John-
You can grow bamboo from rhizomes, but the success rate can also be pretty low, and if you succeed it will be years before you get a decent size plant. Most bamboo growers plant divisions dug from a grove: these are root balls that consist of a rhizome mass and at least one mature culm. I'm not trying to discourage you, but if you want to succeed it would be better to start this way. I've been growing bamboo for years and my success rate growing from rhizomes has varied from about 0% to 30%, depending on species. And that is when I'm very particular about what part of the rhizome I use, and make sure it is replanted within a very short time frame so there is no drying out.