BACCHARIS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



BAMBUSA. 



359 



ing in colour from blue to crimson- 

 magenta. The bulbs should be planted 

 from September to January, about 4 

 inches deep and 2 to 4 inches apart, in 

 light loamy soil thoroughly drained, 

 with a due south aspect. The early 

 plantings make foliage in autumn, and 

 require protection of mats against 

 frost. Those planted later will only 

 require a covering of Fern, which 

 should be removed as the foliage 

 appears. In wet soils surround the 

 bulbs with sand, and raise the beds 

 above the level. Many varieties are 

 in catalogues, but in the open air their 

 growth is not satisfactory save in 

 favoured spots. 



BACCHARIS. Curious evergreen 

 shrubs mostly from S. America, and 

 not always hardy with us inland, 

 though excellent for seaside places, 

 where they thrive down to the water's 

 edge. They do best in rather poor 

 soils and upon dry stony banks, grow- 

 ing rapidly and giving distinct effect 

 both of leaf and flower. The various 

 kinds differ widely from one another, 

 B. halimifolia (Sea Purslane), the best 

 known, attaining a height of 6 to 12 

 feet. B. patagonica (Groundsell Tree) 

 is handsome in foliage, with white 

 flower-heads, borne in profusion. It is 

 said to make an effective hedge-plant. 

 B. salicina, a shrub of about 6 feet, 

 from Colorado, comes near halimifolia, 

 but is hardier. B. Xalapensis and B. 

 trimera are seldom seen, but well worth 

 a place in coast gardens. 



BAMBUSA (Bamboo}. There are 

 some forty or more varieties of these 

 graceful woody grasses, which are 

 hardy in all but the coldest parts of 

 our islands, though best in sheltered 

 places. 



ARUNDINARIA RACEMOSA. This grows 

 about 15 feet high in its own country. 

 Stem smooth and round. Internodes 

 about 2 inches apart, leaves 2 to 4 inches 

 in length and narrow, cross veins well 

 defined. After the trying winter of 1895, 

 quite green and fresh at Kew. Himalayas. 



A. HUMILIS. About 2 feet to 3 feet high, 

 with round and green stem, bright ever- 

 green leaves smooth on both sides, 4^ 

 inches long, three-quarters of an inch 

 broad, and tapering to a point. A very 

 pretty plant to form a carpet or isolated 

 group near rocks. 



BAMBUSA PUMILA (Arundinaria). A 

 very pretty dwarf Bamboo somewhat like 

 Arundinaria humilis, but smaller in habit, 

 the leaves are less broad, shorter, and do 

 not taper so gradually to a point. The 

 teeth of the serrated edges are less con- 



spicuous, and the lower sheaths are not 

 so hairy. 



ARUNDINARIA HINDSII. A distinct and 

 beautiful species. In its first year with 

 me it has grown to a height "of 6 feet 

 3 inches, but will evidently attain a 

 greater stature. The young dark green 

 stems have a lovely white wax on them 

 like the bloom on a Grape. The leaves 

 are 6 inches long by about five-eighths of 

 an inch across ; they are thicker than in 

 most Bamboos. 



A. JAPONICA. A fine and valuable 

 plant, generally grown in gardens under 

 the name of Bambusa Mttakt. The leaves 

 are from 8 inches to I foot in length by 

 about i inches, sometimes more, broad. 

 The upper surface is smooth and shining, 

 the lower side paler, rather glaucous and 

 wrinkled ; the edges are finely serrated. 



A. SIMONI. Of this fine species, at Kew, 

 old-established plants have reached a 

 height of 1 8 feet. The leaves are from 

 10 inches to I foot long, slightly hairy, 

 lanceolate, longitudinally ribbed, ending 

 in a long narrow point. So far as experi- 

 ence at present goes, this is the greatest 

 runner of all the hardy Bamboos. Its 

 young shoots will appear at a great dis- 

 tance from the parent plant. It should 

 be planted apart in the wild garden, where 

 it may wander at pleasure without injury 

 to any neighbour. 



BAMBUSA PALMATA (Arundinaria). A 

 beautiful species, about 5 feet high, con- 

 spicuous from the size of its leaves, which 

 are often used by Japanese peasants to 

 wrap up the bit of salt fish or other con- 

 diment which they eat with their rice. 

 These are the chief beauty of the plant, 

 each from i foot to 13 inches long and 

 3 inches to 3^ inches broad, tapering 

 rather suddenly to a very fine point ; the 

 colour a vivid green on the upper surface, 

 glaucous on the lower. 



B. TESSELLATA. A very beautiful 

 species having the largest leaves of any 

 of the hardy Bamboos. The stem is 

 about i\ feet high, round, slightly flattened 

 at the top, the colour a purplish-green, 

 much hidden by persistent withered 

 sheaths. The slender new culms spring 

 gracefully from the carpet of arching 

 foliage. 



ARUNDINARIA NITIDA. A very lovely 

 species from N.W. Szechuan. The culms 

 are purple-black, very slender and round. 

 The leaves are small, lancet-shaped, and 

 tessellated. Quite the hardiest of all our 

 Bamboos. 



A. MARMOREA. A pretty and distinct 

 little Bamboo, for which I have chosen 

 the name marmorea on account of the very 

 peculiar appearance of the young stems, 

 which are folded in purple sheaths, deli- 

 cately marbled with a pinkish silver-grey, 

 through which, near the knots, peep 

 glimmers of the bright emerald-green or 

 dark purple of the stem itself. The leaves, 



