vI BAMBUSA FASTUOSA 107 
nerves on either side of the midrib. The colour of the leaves 
is a brilliant green on the upper face, contrasted finely with a 
beautiful glaucous tint, which the least puff of air reveals on 
the lower. The rhizome, which shows sure signs of great 
activity—even the first year’s shoots being well away from 
the old culm—is more fistulous than that of any Bamboo 
which I have observed. A section which I measured had an 
oval pipe in the internode of the rootstock a quarter of 
an inch long by one-eighth of an inch across. 
BAMBUSA FASTUOSA is altogether a grand member of a 
beautiful family, and does justice to the somewhat pompous 
name with which M. Latour-Marliac has dignified it. He 
assures me, moreover, that it is one of the hardiest and most 
trustworthy of all the Bamboos. Of this I am unable to 
speak from personal experience, for the first specimens 
received in England were only planted out last spring, and 
they have not yet faced a hard winter in this country; but 
the unusual vigour with which they have grown, and their 
whole appearance are, so far, entirely in accord with the 
character which M. Marliac gives to the species. 
