126 MACMILLAN : FLOWERING OF DENDROCALAMUS 



The inflorescence consists of long drooping panicles (the 

 branchlets varying from 1 to 6 feet in length) produced nor- 

 mally at the nodes all along the leafy portion of the stem. 

 At first green, it gradually changes to dingy yellow, and then 

 light brown. Although it ordinarily occurs only on the leafy 

 top portion of the stem, the inflorescence also arises occa- 

 sionally at the base of the stems. Plate IV. shows the 

 ruins of an old clump which had been devastated by the wind 

 and axe. The whole mass of stumps is literally smothered 

 with the inflorescence issuing in masses from almost under the 

 ground surface. Mixed with the surface dead roots of the 

 stumps are masses of sessile spikelets forming a cushion 

 around the node. Plate V. shows these as if being vomited 

 forth from the earth. 



Up to 1907 fertile seed had not been produced at Pera- 

 deniya, and even now only very scantily. Its presence was 

 only discovered by chance, a few seedlings appearing from 

 large quantities of the chaff-like empty glumes which were 

 sown. The first seed actually handled and sown here was 

 found by Mr. Petcli, Government Mycologist, amongst a mass 

 of basal flowers. It was duly sown and germinated in seven 

 days, and the seedling is now growing rapidly. This suggested 

 that the basal flowers might be more productive than the 

 usual stem flowers. Accordingly a busheleach of both basal 

 and stem mature " flowers " was carefully gone over one by 

 one, but the number of seeds obtained was practically the same 

 in both cases, viz., 44 and 47 respectively. Therefore, a very 

 large quantity of the chaff-like glumes must be sown in order 

 to obtain any seedlings. 



The following description is from Hooker's " Flora of 

 British India" : — Stems 80-100 ft. by 8—10 in. diam. branched 

 above, nodes hairy, internodes rather short, gray-green, young 

 with waxy scurf, walls thin. Stern-sheaths 20 in., as broad 

 at the base, deciduous, thinly stringose, with golden hairs, top 

 depressed ; 5— 15 by 3| in., decurrent into glabrous stiff brown 

 wavy auricles, narrowed above into a short point ; ligule 2—5 

 in. , stiff , black , margin serrate . Leaves cuspidately acuminate , 

 tips twisted, young hairy beneath, mid-rib strong, nerves 



