Interactions between geometrical forms and microstructural features in culm of square bamboo

Abstract

Bamboo culms can alter the bamboo’s geometric shape by adjusting the hierarchical organization of anatomical components as a means of adapting to different living conditions. Therefore, a square-like culm has been found commonly in the Chimonobambusa bamboo species. However, the underling mechanism for how these anatomical components assemble into a square culm in the species remains to be considered. Furthermore, the relationship between the geometrical construction of culm and its corresponding organization of anatomical components within also needs clarification. Therefore, the geometrical construction of cross-sections was examined in this work. A super-ellipse based on the Lamé curve was confirmed. Additionally, the transitional zone, at 3/4 in the radial direction, was detected as an inflection point where the geometric parameters clearly changed. Meanwhile, anatomical observation also suggested that the transitional zone can be identified as an inflection point because the fibre morphology difference in circumferential regions becomes more apparent in this area. It is worth mentioning that there is a coherence between the geometrical and microstructural features in circumferential and radial variation. These findings are meaningful to manifest the controlling mechanism of hierarchical structures on the geometrical shape of bamboo culm.