadav |first6=Swati |last7=Singh |first7=Lal |last8=Kumar |first8=Sunil |date=2021-07-01 |title=Ecological restoration of coal fly ash–dumped area through bamboo plantation |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-12995-7 |journal=Environmental Science and Pollution Research |language=en |volume=28 |issue=25 |pages=33416–33432 |doi=10.1007/s11356-021-12995-7 |pmid=33641101 |bibcode=2021ESPR...2833416K |s2cid=232067180 |issn=1614-7499}}</ref>

Bamboo is versatile and has notable economic and cultural significance in [[South Asia]], [[Southeast Asia]], and [[East Asia]], being used for [[building material]]s, as a [[Bamboo shoot|food source]], and as a raw product, and depicted often in arts, such as in [[bamboo painting]]s and [[bambooworking]]. Bamboo, like [[wood]], is a natural [[composite material]] with a high strength-to-weight ratio useful for structures.<ref name=Lakkad /> Bamboo's strength-to-weight ratio is similar to [[timber]], and its strength is generally similar to a strong [[softwood]] or [[hardwood]] timber.<ref name=Kaminski1>{{cite journal |title=Structural use of bamboo. Part 1: Introduction to bamboo |last1=Kaminski|first1=S.|last2=Lawrence|first2=A.|last3=Trujillo|first3=D.|journal=The Structural Engineer |volume=94 |issue=8 |date=2016 |pages=40–43|doi=10.56330/PNSC8891 |url=https://pure.coventry.ac.uk/ws/files/4012225/Bamboo%20Paper%201%20-%20Intro%20V11.6%20FINAL%20FOR%20ISTRUCTE.pdf }}</ref><ref name=Kaminski2>{{cite journal |title=Structural use of bamboo. Part 3: Design values |last1=Kaminski |first1=S. |last2=Lawrence |first2=A. |last3=Trujillo |first3=D. |last4=Feltham |first4=I. |last5=Felipe López |first5=L. |journal=The Structural Engineer |volume=94 |issue=12 |date=2016 |pages=42–45|doi=10.56330/JCLL5610 |url=https://pure.coventry.ac.uk/ws/files/4057280/Bamboo%20Paper%203%20-%20Values%20V13.2%20FINAL%20FOR%20ISTRUCTE.pdf }}</ref> Some bamboo species have displayed remarkable strength under test conditions. ''Bambusa tulda'' of [[Bangladesh]] and adjoining [[India]] has tested as high as 60,000 psi (400 MPa) in [[tensile strength]].<ref>{{cite book | last= McClure | first= Floyd A. |date= 1948 | title= 1948 Yearbook of Agriculture - Grasses | location= Washington, D.C. | publisher= United States Department of Agriculture | page= 738}}</ref> Other bamboo species make extraordinarily hard material. ''Bambusa tabacaria'' of [[China]] contains so much [[silica]] that it will make sparks when struck by an axe.<ref>{{cite book | last= Farrelly | first= David | date= 1984 | title= The Book of Bamboo | location= San Francisco |publisher= Sierra Club Books | page= 143 }}</ref>

|caption=[[Phylogeny]] of the bamboo within the BOP [[clade]] of grasses, as suggested by analyses of the whole of Poaceae<ref name="GPWGII">{{cite journal |author=Grass Phylogeny Working Group II |title=New grass phylogeny resolves deep evolutionary relationships and discovers C₄ origins |journal=New Phytologist |volume=193 |issue=2 |year=2012 |pages=304–312 |issn=0028-646X |doi=10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03972.x |pmid=22115274 |hdl=2262/73271|hdl-access=free }}</ref> and of the bamboos in particular.<ref name="Kelchner2013">{{cite journal |author1=Kelchner S |author2=Bamboo Phylogeny Working Group |title=Higher level phylogenetic relationships within the bamboos (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) based on five plastid markers |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=67 |issue=2 |year=2013 |pages=404–413 |url=http://www.isu.edu/~kelchner/Kelchner_Lab/Publications_files/Kelchner%26BPG_MPE2013.pdf |issn=1055-7903 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2013.02.005 |pmid=23454093 |bibcode=2013MolPE..67..404K |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150605041641/http://www.isu.edu/~kelchner/Kelchner_Lab/Publications_files/Kelchner%26BPG_MPE2013.pdf |archive-date=5 June 2015}}</ref>

