Is bamboo a tree or a grass?

The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists.

Japanese proverb

This is most common question they ask on nature trail , and people get amused after knowing Bamboo TREE is actually a grass. But technically answer is not that easy.

Lets check 

tree

[tree] noun

1.

a plant having a permanently woody main stem or trunk, ordinarily growing to a considerable height,and usually developing branches at some distance from the ground. 

                            grass

 noun

1.

any plant of the family Gramineae, having jointed stems, sheathing leaves, and seedlike grains. 
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/grass?s=t

So from this we can conclude that Bamboo is a tree belongs to grass family. But in country like lndia with   11.36 million hectares of bomboo its million dollar question and answer is not that easy . If bamboo is a tree its property of forest department and they can sell it for revenue generation .And if It is grass it is non timber  forest produce and belongs to the people.

According to The Indian Forest Act 1927, bamboo was tree and not included in the list of minor forest produce. So government used to auctioned it to paper pulp mills and timber industry.

In 2006, the Forest Rights Act (FRA) it was removed from the list of timber. So people were free to use this resource for their development. So people are free to use this vital resource for development in a area where it grows.

Now as per law  Bamboo is grass but not a tree!!!

Ref

http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/sunita-narain-is-bamboo-a-tree-or-a-grass-110121300046_1.html
Image : wikimedia commans.