Characteristics of Temporal and Spatial Tissue Development During the Rapidly Growing Stage of Moso Bamboo Culms

To explore the development regularity from shoot to stem, the culms in different developmental stages and portions of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla cv. pubescens) were studied by anatomy analysis. The results of histological observations indicated that the rapid development of culms mainly presented in longitudinal direction, which was dominated by cell division and cell elongation. In the initial stage of growth, numerous cell nuclei could be seen in parenchyma and fiber cells-an obvious sign of cell division-indicating the presence of meristematic tissue when cell division dominated the culms development. As the culm developed, the number of nuclei declined, until there were almost no detectable nuclei in the late stages of development. The development of culm was dominated by cell division in the initial stages and by cell elongation in the middle and late stages. The development, maturation and aging in different parts of the culm were studied systematically from the basal to the top internode. The lignification was appeared at fibrous tissue of basal internode in G7 stage when the length of culm was 6 m. The cell elongation of culms showed periodic fluctuations. The cell length of parenchyma, in the rapid elongating stage, deviated from normal distribution while it showed normal distribution in the slow elongating stage.