Fibre Maturation in the Bamboo Gigantochloa Scortechinii

Abstract

Fibre maturation, which has been shown in a number of bamboos to be a process extending over a long period after the culm has reached its full height, has been investigated in comparable internodes (6th above ground level) in culms up to three years old, with special reference to the fibres constituting the free fibre strands immersed in the ground tissue, The possession of such strands is characteristic of this pachymorph species. The fibres of the free strands are notably more heterogeneous in terms of their diameter than those of the fibre caps adjacent to the vascular tissues. It is in some of the larger fibres of the free strands that wall thickening is longest delayed, so that, even after three years, many still remain comparatively thin-walled, especially in the inner region of the culm wall. Fibres retain a living protoplast and appear to undergo progressive septation.