COLONEL MIJNRO S M()NO(;UAPII OK Till': BAM BL SACEyE. 5 



which contains the seed of Carex. lu the youn<j state this is so closely attached to the 

 style that it is almost impossible to separate it ; in advancing to maturity it increases 

 in various ways. In Melocanna bambntioidcs it becomes very fleshy, and the fruit 

 attains the size of a largish pear, whilst the seed remains comparatively small. This is the 

 case, to a less extent, in Bebsha of llheede, whilst in some of the other genera it forms a 

 very thin covering to the seed, which is often, at maturity, inwardly quite free, and 

 easily detached, as in Pseudostaciiyum, figured at Tal). IV^, Scuizostachyum acuti- 

 Jlorum, and perhaps in other species ; for, unfortunately, ])erfi!ct seeds are very rare. 

 The scutellum is concealed by the envelope referred to above, and is not visible exter- 

 nally, except, perhaps, in some of the species of Dendrocalamus ; whereas in true 

 Baml)oos the seed is very generally like Oats oi- Wheat, linear or oblong linear, with a 

 distinct furrow down one side, with the scutellum very visible below ; and the style 

 articulated at the top of the fruit, and never persistent. In Schizostachyum acutijlorum 

 above referred to, a very curious bundle of hairs is to be found at the scutellum ; and the 

 pericarp in this instance is quite loose and rugose, and the fruit oblong. I have not 

 seen perfect fruit in any other species of SchizostacJnjion, which I often cannot help 

 thinking is an imperfect state of Melocanna, or some allied genus. 



The fruit of Pseudostachyum is in form exactly like the seed of AnagalUs arvensis, 

 and the whole plant is very curious in appearance. In Beesua, Teinostachyum and 

 Cepiialostachyum the fruit is long-beaked, and in the two latter genera tapering at the 

 base. Beesha of Eheede {Oclilandra of Thwaites) is distinguished ])y its numerous 

 stamens, frequently 20 and upwards, dimorphous spiculse, the fertile one being very 

 frequently sessile near the main axis. One species of this genus is remarkably well 

 figured by llheede in plate Ix. vol. v. of the ' Hortus Malabaricus.' Telnostachi/um has 

 very long spicule, containing several perfect flowers, whereas in CephalostachyiDii there 

 is only one perfect flower in the spiculse, a number of which are collected together in 

 dense heads. Dinochloa has a very small, rounded, beaked fruit, and has smaUer 

 flowers than perhaps any other species of the whole family, but has a large branching 

 panicle. It approaches very closely to some species of Chiisqnea, from which genus it is 

 very easily distinguished at first sight, by having 6 stamens and a trifid style. In the 

 remaining genus, Dendrocalamus, pei-haps most readily distinguishable from JBambtisa 

 by its very long, slender style, and the absence of true squamula", tlie fruit is of two 

 forms; and I might probably have been justified in forming some of the species into 

 another genus, but I have been very anxious to avoid the multiplication of genera as far 

 as possible. 



In D. strlctm and its allies the fruit is very smooth, as if polished, on the surface, 

 except at the extreme top, suddenly pointed into a short, sharp, and rather hairy per- 

 sistent beak. In D. giganteiis and its allies the beak is very soon caducous ; the fruit 

 is hairy at the upper end, and not at all polished, and the scutellum is outwardly visible 

 below on one side. 



Having given full descriptions of the genera and species in the ibllowing pages, I will 

 not enter into further details here. 



I have not, with the exception of Plutoniu, included in Bambusacca- any genus which 



