50 Select Plants for Industrial Culture 



Balsamodendron Myrrha, Nees. (Commiphora Myrrha, Engler.) 



Deserts of Arabia. This tree yields the commercial " Myrrh," but 

 perhaps some other species may produce the same substance. 



Balsamodendron Opobalsamum, Kunth. (B. Gileadense, Kunth. 

 Commiphora Opobalsamum, Engler.) 



Deserts of Arabia, Abyssinia and Nubia. A small tree. This 

 species furnishes Mekka- or Grilead-Balsam. B. Capense (Sonder) is 

 a closely allied congener from Extra- tropical South- Africa. Some 

 other Balsam-shrubs deserve introduction into warm dry regions. 



Bambusa arundinacea, Roxburgh.* 



The " Thorny Bamboo " of India. It likes rich, moist soil, and 

 delights on river-banks ; it is of less height than Bambusa vulgaris, 

 also sends up from the root numerous stems, but with bending 

 branches, thorny at the joints. Used in continental India for hedges. 

 According to Kurz it will thrive in a climate too dry for B. Tulda and 

 B. vulgaris. The seeds of this and some other Bamboos are useful as 

 food for fowls. Whenever seeds of any Bamboos can be obtained 

 fresh and disseminated soon, large masses of these plants could easily 

 be raised in suitable forest-ground of other countries ; Bamboo-seeds 

 moreover, like Palm-seeds, ought to become a very remunerative 

 article of commercial export for horticultural purposes under practical 

 and experienced hands. 



Bambusa aspera, Poiret 



Indian Archipelagus. Attains a height of 120 feet. Stems very 

 strong and thick. This species ascends to cool elevations of 4,000 

 feet. 



Bambusa Balcooa, Roxburgh.* 



From the Plains of Bengal to Assam. Proved hardy at the Cape 

 of Good Hope. Height reaching 70 feet. With B. Tulda the 

 principal Bamboo used by the natives for constructing large huts or 

 sheds, but, as Roxburgh has pointed out, in order to render the 

 material durable, it needs long previous immersion in water. Mr. 

 Routledge recommends young shoots of Bamboos as paper-material. 

 The seeds of Bambusa Tulda have been found by me to retain their 

 vitality for some time and to germinate readily. 



Bambusa Blumeana, Schultes. 



Insular India. This Bamboo, with its spiny buds and pendent 

 branchlets, is according to Kurz one of the best for cattle-proof live- 

 hedges among the Asiatic species. In continental India B. nana and 

 B. arundinacea are much used for the same purpose. Periodic 

 trimming is required. 



Bambusa Brandisii, Munro. 



Tenasserim, Martaban and Pegu, wild up to elevations of 4,000 feet. 

 Height of stems reaching 120 feet, diameter 9 inches. It likes lime- 



