Universal node distribution in three bamboo species (Phyllostachys spp.)

摘要

Bamboo exhibits unique structural properties that distinguish it from most other woody plants. One of the most remarkable properties is that the long hollow culm is separated into many small chambers by a sequence of nodes. The node distribution along the culm is, in general, sparse at the mid-culm and dense near the ends of the culm. In this study, we examined the intraspecific and interspecific variation in the node distribution of three species of the genus Phyllostachys (Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel ex Houz., Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis and Phyllostachys nigra Munro) with different culm sizes. The node distribution followed a single fitting curve via the normalization procedure, indicating the existence of a hidden universal law that governs the node distribution of the three species, despite their different appearances. Our findings also suggest that the node distribution along the mature culm could be determined at the stage of bamboo shoot by its base diameter.