Most bamboo species are native to warm and moist tropical and to warm temperate climates.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tcpermaculture.com/site/2014/01/13/permaculture-plants-bamboo/ |title=Permaculture Plants: Bamboo |first=John |last=Kitsteiner |date=13 January 2014 |access-date=28 July 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731051114/http://tcpermaculture.com/site/2014/01/13/permaculture-plants-bamboo/ |archive-date=31 July 2017|website=tcpermaculture.com}}</ref> Their range also extends to cool mountainous regions and highland [[cloud forest]]s.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

In the [[Asia-Pacific|Asia-Pacific region]], they occur across East Asia, from north to 50 °N latitude in [[Sakhalin]],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Newell|first1=J|title=The Russian Far East: A Reference Guide for Conservation and Development|date=2004|publisher=Daniel & Daniel|location=McKinleyville, California|pages=376, 384–386, 392, 404|chapter-url=http://urbansustainability.snre.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/RFE.11.pdf|access-date=18 June 2014|chapter=Chapter 11: Sakhalin Oblast|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703070054/http://urbansustainability.snre.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/RFE.11.pdf|archive-date=3 July 2014}}</ref> to south to [[northern Australia]], and west to India and the [[Himalayas]]. China, Japan, Korea, India and Australia, all have several endemic populations.<ref name="Bystriakova et al">{{cite journal |last1=Bystriakova |first1=N. |last2=Kapos |first2=V. |last3=Lysenko |first3=I. |last4=Stapleton |first4=C. M. A. |date=September 2003 |title=Distribution and conservation status of forest bamboo biodiversity in the Asia-Pacific Region |journal=Biodiversity and Conservation |volume=12 |issue=9 |pages=1833–1841 |doi=10.1023/A:1024139813651|s2cid=35784749 }}</ref> They also occur in small numbers in [[sub-Saharan Africa]], confined to tropical areas, from southern Senegal in the north to southern Mozambique and Madagascar in the south.<ref name="gorilla"/> In the Americas, bamboo has a native range from 47 °S in southern Argentina and the beech forests of central [[Chile]], through the South American tropical rainforests, to the [[Andes]] in Ecuador near {{convert|14000|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip}}, with a noticeable gap through the [[Atacama Desert]].{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Three species of bamboo, all in the genus ''Arundinaria'', are also native through Central America and Mexico, northward into the [[Southeastern United States]].<ref>{{PLANTS|taxon=Arundinaria gigantea (Walt.) Muhl. giant cane |symbol=ARGI}}</ref> Bamboo thickets called [[canebrake]]s once formed a dominant ecosystem in some parts of the Southeastern United States, but they are now considered critically endangered ecosystems.<ref>{{cite web |title=Canebrake Restoration |url=https://friendsofthecache.org/canebrake-restoration |website=friendsofthecache.org |access-date=27 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shoemaker |first1=Cory M. |title=Environmental and landscape factors affecting the continued suppression of canebrakes (Arundinaria gigantea, Poaceae) within restorations of bottomland hardwood forests |journal=The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society |date=2018 |volume=145 |issue=2 |pages=156–152|doi=10.3159/TORREY-D-17-00011.1 |s2cid=90442090 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Barret |first1=Richard |last2=Grabowski |first2=Janet |last3=Williams |first3=M.J. |title=Giant Cane and Other Native Bamboos: Establishment and Use for Conservation of Natural Resources in the Southeast |url=https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/flpmctn13727.pdf |website=ncrs.usda.gov}}</ref> Canada and continental Europe are not known to have any native species of bamboo.<ref name=rhs>{{cite book |title=New RHS Dictionary of Gardening |editor1-last=Huxley |editor1-first=Anthony |editor-link= Anthony Huxley |year=1992 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=978-0-333-47494-5 |editor2-first=Mark |editor2-last=Griffiths |editor3-first=Margot |editor3-last=Levy}}</ref> Many species are also cultivated as garden plants outside of this range, including in Europe and areas of North America where no native wild bamboo exists.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

