Abstract

With varied climatic conditions and different forest types the Indian subcontinent has two notable species of bamboos, Bambusa bambos and Dendrocalamus strictus which have a wide spread occurrence. It is now known that bamboos with fleshy fruits occur in widely separated subtribes. This type of fruit have evolved more than once and is not a reliable indicator of phylogeny. Although anatomical features are useful in delimiting the subfamily Bambusoideae and the tribes within it to certain extent, they are not so helpful in distinguishing the genera. Further studies on morphological and other aspects will have to be made within each subtribe for proper sub classification. Efforts must be made to collect and study the rich bamboo flora as well as the little known herbaceous and woody bamboos of this part of the continent. There is an urgent need for the preparation of a regional monograph for each bamboo genus. Steps will have to be taken in the conservation of the rare