small 3 foot tall boo? burgandy leaves. Flowering

[litibu]

Hi all.

While hiking (in Nayarit Mexico) i encountered this little bamboo (at least i think its a bamboo). Its flowering. has random Burgundy red leaves. Lives in the shade.

Does it look like anything to anyone. wondering if i should go collect seeds when they are ripe.

Gets about 3 feet tall.

http://www.banderasbay.com/viewad.asp?i ... 6190100024

[needmore]

Jeffrey, nice looking plant so it may be worth collecting seed, but I believe that the main stem running directly through the leaves - or restated, the leaves wrapping around the main stem, keep this plant out of the bamboo family.

[Roy]

Hi all.

While hiking (in Nayarit Mexico) i encountered this little bamboo (at least i think its a bamboo). Its flowering. has random Burgundy red leaves. Lives in the shade.

Does it look like anything to anyone. wondering if i should go collect seeds when they are ripe.

Gets about 3 feet tall.

http://www.banderasbay.com/viewad.asp?i ... 6190100024

Doesn't look like any bamboo flower I've every seen. I don't know what it is, but I don't believe it's bamboo, but what do I know about what isn't bamboo.

[litibu]

i feel the same way. can the experts tell us here exactly what constitutes a bamboo????


Monocot, grass, woody stems --- what else is needed. how does bamboo technically differ from reeds or grass or sugar cane for that matter???

[foxd]

How the leaves join the stem is one indicator. The leaves just don't join right to be a bamboo.

[Jeff: Igor's Apprentice]

Did you ever figure out what this plant was?

The Name That Plant forum at Gardenweb is an amazing resource for plant identification, if not.