Anatomical characteristics of Korean Phyllostachys pubescens by age

Abstract

Bamboo is one of the major biomass resources that have many advantages such as fast growing, easy cultivation, short rotation, and a relatively lower price. In this study, the anatomical characteristics of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) by age from one-year-old to five-year-old were examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Also, the crystalline properties such as relative crystallinity and crystallite width were investigated by an X-ray diffraction method. In one-year-old bamboo xylem, a few vascular bundles showed missing bundle sheath in near the intercellular space. Moreover, one-year-old bamboo had the shortest fiber length and the smallest values in vessel diameter, width of vascular bundle, and thickness of inner layer. One-year-old bamboo also showed the smallest values in the crystallinity. ? 2018 Korean Society of Wood Science Technology. All rights reserved.