C. A. BARBER 



151 



Character 



Saretha Group 



Sunnabile Group 



III. Colour and Markings of the cane. 



General colour of the cane. 

 There are considerable differ- 

 ences in this respect in the 

 canes of the two groups, and 

 in the Saretha group a sub- 

 division is noticeable into 

 brown and green sections. 



Striping is present in many 

 canes. This is especially so 

 in the Sunnabile series, and 

 appears to be absent in the 

 Katha section. 



Black incrustations due to the 

 out-growth and browning of 

 epidermal cells, chiefly in the 

 neighbourhood of the groove, 

 only in the Saretha group. 



Bloom is much more marked in 

 the Saretha series. 



Blackening caused by fungus 

 attack on the bloom. 



Corky markings vary a good 

 deal in different varieties, 

 but there are general group 

 distinctions. 



Colour much obscured, in the 

 lower parts, by weather and 

 bloom and usually dirty here. 

 Brown, bone yellow, green 

 or grey, occasionally light 

 purple (brown covered by 

 bloom) below, passing up- 

 wards to yellow, glaucous 

 green, green yellow or grey, 

 and finally to greyish or 

 glaucous or whitish green or 

 even white at the top, owing 

 to excessive bloom. In the 

 Mesangan section the browns 

 are absent or extremely rare 

 and, consequently,the joints 

 are rarely light purple. The 

 brown occurs in patches or 

 streaks or as a general tone, 

 and increases with age. It is 

 therefore more marked in 

 the mature canes. 



Not noted in the Katha sec- 

 tion, but seen in four of the 

 seven Mesangan canes. 



Present in all, sometimes 

 abundant and a striking 

 feature in colouring. 



Well developed, especially in 

 the Katha section, where it 

 is frequently very thick and 

 copiously descending over 

 the joint, especially in the 

 upper part of the cane. It 

 is -less abundant in the 

 Mesangan section. 



Bloom bands rather distinct, 

 except where there is excess 

 of bloom on the joint. 



Moderately developed, rather 

 faint and ill-defined, as if the 

 surface had been smudged 

 with soot 



In the main, short, fine, wavy 

 lines, closely packed, but 

 often not well developed. 



Brownish stone coloured or 

 glaucous yellow, occasionally 

 green below, passing upwards 

 to clear light stone or greenish 

 yellow, with distinct green 

 patches at places where the 

 cane is bent, finally to clear 

 stone yellow, occasionally 

 greenish yellow or dull green 

 at the top. Putli Khujee is a 

 vivid grass-green cane, and 

 Ketari has a general greenish 

 tinge when compared with 

 the rest. Many of the varie- 

 ties have what are termed 

 " white " canes, and this is 

 reflected in their local names. 



Met with in all the canes of 

 this group excepting Dhuulu 

 (14 out of 15), as occasional 

 faint purple lines. 



Not met with in any variety. 



Not heavily developed and 

 not descending much over 

 the surface of the joint. i 



Bloom bands not conspicuous 

 on yellow joints. Quite 

 sharp and distinct on the 

 green joints of Putli Khajee. 



Well developed, in sharply 

 isolated dense black patches. 



More typically present. Usu- 

 ally as long, thick, parallel 

 lines, rather widely separated 

 and extending from the base 

 of the bloom band about two- 

 thirds of the way down the 

 joint. 



