3. Bambusa.] 139. GBAMINEJE. 



bristly or not; lieule hroadly trianrrulftr, membranous. Rhacliis of panicle 

 pubescent or scurfy, swollen above ; palea obscurely nerved. Lodlcules 3, ovate 

 or obovate, fimbriate. Anthers, glabrous, pointed. 



4. B. vulgaris, Schrad. Siindrogai, Or. 



A csespitose bamboo 20-50 ft. high, culms 2-4" diam., green or 

 often with yellow stripes or quite yelloAV, nodes hardly raised with 

 usually a ring of brown hairs, internodes 10-18", walls rather thin. 

 8tem-sheaths 6-10", often streaked yellow, thickly hairy above, top 

 rounded retuse, blade 2-0" by 4", appressed hairy, base decurrent 

 with rounded falcate fimbriate auricles, ligule broad, toothed or 

 fimbriate. Leaves 6-10" by -7-1 -7", linear-lanceolate glabrous 

 tessellate with the transverse nervules, sheath laxly hairy, auricle 

 ciliate, ligule short, nerves 6-8 on each side of midrib, marginal very 

 scabrous. fSpikelets •6--8" long, oblong-lanceolate, laterally com- 

 pressed in bracteate clusters or in compact semi-whorls on long in- 

 terrupted paniculate spikes. Empty glumes 1-2 ovate acute ciliate 

 at tip ; flg. gls. larger, 6-10 ; palea as long, keels white-ciliate ; anthers 

 obtuse apiculate or penicillate with short hairs ; lodicules 3, winged, 

 ciliate. 



Commonly cultivated, but chiefly in gardens ! Oamhle states that it is not native 

 in India. 



5. B. nana, Roxb. 



A dwarf shrubby bamboo with culms 6-10 ft. high and -5-1" diam., 

 densely csespitose, green turning yellow, branched from the base, 

 nodes thickened. 8tem-sheaths glabrous rounded at top, blade 

 linear acuminate, ciliate. Leaves small linear-lanceolate, 2-4", not 

 tessellate, auricle of sheath fringed. Spikelets straw-coloured, not 

 compressed, •5-1-5", solitary or few clustered on the branches of 

 short diffuse panicles. Gls. 5 or more all flg. or lowest only empty, 

 palea shorter than gl. minutely ciliate on keels near tip only. 



Cultivated in oardens only ! 



6. B. arundinacea, TI'/ZW. Katanga, Katam-madh, A'. ; Kanta- 



bans, Ketua, Beiuj. 

 A very large densely csespitose bamboo 80-100 ft. high and 6-7" 

 diam. with numerous horizontal branches beloAv which, as well as 

 many of the other branches, are armed Avith strong 1-3-nate recurved 

 thorns. Internodes rather short usually about 1 ft. or upper 18", 

 walls fairly thick and lumen large. Stem-sheaths 12-15" by 9-12", 

 top rounded, edges plaited, young densely yellow-hairy, blade tri- 

 angular, up to 4", acuminate, concave, felted with dark bristles within, 

 margins decurrent on the sheath wavy densely long-ciliate, hardly 

 auricled. Leaves relativeh^ small, linear or linear-lanceolate glabrous 

 or slightly pubescent beneath, usually about 5-8" by •5--7", rarely 

 \" broad and often very small leaves occur at base of twigs, sheaths 

 pubescent or glabrous. Panicle often occupying the whole plant. 

 Spikelets -5-1" long sessile in close dense clusters along the twigs or 

 •3-'7" in much laxer clusters (var. spinosa) ; empty glumes 0-2 ovate 

 or ovate-lanceolate acute or mucronate many-nerved, fl. gls. 3-7, 



950 



