220 , ARUNDINARIA ASCYRUM 



A. TECTA, Muhlenberg. SMALL CANE. 



(A. mucrosperma var. tecta, A. Gray.") 



Stems up to 12 ft. high in a wild state, rarely more than half as high with 

 us ; round and hollow, branching at the upper joints. Stem-sheaths persistent, 

 fringed with hairs, and slightly downy when young, becoming smooth. Leaves 

 narrow-oblong, 5 to 10 ins. long, f to i^ ins. wide, downy beneath ; secondary 

 veins six or seven each side the midrib. 



Native of the south-east United States, from Maryland to Illinois and 

 southwards. It is by some authors regarded as a variety of A. MACROSPERMA, 

 Michaux, a taller species sometimes over 30 ft. high, which inhabits the 

 swamps and river-sides of the Southern States. Both species form dense, 

 scarcely penetrable thickets, known as "Cane-brakes." In the old slave days 

 these cane-brakes were of the greatest service to escaping negroes in affording 

 shelter and hiding from their pursuers. As an ornamental bamboo for 

 gardens, A. tecta is second-rate. It spreads by suckers, and has not been 

 known to flower in this country. 



A. VEITCHII, N. E. Brown. VEITCH'S BAMBOO. 



(Bambusa albo-marginata, Hort. ; Sasa albo-marginata, Makino^) 



Stems usually i to i, sometimes 3 to 4, ft. high, with a single branch at 

 each of the upper joints ; green, round, \ in. diameter ; the pipe very small ; 

 joints 3 to 4^ ins. apart, rather prominent. Stem-sheaths persistent, very 

 downy at first ; both they and the leaf-sheaths have at the apex a curious 

 group of bristles (themselves minutely hairy), resembling in their tapering, 

 twisted ends the arms of an octopus. Leaves narrow-oblong, 4 to 8 ins. long, 

 i to ,2j ins. wide, abruptly tapered at the base, and narrowed quickly also at 

 the top to a short, slender point; at first dark green above, glaucous beneath, 

 but afterwards turning yellow and finally pale brown at the margins; secondary 

 veins 5 to 9 each side the midrib. 



Native of Japan ; introduced by Maries for Messrs Veitch about 1880. It 

 forms dense, matted patches and spreads very rapidly. Pleasing in the summer 

 and early autumn, the habit of decaying at the leaf-margins spoils its value. 

 This character, which is equally apparent on plants wild in Japan, is not found, 

 so far as I know, in any other hardy species. 



ASCYRUM HYPERICOIDES, Linnaus. ST ANDREW'S CROSS. 



HYPERICACE^E. 



(A. Crux-andrea, Linnceus.") 



A low, decumbent, much-branched plant of semi-shrubby character, 

 growing about i ft. high ; stems winged. Leaves opposite, J to i in. 

 long, narrowly obovate, tapering at the base ; stalkless. Flowers 

 terminal, usually solitary or in threes, yellow, J to f in. across; petals 

 four, arranged in the form of a St Andrew's Cross ; sepals four, in two 

 pairs of unequal size, the larger ones almost as long as the petals. 



Native of the eastern United States; introduced in 1759. This belongs 

 to a small genus of N. American plants closely allied to St John's worts 



