There are two main types of bamboo: sympodial and monopodial. Sympodial bamboo grows in dense clumps and produces new culms from the outer layers, while monopodial bamboo spreads via underground rhizomes and produces individual culms. In India, sympodial bamboo makes up over 67% of the bamboo stock and includes common species like Dendrocalamus strictus. The document provides statistics on bamboo growth in India between 2000 and 2005 and details on characteristics of different bamboo species.