110 THE RINGAL OF THE NORTH-WESTERN HIMALAYA. 
tion, the limits given by him (5,000 to 7,500 feet) accord with my 
own observations. A. spathiflora has its north-west limits on the 
hills between Rais and Bias, and, according to Munro, is found in 
Sikkim and Butan. As already stated, its limits of elevation are 
8,000 to 10,000 feet, Ce 
When I wrote the Forest-Flora of North-western and Central 
ihe 
a 
to give a fresh description. This description is limited to the 
arts above ground. The rhizoma or underground-stem of these 
species, like ‘that of the Bambusae, is much branched and twisted ; 
ashias tae fully formed, spring every year a small number of 
stem: first are soft and succulent, unbranched and leaf- 
less, but bearing at the nodes large sheaths or spathes, which, 
while the stems are growing, cover the internodes and overlap 
each other, giving to the upper portion the appearance of a teles- 
cope not quite drawn out. From the axils of these large sheaths 
spring leaf-bearing branches ; and while these develop, ‘the stems 
harden and become woody. In the case of Arundinaria spathi- 
from one cnaeal gets dense, often containing more than 100 
stems. The clumps or clusters of this bamboo stand close together, 
erally Boilie extensive thickets, so that adjoining clusters 
age, te) 
not maintain that they always flower at a certain age ; this probably 
May, 1881, but I have observed the species in flower on several 
occasions in other places. I am unable to say whether in this 
species the rhizomes die with the seed-bearing stems. On this as 
on many other points further observation will be most welcome. 
Of and faleata Munro says that the stems are annual. 
Royle (IIL. p. 23) says that the annual stems of the hill- _ 
now em are cake Ssater down by the fall of snow, which pro- _ 
perennial roots from — frost. In this passage 
Royle speaksof a bamboo which grows from 7,500 to 10,000 
= as I know, are perennial. Arundinaria faleata I have ve collectedin 
ae Howe lin loners Chak (0 
