392 
brought from Japan by their intelligent collector Mr. C. 
Maries. 
M. Carriére states, in an editorial note to Count 
Castillon’s article, that the plant had been introduced into 
France at that date, and was indeed actually on sale in 
the nurseries near Antibes. 
Nothing, however, till quite recently, appears to have 
been known as to the existence of the square bamboo in 
China, from which country, however, it is extremely 
probable that the Japanese procured it. Thus, Mr. F. B. 
Forbes, whose personal knowledge of the Chinese flora is 
only second, perhaps, to that of Dr. Hance, informs me :— 
“] have never seen the square bamboo growing, and | 
have always supposed that its ‘squarity’ was artificially 
produced.” 
The first authentic account of its occurrence in China 
is, as far as I know, due to Mr. Frederick S. A. Bourne, 
of H.B.M. Chinese Consular Service. Mr. Bourne 
wrote to us, October 15, 1882, that he had made a journey 
from Foochow to a distance of 300 miles to the western 
border of the Fokien province, reaching Wu-i-kung, the 
celebrated monastery in the Bohea hills—-a place, Mr. 
Bourne states, “only visited by a European once before, 
I believe—z.e. by Mr. Fortune, about the year 1845.” In 
the gardens of this monastery he found several clumps of 
the square bamboo growing to the height of about eight 
feet. 
The 7yopical Agriculturist (an astonishing repertory of 
everything relating to the economic botany of the East) 
contains in its issue for November, 1882 (p. 445), an 
article extracted from the orth China Herald, also 
relating to the square bamboo, plants of which, destined 
for the park at San Francisco, had been obtained by Dr. 
Macgowan at Wenchow. I extract from this article the 
following particulars, which show the interest the Chinese 
themselves attach to the plant :— 
“Pre-eminence is assigned to the square variety of this 
most useful as well as ornamental plant, which has been a 
favourite in Imperial gardens whenever its acclimatisation 
has been effected in the north. The Emperor Kao Tsu 
once inquired of his attendants, who were planting bam- 
boos, concerning the various kinds. In reply he was in- 
formed concerning several remarkable species. Chekiang 
in particular furnished one that was an extraordinary 
curiosity, in that it was square, and for that quality and 
its perfect uprightness was much esteemed by officers and 
scholars. They also told him that it was used for many 
purposes of decoration and utility, including, among 
others, that of being made into ink-slabs. Subsequently 
specimens were obtained, polished, and sent to his 
majesty, who thereon signified his respect for the article 
by rubbing ink with his own hand on the inkstand, and 
inditing an essay on the curiosity. In 650 A.D. the 
reigning Emperor sent a eunuch to Chekiang to obtain 
specimens for the Imperial Park. Besides being furnished 
from scattered portions of this province, it is found in 
Honan, Szechuen, Yunnan and Hunan; in the latter 
province it appears to present its peculiar characteristic 
in a marked degree, being as square, with corners, and as 
well defined as if cut with a knife. The Chekiang varieties 
have slightly rounded corners, and moreover they are 
more slender, being used only as pipe-stems, whereas the 
western kind is large enough to serve as staves for the 
aged. In its early stage of growth the square bamboo is 
nearly round, assuming the anomalous figure it afterwards 
presents as it advances towards maturity. Like several 
other kinds of bamboo it is thorny, abounding in small 
spines.” : 
Dr. Macgowan being well known to botanists for his 
intelligent interest in all that relates to the vegetable pro- 
ductions of China, I ventured to write to him to ask his 
aid in procuring living specimens of this interesting plant 
for the Royal Gardens. Through his kindness and that 
of Mr. E. H. Parker, late acting consul at Wenchow, we 
Nel DORE 
[August 27, 1885 
were fortunate enough to receive a Wardian case filled 
with plants of the square bamboo, some of which at least 
appeared to be alive and likely to grow. Besides these 
Dr. Macgowan sent us specimens of walking-sticks and 
pipe-stems made from it. 
I quote the following passages from the very interesting 
communication with which Dr. Macgowan was also good 
enough to favour us :— 
“Its geographical range is from 25° to 30° N. latitude, 
littoral, and westward farther than I have been able to 
discover. Unlike other varieties of bamboo here, its 
shoots are developed in the autumn, not in the spring. 
It sprouts in September or October, and the stems grow 
until they are arrested by December cold, by which time 
they attain a height of from two to four or five feet. In 
the spring following their growth recommences, when the 
grass attains its full height, ten to fourteen feet. The 
lower portion of the culms bristle with short spines ; in 
the second or third year their squareness is far less 
striking than when matured by several years’ growth ; 
that quality is sometimes so marked that a native botanist 
describes them as appearing like rods pared by cutting 
instruments. I have seldom found the corners much 
more sharply defined than in the largest of the specimens 
herewith transmitted. It is cultivated chiefly for orna- 
ment in gardens, in temple courts, &c. ; the larger stems 
(sometimes as much as an inch and a half through) are 
used for staves ; the smaller and less squarish for stems 
of opium-pipes; and the smallest and less mature for 
tobacco-pipes.” 
He further adds :—“ Its anomalousness is attributed by 
the Chinese to supernatural powers—occult agencies 
varying with each district. The Wingfo Gazetteer tells 
how Ko Hung, the most famous of alchemists (fourth 
century A.D.), thrust his chopsticks (slender bamboo rods 
pared square) into the ground of the spiritual monastery 
near that city, which, by thaumaturgical art, he caused 
to take root and to appear as a new variety of bamboo— 
square.” 
As no flowering specimens of the square bamboo have 
reached the hands of botanists, its taxonomic position 
must at present be regarded as doubtful. Rivieére (“Les 
Bambous,” p. 315) refers to it as the Bambou carré, and 
Fenzi, quoting from Rivitre (Sz//. Soc. Tosc. di Ort., 1880, 
p. 401), gives it the name Bamdbusa guadrangularis. 
I can discover no reference to it in the late General 
Munro’s classical monograph of the Bambusacee (Trans. 
Lin. Soc., vol. xxvi.). Of the three groups into which he 
divides the genera, in only one, 77zg/oss@, is there any 
tendency to depart from the habit of the order in having 
anything but round stems ; and this only occurs in the 
small genus Phyllostachys, in which they are somewhat 
laterally flattened. The stems of Phyllostachys nigra 
are often used in Europe for walking-sticks and light 
broom-handles. 
But I do not think the square bamboo will turn out to 
be a Phyllostachys. Munro has a Bambusa angulata 
which is distinguished from all its allies by having the 
branches of the panicle angular. This is the only tend- 
ency to angularity of stem which I have discovered 
among the true Bambusee. 
For the present, at any rate, the species must be known 
provisionally as Bambusa guadrangularis, Fenzi. 
W. T. THISELTON DYER 
FORECASTING BY MEANS OF WEATHER 
CHARTS 
HE Meteorological Office has issued a work on the 
“Principles of Forecasting by Means of Weather 
Charts,” which has been prepared at the request of the 
Council by the Hon. Ralph Abercromby.! The object of 
1 “Principles of Forecasting by Means of Weather Charts.” By the 
Hon. Ralph Abercromby, F.R.Met.Soc. Issued by the Authority of the 
Meteorological Council. Official No. 60. 8vo. Pp. 123 + viii. London ; 1885. 
