74 COLONEL MUNRO'S MONOGRAPH OF THE BAMBUSACE^E 



IX. Nastus. 



Jussiou, Gen. Plant. 39 (1791) ; Kunth. Enum. 429; Suppl. tab. 32. fig. 3; Lam. 111. t. 264. fig. 1 b, c, d; 



Endl. Gen. Plant, no. 908. Stemmatospermum, P. de B. Agrost. 144, tab. xxv. fig. 5 (1812). Chlo- 



Miq 



Bambusce, sp., Bory. 



o 



><picula svrsum deorsumque imperfecta, brevipedicellata, compressa, disticha, 5-7-flora, flosculis 4-5 



inferioribus unipaleaceis, neutris, glumis similibus sed gradatim increscentibus, flosculo 1 (penultimo) 

 bipaleaceo, herrnaphrodito ; terminali pedicellato, tabescente, conspicuo. Gluma 2, breves, coriacese, 

 hirsutae, nunquam gemmiparce. Pale a inferior costato-nervosa, nervis prominulis, apice brevi- 

 raueronata, superiorem bicarinatam profunde canaliculatam subsequans. Stamina 6, antheris apice 

 bilobis, connectivo non elongate Stylus ad basin usque trifidus, vel potius styli 3, stigmatibus 

 brevibus, interne plumosis. Squamula 3, ciliatse, integral obtusae, inasquales, duse majores. Caryopsis 

 glabra, basi indurata, stylorum basibus coronata, ovato-conica. 



(xramina in Borbonia, Madagascaria ? et Sumatra? indigena, arborea, ramis e nodis fasciculato-verticil- 



latis, apice floriferis. Folia coriaeea, angusta, venulis trans versis nullis vel inconspicuis. Vaginse 

 apice longe fimbriate. Inflorescentia panicula terminalis, bis terve composita. 



Limited as above, Nastus is certainly a very good genus, and is a very interestin 

 connecting link between the Triglossm and the true Bamboos. I have no doubt concern- 

 ing the identity of Jussieu's plant ; for he states that he made his description of his genus 

 Nostus from a specimen of Commerson's, collected in Bourbon, under the name of 

 " Calumet des hauts," and I have, through the kindness of M. Brongniart, seen a spe- 

 cimen, with the same name, in the Paris herbarium, from the herbarium of Du Petit 

 Chouars. Jussieu certainly ascribes "Styli 2 aut stylus profunde 2-fidus," instead of 

 Styli 3 aut stylus profunde 3-fidus ; and this error, I presume, induced Palisot de Beauvois 

 to create his genus Stemmatospermum. I am not acquainted with Chloothamnus of Biise, 

 except from the description of the genus given by Miquel, and, with the sole exception of 



mention being made of the terminal barren pedicel, I cannot discover any difference 



It is, however, very interesting that a plant which was supposed 

 to be confined to a very considerable elevation (3000-4000 feet above the sea) in Bourbon, 

 should also be found in Sumatra, probably in a similar volcanic district. A note attached 

 to a specimen in the Paris herbarium states that it was found in Madagascar. Raspail, in 

 the Ann. des Sci. Nat. 1st ser. v. 442, and Sprengel also, have given such a compre- 

 hensive scope to Nastus that it would include nearly all Bamboos, whether with 3 or 6 

 stamens ; hence have arisen the numerous synonyms and much confusion. 



it and Nastus 



Species vera unica tantum. 



1. N. Borbonicus, Gmel. Syst. edit. 13. ii. 580 (1791). Spiculis pedieellatis 6-7->m, 



noscuhs 4-o mferioribus neutris, pemltimo herrnaphrodito, terminali longe Mpitato 



tabescente hermaphroditum mbceauante; foliis angustis, aetmnna fmlmia 



serrato-ciliatis 



mar & 



+ ^ •• a . T m ■ de Ph y si 1 ue fl822), 148 ; Enum. 430 ; Suppl. 354 



S w "' S; 3 ; *™ iD Linn ' ix - m ' Bu P r - l - « 188, tab. rni fig. 42 (optima) 

 Steud. I. c. 332. N. panieulatux, Sm. in Rees's Enc. n. 4, et herb. Smith 



Stem 



mutosper^n ver^lMw., P. de B. /. c. 145. Sambma alpiua> B It . L 810 

 tl . (bona). Chloothamnus chilianthus? Biise, PI. Jungh.387; Miq. I.e. iii. 415 

 Walp. Ann. tl 1045. Bambusa arundinacea, H. B. PI. jfc. i. 71, non aiiorum. 