[[File:Giant panda eating bamboo.jpg|thumb|Bamboo is the main food of the [[giant panda]], making up about 99% of its vegetarian diet.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sponheimer |first1=Matt |last2=Clauss |first2=Marcus |last3=Codron |first3=Daryl |title=Dietary Evolution: The Panda Paradox |journal=Current Biology |date=3 June 2019 |volume=29 |issue=11 |pages=R417–R419 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2019.04.045|pmid=31163146 |s2cid=173992065 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2019CBio...29.R417S }}</ref>]]

In Brazil, the [http://www.cebis.org.br Brazilian Center for Innovation and Sustainability - CEBIS], a non-profit organization, promotes the development of Brazil's bamboo production chain. Last year{{When|date=December 2023}}, it helped with the approval of law n~21,162 in the state of Paraná, which encourages Bamboo Culture aiming at the dissemination of its agricultural cultivation and the valorization of bamboo as an instrument for promoting the sustainable socioeconomic development of the State through its multiple functionalities. Bamboo cultivation neutralizes carbon emissions. Bamboo cultivation is cheap and in addition to adding value to its production chain, it is a sustainable crop that brings environmental, economic and social benefits. Its production can be used from construction to food. Recently, it was qualified and classified for the National Commission for Sustainable Development Objectives - CNDOS of the Presidency of the Republic of the federal government of Brazil.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

* '''Lifecycle of the culm''': As each individual [[Culm (botany)|culm]] goes through a five to seven-year lifecycle, they are ideally allowed to reach this level of maturity prior to full capacity harvesting. The clearing out or thinning of culms, particularly older decaying culms, helps to ensure adequate light and resources for new growth. Well-maintained clumps may have a productivity three to four times that of an unharvested wild clump. Consistent with the lifecycle described above, bamboo is harvested from two to three years through to five to seven years, depending on the species.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Panda |first1=H. |title=Bamboo Plantation and Utilization Handbook |date=Oct 6, 2011 |publisher=Asia Pacific Business Press, Inc. |page=168}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Marie |first1=Joanne |title=Bamboo Harvesting and Growing |url=https://www.weekand.com/home-garden/article/bamboo-harvesting-growing-18033612.php |agency=Week& |publisher=Hearst Newspapers |access-date=17 June 2023 |archive-date=17 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617181605/https://www.weekand.com/home-garden/article/bamboo-harvesting-growing-18033612.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

For example:{{cn|date=June 2024}}

In the process of water leaching, the bamboo is dried slowly and evenly in the shade to avoid cracking in the outer skin of the bamboo, thereby reducing opportunities for pest infestation.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

The shoots of most species are edible either raw or cooked, with the tough sheath removed. Cooking removes the slight bitterness.<ref name="Skyhorse Publishing-2009">{{Cite book |title=The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants / Department of the Army |publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-60239-692-0 |location=New York |pages=24 |oclc=277203364}}</ref> The shoots are used in numerous Asian dishes and broths, and are available in supermarkets in various sliced forms, in both fresh and canned versions.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

In [[Indonesia]], they are sliced thin and then boiled with ''santan'' (thick coconut milk) and spices to make a dish called ''gulai rebung''. Other recipes using bamboo shoots are ''[[sayur lodeh]]'' (mixed vegetables in coconut milk) and ''lun pia'' (sometimes written ''[[lumpia]]'': fried wrapped bamboo shoots with vegetables). The shoots of some species contain toxins that need to be leached or boiled out before they can be eaten safely.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Pickled bamboo, used as a condiment, may also be made from the [[pith]] of the young shoots.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

