Silicon is an essential element for the growth and development of bamboo plants that significantly affects the biochemical and physical properties for industrialized bamboo utilization. Silicon is biomineralized as diverse forms of phytoliths in the bamboo organs. We investigated the silicon variation and phytolith morphology in different organs of Dendrocalamus brandisii (Munro) Kurz. The silicon content in D. brandisii (Munro) Kurz varies and increases in the order of leaf > sheath > branch > culm > shoot > root. The phytolith morphotypes and presence frequency in different D. brandisii organs varied closely interrelated with the cell structure and organ functions. Amorphous silicon deposition and few varieties and numbers of phytolith were found in D. brandisii root and shoots. Rich distribution of the saddle and dumb-bell phytoliths was found in all organs except the root and mature culm and branch. More elongate and rectangular phytoliths were found in mature culm and branch. Round and elliptical phytoliths might be firstly formed followed by dumb-bell and saddle phytoliths. Phytolith sizes increased with increasing culm, branch and leaf age, but did not demonstrate a specific trend with culm height. The result could contribute to enriching phytolith morphology in Gramineae and provide theoretical basis and references for plant taxonomy and large-scale bamboo industrial processing and utilization.
