218 ARUNDINARIA 



A. PALMATA, Bean. 



(A. metallica, Mitford ; Bambusa palmata, Burbidge?) 



Stems 6 to 8 ft. high, to \ in. thick, more or less glaucous, with a few 

 erect branches near the top, hollow ; joints 5 or 6 ins. apart. Stem-sheaths 

 smooth, terminated by a narrow, lanceolate tongue, which is strongly tessellated 

 and edged with minute bristles, but soon falls away. Leaves bright green 

 above, glaucous beneath ; 6 to 13 ins. long, i\ to 3 ins. wide, confined to the 

 apex of the branches ; broadly wedge-shaped at the base, with long, slender 

 points ; secondary veins seven to thirteen at each side the midrib, very strongly 

 developed, and giving the leaf a ribbed appearance ; tessellation minute ; 

 margins set with bristles, which fall away with age. 



Native of Japan ; introduced about 1889. This has the largest leaves of all 

 hardy bamboos except A. Ragamowski (g.v.), and is undoubtedly one of the 

 noblest of them all. The stems and leaves are apt to get somewhat battered 

 and shabby with age, and it is a good plan every few years to cut the plants 

 back to the ground entirely. If this be done in May, taking care not to 

 injure the young, pushing stems, the plant will soon be furnished with a 

 perfectly fresh set of leaves. The only defect of this bamboo is its extra- 

 ordinarily rampant habit. It is no uncommon thing for a young stem to push 

 through the ground a yard or two away from the previous ones. It is not a 

 suitable neighbour for other shrubs, but is very well adapted for the under- 

 growth of thin woodland. 



A. PUMILA, Mitford. 



(Bambusa pumila, Marliac?) 



A dwarf species of tufted habit, with the few-branched stems as thick as a 

 knitting-needle, and from I to 2 ft. high ; joints 2 to 6 ins. apart. Stem-sheaths 

 persistent, smooth except at the base, where is a conspicuous ring of hairs. 

 Leaves i\ to 6 ins. long, \ to J in. wide, rounded at the base, narrowed often 

 abruptly to a short slender point ; dark green, and with minute hairs on both 

 sides. Secondary veins four or five each side the midrib. 



Native of Japan, and a neat little bamboo, but with no striking characters. 

 It resembles A. humilis, but that species has longer leaves with little or no hair 

 on them, and their points are more gradually tapered. 



A. PYGM^A, Kurz. DWARF BAMBOO. 



(Bambusa pygmsea, MiqueL~) 



The dwarfest of hardy bamboos, although the stems when drawn up in a 

 dense mass will grow 18 ins. high ; they are bright green, about ^ s in. 

 diameter, with a hollow up the centre which would only admit of a needle 

 point ; joints I to 4 ins. apart. Leaves 2 to 5| ins. long, % to i in. wide, 

 rounded at the base, rather abruptly narrowed at the apex to a slender point ; 

 sparsely hairy above, more so beneath. Secondary veins three to five each 

 side the midrib. 



Native of Japan. This little bamboo forms a low, dense carpet over the 

 ground, and spreads with great rapidity. Because of its rampant habit it 

 is not suited for borders or kept portions of the garden, but may be relegated 

 to the wilder parts, where it will hold its own against the most vigorous of our 

 native weeds. Among the dwarf creeping sorts with green leaves, the velvety 

 under-surface of the leaves will best distinguish it. 



