37 STAPELIA UMBELLATA. 
Leaves (or scales) minute, cordate, solitary on the teeth of the 
angles of the young shoots. 
Umbel terminal, many (from 40 to 100) flowered. 
Peduncles longer than the diameter of the expanded corol, one- 
flowered, round, smooth. 
Calyx minute. 
Corol subcampanulate ; border five-parted ; divisions triangular, but 
as the margins become revolute, they become more pointed ; 
inside dark bistre, with five transverse waved yellow ruge ; 
outside dark purple; expands about one inch. 
_ Follicles erect, subulate, 6-8 inches long, and about as thick as a 
common quill. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
A native of the dry, barren, bushy places, especially under the 
shade of the Euphorbia Antiquorum, over Mysore ; and from 
thence the plants were first procured by Lady Clive, who sent 
several to the Botanic Garden at Calcutta, where they blossom 
about the close of the hot season, or beginning of the rains in May 
and June. 
242. BURMANNIA DISTICHA. 
Linn. sp. pl. ed. Willden. 2. p. 16. 
Leaves sword-shaped. Spike double. 
Burmannia spica gemina. Burm. zeyl.p.50.¢. 20.f. 1. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Root of numerous capillary fibres, annual. 
Leaves radical, sword-shaped. 
Scape erect, from twelve to twenty inches, round, jointed ; with 
a sword-shaped sheath at each joint. 
Spike double, spreading in opposite directions. 
Bractes lanceolate, one-flowered. 
Flowers erect, subsessile on the upper side of the spikes, pale blue. 
Calyx above, gibbous, one-leaved ; mouth six-parted, the alter- 
nate divisions larger, permanent, and keeled on the back. 
Corol none, except the three smaller divisions of the calyx be so 
called. 
Filaments none. Anthers three pair, adjoined to the sides of three 
large, ox-head-shaped glands, affixed to the calyx, just below 
the smaller divisions thereof. 
\ Pistl, Germ three-sided, three-winged, being a continuation of 
those of the calyx. Style erect. Stigmas three, large, emar- 
ginate. 
Capsule three-winged, three-cornered, three-celled, three-valved. 
Seeds numerous. 
OBSERVATION. 
A native of Ceylon. 
243. BAMBUSA BACCIFERA. 
Arboreous, unarmed. Pericarp a very large pendulous, pyra- 
midal, one-seeded berry. 
Beesha, Rheed. Mal. vol. 5. p. 119. t. 60. 
BAMBUSA BACCIFERA. 38 
Payu-tullu, of the people of the Chittagong mountains. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Leaves alternate, bifarious, subsessile on their sheathing bases, 
ovate-lanceolate, smooth on both sides, slightly ribbed un- 
derneath, length from 6 to 12 inches, and from two to four 
broad. 
Sheaths of the leaves villous, with their mouths bearded with 
many, long, filiform fibres. 
Spikes compound ; they issue, many together, from the joints of 
the branches, or from those of the upper part of the stem ; 
long, slender, jointed, ramous ; each joint furnished with a 
sheath of nearly its length. 
Spikelets three, four, or more flowered: the inferior scales (calyx ?) 
thereof abortive, or with male flowers. 
Corol of two, unequal, long, taper, acute-pointed, smooth, per- 
manent valves. 
Stamina six, about as long as the pistil. 
Germ ovate. Style single. Stigmas three, filiform, woolly. 
Pericarp. In this singular species, it is a very large, hard, fleshy, 
conical, smooth, taper curved-pointed fruit, with a single 
large oval seed in each. 
OBSERVATIONS.. 
' This uncommonly curious berry-bearing bamboo, is a native 
of the Chittagong mountains. 
Growing plants, seeds, and well preserved specimens, were 
sent me from thence by Mr. Pierard, a gentleman to whom the 
Botanic Garden at Calcutta is under many obligations. This 
Bamboo, he writes, is the one in common use in that country for 
every purpose of building, &c. His description of the tree is so 
full, and perfect, that I do not think I can do better than transcribe 
what he says; in reply to my queries regarding this plant. 
‘« It bears no thorns, grows in dry places, chiefly on the sides 
ee 
of hills, where the upper stratum of the soil is sandy. The 
‘* circumference near the base 12 or 13 inches. Height from 50 
‘‘ to 70 feet, beautifully erect, and without the least flexure, or 
‘* inequality of surface, bare of branches, except near the extre- 
‘‘mity. Perishes after yielding its fruit. 
‘* It yields more or less Tabasheer of a saline crystallization ; 
66 
sometimes it is said the cavity between the joints is nearly 
39 
‘* filled with this substance, which the people call choonah (lime) 
EXPLANATION OF THE FIGURES. 
Fig. 1. A joint of the upper part of the stem of a tree in blossom, 
at which time the plant is in general destitute of leaves. 
2. The end of a small twig in leaf. 
3. A small branch, with one of the fruit hanging to it. 
All these are of their natural size, kc. 
4. Part of-a spike, with one of the spikelets, a, having the 
last Hower thereof a fertile hermaphrodite one. 
5. The last mentioned hermaphrodite flower still more 
magnified, with the two valves of the corol a a removed 
to show the stamina and pistil. 
o>) 
. A perpendicular section of one of the fruit (and rather a 
small one) exposing the entire seed beginning to vege- 
tate. a, part of the scaly pedicel by which it was united 
to the branch. b the roots. 
ascending scaly shoot. 
c the plumula, or young 
