401 
condition, they will be not only the future source of a timber supply but 
they will be the best conservers of water for irrigating purposes. 
There is evidence to show that without the aid of man much of the 
“mixed” parang of the Lamao Reserve is returning to the original condi- 
tion of the dicotyledinous portion of the Bambusa-Parkia formation. 
However, this does not include the bamboo portion of the formation. 
To understand the reason for this, it is necessary to know something of 
the seeding habits of this class of plants. It is obvious that, vegetatively, 
the “bunch” bamboos can not spread in such a manner as to occupy new 
territory, therefore, this type is wholly dependent on seeds for its distribu- 
tion. With the exception of the climbing bamboo, Dinochloa, none of 
the bamboos of the Philippines have been collected in seed, and therefore 
it is apparent that the capacity of the “bunch” bamboos to spread from 
seed has not come under observation. The evidence furnished by British 
Indian foresters throws some light on the reproductive habits of this 
variety of vegetation. Kurz*' is authority for the statement that a 
number of bamboos flower simultaneously after a lapse of years and then 
die. Brandis ** states that isolated flowering clumps of Bambusa arun- 
dinacea are occasionally found, but as a rule, clumps in one flowering 
district come under flower simultancously while a few may be found 
earlier and some in the following year. This author ** further says that 
Bambusa polymorpha in 1859 flowered and then died, in a forest of this 
bamboo found in Pegu under tall trees of Xylia dolabriformis, Terminalia 
tomentosa, Tectona grandis (teak), and others. In 1861 there were 
many millions of seedlings. Only when a year of bamboo seeding takes 
place can suppressed young teak obtain a foothold or do teak seedlings 
appear. While there is no authentic record of the bamboo of the Lamao 
Forest Reserve or any of the common clump species of the Philippines 
having flowered yet, according to the authority of the natives, these 
species behave in much the same manner as do those described by 
Brandis and other Indian foresters. It may not be out of place to predict 
that in case the bamboo called “boho” by the natives, flowers simul- 
taneously at more or less regular periods, then there may be a decided 
subsequent change in the aspect of the Bambusa-Parkia forests. If the 
older stalks die down at the time of the flowering of these bamboos, then 
the park-like nature of the dicotyledinous growth will become very 
apparent. Practically, then, there will be a new habitat to which light 
will have access. The suppressed dicotyledinous trees will spring up 
more rapidly, the ground will be freely occupied by Bambusa seedlings 
and by the sprouts of dicotyledinous trees which had seeds available 
at the time of the death of the bamboo. Then a struggle will begin 
between the seedlings of various kinds and the saplings and young 
*Curz, 8., Forest Flora of British Burma, 1: (1877) Introd., p. XXIX. 
* Brandis, D., Flowering of Bambusa arundinacea Ind. For. 13: 509. 
*® Biological Notes on Indian Bamboos. Jnd. For. (1899) 25: 1 to 25. 
