III.

Uses

Bamboos are among the plants most widely used by humans. In the tropics they are used for constructing houses, rafts, bridges, and scaffolding. Split and flattened culms can be used as flooring and interwoven to make baskets, mats, hats, fish traps, and other articles; culms of large species may be used as containers for liquids. Paper is made from bamboo pulp, and fishing rods, water pipes, musical instruments, and chopsticks from other parts. Many bamboos are planted as ornamentals, and young shoots are eaten as a vegetable. The grain is also a food.

Scientific classification: Bamboos belong to the family Poaceae (formerly Gramineae).