Bamboo in history
Flexible and resistant, bamboo can be admired for over a century in the gardens of the West: elegant and refined, it stands out from other plants for its vigorous stem capable of reaching very high heights (even over 40 meters). on the other hand, the bamboo embodies the refinement and the vegetal beauty, on the other the plant is mentioned in the History also for its "piercing" properties: some texts narrate gruesome uses of bamboo as an ideal torture tool to torture and torment prisoners in the second world War.
The purpose of this examination is certainly not to recount the war tortures punished with bamboo: we will rather dwell on its botanical description and its use in various fields.
Botanical description
In the nomenclature, it is not possible to attribute a botanical combination to bamboo, given the innumerable varieties: in fact, there are over 1,000 species, divided into 68 different genera. Anyway, bamboo belongs to the family of Poaceae (subfamily Bambusoideae). We are dealing with plants originating from the humid, tropical and subtropical areas of Asia and America, currently widespread in Australia and in some regions of Africa; in Europe, the growth spontaneous bamboo was not observed.
Bamboos are very luxuriant evergreen plants, with a particularly fast growth; just think, in fact, that the height of the bamboo can increase by one meter from one day to the next. [taken from wikipedia]
The peculiarity of bamboo refers to the stem: it is a single culm (as the stem of the grasses is called), woody, particularly resistant and at the same time flexible. Characterized by peculiar cylindrical nodes and hollow internodes, the stem of the bamboo ends with lanceolate, thin and oblong leaves, with a very light and glossy green color.
The bamboo roots, which all species have in common due to the particular rhizomatous modification, have a variable development: in fact, if the roots of some varieties develop in a rather contained way, others dig very deep into the ground, distancing themselves a great deal from point d " origin.
Bamboo flowers are comparable to asparagus, but the chances of flowering are minimal. The rare opportunity to appreciate the blooming of bamboo flowers is such that, around it, numerous legends and curiosities were built, clearly unfounded: it is believed that during the opening of the flower, the same plant is destined to succumb, or it is believed that the the moment of blossoming of the flower in a bamboo is an event that occurs simultaneously in all the bamboos in the area.
Bamboo development
It is good to open a short parenthesis to analyze the twofold development of bamboo: some bamboos are creeping, others creeping. Bamboos are called "creeping" when they grow and branch out along the entire surface they have: the rhizomes grow horizontally, clearly penetrating the ground. The second category is represented by bushy bamboos, so called because they develop in the form of bushes (or clumps) more or less dense. In this case, the rhizomes initially have a horizontal growth, to subsequently modify and develop in the opposite direction (vertically).
Employments
The distinguishable characteristics of bamboo - resistance, flexibility and lightness - have favored a very flourishing trade, ranging from craftsmanship to textiles, from the building sector to the ornamental one, from phytotherapeutic to food. The abnormal diversity of bamboo species, associated with the ease of adaptation to new lands, allow these plants to be used for multiple uses. Bamboo is well suited to the creation of impressive architectural works: for example, they are used to create evergreen barriers. in the gardens, palisades and vegetable windbreaks “gates.” The particular shape, elegant and refined, ensures an exotic style in western gardens, just as the leaves conceal and at the same time embellish the bare spaces of lawns and gardens.
The thinnest stemmed bamboos are used to make furniture or umbrellas, others still act as rudimentary water conduits. The bamboo fibers are quite long: they have a variable extension from 1.5 to 3.2 mm, therefore they turn out to be an excellent alternative for the production of paper and fabrics.
Bamboo shoots are a good food, so the custom of this food is quite widespread, particularly in Japan and China.
The drums can also be used for sugar extraction.
Phytotherapeutic properties
The facets of bamboo are numerous: this plant is also considered in the phytotherapeutic field. The leaves are exploited for their emmenagogic, antihelminthic, antispasmodic and potentially aphrodisiac virtues, while the roots are used for their astringent and refreshing properties. The sprouts, in addition to being appreciated in the culinary field, are also used to promote digestion, as carminatives and antiseptics. [taken from Dictionary raisonné of herbal medicine and phytotherapy, by A. Bruni, M. Nicoletti]
The juice of some bamboo species is rich in silica, a useful natural remedy against cold symptoms and congestion affecting the respiratory tract (black bamboo).
Bamboo in brief, a summary of the properties of bamboo "
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