676 CXII. GRAMINEiE [Dendrocalamus 



districts almost solid, in a moist climate hollow witli thick walls. Culm- 

 sheaths a little shorter than internodes, glabrous or with j'^ellowish-brown 

 hairs, narrowed into the elongate-triangular blade which is hairy, especially 

 within. Leaves densely clothed on both sides with deciduous hairs, linear, 

 4-10 in. long, n. 27-33 on \ in. Spikelets hairy, J-| in. long, co in dense 

 globose heads, 1-1^- in. diam. Glumes spinescent, empty numerous, fertile 

 2-3. Caryopsis shining, hairy only at the apex, {-^ in. long, ovoid, beaked, 

 a large portion of the style persistent, embryo distinctly visible on the 

 outside. 



Widely spread and very common throiighotit India and Burma, up to the borders 

 of the arid tract of North-Western India. Salt range. Subhimalayan tract from the 

 Indus eastwards, ascending to 8,500 ft. Aravalli liills. In lower Burma common 

 on dry ridges and in Engdaing, in Upper Burma, not beyond 24° N., the climate further 

 north being probably too moist. Flowers irregularly, tliat is, a few culms in a clump 

 here and there or a few clumps in one locality come into flower, while at times it 

 flowers gr^ariously over large areas. Bruce, Ind. Per. xxx. 269 reports, that in the 

 Euby Mines district, 1902, this Bamboo had flowered on the most exposed situations, 

 and in the hottest localities, while the clumps growing in sheltered and cooler areas 

 had remained green. An abnormal case of seedlings 18 months' old coming into fl. is 

 recorded in Ind. For. xxv. 22. Muriel, Ind. For. xxix. 507, describes (Pyinmana dis- 

 trict) longitudinal partitions in the hollows of this species, which thicken in the 

 higher internodes, until the upper portion of the bamboo becomes quite solid. D, 

 sericeus, Munro; Gamble, t. 79, Parasnath, spikelets densely silky, has in Gamble, 

 Ind. Timb. ed. ii. 751, been reduced to a variety of 1, but is maintained as a distinct 

 species by Prain, Beng. Plants, 1235 



2. D. membranaceus, Munro ; Gamble, t. 71. Vern. Wapyu, Burm. ; Meshang, 

 Maisang, Mai-lai-law^ 8han. Upper Burma : Martaban (Kurz). A most useful Bamboo, 

 gregarious, clumps very loose, of about 6-12 stems, culms 60-70 ft., white-powdery 

 when young, smooth, bright green w^hen older, branches in the lower part numerous, 

 short, stiff, internodes 9-20 m., 1-5 in. diam., walls thick, nodes prominent, cnlm- 

 sheaths early deciduous, longer than internodes, narrowed into dark brown, waved 

 and fringed auricles, blade narrow, ligule f in. long, hairy and roughly serrate. L. 

 glaucous below with a few hairs near base, 5-10 by ^-f in., n. 30-40 on J in., transverse 

 veins often faintly visible. Spikelets nearly glabrous. J- J in. long, empty glumes 2, 

 fertile 2-3. Grain ^J in. long, broadly ovoid, ending in a sharp point, the persistent 

 base of style. Groups of 5-12 or more shorter internodes, 2-6 in. long, not uncommon, 

 caused by the attack of an insect. The name Wapyu (white Bamboo) is applied to 

 other species besides this in Burma. A Bamboo similar in mode of growth and other 

 characters sent (1. only) by the late Mr. Messer as Wanet^ Burm. Cool Hill forests, 

 Kachin hills, Katha, 5,000 ft. L. 5-7 by J in., n. 40-50 on J in. 



B. Spikelets numerous, in large soft dense usually globose heads, rachis of 

 spike hollow, usually green. 



(a) Spikelets blunt, culm-sheaths glabrous or nearly so. 



3. D. Hamiltonii, Nees et Arn. ; Brandis P. M. 570; Gamble, t. 74. 

 Vern. Kaghsi hans^ Hind. ; Tama, ISTep. ; Fao, Lepcha ; Kotoha^ Kokwa^ 

 Ass. ; Wah^ Meehi ; Wabo myetsangyi^ Burm. ; Maik-Mk^ Shan ; Uga Katca^ 

 Kachin, 



Culms attaining 80 ft., white-pubescent when young, mostly overhanging 

 and often horizontal, branching, the branches often single and as long as the 

 main stem. This species forms impenetrable thickets, the inner stems of a 

 clump are often upright and clear of bi'anches, somewhat resembling Dendro- 

 calamus gigantetis, Internodes 12-20 in. long, 4-5 in. diam,, walls f-| in. 

 thick. Culm-sheaths stiff, persistent, often as long as in tern ode, convexly 

 truncate at top, blade ovate-lanceolate, up to 12 in. long. The branches on 

 the nodes in the lower portion of the stem are usually seated on woody knobs 

 as large as a fist, and at these nodes when the branches have not, or have 

 only imperfectly developed, are large very conspicuous swellings (arrested or 

 half -developed buds), covered with brown shining undeveloped sheaths. 

 These buds are above the lower oblique node ring (scar of the fallen culm- 

 sheath) and below the upper ring^ on which often abortive rootlets appear, 

 their shape is lenticular and they often extend over half the circumference of 