The sap of young stalks tapped during the rainy season may be [[fermentation (wine)|fermented]] to make ''ulanzi'' (a sweet wine)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ulanzi (Bamboo Wine)|website=elkinvanaeon.net |url=http://elkinvanaeon.net/Alchemy/Brewed_Beverages/ulanzi_bamboo-wine.htm |access-date=2021-12-17}}</ref> or simply made into a soft drink.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hallgren |first=Steve |date=2018-07-22 |title=Ulanzi: The Miracle Drink of Tanzania |website=Teaching High School Biology in Tanzania: A Peace Corps Volunteer Experience |url=https://hellofrompeacecorpstanzania.wordpress.com/category/mufindi-highlands-in-iringa-region/ulanzi-the-miracle-drink-of-tanzania/ |access-date=2021-12-17}}</ref> Bamboo leaves are also used as wrappers for steamed [[zongzi|dumplings]] which usually contains glutinous rice and other ingredients, such as the [[zongzi]] from China.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Pickled bamboo shoots ({{lang-ne|तामा|link=no}} {{transliteration|ne|tama}}) are cooked with black-eyed beans as a delicacy in Nepal. Many Nepalese restaurants around the world serve this dish as ''aloo bodi tama''. Fresh bamboo shoots are sliced and pickled with mustard seeds and turmeric and kept in glass jar in direct sunlight for the best taste. It is used alongside many dried beans in cooking during winters. Baby shoots ([[Nepali language|Nepali]]: ''tusa'') of a very different variety of bamboo ({{lang-ne|निगालो|link=no}} {{transliteration|ne|Nigalo}}) native to Nepal is cooked as a curry in hilly regions.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

The empty hollow in the stalks of larger bamboo is often used to cook food in many Asian cultures. Soups are boiled and rice is cooked in the hollows of fresh stalks of bamboo directly over a flame. Similarly, steamed tea is sometimes rammed into bamboo hollows to produce [[compressed tea|compressed forms]] of [[pu'er tea]]. Cooking food in bamboo is said to give the food a subtle but distinctive taste.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Bamboo was in widespread use in early China as a medium for written documents. The earliest surviving examples of such documents, written in ink on string-bound bundles of bamboo strips (or "slips"), date from the fifth century BC during the [[Warring States period]]. References in earlier texts surviving on other media indicate some precursor of these Warring States period bamboo slips was used as early as the late [[Shang]] period (from about 1250 BC).{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Bamboo fiber has been used to make paper in China since early times. A high-quality, handmade bamboo paper is still produced in small quantities. Coarse bamboo paper is still used to make [[Joss paper|spirit money]] in many Chinese communities.<ref name="spiritpaper">{{cite journal |last1=Perdue |first1=Robert E. |last2=Kraebel |first2=Charles J. |author3=Tao Kiang |date=April 1961 |title=Bamboo Mechanical Pulp for Manufacture of Chinese Ceremonial Paper |journal=Economic Botany |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=161–164 |doi=10.1007/BF02904089 |bibcode=1961EcBot..15..161P |s2cid=9556185}}</ref>

