36 ANNALS OF THE UOT.iL BOTANIC GAEDEN, CALCUTTA.
Upper Burma, in the Katha clisfciict, found on dry hill slopes.
This handsome species flowered in 1890, and seeds wore largely eollectcd and
distributed by J. W. Oliyor, Conservator of Forests, from which many plants were
reared at Dehi-a Ddn and elsewhere. lie also sent flowering specimens wliich wore rather
poor and hardly sufficient for description. The name is Thaihoa or thaikwapji (?), and it
is just possible that it may prove to bo identical -with Bamhisa inllosula, Kurz. Oliver
describes it as a lai-ge species, considerably larger than B. Tulda (also known as
Thaikwa),
PLATE NO. Z2,.—Bamlmsa Inrmanica, Gamble. 1, Icaf-branch; 2, part of flower
panicle; 3, culm-sheath from young plant—o/ natural size; 4, leaf-sheath of young
plant; 5, spikelet (young); 6, flower; 7, flowering glume; 8, palea; 9, lodicules; 10^
anther; 11, ovary, style and stigmas; 12, the same, older; 13, caiyopsis—«¿^ enlarffed.
(Nos. 3 and 4 from specimens cidtivated in Dohra Dun; rest from UHver's Buiina
collection).
6. BAMBUSA POLTMOEPHA, 31}inro in Trans. Linn. Soo. xxvi. 98.
A large overgreen tufted bamboo, sometimes leaf-shedding in dry seasons. Ctdms
in dense clumps, 50 to 80 ft. high, 3 to 6 in. in diameter, grey to greyish-green,
white-scurfy when young; nodes thickened, lower ones fibrous-rooted; internodes 15 in.
to 2 ft. long; naked below, nmeh branched above and curving outwards. Cubn-sheaihs
tliick, 6 to 7 in. long, 12 to 14 in. broad, covered on the back with densely and closely
appresaed white pubescence, sub-attenuate upwards and curvedly traneate at about 5 to 6
in. in breadth; imperfect Made reniform, concave, cuspidate, about 3 in. loiig and much
broader, the lower pai-t plaited and long ciliate, then romided at the base and again
widening into a broad band lining the top of the sheath, and produced beyond it in falcate
auriclcs often one upwai-ds, the other down, the whole fringed witli long rough bristles;
Hgule narrow, entire. _ Leaves small, linear, thin, 3 to 7 in. long, -3 to "5 in. broad; somewhat
unequally rounded or attenuate at the base into a very short, hardly '05 in., petiole; ondinoabove
in a short, subulate, scabrous point; at first hairy on both surfaces, especially
below, afterwards nearly glabrous; somewhat scabrous above and on the maro-ins and
main vein; secondary veins 4 to 6 on either side faint, intermediate 7; leaf •sheaths
keeled, comprossed, striate, hairy, ending in a callus and a minute auricle funiishcd with
a few long dcciduous bristles; licjule very short. Ivflorescence a much-branched panicle,
with curving spikes of frequent heads bearing few spikelets surrounded by brownish,
glabrous, mucronate, chaffy bracts; rachis smooth, the upper part covered with apprcsscd
whitish pubescence, ultimate segments very slender, wiiy. Spikeleis shining, often brownish,
•4 to -5 in. long, in lower heads 5 to 6, number gi-adually decreasing upwards, somewhat
pedicellate and enclosed in a long, cui-ved, glabrous bract; mpf// (jlmics 1 to 3, ovatemucronate,
then 2 to 3 fertile flowers, then a terminal impcrfect flower supported by a
long, flattened, glabrous rachilla; flowering ¡jhtmes ovate-mucronate, many-nei-ved; falea
somewhat longer, lanceolate, acute at top, keels not ciliate. Lodicules 3, sub-orbicular,
short-flmbriate all round, 3—5-nervcd, one smaller than the others. Stamens partly
esserted; anthers purple, usually blunt, but sometimes apiculatc. Ooar>/ obovato, hairy at
top, style soon dividing into 3 shortly-white-haiiy stigmas. Cartjopsis ovate, '2 in. long,
depressed, flattened on one side, rounded on the other, hairy above, ending in a short
hairy mucro foi-med by the base of the stylo. Kurs For. Fl. Burma ii. 653.
