Seeding and death

brixworth gardener · Post by **brixworth gardener** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 8:11 am

I have had an unknown variety of bamboo growing in a sheltered woodland setting for about 10 years. Last year I noticed seed pods appeared on some of the stems. It is now DEAD!!!!.

Closer inspection of other clumps around the garden show most of them in seed. I have read somewhere that once a bamboo seeds it dies. IS this the case. If so (a) can I prevent the inevitable, (b) will the seeds be viable (c) if so what special requirements are needed to bring about a new crop of plants

BruceLofland · Post by **BruceLofland** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 12:57 pm

I don't think most bamboo produces seeds in pods. Can you post a picture of the seed pods?

Jeff: Igor's Apprentice · Tue Apr 24, 2007 12:35 am

From the ABS website...

Sometimes one can feel one seed pod after another repeatedly without finding any seeds, or just one or two. Some growers plant the entire mass of seed head, chaff and all.

Bamboo may not exactly be the first image that comes to my mind for the term "seed pod" either, but how many words do most of us know for that matter which encases seed? Please do share....anyone....anyone...., but lets not get totally bogged down in lingustics...

And, brixworth, Please DO post a picture of your flowering plants!!!!!

Jeff: Igor's Apprentice · Tue Apr 24, 2007 12:36 am

Okay, now I HAVE to know...

what is the technical term in bamboo?????

Eastlandia · Post by **Eastlandia** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 2:06 am

Um....They are not "seed pods" but rather a single bamboo flower is encased in two scale-like leaves called lodicules. I guess if you looked closely enough and called this cover a "pod" then I dont see a problem.

Glen · Post by **Glen** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 2:30 pm

Jeff aka mushroom dancer wrote:Okay, now I HAVE to know...
what is the technical term in bamboo?????

To be botanically correct, the above sentence should read, "Sometimes one can feel one spikelet after another repeatedly without finding any seeds, or just one or two. Some growers plant the entire mass of seed head, chaff and all."

Bamboo inflorescence terminology is the same as that used for other grasses. The spikelet is the fundamental unit of the grass inflorescence. Let me know if you want more details.

Diagram: http://forages.oregonstate.edu/projects ... ection.jpg

Eastlandia wrote:Um....They are not "seed pods" but rather a single bamboo flower is encased in two scale-like leaves called lodicules.

Perhaps you are thinking of the lemma and palea, which are the easily visible bracts that enclose each grass flower/seed. Lodicules are minute lobes at the base of the grass flower, inside the lemma and palea. It is normally necessary to dissect a spikelet under pretty strong magnification to see the lodicules, which are interpreted to be vestigial perianth segments, and therefore part of the grass flower itself.

rfgpitt · Post by **rfgpitt** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:20 pm

Glen,
Thanks - this is why I don't get technical - just plant the sucker!

brixworth gardener,
I would guess you have some form of fargesia, probably a version of nitida.
ABS info on flowering

Seeding and death

Seeding and death

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