Since the fibers of bamboo are very short (less than {{convert|3|mm|in|frac=32|abbr=on|disp=or}}), they are not usually transformed into yarn by a natural process. The usual process by which textiles labeled as being made of bamboo are produced uses only [[rayon]] made from the fibers with heavy employment of chemicals. To accomplish this, the fibers are broken down with chemicals and extruded through mechanical spinnerets; the chemicals include [[lye]], [[carbon disulfide]], and strong acids.<ref name="Scientific American">{{cite journal |author=Michelle Nijhuis |date=June 2009 |title=Bamboo Boom: Is This Material for You? |journal=Scientific American Earth 3.0 Special |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=60–65 |doi=10.1038/scientificamericanearth0609-60|doi-broken-date=7 July 2024 }}</ref> Retailers have sold both end products as "bamboo fabric" to cash in on bamboo's current ecofriendly cachet. The Canadian [[Competition Bureau]]<ref name="ccb">{{cite news |date=27 January 2010 |title=\"Competition Bureau Takes Action to Ensure Accuracy for Textile Articles Labelled and Advertised as Bamboo\" |publisher=Competition Bureau Canada |url=http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/03193.html |access-date=1 July 2018}}</ref> and the US [[Federal Trade Commission]],<ref name="FTC">{{cite news |date=11 August 2009 |title=Four Companies Charged with Labeling Rayon Clothing As Bamboo |publisher=GreenBiz.com |url=http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2009/08/11/companies-label-rayon-clothing-bamboo |url-status=dead |access-date=12 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090813084741/http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2009/08/11/companies-label-rayon-clothing-bamboo |archive-date=13 August 2009}}</ref> as of mid-2009, are cracking down on the practice of labeling bamboo rayon as natural bamboo fabric. Under the guidelines of both agencies, these products must be labeled as rayon with the optional qualifier "from bamboo".<ref name="FTC" />

Bamboo, like true [[wood]], is a natural [[building material]] with a high strength-to-weight ratio useful for structures.<ref name="Lakkad">{{cite journal |title=Mechanical properties of bamboo, a natural composite |last1=Lakkad |last2=Patel |journal=Fibre Science and Technology |volume=14 |issue=4 |date=June 1981 |pages=319–322 |doi=10.1016/0015-0568(81)90023-3}}</ref> In its natural form, bamboo as a construction material is traditionally associated with the cultures of South Asia, East Asia, and the South Pacific, to some extent in Central and South America, and by extension in the aesthetic of [[Tiki culture]].{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Due to its flexibility, bamboo is also used to make [[fishing rod]]s. The [[split cane rod]] is especially prized for [[fly fishing]].{{cn|date=June 2024}}

In [[Culture of China|Chinese culture]], the bamboo, [[Prunus mume|plum]] blossom, [[orchid]], and [[chrysanthemum]] (often known as ''méi lán zhú jú'' {{lang|zh|梅蘭竹菊}} in Chinese) are collectively referred to as the [[Four Gentlemen]]. These four plants also represent the four seasons and, in [[Confucianism|Confucian]] ideology, four aspects of the ''[[junzi]]'' ("prince" or "noble one"). The [[pine]] (''sōng'' {{lang|zh|松}}), the bamboo (''zhú'' {{lang|zh|竹}}), and the plum blossom (''méi'' {{lang|zh|梅}}) are also admired for their perseverance under harsh conditions, and are together known as the "[[Three Friends of Winter]]" ({{Lang-zh|c=歲寒三友|p=suìhán sānyǒu|labels=no}}) in Chinese culture.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Bamboo, one of the "[[Four Gentlemen]]" (bamboo, orchid, plum blossom and chrysanthemum), plays such an important role in traditional Chinese culture that it is even regarded as a behavior model of the gentleman. As bamboo has features such as uprightness, tenacity, and modesty, people endow bamboo with integrity, elegance, and plainness, though it is not physically strong. Countless poems praising bamboo written by ancient Chinese poets are actually metaphorically about people who exhibited these characteristics. An ancient poet, [[Bai Juyi]] (772–846), thought that to be a gentleman, a man does not need to be physically strong, but he must be mentally strong, upright, and perseverant. Just as a bamboo is hollow-hearted, he should open his heart to accept anything of benefit and never have arrogance or prejudice.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

In ancient times, those who could afford a big house with a yard would plant bamboo in their garden.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

