Microscopical features of six species of Phyllostachys bamboo and Arundo donax

Abstract Advancement in the application of natural materials in construction requires an understanding of their anatomical and physical characteristics and strength. Nowadays, a lack of knowledge is unfortunately present regarding some bamboo species. The aim of this paper is to provide detailed information to close this gap. Phyllostachys bambusoides, edulis, iridescens, viridiglaucescens, vivax and violacescens have been analysed. Such bamboo species are easily cultivated in Italy, but not all of them are the same in terms of diameter, wall thickness, and mechanical behaviour. The properties and differences of Arundo donax are also presented and explained to compare these very similar materials. In the first part of this study, the features of the components of these species are investigated. A detailed description and pictures of the microstructure are reported. In the second part, the distribution of the components of the plants is analysed and then cross-correlated to mechanical properties. All the bamboo species studied exhibit similar characteristics in terms of component morphology, with the exception of Arundo donax , which differs in terms of component distribution along the culm wall. Generally, species having a higher percentage of fibre, and larger fibres in the average vascular bundle, have higher tensile, compressive, and bending strengths.