Kew explicitly places bamboos in the grass family
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Kew identifies bamboos as members of Poaceae and explains that some become large enough to resemble trees.
Based on: Kew Science — Plants of the World Online
Verdict
True
Verification confidenceHigh
Explanation
Yes. Bamboos belong to Poaceae, the grass family. Some species grow tall and develop woody stems, so they can look very different from the grasses in a lawn.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew explicitly identifies bamboos as grasses. Its Plants of the World Online database places moso bamboo, Phyllostachys edulis, in Poaceae. The Smithsonian's grass research overview independently includes bamboos within its account of the family.
Being a grass does not require a plant to stay short or have soft stems. The Smithsonian describes both woody and herbaceous bamboos. The useful distinction is between a plant's growth form and its botanical family.
Key takeaway
A tall, woody plant can still be a grass. Bamboo's appearance does not exclude it from Poaceae.
Evidence
Supports the claim
A taxonomic record confirms a concrete example
Kew Science — Plants of the World Online
The accepted record for Phyllostachys edulis, known as moso bamboo, places the species in Poaceae and describes woody stems.
Based on: Kew Science — Plants of the World Online
Independent grass research includes bamboos
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
The museum's botany department includes bamboos in its grass-family overview and describes its bamboo research collection.
Based on: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Bamboos include different growth forms
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
The overview discusses woody bamboos and herbaceous bamboos, showing why a single outward appearance does not define the group.
Based on: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
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