HARDY BAMBOOS. 
365 
FJiyllostachys Marliacea, the Shibo chiku " of the Japanese. 
To these may be added Phyllostachys viridiglaucescens. All these 
are at the present moment in supreme beauty, though even they 
have this year not sent up such vigorous culms as I had hoped 
for. Among the dwarfs, Bamhusa Veitchii, Bamhusa j^CLlmatctj 
Bambusa tessellata or Bagomoioshi, and Bamhusa pygmcBa are 
the stoutest. Indeed, Bamhusa Veitchii is growing so rampantly 
as even here to illustrate the following remark of Professor 
Sargent in his Forest Flora of Japan." He says : '* In Japan 
the forest floor is covered even high on the mountains, and in 
the extreme north, with a continuous, almost impenetrable, mass 
•of dwarf Bamboos of several species, which makes travelling in 
the woods, except on long-beaten paths and up the beds of 
streams, practically impossible. These Bamboos, which vary in 
height from three to six feet in different parts of the country, 
make the forest floor monotonous and uninteresting, and prevent 
the growth of nearly all undershrubs except the most vigorous 
•species. Shrubs, therefore, are mostly driven to the borders of 
roads and other open places, or to the banks of streams and 
lakes, where they can obtain sufficient light to enable them to 
rise above the Bamboos ; and it is the abundance of the Bamboo, 
no doubt, which has developed the climbing habit of many 
Japanese plants, which are obliged to ascend the trees in search 
of sun and light, for the Japanese forest is filled with climbing 
shrubs which flourish with tropical luxuriance." A remarkable 
statement ! If our dwarf Bamboos do not quite fulfil all these 
■conditions, I have little doubt that they will do so at any rate to 
the extent of furnishing a woodland carpet which may replace 
nettles, docks, and such like unsightly rubbish in many a home- 
covert and wild garden. 
Among the Arundinarias the palm for beauty, grace, and 
hardihood must be given to the beautiful species to which, as it 
has not hitherto been described, I have ventured to give the 
name of nitida. The story of this lovely plant is somewhat 
-curious. When the Bamboo Garden was being formed at Kew 
Mr. Bean came across it in Messrs. Veitch's collection, where it 
Tvas named Bamhusa nigra ; from this {nigra being a Phyllo- 
stachys) it is, of course, absolutely distinct. At that time the 
only Arundinaria known to have black stems was the Himalayan 
Arundinaria khasiana, and with this species, which had been 
