Linncsan Society, 45 



strong jointed subterranean rootstock. The stem rises straight 

 from the rhizoma, without knot or interruption, and preserving an 

 equal thickness throughout, frequently to the height of 16 feet, be- 

 fore the first dissepiment is stretched across the interior and the first 

 branches are given off. The joints that folio w^ succeed each other 

 at intervals of from 15 to 18 inches ; and the whole plant attains a 

 height of from 40 to 50 feet. The stem when full-grown is at the 

 base about an inch and a half in diameter, or nearly 5 inches in cir- 

 cumference ; but Mr. Schomburgk mentions having seen young 

 stems, which'at the height of 20 feet, and with a thickness of scarcely 

 a quarter of an inch, offered no signs of articulation. The branches 

 are only formed when the stem begins to increase in diameter. The 

 full-grown stem is of a bright green colour, perfectly smooth and 

 hollow within. The branches are verticillate, generally from 3 to 4 

 feet in length, very slender, terete and nodose ; the upper joints 

 separated by an interval of from 2 to 3 inches, and clothed by the 

 sheaths of the leaves, which are split at the apex, persistent, striate 

 and somewhat scabrous. The leaves are linear-lanceolate, obliquely 

 rounded at the base, acute, of a bright green above, glaucescent 

 below, nervoso-striate, with the midrib prominent, and the margin 

 scabrous, from 8 to 9 inches long, and 5 or 6 lines broad ; they are 

 furnished with a short petiole, which is articulated to the vagina ; 

 and a series of long setse occupy the place of the ligula. The inflo- 

 rescence is in terminal spikes, with a flexuose rachis ; the locustae 

 subsessile, lanceolate, lax, from li to 2 inches in length. The en- 

 tire plant is from 40 to 50 feet in height ; but the weight of its in- 

 numerable branches causes the slender stem to curve downwards so 

 that the upper part generally describes an arch, which adds greatly 

 to the gracefulness of its appearance. Leaving out of consideration 

 the length of the first nodeless joint, it resembles in its general habit 

 the Bambusa latifoUa of Humboldt, which Mr. Schomburgk was not 

 unfrequently led into the mistake of confounding with it at a di- 

 stance. He estimates the height at which it grew as 6000 feet above 

 the level of the sea ; and its growth appears to be limited to the 

 chain of sandstone mountains which extends between the second 

 and fourth parallel, and forms the separation of waters between the 

 rivers Parima, Merewari, Ventuari, Orinoco and Negro. The only 

 ascertained localities were Mounts Mashiatti, Marawacca and 

 Wanaya. 



Mr. Schomburgk describes at length the process by which the 

 blow-pipes are prepared, and encased, for their better security in the 

 hollowed trunk of a slender species of palm ; together with the mode 

 in which other parts of the apparatus are supplied in order to render 



