Abstract:

Although the history of bamboo resources utilization can be traced back to 7 000 years ago, the understanding of bamboo as a special group of Gramineae was not established until the late 18th century. Carl von Liné, the founder of modern plant classification, treated all bamboo species in the world as one species belonging to the genus Arundo (Arundo arbor) in his book “Species Plantarum”. It was not until 1789 that bamboo was separated from Arundo and the first bamboo genus, Bambusa, was established. Since its recognition as a distinct species from other grasses, there has been a wealth of literature addressing these aspects, including morphology, anatomy, systematics, physiology, ecology, cytology, genetics and molecular biology. However, systematic research on the occurrence, development and senescence of various organs of bamboo plants is still lacking. This article reviews and summarizes research on the developmental biology of the bamboo root, rhizome, culm, leaves and reproductive organs. We highlight what is insufficient or lacking in the field of bamboo developmental biology and what should be further investigated. We proposed to consider the entire process of cell division, differentiation and morphogenesis when studying the developmental biology of bamboo, and to investigate the dynamics of physiological and biochemical indices throughout the process to reveal the gene expression and signal transduction pathways that control each step of the entire developmental process.

Key words: bamboo, ontogeny, root, rhizome, bamboo stem, bamboo leaf, inflorescence, fruit