139. GRAMFNE.E. [3. B ambus a. 



long in interrupted clusters or loose heads mixed with chaffy bracts, 

 usually 1-2-bracteolate, not flattened ; gls. i to iii or iv acute, many- 

 nerved, usually gemmiparous, the next 4-G flowering -5-1" long, ovate 

 acute acuminate or mucronate, palea shorter cymbiform, anthers 

 obtuse glabrous purple, ovary obovate-oblong. 



Widely cultivated and perhaps wild iu the Santal Pavg. (on the Rajniahal 

 Hills! but see remarks under B. nutans). Flowers gregariously and in single 

 clumps. 



Stem-sheaths glabrous, haii'y or white powdered. L. with faint pellucid glands, 

 lateral (principal) nerves 6-10 each side ; petiole often hairy ; its sheath glabrous, 

 ending in a smooth callus and oblong fringed auricle ; ligule narrow, ol.vscure. 

 Rhachilla clavate, flattened, fragile ; palea o-7-nerved between the keels, tii3 

 penicillate. Lod. 3, 



2. B. nutans, Wall. Makor, 2Ial Pah. 



Stems solitary from a creeping rhizome, leaves linear-lanceolate 

 tessellate with pellucid glands, ligule long obtuse hairy, spikelets in 

 bracteate fascicles many empty or gemmiparous, not flattened, fertile 

 few 'To-l" long ; 2-3 lowest glumes neuter, 3-7 fertile, all ovate 

 acute mucronate, many-nerved, puberulous within : palea shorter 

 ovate flattened, keels overlapping, long-ciliate ; anther-tips long 

 apiculate or slightly penicillate, ovary subovoid. 



Rajmahal Hills, on trap rocks and cultivated by the paharias ! (see below). 



This bamboo is scarcely distinguishable without fls. from the last ; it is said 

 however to be recognised by the scattered culms and to be less hairy and bristly 

 than B. fulda. The common wild bamboo (exc. Dendrocalamus) of the Rajmahal 

 hills which I have not seen in flower appears to agree better in these respects than 

 with tulda, although nutans is usually confined to the Himalayan i-egion and Assam. 

 The culms in our plant are 3-4" dia'm. with internodes 18". Stem-sheaths 8-12" 

 densely covered with black deciduous bristles at back, blade triangular acuminate 

 with rather small fimbriate auricles. L. softlj"^ downy (white when dry: beneath 

 with scaberulous margins, ending in a twisted scabrid point, base o-enerally obtuse 

 or subacute, not cordate, rarely rounded but attenuate into the distinct •12" long 

 petiole; nerves 8-9 each side of mid-rib. 



3. B. balcooa, Roxb. Balku-bans, Sil-barua, Beng., Boro-bans (Duars). 



A large csespitose bamboo with stems 50-70 ft. high and 3-6" diam., 

 much clothed Avith long horizontal leafless stiff branches below, inter- 

 nodes 8-18" with a Avhitish ring below and a hairy one above the 

 swollen nodes, walls thick. Stem sheaths of two forms, lower short, 

 broad, ciliate, top rounded ; blade short triangular decurrent into 

 short fringed auricles ; upper 10-14" by 8-10", almost glabrous, 

 ciliate, truncate with blade 6-8" by 3-4", closely hairy above, margins 

 recurved, base rounded and decurrent as a narrow band ; ligule 

 broad toothed. Leaves oblong-lanceolate with rounded base, 6-12" 

 by 1-2", pellucidlj^ tessellate, tip twisted scabrid, margins scabrous 

 ciliate, nerves 7-12 each side. Panicle compound, spikelets •3--5" 

 or more long in dense bracteate heads, ovate-lanceolate, flattened, 

 empty glumes 0-2 ovate acute many-nerved, flg. gls. 4-6 larger, 

 margins ciliate, palea as long as the gl., ovate acute keels long-ciliate, 

 anthers glabrous connective produced, ovary broadly ovoid. 



In the plains districts, frequently cultivated. Purneah ! Perhaps formerly wild 

 there. 



I have not seen the flowers exc. in herbarium, the description being entirely 

 from Gamble. Leaf -sheaths appressed-hairy, truncate above with a narrow callus, 



949 



