Research advance in growth and development of bamboo organs

Bamboo is a versatile plant that plays a significant role in the food, raw materials for construction and manufacture, making it one of the most valuable non-timber forestry resources in East Asia. Bamboo propagates through both sexual and asexual reproduction. They often flower synchronously and die collectively after flowering. The time span from seed germination to flowering and fruiting can take several decades or even over a hundred years. Developmental events related to growth occur throughout the entire life cycle of bamboo, and exhibit more diverse developmental patterns than other plants. Till now, a lot of studies focus on growth and development of bamboo organs from aspect of morphology, anatomy, systematics, physiology, cytology, genetics, and molecular biology. Here, we review the current knowledge on the developmental biology of bamboo root, rhizome, culm, leaves and reproductive organs. The inadequate or missing what deserves further investigated in the field of bamboo developmental biology was put forward. Proposal on how to carry out the related research was suggested. Our work provides a reference for bamboo researchers to carry out relevant research.