Bamboos of the World

  1. Bamboo
  2. Species / Bamboos of the World

Bamboos are found as natural flora in many parts of the world, from sea level to the snowy mountains, in tropical, subtropical, and mild temperate climates, with 1678 species classified into 123 genera. They are found in abundance in Asia's southern and south-eastern borders, from India to China and Japan to Korea. Bamboos are found in Africa, Australia, and Madagascar, among other places. In the Western hemisphere, bamboos extend from the eastern United States to Chile and Argentina. South America is also rich in bamboo.

Three major bamboo-growing geographical regions are recognized in the world:

  1. Asia-Pacific (42°S-51°N): This includes major bamboo-growing countries like China, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, etc.
  2. American (47°S-40°N): The American bamboo growing region extends across the south and north Americas, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Columbia, Venezuela, and the Amazon valley in Brazil. These are the main centres of bamboo distribution in this region. Brazil has the greatest diversity of bamboos followed by countries like Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru.
  3. African (22° S-16° N): Southern Mozambique and eastern Sudan from south to north. The main places are Senegal, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Congo, Zaire and, Madagascar Island. The tropical clumping bamboos species like Cathariostachys, Cephalostachyum, Oxytenanthera and Schizostachyum; and a handful of temperate bamboos, belonging to Bergbambos, Oldeania, Thamnocalamus and Yushania are found in this region.

Three major bamboo-growing geographical regions

The details of different bamboo genera and the number of species present in the world are provided below. The dominant bamboo genera are Bambusa (154 species), Chusquea (179), Dendrocalamus (69), Fargesia (86), Gigantochloa (63), Phyllostachys (63), Yushania (86) etc.,

