214 ARUNDINARIA 



Native of Japan ; cultivated since the " seventies " of last century, probably 

 before, and long known as " Bambusa Fortunei aurea." In its full late summer 

 leafage it is a beautifully variegated plant, and quite distinct from all other 

 dwarf bamboos. A few stems flower every year at Kew, but no plant has 

 yet broken completely into blossom. 



A. CHRYSANTHA, Mitford. 

 (Bambusa chrysantha, Hart.") 



Stems 2 to 6 ft. high, J to in. diameter, dark green, round ; joints 2 to 5^ 

 ins. apart. Leaves 5 to 7 ins. long, ^ to I in. broad, rounded at the base, rather 

 abruptly tapered to a short, slender point, smooth on both surfaces, minutely 

 toothed at the margins. There is a tuft of long, silky hairs at the top of the 

 leaf-sheath. Most of the leaves are quite green, but some are more or less 

 striped with golden yellow like A. auricoma. Secondary veins four to six 

 each side the midrib. 



Native of Japan ; introduced in 1892, but a bamboo of no great attractive- 

 ness. The variegation is not abundant enough to give a colour effect, and the 

 plant cannot be compared with A. auricoma in this respect. It spreads rapidly 

 by its underground stems. 



A. FALCATA, Nees. 

 (Bambusa falcata, Hort. ; B. gracilis, Hort.} 



Stems tufted, 10 to 15 ft. high, glaucous when young, slender, round ; the 

 joints clothed with a velvety down ; stem-sheaths with long, tapered points, 

 edged with hairs, especially when young, pale purple. Leaves 2 to 6 ins. long, 

 to in. wide, rather pale green, somewhat glaucous beneath ; secondary 

 veins two to five each side the midrib, not tessellated with cross-veinlets. 



Native of the Himalaya up to 7000 ft. It is not a very hardy species, and 

 is only suitable for the mildest parts of the kingdom. From all the bamboos 

 here mentioned, except A. Falconeri, it can be distinguished by the absence 

 of cross-veinlets in the leaves. A. Falconeri differs in having green or yellowish 

 (not glaucous) stems with dark brown stains at the joints. 



A. FALCONERI, Gamble. 



(A. nobilis, Mitford ; Thamnocalamus Falconeri, Hooker fit., Bot. Mag., t. 7947) 



Stems up to 25 ft. long in the mildest parts of the kingdom ; tufted, very 

 slender, round, olive-green, becoming yellowish, with a very distinct stain of 

 purplish brown at the joints ; the joints quite devoid of down ; stem-sheaths 

 purple, smooth, except towards the top and at the margins. Leaves normally 

 2 to 4 ins .long, about ^ in. wide; bright green, rather glaucous beneath, with 

 purplish stalks and margins; secondary veins three or four each side the mid- 

 rib, not tessellated with cross-veins; leaf-sheaths purplish, not hairy at the top. 



Native of the Himalaya ; first introduced to England in 1847 by Mr Madden, 

 who sent large quantities of seeds to Kew, which were distributed through 

 Europe. These plants grew well where the climatic conditions were favour- 

 able, and flowered in 1875 an d 1876. Every plant ultimately died, but from the 

 seed they produced a new generation was raised, which in its turn flowered 

 between 1903 and 1908. It would thus appear that the next general flowering 

 may be expected from 1931 onwards. A. Falconeri produces its stems in a 

 dense, crowded cluster, and does not spread by underground suckers. It is 

 not very hardy, but in such places as Cornwall and the south-west of Ireland 



