BanOmsa] CXII. GRAMINE2E 071 



thin, tearing lateral heads of spikelets at intervals of 8-4 in. Spikelets cylindric 

 acute, fertile fl. 1. anthers bifid at the apex, stigmas long, plumose, sessile. 



II. Branchlet3 spinescent. 



20 B. arundinacea, Willd. ; Roxb. Cor. PI. t. 79; Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t.321. 

 Gamble t. 48. Syn. B. spinosa, Roxb. Vern. Kanta Bans, Kattang, Hind. : 

 Rata, Koto, Assam ; Kalak, Padhai, Konkan ; Kates To/car, Thana : Bidra, 

 Hebbidru, Bidungulu, Kan.; Bonyu, Muudla Vcduru, Muuyil. Tarn.: Mula, 

 Illi, Mai.; Kyakat-wa, Burm. 



Gregarious, densely tufted, culms 50-120 ft., internodes 12-18 in. long r 

 4-(! in. diam., walls 1-2 in. thick, the nodes in the lower part of the culm 

 bearing dense half-whorls of stiff almost leafless branches, the upper part of 

 the culm bending over, with large distichous leafy branches, alternating at 

 even distances, resembling Prince of Wales' feathers. Culm- sheaths cori- 

 aceous, 9-12 in. long, shorter than the full-grown internodes, outside hairy and 

 orange-yellow while young, shining and prominently-ribbed on the inside, 

 blade triangular, shorter than sheath, upper side clothed with a dense brown 

 felt of bristly hairs. Branchlets with short sharp spines at the nodes. L. 

 small, thin, not exceeding 8 by J in., often hairy beneath, leaf-sheaths usually 

 hairy, n.. 30-45, usually 33-39, on \ in. Spikelets sessile, i-1 in. long, 

 glabrous, shining, glumes as a rule not ciliate, palea slightly longer than fl. 

 glume, the ciliate keels prominently protruding, anthers yellow. Ovary 

 almost cylindric, style glabrous, with 3 long plumose stigmas. Grain l~\ in. 

 enclosed in the persistent glume and palea. 



Indigenous in hoth Peninsulas in the plains and lower hills, ascending to 3,000 ft. 

 In Burma chiefly along the hanks of rivers and in valleys on alluvial soil. Cultivated 

 largely in Noel hern India. Cultivated in many parts of China. Flowers periodically 

 ana simultaneously in one district, when all buds on each culm develop into flowers. 

 exceptionally with a few leaves. At that time as a rule all clumps in the district 

 come into fl., a few clumps flowering in the preceding and others in the following 

 year. The following data seem to justify the assumption that a general flowering 

 takes place in periods of 80-32 years in one district. Malabar, South Kanara. the 

 Wainad and Coorg 180-1, 183G, and 1866. On the Nerbudda river near Jabalpur 

 1.S31I, a I Jabalpur ls~H. (See list of the flowerings of this species in I ml. (For. xxv. 11. 



lib |e, M. .rl ii- Mu la baric us i. 26 t. 16 ( 167s), however, states thai ibis Band flowers 



when 60 years old. A remarkable Bamboo found on the Javadi hills, Salem district, Jru 

 rarr i I i.l'.. Jan. Iks-j .. t he en bus m.t crowded in the clumps, branches single, thorns 

 few, culm-sheaths short, leaves like B. arundinacea. 



21. B. Copelandi, Gamble MSS. Vern. Wagyi t Burm. Largely cultivated in the 

 Northern Shan Slate.. A large species of uncertain position in the genus, resembling 

 Dendrocalamus latiflorua in general appearance. Culm-sheaths thick, scanty black 

 hairs outside, polished inside, I", in. long, top rounded towards the short and narrow 

 blade. I,, ovate-lanceolate. 12-1") by l;'j 2; in., n. 21-26 on } in. Spikelets glabrous, 

 I I '. in. long, empty glumes 2-4, with conspicuous transverse veins, flowering 2-3. 

 longitudinal, n. 26, transverse veins obscure. Palea keeled and shortly bidentateal 



apex, lodicules Ian late, hyaline. Anthers } in. long, mucronate al tip. Ovary and 



style hirsute. Caryopsis 1 | in. long, contracted toward- the apex. 



I. THYRSOSTACHYS, Gamble: Fl. Brit. Ind. vii. 397. 



I'auieles consisting of numerous compound pedunculate spikes, in the axils 

 of sheathing bracts, peduncles bearing COriaCOOUS shcatlis. usually without :i 

 blade. Branches of cnmjiound spikes short, in flic axils of sheathing bracts. 

 beari'ig perfect and imperfect spikelets in the axils of membranous sheaths. 

 Pales hyaline, keeled, ciliate along the keels, those of the Lower fl. in 

 cadi spikelel deeply bifid, thai of the uppermost il. entire, or nearly so. 



Species •_'. 



I. T. Oliveri, Gamble, I. B0. Vern. Thanawa, Burm.; Sfailong, Kachin. 1 " l ■! "■•" 

 Burma, on low bill-, not in the northern moister districts. Flowered in 1891, and, 



sporadically, in the Ruby Mines district in 1902, I'.n in Ind. For. \\x. 270. Tufted, 



culms erect, BO sn t> .. lower half naked, internodes 1 1 21 in. long, 2 8 in. diam., bright 

 green with white bloom on young si ims, afterwards dull green. Culm-sheaths green 