INDLiN BAMBüSEiE ; GAMBLE.
Eastern Bengal and Bui-ma. A common species in the upper mixed forests of the
Pegu Yomah and Martaban, often associated with teak, extendiiig north-westwards into
Sylhet.
This species was originally collected in flower by Brandis in 1862, in Zamayi forests,
and afterwards by Kurz at TJiaukyegat in 1871. It i» also said to have recently
flowered in the Bassein forests. It is known locally as Kgathaun^iva (Burmese), and
is considered the best kind for the walls, floor and roofs oi houses in Lower Burma.
It is cultivated in the Calcutta Botanic Garden (No. 0 in the bamboo grove), and
though apparently it is so common a species in ISurma, it is strängt- that it has been
so seldom collected. .The flowering panicles resemble at flrst sight ihose of B. arundinacea,
but its chief characteristics are the very much ciliate, wavy-auriclod and appressod white
hairy sheaths, the small leaves, and absence of cili® to the pahni. Munro speaks of the
flowers being monoecious or even dicecious, but the many spikelets I liaA'e examined have all
proved hermaplu'odite. G. Mann's specimens from Protabgarh, Sylliet, called Betud and
Jama betud (Bengali) belong, I consider, to this specics.
PLATE No. 34.—Bamhusa pol/fmorpha, Munro. 1, Icaf-branclr: 2, part of flower
panicle—o/ natural size; 3, culm-sheath—reduced to about ^ ; 4, do. when young—of natural
size; 5 , leaf-sheaths; 0 & 7, spikelets; 8, empty glume; 9, flowering glume; 10, palea;
11, lodiculcs; 12, anthers; 13, terminal imperfect flower; 11, ovary with stigmas-
15, caryopsis—all enlarged. (All from Kurz' specimens.)
7. BAMBUSA PALLIDA, Munro in Trans. Linn. Soc. xxvi. 97.
A graceful baiiiboo growing in thick clumps. Cubns 40-it) GO f t . high, 2 to 3 in.
in diameter, very smooth, olive green, the young shoots covered with white powder ;
nodes not very prominent; iiiternodes IS to 30 in. long, walls thin. Culm-sheaihs
7 to 12 in. long, about 10 in. broad, usually only little attenuate upwards, and veiy
straightly truncate at top, only when young somewhat roundcdly truncate, glabrous
or covered with appressed white haii-s when young ; imperfect blade very long, usually
longer than the sheath, often 14 in., triangulai'-acuminate from a broad base
which covers nearly the whole top of tho sheath, slightly rounded at tlie edges and
then furnished with quite small rounded auricles, the auricles and lower part of the
margins furnished with bristles ; sparsely appressed black hairy without, glabrous or
slightly hairy within; ligule very narrow. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 4 to 8 in. long,
•0 to -8 in. broad, rounded or subcuneate at the base, with a very short, hardly -1
in. long petiole; furnished above with a subulate, twisted, scabrous point; glabrous
above, except for the scabrous marginal veins, pale, often neai-ly wliite and hirsute
beneath; scabrous on the margins; main veins conspicuous, shining, secondary veins
4 to 6, rarely move, intermediate 7 to 9 ; leafsheaths glabrous, striate, ending in a
prominent smooth callus, and furnished wich a rounded erect auricle fringed with a
few stifi long bristles, and quickly deciduous; ligule very short. Lnfloreseence a laro-e
branching, very pale panicle, with spicate branchlets bearing heads witii many stcrSe
and few fertile pale spikelets ; rachis flstular, that of branchlets slender, wiry glabrous
Spikelets pale, 1 to 1-3 in. long, sometimes curved, bearing usually 1 to 2 small ovatea^
ute empty glumes, then 1 male or gemmiparous glume, then 3 to 8 fertile flowers
then 3 to 5 miperfect ones gradually decreasing in size ; rachilla short, club-shaped'