6 



FLORA AND SYLVA. 



When, some years ago, I published "The Bamboo Garden," I examined 

 at some length the interesting question of the flowering of the Bamboo. I en- 

 deavoured to show that the commonly received belief, endorsed by eminent 

 botanists, that the Bamboo of necessity, and invariably, dies after flowering, was 

 based upon imperfect observations. I brought forward some evidence for re- 

 fusing to accept an article of faith in support of which, as it appeared to me, 

 very insufficient proof had been adduced. Since then my heterodox opinions 

 have been confirmed by the phenomena which we have been able to observe 

 in several species in this country. 



Up to that time four Bamboos had been observed to flower in Europe — 

 A. japonica (Metake), A. Simon i, A. Falconer v, and P. Jlexuosa. In all these 

 cases the plants, though greatly weakened by the effort, survived. Since then 

 A. Laydekeri, A. auricoma, P. nigra, P. nigro-punctata, and P. Henonis have 

 flowered in this country. In the case of A. auricoma only a few culms flowered, 

 but in the others the inflorescence was profuse. A. Laydekeri and A. Simoni 

 ripened their seed in the garden, and the seed germinated, producing young 

 plants which are now thriving side by side with the parent clumps. So far 

 as my observation goes, the remaining species, although they produced their 

 flowers in great abundance, failed to give any seed : probably needing more sun 

 than our climate affords. 



The two Bamboos which, in my garden, have shown the greatest amount 

 of flower are P. nigra and its variety, nigro-pu?2Ctata. Of the latter variety 

 every plant was, two years ago, in 1901, smothered with bloom, and a few 

 plants flowered less abundantly in the previous year. In the case of P. nigra, 

 only one plant out of a very large number is dead : in the case of P. nigro- 

 punctata the death-roll has been larger ; but many plants have survived, and will 

 doubtless recover, for they are putting forth new shoots, though very much 

 weakened, and, for the present, stunted in growth. The individual stems that 

 flowered are almost all dead. 



A. Laydekeri, A. Simoni, and A. auricoma are none the worse for the 

 effort, though the two former have flowered for three or four years in suc- 

 cession. 



To what conclusion, then, are we to arrive in respect of this old belief as 

 to the fatal consequences of flowering? Is it not probable that inasmuch as 

 there are two classes of Bamboos, the one with caespitose, or tufted roots, the 

 other with running rootstocks like couch-grasses, death of necessity ensues with 

 the former, whereas it is not so in the case of the latter ? He would be a bold 

 man who would contradict the statements of the great men of science, such as 

 Humboldt, Hooker, Roxburgh, St. Hilaire, and others. They must have seen 

 some Bamboos die after flowering. On the other hand, it is impossible to 

 refuse the evidence of our own eyes. Possibly they came rather hastily to the 



