Research Training Program

Kimberly Barker
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, Ohio

Thomas R. Soderstrom, Ph.D.
Department or Botany
Division or Grasses

20 May 1985 - 12 August 1985

"The people wanted to help you learn and were excited to talk and teach."

Bamboo Species List

Although one of the most intriguing plant family groups, so little is know about the famous tree grasses - bamboo. Bamboo, a member of the grass family, grows and reproduces vegitatively like most plants but only flowers periodically at intervals varying from 1 to 120 years, depending on the species. With uncanny synchronization, all members of the same species begin to flower at the same time throughout the world. Plants flower, produce seed, then die. Due to this bizarre flowering, and many recent discoveries of new genera, the identification of many species is only now taking place. Prior to this project a list of bamboo genera was available, but a listing of bamboo species names had never been compiled.

This project included searching ING for bamboo genera names and checking the genus list, searching Index Kewensis for bamboo genus and species combinations and compiling a complete listing; determining synonyms from the list; adding the correct author citations; listing the type publication information; and entering all information into WANG word procesor.

The result is a complete bamboo listing including a list of all published genera, species list with correct author citation, and complete list of published type citations.

Prior to this work some work had begun for the herbaceous bamboos, but the list needed to be checked and the woody bamboo species needed to be added to the list. The investigations included library as well as herbarium research.