Abstract
The present study was conducted to assess anatomical variation in young and mature culms of Dendrocalamus asper at different height levels of the culm. The study aimed to characterise the physical and anatomical properties of the species and to determine the extent of variation associated with culm age and height. The parameters evaluated included basic density, specific gravity, vascular bundle frequency, vascular bundle length, vascular bundle width and vascular bundle type. In addition, fibre characteristics such as fibre length, fibre width, fibre lumen diameter, fibre wall thickness and Runkel ratio were assessed to understand the structural characteristics of the bamboo culm. Fibre characteristics were determined by macerating the wood, which enabled the separation and microscopic measurement of individual fibres. The results revealed that the physical properties of D. asper varied with culm height and age. Basic density and specific gravity showed an increasing trend with increasing culm height, indicating relatively higher density in the upper portions of the culm. In contrast, both basic density and specific gravity decreased with increasing culm age. However, the anatomical characteristics exhibited comparatively less variation. No significant variation was observed in vascular bundle frequency, vascular bundle length and vascular bundle width across the different age classes and height levels. Similarly, the fibre characteristics, including fibre length, fibre width, fibre lumen diameter and fibre wall thickness, did not show significant variation among the different positions and age classes studied. The study also identified three distinct types of vascular bundles in D. asper, namely the semi-undifferentiated type (Type II), broken-waist type (Type III) and double broken-waist type (Type IV). Overall, the study demonstrated that basic density and specific gravity were influenced by culm age and height, whereas the major vascular bundle and fibre characteristics remained relatively stable.