COLONEL MUNRO'S MONOGRAPH OF THE BAMBUSACE^. 9 



inches in circumference. This species has now flowered ahimdantly in the Calcutta 

 Botanical Gardens, and is thriving extremely well in the Palm-house at Kew. Dr. 

 Erandis, wlio has collected nineteen species of ]iaml)oo in Eurmah, I'egu, and Tenas- 

 serim, fourteen of which I have seen specimens of, although only eight were in 

 flower, and therefore capable of identification, states that one species, which I believe to 

 be hitlierto undescribed, and have called after the discoverer Bamhusa Brandisi, attains 

 a stature of 120 feet, with a circumference of 27 inches. Another species is said to be 

 3 feet in circumference. Oldham sent home six species of Eamboo from Formosa ; and 

 several are found on the continent of China and in Hong Kong, which has one or two 

 species peculiar to itself. The Sandwach Islands produce a new sj)ccies of Schizosta- 

 chijmn, collected by the botanists attached to Wilkes's expedition ; but unfortunately, 

 although the spiculae are very numerous, not one appears to be quite perfect. Another 

 species, of the same genus probably, but in leaf only, is found in several of the Poly- 

 nesian Islands, as I have seen specimens from the Peejee Islands, Samoo, and Tahiti. 

 Several species are found in the Philippine Islands, the few that I have seen flowers of 

 being berry-bearing Bamboos. 



In the whole extent of North America, north of Mexico, there is only one species 

 of uncultivated Bamboo, namely Arimdinaria macrosneruia. In all Europe there is 

 not one native species ; and, as mentioned elsewhere, from the vast continent of Africa, 

 only one native species, in flower, is known in herbariums. 



One fact in the distriljution of the curious species Pseiulostachyimi poli/)iior])hii?n, 

 " Purphok" of Sikkim, is interesting, as Griffiths mentions that it was found in Upper 

 Assam, associated always with the Tea-plant. 



Hooker states that " Pao," Dendrocalamus edulis, has a very marked limit in eleva- 

 tion, ascending to 4000 feet, where it abounds, flowering yearly, after which it is 

 succeeded by " Poyang" [CephalostachijHm capitatum) and "Prang" {Arundbiaria 

 Jlookeriana). The latter, according to Hooker, ascends to 0000 feet and upwards, and 

 produces seed abundantly. The fruit, a dark long grain, like rice, is boiled and made 

 into cakes or into beer. 



In the description of the genera and species, I have followed the plan adopted by 

 Hooker and Thomson in the 'Flora Indica;' namely, after the name of the plant I have 

 given as short a diagnosis as possible, followed by the synonymy and the habitats of the 

 plant. I have then given a full description in Latin, and added a few remarks, occa- 

 sionally, in English as to the habits and uses of the plants, and any remarkable 

 peculiarities in structure, &c. I have used Latin as far as possible, as I was much 

 struck by the remarks of several foreign botanists at the recent botanical congress in 

 London, who complained that the English botanists used too much of their own lan- 

 guage in modern systematic works on botany. I have, in many instances, added the 

 native names of the various species, as I have been requested to do so ; but I would 

 observe that I consider them very uncertain; and indeed I find that the generic name 

 even is given very differently by collectors in the same country : for instance, with 

 collectors in Java, Horsficld and Harskaal, Paimph and Blumc, all use different Javan 

 words for the Bamljoo generically. Dr. Hooker states that a dozen kinds of Bamboo are 



VOL. XXVI". c 



