Cultivars

[Eastlandia]

I need to do my homework, but I might get an answer here. I don't know enough about the structures of DNA or the genetics of bamboo to determine anything, but it seems odd to me that certain cultivars come from the same species and yet then can be called different species. It has to be a mutation of some sort that causes the stripes or different color, etc. But when does it turn into another species? When it can support itself? what about spontaneous transformations into a cultivar or out of one? How can that be a new species? Lots of questions in my marble-less brain. -Eastlandia

[Joseph Clemens]

Sounds like you may have a misunderstanding of what a cultivar (Cultivated Variety) is versus what a species is.

I recommend for a simple definition:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultivar

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species

[kstanwick]

a cultivar is a branch off of the species a species is a branch off of the Genus....i.e. you have maples then you have a Japanese maple then you have the threadleaf Japanese maple....i think that is a simple as i could put it. hope this helps....or maybe you already know that.....