970 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS phyllostachys 



P. Henonis {Bambusa Henonis). — A 

 charming and graceful Japanese Bamboo, 

 with slender stems 4-6 ft. or more high, 

 which with the light green foliage sway 

 gently with the sHghtest breath of air. 

 The slightly zigzagged stems are green at 

 first but assume a yellowish hue as they 

 grow older. The leaves are 2-3 in. long 

 and about i) in. broad, tapering to a sharp 

 point, light green above, rather glaucous 

 beneath. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 964. 



P. heterocycla (Ba/mhusa Jieterocycla). 

 This beautiful Japanese species is known 

 as the ' Tortoise Shell Bamboo ' owing to 

 ' the curious arrangement of the alter- 

 nately and partially suppressed internodes 

 at the base of the stem, which sheath it 

 in plate armour like the scales of a tor- 

 toise.' The stems at the base are 2 in. in 

 diameter, and the leaves are about 4 in. 

 long and f in. wide, bright green above, 

 and slightly glaucous beneath, with one 

 edge only minutely toothed. 



Culture do. as above, p. 964. 



P. Marliacea (Bambusa Marliacea). 

 A rare and handsome Japanese species 

 which will probably grow a dozen or more 

 feet high in cultivation. The dark shining 

 green leaves are very handsome when the 

 withered leaf sheaths fall or are removed, 

 and are noticeable for having the joints 

 very close to each other near the base, 

 about 1-2 in. apart. The long branches 

 arch gracefully and are clothed with 

 bright green leaves. 



Culture £c. as above, p. 964. 



P. mitis [Bambusa mitis). — This 

 Chinese species is said to be the tallest 

 of all Hardy Bamboos, and will probably 

 reach a height of 20-30 ft. in the most 

 favoured parts of the British Islands. In 

 China and Japan the stems grow 60 ft. 

 high, and are gracefully arched when fully 

 developed. In this country they grow 

 quickly in spring, often as much as 4-6 

 inches in 24 hours and are 1^-3 inches 

 in diameter at the base. The Japanese 

 eat the young fleshy shoots, served with 

 a pungent sauce. 



Cultitre dc. as above, p. 964. 



P. nigra {Bamibusa nigra). — This tall 

 and graceful Bamboo, native of China and 

 Japan, has been grown for many years 

 past in the Temperate House at Kew, 

 where it has attained a height of over 

 25 ft. It has also proved hardy in the 



open air at Kew, and may eventually 

 reach the same dimensions as the indoor 

 specimens. The more or less zigzagged 

 stems are of deep olive-green colour the 

 first season, but they change to a shining 

 black or blackish-green the following year, 

 and constitute one of the most striking 

 features of the plant. The smaU thin 

 leaves are borne in luxuriant masses, and 

 are 3-4^ in. long by j in. broad, bright 

 green above and glaucous beneath. 

 Culture dc. as above, p. 964. 



P. nigro-punctata (Bambusa nigra- 

 punctata). — Until recently this plant was 

 regarded as a variety of P. nigra, but now 

 it has been elevated to specific rank. It 

 resembles P. nigra proper in habit and 

 appearance but is readily distinguished 

 from it by means of the stems, which, 

 instead of being a uniform black or 

 greenish-blaek, are distinctly mottled with 

 paler green. P. boryana, now also 

 regarded as a species, differs from the 

 above in having green instead of black 

 stems. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 964. 



P. Quilioi (Bambusa Quilioi; B. 

 Mazeli). — A distinct species fi-om North- 

 ern Japan, closely related to P. aurea 

 and P. mitis. The stems, which are 

 grooved between the joints from one set 

 of branches to another, attain a height of 

 15-20 ft. in cultivation when well .esta- 

 blished in favourable localities, and are 

 3-4 in. in circumference at the base. It 

 has a more tufted habit than P. aurea 

 and the leaf characters are similar, but the 

 stems are much greener. Very hardy. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 964. 



P. ruscifolia (P. Kumasaca; Bam- 

 busa ruscifolia ; B. mminalis). — A 

 beautiful and distinct Japanese species 

 rarely exceeding 1 ft. or 18 in. high. The 

 stems, which are dark green at first but 

 change to brown when ripe, form one of 

 the distinguishing features of the plant by 

 their peculiar zigzag growth. The leaves 

 differ also from those of other Bamboos 

 in bemg narrowly ovate like those of some 

 species of Euscus, and about 3J in. long 

 and more than 1 in. wide at the base, 

 with slightly serrated margins. They are 

 smooth above, but somewhat downy 

 beneath. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 964. 



P. sulphurea (Bambusa sulphuroa). 

 A beautiful Japanese species not yet well 



