130 



BAMBOO 



28. P. airea, A. and C. Eivitre (B. aiirea, Hort.). 

 Height 10-15 ft.: stems straight, yellowish ; internodes 

 at the base remarkably short : Ivs. narrowed from near 

 the base to the apex, minutely and regularly serrate on 

 only one border, usually 2-4 in. long and %in. wide, but 

 Tariable, light green, glabrous ; sheaths deciduous, 

 marked with purple. Japan. Gn. 8, p. 206. A.F. 5:41. 

 -The name is not distinctive, as others of the Phyllo- 

 atachys group have yellowish stems. Hardier and easier 

 of cult, than P. »«!/(>. 



AAA. Color of stems green, often yellowish mhen ripe. 



B. neigU 6-18 ft. 



c. Ints. spotted icith brown. 



29. P. Quilioi, A. and C. Rivif're (B. Qullioi, Hort. B. 

 Mazdi, Hort.). Height sometimes 18 ft.: habit looser 



BANANA 



BB. Height 2 ft. or less : habit zigzag. 

 33. P. ruscildlia, Hort. Kew. (P. Kumasdca, Munro, 

 P. Kmnasdsa. Mitford. B. riiscifdiia, Sieb. B. vimi- 

 iMis,B.on.). Height l}^-2 ft.: stems zigzag, dark green; 

 sheaths purple : Ivs. 2-3 in. long, about 1 in. wide, ovate 

 in outline. Jap. G.C. III. 15: 369. G.C. III. 18: 189.- 

 The stem is channeled on the branching side, almost 

 solid : nodes 1-2 in. apart : branches in 3's and 4*s, 

 not more than 1-lKin. long.— Dwarf est species of 

 Phyllostachys. c. jj. Beadle. 



The following are trade names in America of rare kinds • 

 B. agriatis, Poir. India. Cochin China. Adv. by Yokohama 

 Nnrs. Co.— U. arghUea, Hort.=B. argentea-striata. Eegel 1—B. 

 aureo-atriata, Regel. Jap. — A. foliia-variegatia, Kort.,U jtre- 

 sumably A. Fortunei, the commonest low-growing, variegated 

 .\nmdinaria. -Ji. Marlidcea, Hort. Adv. by Yokohama Nnrs. 

 Co. as a "wrinkled 

 Bamboo." Doubstles 

 named after M. La- 

 tour Marli, 

 ___ iTMl,.,! Frcndi h.vbri- 



glaucous beneath ; leaf-sheaths a peculiar feature, be 

 ing pinkish brown, deeply mottled with purple spots 

 Cult. S. and in Calif. -Rare. 



CO. J-i's. not spotted with brown. 

 D. Habit sUqhtly zigzag. 

 30. P. Hendnis, Miifml 'T:. 



ped white. 



W. M. 



6-15 ft. : stems arciifl : 



long attenuate at the :ii" 

 uous, yellowish, inclined 

 long near the base and 



:T:. TT. ,,..„;.s. Hort.). Height 

 ii l"iif;. a little under 

 I':' I 'M !(.■ to the base and 

 .NiiLni L1..-U; sheaths decid- 

 ^» (jurpli>li; internodes 5-6 in. 

 liddle of the stem, distinctly 

 grooved with a double furrow. Japan.— This is Mit- 

 ford's favorite Bamboo. 



DD. Habit strongly zigzag. 



31. P. viridi-glauc63cens, A. and C. Rivifere (,B. viridi- 

 glauciscens, Carr.). Height 10-18 ft.: stems slender, 

 zigzag, arched, bright green at first, fading as they ripen 

 to a dingy yellow : Ivs. 3-4 in. long, about Min. wide or 

 little more, bright green above, whitened below. China. 

 Un. 7, p. 279. G.C. III. 15:4.'« ; 18:183.-The name is 

 unfortunate because not distinctive, as all Bamboos have 

 green Ivs. with more or less whitened lower surfaces. 

 Very hardy and common. 



32. P. bambuaoides, Sieb. & Zucc. Height about 5 ft. 

 in the second year : stems zigzag, green at first, ripen- 

 ing to yellow, the branch-bearing side flattened rather 

 than grooved, as in other species of Phyllostachys : in- 

 ternodes long in proportion to length of stem, sometimes 

 8 in. : branches in 3's, the longest at the middle of the 

 St., and only about 9 in.: Ivs. of various sizes, the 

 largest 8 in. long, V4 in. wide, edges serrate, sharply on 

 one side. Jap. -Cult, by Dr. Franceschi, Santa Bar- 

 bara, Calif. 



BANANA (Miisa sapihttitim, Linn., chiefly). Scit- 

 nmin&cece. This very valuable tropical plant is prized 

 for its fruit, textile fiber, and decorative effect in land- 

 scape gardening. Most species are cultivated for their 

 fruit, and one or two species for fiber— although all 

 sorts have a fiber of considerable value. Every spe- 

 cies is worthy a place in decorative planting. For an 

 account of the species and their ornamental values, see 

 Musa. 



The species mostly in demand for fruitinir seldom or 

 never produce seeds, and naturally in. n :i^. i., -n.kers 

 around the base of each plant. I [ ,' . ' l;ii-ge 



clump, if allowed to grow without . 1. : must 



readily separated from the parent r. . ■ ill, i; :. ^pude, 

 and are then fit for further planting. This is a slow pro- 

 cess of increase, but it is sure, and the suckers so pro- 

 duced make large and vigorous plants. A quicker 

 method of propagation is to cut the entire root-stalk 

 into small, wedge-shaped pieces, leaving the outer sur- 

 face of the root about 1 by 2 inches in size, planting 

 in light, moist soil, with the point of the wedge down 

 and the outer surface but slightly covered. The best 

 material for covering these small pieces is fine peat, old 

 leaf -mold, mixed moss and sand, or other light material 

 which is easily kept moist. The beds so planted should 

 be in full open sunshine if in a tropical climate, or given • 

 bottom heat and plenty of light in the plant-house. The 

 small plants from root-cuttings should not be allowed to 

 remain in the original bed longer than is necessary to 

 mature one or two leaves, as that treatment would stunt 

 them. The textile and ornamental species, also, may be 



