116 THE BAMBOO GARDEN CHAP. VI 
characteristic features and asserts its identity. Messrs. 
Riviere remark that, like as the two plants are in the early 
stages of their life, P. MITIS never degenerates into P. AUREA, 
nor does P. AUREA ever rise to the dignity of P. miris. With 
these differences, and bearing in mind the fact that P. AUREA 
is altogether a smaller species than P. mitts, for the foliage 
and general appearance of P. AUREA the description of P. 
MITIS will suffice, and avoid vain repetition. The colour of 
the bud scales is somewhat variable, light green, tipped with 
pink or brown edging, never so dark as in P. MITIS. 
In Lord de Saumarez’s garden at Shrubland PHYLLOo- 
STACHYS AUREA is 14 feet 6 inches high, the canes being 
2? inches round. 
In the year 1893 a Bamboo was received here and at 
Kew from Japan under the name of BAMBUSA STERILIS, 
which the Japanese Gardeners’ Association describe as closely 
allied to PHYLLOSTACHYS HETEROCYCLA. ‘This appears to me 
to be undistinguishable from PHYLLOSTACHYS AUREA, and the 
authorities at Kew confirm that opinion. Curiously enough, 
the plants were covered with an undeveloped inflorescence, 
which proved to be infested with a hitherto undescribed 
ergot. 