    Genera No. of species
  1. Acidosasa C. D. Chu & C. S. Chao 11
  2. Actinocladum McClure ex Soderstr. 1
  3. Agnesia Zuloaga & Judz. 1
  4. Alvimia C. E. Calderón ex Soderstr. & Londoño 3
  5. Ampelocalamus S. L. Chen T. H. Wen & G. Y. Sheng 14
  6. Annamocalamus H. N. Nguyen, N. H. Xia & V.T. Tran 1
  7. Arberella Soderstr. & C. E. Calderón 7
  8. Apoclada McClure 1
  9. Arthrostylidium Rupr 31
  10. Arundinaria Michx. 3
  11. Athroostachys Benth. 1
  12. Atractantha McClure 6
  13. Aulonemia Goudot 47
  14. Bambusa Schreb 154
  15. Bashania Keng f. & T. P. Yi 7
  16. Bergbambos Stapleton 1
  17. Bonia Balansa 5
  18. Buergersiochloa Pilg 1
  19. Cambajuva P. L. Viana, L. G. Clark & Filg 1
  20. Cathariostachys S. Dransf. 2
  21. Cephalostachyum Munro 16
  22. Chimonobambusa Makino 42
  23. Chimonocalamus Hsueh & T. P. Yi 16
  24. Chusquea Kunth 179
  25. Cochinchinochloa H. N. Nguyen & V. T. Tran 1
  26. Colanthelia McClure & E. W. Sm 7
  27. Cryptochloa Swallen 9
  28. Cyrtochloa S. Dransf. 7
  29. Davidsea Soderstr. & R. P. Ellis 1
  30. Decaryochloa A. Camus 1
  31. Dendrocalamus Nees 69
  32. Diandrolyra Stapf 3
  33. Didymogonyx (L. G. Clark & Londoño) C. D. Tyrrell, L. G. Clark & Londoño 2
  34. Dinochloa Buse 38
  35. Drepanostachyum Keng f. 10
  36. Ekmanochloa Hitchc 2
  37. Elytrostachys McClure 2
  38. Eremitis Döll 3
  39. Eremocaulon Soderstr. & Londoño 4
  40. Fargesia Franch. 86
  41. Ferrocalamus Hsueh & Keng f. 3
  42. Filgueirasia Guala 2
  43. Fimbribambusa Widjaja 2
  44. Froesiochloa G. A. Black 1
  45. Gelidocalamus T. H. Wen 11
  46. Gigantocalamus K. M. Wong 1
  47. Gigantochloa Kurz ex Munro 63
  48. Glaziophyton Franch 1
  49. Greslania Balansa 2
  50. Guadua Kunth 33
  51. Hickelia A. Camus 4
  52. Himalayacalamus Keng f. 9
  53. Hitchcockella A. Camus 1
  54. Holttumochloa K. M. Wong 1
  55. Indocalamus Nakai 33
  56. Indosasa McClure 19
  57. Kinabaluchloa K. M. Wong 2
  58. Kuruna Attigala, Kaththr. & L. G. Clark 7
  59. Lithachne P. Beauv 4
  60. Maclurochloa K. M. Wong 3
  61. Maclurolyra C.E.Calderón ex Soderstr 1
  62. Melocalamus Benth. 14
  63. Melocanna Trin 3
  64. Merostachys Spreng 48
  65. Mniochloa Chase 1
  66. Mullerochloa K. M. Wong 1
  67. Myriocladus Swallen 12
  68. Nastus Juss 25
  69. Neohouzeaua A. Camus 6
  70. Neololeba Widjaja 5
  71. Neomicrocalamus Keng f. 3
  72. Nianhochloa H. N. Nguyen & V. T. Tran 1
  73. Ochlandra Thwaites 10
  74. Oldeania Stapleton 1
  75. Oligostachyum Z. P. Wang & G. H. Ye 17
  76. Olmeca Soderstr 5
  77. Olyra L. 25
  78. Oreobambos K. Schum 1
  79. Otatea (McClure & E. W. Sm.) C. E. Calderón ex Soderstr 10
  80. Oxytenanthera Munro 1
  81. Parabambusa Widjaja 1
  82. Pariana Aubl. 35
  83. Parianella Hollowell , F.M.Ferreira & R.P.Oliveira 2
  84. Parodiolyra Soderstr. & Zuloaga 6
  85. Perrierbambus A.Camus 2
  86. Phuphanochloa Sungkaew & Teerawat 1
  87. × Phyllosasa Demoly 1
  88. Phyllostachys Siebold & Zucc. 63
  89. Pinga Widjaja 1
  90. Piresia Swallen 5
  91. Piresiella Judz 1
  92. Pleioblastus Nakai 25
  93. Pseudosasa Makino ex Nakai 20
  94. Pseudostachyum Munro 1
  95. Pseudoxytenanthera Soderstr. & R. P. Ellis 4
  96. Racemobambos Holttum 19
  97. Raddia Bertol 9
  98. Raddiella Swallen 8
  99. Rehia Fijten 1
  100. Reitzia Swallen 1
  101. Rhipidocladum McClure 19
  102. Sarocalamus Stapleton 3
  103. Sasa Makino & Shibata 46
  104. Sasaella Makino 11
  105. Sasamorpha Nakai 5
  106. Schizostachyum Nees 62
  107. Semiarundinaria Makino ex Nakai 8
  108. Shibataea Makino ex Nakai 7
  109. Sinobambusa Makino ex Nakai 13
  110. Sirochloa S. Dransf. 1
  111. Soejatmia K. M. Wong 1
  112. Sphaerobambos S. Dransf. 3
  113. Stapletonia P. Singh, S. S. Dash & P. Kumari 2
  114. Sucrea Soderstr 3
  115. Temburongia S. Dransf. & K. M. Wong 1
  116. Temochloa J.Dransf. 1
  117. Thamnocalamus Munro 4
  118. Thyrsostachys Gamble 2
  119. Valiha S. Dransf. 2
  120. Vietnamocalamus T. Q. Nguyen 1
  121. Vietnamosasa T. Q. Nguyen 3
  122. Yushania Keng f. 86
    123. Total: 1678