668 CXII. GEAMINE^ [Bambusa 



3. BAMBUSA, Schreber ; Fl. Brit. Ind. yii. 386. 



Tufted, a few species {nutans^ Khasiana) nearly single-stemmed, culms 

 tall, erect, rarely overhanging or climbing. Transverse veins of 1. not con- 

 spicuous, n. 21-40 on \ in. Exceptions : nana (45-54), polymorpha (40-45), 

 Binghami {A2-4:d),'^ Khasiana^ Griffithiana (18-21). Spikelets sessile, palea 

 2-keeled, not cleft or only slightly. Stamens 6, ovary oblong or obovate, tip 

 hairy. Caryopsis on one side grooved, pericarp thin, adherent to the seed. 

 Species about 50. Eastern Asia, 1 in Australia. 



I. Unarmed. 



A. Fertile fl. numerous, spikelets terete, not fiat. 

 (a) Culm-sheaths with large auricles. 



1. B, Tulda, Eoxb. G-amble t. 29. Vern. Peka, Chau, Hind. ; Tulda, 

 Beng. ; Deo-hans^ Jati, Jao, Ass. ; Mitenga, Chittagong ; Thaik-wa^ 

 Burm. 



Gregarious, densely tufted, culms 20-70 ft. high, lower branches stiff, 

 horizontal, often leafy, internodes 1-2 ft., 2-4 in. diam., walls thick. Culm- 

 sheaths 6-9 in. long, and as broad at the base, polished within, blade tri- 

 angular, cuspidate, slightly hairy within, base deeurrent into large rounded 

 long-fringed auricles or into a wavy band along the upper edge of sheath. 

 L. 6-10 by 1 in., glaucescent and usually softly hairy beneath, n. 30-43 on 

 I in., leaf-sheath glabrous, ligule narrow, inconspicuous. Flowering culms 

 usually quite leafless, each stem being converted into an immense oblong 

 waving panicle, composed of innumerable supra-decompound ramifications 

 (E^oxb,). Spikelets glossy, sessile, in length between 1 and 3 in., in distant 

 clusters or half-whorls on the glabrous branches of the panicle. At the base 

 of each spikelet 1 or 2 bracts, then 2-4 empty glumes, then 4-6 fertile, and at 

 the end 1 or 2 imperfect fl. Fl. glume distinctly many-nerved, \-l in. long, 

 palea shorter, with long white cilia on the keels, penicillate at the tip, 3-5 n. 

 betw^een the keels. Anthers long-esserted, purple, blunt at the tip or emargi- 

 nate. Caryopsis cylindric, \ in. long, apex obtuse and hirsute. 



Bengal, Assam, Chittagong. Burma, common on flats and along streams. Northern 

 Circars. Cultivated around villages in Bengal and further north as far as Oudh. At 

 times flowers gregariously, while at other times single clumps will be found in flower. 

 The specimens from Upper Burma (Bhamo and Ruby Mines district) have the I. always 

 hairy beneath. 2. B. longispiculata, G-amble MSS. Yern. Mitenga, Chitt. ; Thaikwa, 

 Burm. Chittagong hill tracts. Buby Mines district, 3.500 ft. Tufted, culms 40 ft. 

 highj 8 in. diam. Differs from 1 chiefly by the very long slightly compressed spikelets, 

 up to 6 in. long. L. 7-12 by 1-24 i^-? ^- 24-31 on | in. Spikelets xoolished, in the axils 

 of long coriaceous sheaths without a blade, in half whorls on erect often branching 

 spikes 11-15 in. long. Glumes emj^ty 2, fertile 6-12, 1 in. long. 



3. B. nutans, "Wall. ; Gamble, t., 30. Vern. Mahlu, Sikkim Subhimalayan tract 

 from Kangra eastwards (probably cultivated west of the Sarda), ascending to 5,000 

 ft. Assam. Tufts loose, the culms not crowded, otherwise similar to 1, n. 30-39 

 on J in., leaf -sheaths hairy when young, auricles falcate with a few long bristles, 

 ligule elongated, obtuse, hairy. Spikelets |-1 in. long, glumes with prominent longi- 

 tudinal and often with transverse nerves, anthers apiculate or slightly penicillate at 

 apex. As far as known flowers periodically at long intervals, 4. B. teres, Ham.; 

 Gamble, t. 31. Assam. Densely-tufted, culms attaining 60 ft., internodes 20 m. long, 

 B in. diam. L. 12-14 in., n. 33-40 on J in. Spikelets up to 2 in. long, fl. glume 

 ovate-lanceolate from a broad base, many-nerved, sometimes with a foliaceoiis blade, 

 5. B. burmanica. Gamble, t. 33. Thaihwa, Thaikwa gyi^ Burm. Katha district, Upper 

 Burma, on dry hill slopes. Culms dull green, nearly solid, nodes marked by a white 

 ring of hairs below them. L. of mature culms 8-10 by 1-lJ in., whitish and 

 pubescent beneath, pet. very short, n. 24-27 on J in., l.-sheaths of young jjlants very 

 hairy, of full-grown nearly glabrous. Spikelets up to 1 in. long, nariow, 5-6-fld., in 

 distant clusters supported by long truncate bracts (sheaths without a blade). Palea 

 obtuse white-cilia te along keels, raohilla short, stout, glabrous, anthers ^-J in. long, 

 apiculate. Caryopsis cylindric, J in. long, hairy at top, very short. 



6. B. Khasiana, Munro; Gamble, t. 37. Yern. Serim, Tijrah^ Ivhasi ; Tirriah, Naga. 

 Khasi, Jaintia, and Naga hills. Manxpur. Culms single, from a creeping root-stock, 

 30-40 ft. high, internodes clothed with appressed golden hairs when young, 5-15 in. 



