Bamboo

Bamboo, any of about 200 different kinds of tall grasses bearing leaves at well-marked joints, between which the strong stems are hollow. They form dense thickets in tropical and subtropical countries, or clamber vine like, over trees, forming impenetrable triangles. Tallest is the giant bamboo (Dedrocalamus giganteus) of India and Malaysia, which attains height of one hundred twenty feet.
Most widely cultivated is a smaller bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris) of Madagascar and tropical Asia, used to build bridges, houses, pipelines, and supports for climbing crops (such as beans and yams), and to make utensils of many kinds.
Young bamboo shoots are cut as food for people in various countries: they are also a major part of the diet of gorillas in the Congo. Family: Grass (Gramineae).