376 CLXxiii. GHAMiXEiE. {Bamlusea^ Gamble.) [Arundiiiaria. 



first time the true characters of the two types of sheath and blade that occurm 

 BamlusccCj and which do not obtain, so far as I know, in any other tribe of grasses. 

 In a comuumication which Mr. Mitford has been good enough to make to me on this 

 subject, he iias formuhited his views as follows, and has kindly allowed me to 

 introduce them here. 



** The sheath is an organ phiying so important a part in the life of the Bamboo 

 that it deserves something more tlian a cur>ory notice. In the grasses generally the 

 sheath is regarded by botanists as taking the pLice of the petiole of the leat. It 

 happens, however, that the leaves of most Bamboos — indeed of all the hardy Haraboos 

 — have a distinct continuation of the midrib of the leaf attacljing it to the sheath 

 and articulated, which continuation mi^ht perhaps be correctly termed a petiolule. 

 The Bamboos, as it appears, bear slieaths of two types. There is first ot all the 

 series of sheaths uhicli, botne one on c.ich node and wrapped tightly round the 

 culm or branch, as the case may bi*, protect it during growth. This foim of sheath 

 is divided or split transversely into two members, the liy:ule and the limbus or hhide, 

 the latter being what I would term a p^e^dopl^yli, or false leaf, sessile, lacking both 

 midrib and petiole, varying in size in the ditturent species, but always the tirst piirt 

 to wither and disappear. In some Bamboos— those of ttie Fhyllostachys group— 

 this sheath falls away as soon as branching takes place; in others, of the Ariin linaria 

 group, it remains, iind having guarded the tender growth of the parent culm or 

 branch it springs aside with the young branches or branchlets, devoting the remamaer 

 of its life to their protection until thev can stand alone. . , 



"Then there is the second form of sheath bearing a true leaf with petiole ana 

 midrib. This is the form assumed by the two, three, or four sheaths at the top ot 

 ench culm branch and brauclilet above the topmo>t node where branchmg cnus. 

 This true leaf is persistent upon the sheath. 'Ihe lignle is present, as in the nrst 

 type, but the deciduous psend(»|>liyll is replaced by an evergreen leaf. 



•*An interesting question arises as to vvhetlier there is any transition stage 

 between the two types of blade, or whether the change is always sudden. I thiu 

 that in many Baml>oos 1 can trace such ii transition stage ; that is to say, thateaci 

 successive pseudophyll on the stem becomes more and more like a true leaf, souiethuig 

 of the nature of an arrested midrib being perceptible in the pseudophylls wlneli ar 

 found near the top of the culm, tiiough it is not until the last brancliiug nocle na 

 been passed that the true leaf-bearing sheaths occur. The principle remains in- 

 violate (throughout the hardy species at any rate), and the distinction between 

 two clashes of sheaths is absoiutelv nmintained."— A. B. F. M. ,tg 



I would remark in conclusioir that Mr. Mitford's observations, extending to ^^ 

 nervation of the leaves of Band)oos, le.id him to the conclusion that of those <^^»*"VMh 



U.- U:.„ :.. *i _ • • ., .., , , , ^ 1., iw.,ra tpcsellatea 



)y him in the open air in the middle of England, the truly hardy only have tessella e| 

 eaves; tlie tender, such as Jrnndinaria Falconeti and falcafa, having very lut- 



bv h 

 1 



spicuous transverse nervules, or none.— J. D. H. 



Subtribe T. Akundixahie.k. (See p. i*L) 

 132. ARUNBZNARIA, 3Ii('/ia^. 



Erect or climbing shrubs. Stems slender, nodes usuall}' F^^"^"^"^' 

 internodes rather short, branches short fascicled. Stem-s/icalk-'^' K ui 

 .ir....nr.UA^^ bhidc subulato. im/T.s usually small, jointed on ^'^^/l^/^/^J^^ 



. ^.. .^parate stems, or terminal, or on leating branchep. /V^^' . 



inany-fld., compressed, usually all bisexual, except sometinYS 



stniw-colrd 

 hifl. on pep 

 1 ' 



.>. cinate. ^fa;??rn8 o, rarely up to <>. Orary globose above; ^^V " gd 

 sti^rnias 2-3 plumose. Gram ovoid or narrowly oblong, ^^'^^^^^^^ }^^ll\c3,n 

 included in the gl. and palea.— ypecies about 50, 14 American, 1 Atri f 



the rest Asiatic. 



