Bamboo of Asia

Most often when people think of bamboo they associate it with Asia. Vast areas of bamboo forests in
China, delicate crafts of ornate designs from Japan or large species which are primarily used for everything
from housing to food in Southeast Asia all represent the variety and utility of this important grass. There
are approximately 1050 species found in the continent of Asia. Eastern Asia, including China and Japan,
is home to the most extensive and diverse species on the planet. There are approximately 748 species
found in this region. The range of specimens vary from species exceeding 30 meters to others that never
exceed 3 cm in height. All may be found growing together harmoniously. Southeast Asia contains 313
almost exclusively tropical species. There is still a great need for taxonomic work to be done as language
and physical barriers have made the classification of bamboos difficult. Species new to science are still
continually being discovered.