Bamboo seeds usually have to be quite fresh to germinate. Have you checked with your source as to when these have been harvested?

From:

http://www.mastergardenproducts.com/ironbamboo.htm

"Germination varies from 25 to 61 per cent. A temperature of 30oC and 50 to 70% moisture level in the germinating medium is ideal for germination. Degluming the seeds accelerates germination.

A good irrigated nursery with standard sunken beds (12 x 1.25 x 0.3 m) is preferred. The soils in the bed is worked and sterilized by burning the debris and mixed with farmyard manure. Seeds are pretreated for 24-48 hrs in cold water. About 1/2 kg of seeds are sown in a bed in drills 24 cm apart and lightly covered with soil. Germination starts after 7 days and completes in about 17 days. One-year-old seedlings are transplanted in the pits of 30 cm3 at the espacement of 6 m x 6 m. However, it was reported that 2-year-old seedlings give better survival percentage. The roots of the seedlings should not be exposed to sun and care should be taken that the buds on the rhizomes are not injured."

Remember that this species is only hardy down to -5 C!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE INFO
REGARDS,

LENNY