In a Chinese legend, the [[Emperor Yao]] gave two of his daughters to the future [[Emperor Shun]] as a test for his potential to rule. Shun passed the test of being able to run his household with the two emperor's daughters as wives, and thus Yao made Shun his successor, bypassing his unworthy son. After Shun's death, the tears of his two bereaved wives fell upon the bamboos growing there explains the origin of [[spotted bamboo]]. The two women later became goddesses [[Xiangshuishen]] after drowning themselves in the [[Xiang River]].{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Bamboo is a symbol of prosperity in Japan, and are used to make [[Japanese New Year|New Year's]] decorations called ''[[kadomatsu]]''. Bamboo forests sometimes surround [[Jinja (Shinto)|Shinto shrines]] and Buddhist temples as part of a sacred barrier against [[evil]]. In the [[Japanese folktales|folktale]] ''[[Tale of the Bamboo Cutter]]'' (''Taketori Monogatari''), princess Kaguya emerges from a shining bamboo section.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

In Japan, the Chinese "Three Friends of Winter" (''kansai sanyū'') concept is traditionally used as a ranking system, where pine ({{lang|ja|松}} ''matsu'') is the first rank, bamboo ({{lang|ja|竹}} ''take'') is the second rank, and plum ({{lang|ja|梅}} ''ume'') is the third rank. This system is used in many traditional arts like with [[sushi]] sets, embroidering kimono or tiers of accommodations at traditional ''[[ryokan (inn)|ryōkan]]'' taverns.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

In [[Malaysia]], a similar story includes a man who dreams of a beautiful woman while sleeping under a bamboo plant; he wakes up and breaks the bamboo stem, discovering the woman inside.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

In [[Philippine mythology]], one of the more famous [[creation account]]s tells of the first man ''Malakás'' ("Strong") and the first woman ''Maganda'' ("Beautiful") each emerging from one half of a split bamboo stem on an island formed after the battle between Sky and Ocean.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Bamboo plays an important part of the [[culture of Vietnam]]. Bamboo symbolizes the spirit of [[Vovinam]] (a Vietnamese martial arts): ''cương nhu phối triển'' (coordination between [[hard and soft (martial arts)]]). Bamboo also symbolizes the Vietnamese hometown and Vietnamese soul: the gentlemanlike, straightforwardness, hard working, optimism, unity, and adaptability. A Vietnamese proverb says, "Tre già, măng mọc" (When the bamboo is old, the bamboo sprouts appear), the meaning being Vietnam will never be annihilated; if the previous generation dies, the children take their place. Therefore, the Vietnam nation and Vietnamese value will be maintained and developed eternally. Traditional Vietnamese villages are surrounded by thick bamboo hedges (''lũy tre'').{{cn|date=June 2024}}

During [[Ngô Đình Diệm]]'s presidency, bamboo was the national symbol of [[South Vietnam]], it was featured on the national coat of arms, presidential standard, and South Vietnamese đồng coins at the time.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

A bamboo cane is also the weapon of [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] legendary hero, [[Thánh Gióng]], who had grown up immediately and magically since the age of three because of his wish to liberate his land from Ân invaders. The ancient Vietnamese legend ''Cây tre trăm đốt'' ([[The Hundred-knot Bamboo Tree]]) tells of a poor, young farmer who fell in love with his landlord's beautiful daughter. The farmer asked the landlord for his daughter's hand in marriage, but the proud landlord would not allow her to be bound in marriage to a poor farmer. The landlord decided to foil the marriage with an impossible deal; the farmer must bring him a "bamboo tree of 100 [[plant stems|nodes]]". But [[Gautama Buddha]] (''Bụt'') appeared to the farmer and told him that such a tree could be made from 100 nodes from several different trees. ''Bụt'' gave to him four magic words to attach the many nodes of bamboo: ''Khắc nhập, khắc xuất'', which means "joined together immediately, fell apart immediately". The triumphant farmer returned to the landlord and demanded his daughter. Curious to see such a long bamboo, the landlord was magically joined to the bamboo when he touched it, as the young farmer said the first two magic words. The story ends with the happy marriage of the farmer and the landlord's daughter after the landlord agreed to the marriage and asked to be separated from the bamboo.{{cn|date=June 2024}}