Two hardy bamboos of East China 



\Y. M. POB l ERFIELD 



Among the less conspicuous bamboos of Mast China are two 

 species whose hardy nature fits them to the wild hill-top region 

 where they are mostly found. Over the hillsides around Soo- 

 chow, Wusih, Hangchow and Zakow the tough cane brakes of 

 the exposed places are made up of either one or the other or 

 both of these species. Both of them are small but for all that 

 they pass through the rigours of cold and wind with all leaves 

 "waxing," as it were; their green foliage brilliant in the sun, a 

 constant reminder that life though dormant is ever present. 



The first of these species is Arundinaria nitida Mitford, the 

 Brilliant Bamboo. The first description of it was made by A. 

 B. Freeman-Mitford, C. B., in Gardeners' Chronicle, xviii, p. 

 186, in 1895. In this account the specific name "nitida" was 

 given. In the Bamboo Garden (1896) by the same author an 

 exceptionally fine account of this same species is given (p. 73). 

 It appears that it was first discovered in Messrs. Veitch's col- 

 lection at Combe Wood, England. After much confusion and 

 numerous misnamings its history was unearthed. In 1889 Dr. 

 Regel, Director of the Botanic Garden of St. Petersburg sent 

 Messrs. Yeitch seed which had been collected by a Russian 

 traveller, Mr. Potanin, in North Szechuen. Some of the seed 

 grown under glass in St. Petersburg shows it to be the same 

 which appears in Mr. Veitch's collection. This interesting fact 

 bears out a general theory held by the then Director of Kew 

 Gardens to the effect that hardy bamboos may be expected to 

 have developed and penetrated into Northwest China as part 

 of an extensive spread of the Himalayan Flora. 



A technical description of Arundinaria nitida may be found 

 on p. 33 of Les Bambusees by E. G. Camus (1913), but here- 

 with I append my own observations which will enable those 

 who tramp over the hillsides to identify it. It constitutes a 

 scrubby growth over open land populated by occasional coni- 

 fers giving some shelter and shade as this species is a bit more 

 retiring than the second one. In optimum conditions it grows 

 to be 1\ to 8 ft. or about 2.28 meters in height but is usually 

 shorter. It has purplish culms with almost smooth, thinly stri- 



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