Pictures of Bamboo Flowers?

Question:
Good morning. I am looking for a photograph of the bamboo flower? Can you direct me on where I might find one?

Answer:
Sorry to answer your question with a question, but is an internet image acceptable or do you need it in print?

The flowers of many bamboo species (botanically known as Bambusa) are not very ornamental. Often they might look more like a grain than a large flower with colorful petals, but perhaps you already know that. I did a simple internet search and was able to find a few images. It might help to perform a search using the botanical name, Bambusa, as common names can often give you too many erroneous pictures.

Of course, if you need to find bamboo flowers in print, then come to the HSNY Library on West 37th Street. I asked Katherine Powis, HSNY Libarian, if she had any good pictures to share and she found these plates in a book entitled The Gardener's Guide to Growing Temperate Bamboos by Michael Bell (Timber Press, 2000):
(click on the images to see the scans full size)