176 



MONOCOTYLEDONS 



panicle of glumaceous flowers (fig. 162, 2 and 3) at their end. 



As the old leaves fall off, and leave scars, the nodes of the culms 



hecomc visible. 

 ^ The internodes (fig. 

 162, 4) are often 

 striped with various 

 shades of red and 

 green. 



The canes are cut 

 before flowering, as 

 the juice is then in 

 greatest perfection. 

 They are divested 

 of their leaves and 

 of their tops, which 

 contain little or no 

 sugar, and are then 

 crushed in the sugar- 

 mill so as to obtain 

 the sweet juice. 

 This is mixed with 

 lime, boiled down, 

 clarified, and then 

 cooled, and taken to 

 the market as refin- 

 ed sugar. 



5. Bamboo 



Fig. 102. — Tlie Sugar-cane (^accliarum oljicinarum) 



n^ie flower. {Bambiisu aruudni- 

 acea; Kan. Biduru; 

 Mdl, Tarn, ^luhgil ; 

 Tel Veduru; Hiu. Dhasa). — 1. The larger type of this genus 

 grows cither in isolated clumps (fig. 163), or in extensive forests, 

 allowing no other trees to associate with it. The smaller species 

 are found as underwood scattered in the forests. 



2. The nuiii CLOUS Stems of a Bamboo clump (fig. 163) spring 

 from a large underground stem. In sandy and dry soil they 

 attain a height of about ten feet, but in muddy soil they may 



1. Flowering cane. 2. Part of panicle. 3. Si 



4. Culm, showing solid consistency and node 



