As someone who has grown bamboo for many, many years and many different varieties too - I would also agree that what you have is very definitely bamboo - but
its difficult to know where to start - particularly as bamboo is a fairly specialized and complex subject - as not only is it unique to other plants in that the main components of a bamboo consist of rhizomes, roots, culms, branches and leaves - but as it grows in an entirely different way to other plants too - it does require some understanding and knowledge of this process in order to know what you are dealing with - which as it would require an enormously lengthy post in order to explain it myself - hopefully this link will help
http://www.bamboo.org/wp/news/files...asiveness-and-Control-Statement-draft-6-1.pdf
as not only does it contain everything could wish to know about bamboo but also information on how to contain and control it - as well as the one and only effective method of trying to eradicate it.
However as bamboo once it has started to spread is notoriously difficult to eradicate - due to the fact that what you see growing above the ground is nothing in comparison to what is growing below ground and is a long and extremely labor intensive process – particularly as all bamboos are interconnected by underground horizontal shoots known as rhizomes and it is those rhizomes that you are going to have to get rid of - either by digging out or continually cutting back or even both.
I too would say the same as
Jewell and instead make the most of what you have by eradicating some and controlling the rest - which would be the far easier option - especially as using any of the following control methods
http://www.villagevolunteers.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Growing-Controlling-Bamboo1.pdf
is going to be way, way easier than trying to eradicate it - apart from that - a properly managed and controlled clump or grove is not only a beautiful sight to behold - but gives off a wonderfully relaxing sound too
I would also just add that - as
Chuck has already mentioned - although there are two types of Bamboo in terms of root system " Clumping " which has a rhizome system known as " pachymorph " and " Running " which has a rhizome system known as " leptomorph " - the latter of which is the most invasive and best avoided altogether - as once that gets going there really is no way of stopping it - a word of warning regarding clumping bamboo - as although it is less invasive than running bamboo - it does spread and therefore regardless of what anyone says - if grown in a suburban area it does need to be grown with a 2 - 3 ft underground barrier to stop it from spreading - it will also need to have the underground rhizomes cut back at least once or twice a year - in order to keep it in check and stop it from encroaching into neighboring gardens or anywhere else that you don't want it to.
The only other suggestion I can think of is to see if you could borrow a Panda for a few weeks - as one of those with its enormous appetite - would munch its way through your bamboo shoots in next to no time
