150 PHYLLOSTACHYS 



at the base, where they are crowded. Beneath each joint there is a curious 

 swollen band, about in. wide, which distinguishes this from all other hardy 

 bamboos. Leaves 2 to 4^ ins. long, I to | in. wide, broadly tapered at the 

 base, slenderly pointed, dark green above, glaucous beneath, smooth on both 

 surfaces, minutely toothed on the margins ; secondary nerves four or five 

 each side the midrib ; stalk ^ in. or less long ; the leaf-sheath surmounted 

 by two tufts of bristles at the summit. 



Native of Japan, cultivated in Europe since the "seventies" of last 

 century. It flowered at Bitton with Canon Ellacombe, and with the late 

 Signer Fenzi, at Florence, in 1876. It is a pleasing bamboo if planted in 

 a goodly sized mass, although not so graceful as the majority. It is 'only 

 likely to be confused with P. mitis, which is, however, a taller bamboo without 

 the crowded joints at the base of the stem, and without the swollen band 

 beneath the joint, which is so distinctive a character in P. aurea. 



P. CASTILLONIS, Mitford. 



(Bambusa'Castillonis, Marliac, Kimmei-chiku of the Japanese.) 



Stems 8 to 10 ft. high (more no doubt in warmer climates), very hollow ; 

 bright yellow except on the flattened portion which extends from joint to 

 joint either side alternately, and that is dark green. Leaves 2 to 5 ins. long 

 as a rule, and ^ to f in. wide ; usually but not uniformly striped with creamy 

 yellow lines ; sometimes they are more yellow than green, sometimes wholly 

 green ; glaucous beneath ; midrib and leaf-stalk downy ; secondary veins four 

 to eight each side the midrib ; leaf-sheath furnished at the top with con- 

 spicuous bristles, sometimes nearly ^ in. long. Occasionally the leaves are 

 much larger ; I have seen them 8 or 9 ins. long, and i?r ins. wide. 



Native of Japan ; introduced about 1890. This is the most beautifully 

 coloured in its stems of all hardy bamboos. The curious alternation of green 

 and yellow, together with the often variegated leaves, make it very distinct. 

 It flowered in 1903 and 1904, and, according to Dr Stapf of Kew, there is 

 nothing in its floral characters to distinguish it from P. nigra. In vegetative 

 characters, however, it is near to P. Quilioi. Many plants died after 

 flowering, and it is now uncommon. 



P. FLEXUOSA, Riviere. 



A bamboo of elegant but compact, rounded habit, and as far as I have 

 seen, rarely exceeding 6 or 8 ft. in height ; stems at first bright green, 

 becoming darker with age, sometimes almost black like those of P. nigra. 

 Leaves 2 to 4 ins. long, \ to in. wide ; dark green and smooth above, 

 glaucous beneath and downy at the base of the midrib, secondary nerves four 

 to six each side the midrib ; one margin toothed. 



Native of China ; introduced to France in 1864. In the characters of 

 leaf and stem this bamboo bears much resemblance to P. viridi-glaucescens, 

 but it is much dwarfer and more compact, and the change of the old culms 

 to black does not, so far as I have observed, occur in that species. The stem 

 sheaths also differ, as pointed out under P. viridi glaucescens. P. flexuosa is 

 a pleasing bamboo of the middle size, graceful and very hardy. 



P. HENONIS, Mitford. 



(Bambusa Henonis, Hort. Ha-chiku of the Japanese.) 



A very graceful and luxuriant bamboo, reaching in favourable situations 

 14 ft. in height, laden when in good health and well-established with heavy 



