. 6 ANNALS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GAKDEN, CALCUTTA,
narrow leaves, loug petioles, and a narrow papery ciilm-slieath ranch resembliug tliat
of Dendrocalamns striclua, •\vbich this does to some extent, may probably prove to
be this species; but there is not enough evidence as yet.
Pi-ATE No. 66.— Oxi/fenanthcra Stoclcsii, Munro. 1, leaf-branch; 2 & 3, flowering
branches—o/ natural sisc; 4, culm-sheath—slightly reduced-, 5, spikelet; 6, empty ghime ;
7. flowering glume; 8, palea of lower flowers; 9, palea of upper flowers; 10, anther;
11, ovary and stigmas—enlarged. (All from specimens received from Mr. W. A. Talbot.)
8. OxVTENANTHJjRA BOURDILLONI, 11. sp. Gamhie.
A mo derate-si zed bamboo forming open clumps with rather a straggling habit. Ctihiis
with long internodcs. Culm-skeaths coriaceous in texture, 6 to 12 in. long, often 6 in.
broad, glabrous except for a few stifi black haii-s below, striate, only slightly narrowed
at the truncate top; imperfeci blade 2 to 3 in. long, triangular, very sharply mncronate,
striate, glabrous except for a few stifi black hairs witliin, decurreiit at the base into
rounded, recurved, entire wings which line the whole of the upper edge of the sheath;
Hgule '2 in. long, glabrous, faintly serrate. Leaves linear-lanceolate, acuminate, thin, 6 to
9 in. long by 1 to TS in. broad; unequally attenuate at the base into a -2 in. long
petiole; ending above in a twisted scabrous point; smooth above, except near the
margins and midrib where there are scabrous papillie, smooth below, edges scabrous;
main vein narrow shining below, secondary veins not prominent, 7 to 8, with usually 7
intermediate; leaf-sheath striate, soft, ending in a paii- of shining calluses ^vith a depression
between, one often rounded, short, the olher long, almost acute, slightly produced at the
mouth to meet the ligule; ligtile long, serrate. Injlorescence a large panicle of spicate
branchkts bearing globular heads of many spikelets, the heads about 1-5 in. apart
and 1'5 to 2 in. in diameter; rachis soft, striate, flstular. SpiJcelets '7 to '8 in. loag
by '1 to 2 in. broad, 3-flowerod, mucrouate, glabrous except on the edges of the palea;
empty glumes 2, -2 to ' i in. long, ovate, mucronate, many-nerved; flowering glume -6 to
•7 in. long, mucronate, that of lowest flower lunger that the next ; palea 2-keoled,
ciliate on the keels, obtuse, 3-nerved between keels, that of uppermost flower only
grooved on the back above and there ciliate, acute; tciminal rauhilla ciliate, with a
shoi-t setaceous imperfect flower. Stamens exserted, tube thick when young, anther
apicukte. Ovar;} ovoid-acute, hairy, surmounted by a hairy style dinding into 3 small
sub-plumose stigmas. Caryopsis linear oblong, -4 in. long, crowned by the hairy persistent
enlarged base of the style, grooved on one side, embryo conspicuous.
Western Gliats of Travancore: " grows only on steep precipitous places and wet
rocks at elevations of 3,000 to 4,000 ft."—7. F. Botirdillon.
This iiiteresling species is at once recognizable from the rest by its soft texture,
leathery sheath, the curious calluses on the leaf sheath, and the long 3-flowored spikelet.
The flowers seem to be all hermaphrodite, the uppermost only producing seed;
but the available specimens are rather old, and many spikelets have had to bo examined
to And the stamens. It was first collected in flower by J. F. Bourdillon in 1889,
and I obtained specimens through the kindness of Mr. M. A. Lawson, the Director
of the Botauieal Department in South India. Afterwards, Mr. Bourdillon kindly procured
me the leaves and culm-sheaths, and I have great pleiisure in associating his
name with his discovery. Judging by the culm-sheaths, the culms must reach 2 io.
ODIAN BAMBUSEiE; GAMBLE. 77
in diameter at least. The long flowering glume of the lowest flower gives the spikelet
the appeai-ence of being double.
P l a t e No. Q7.~0xytehanthera Bourdilloni, Gamble. 1, leaf-branch ; 2, part of flowering
panicle ;—of natural size 3, culm-sheath—iomraAaii reduced ; 4, spikelet ; 5 & 6, empty
glumes ; 7, flowering glume ; 8, palea of lower flower ; 9, palea of uppermost flower ;
10, staminal tube and stamens; 11, terminal rachilla; 12, ovary, style and stigmas; 13
& M, caryopsis—enlarged.
Sub-tribe 3.-DE!\IDR0CALAME/E.
Spikelets 2 - t o man}--flowered, usually in heads on the branches of a panicle;
ovaiy hairy above ; caryopsis small with a crustaoeous pericarp . . . . 7. Bcndrocs/amus.
Spikelets 2-flowered, in heads on the branches of a panicle ; ovary glabrous
above; caryopsis large with a thick fleshy pericarp 8. Melocalamus.
Spikelets 1-flo-wered.
Caryopsis small, depressed globoso, Trith crustaceous pericarp 9. Pmidonlachywn.
Carj'opsis elongate, beaked,
Pericarp crustaceous 10. Teinosiachyum.
Pericarp thick, separable II. Cephalcstachyum.
1. D e n d r o c a l a m u s , Nees.
Arborescent bamboos, always unarmed, sometimes of very large size. Cuhns usually
erect from a densely ramified root stock. Culm-sheaths deciduous, often very large,
variably auricled, usually elongate ; imperfect hlade naiTOwly triangular. Leaves shortly
petiolate, variable in size, sometimes very broad, with no transverse veinlets, but frequently
with pellucid glands instead. Jnfioresccnce a large compound panicle, the spikelets
usually in round congested heads in long spikes. Spikelets ovate, acute or obtuse,
flowei-s few, rarely more than six, usually hermaphrodite. Empty glumes 2 to 3, manynerved,
ovate, acute or mucronate. Floivering glume similar to empty glume. I'alete
ovate, acute or truncate or emarginate or cleft, those of lower flowers 2-keeled, ciliate,
those of uppermost flower usually rounded on the back and not ciliate. Lodicules none
or TCry scarce. Stamens G, filaments free ; anthers mucronate or with tufted hairs.
Ovary ovoid, or sub-globular, often depressed, hairy above ; style long, usually hairy, base
persistent ; stiyma usually simple. Caryopsis small, the seed surrounded by a crustaceous
or hardened pericarp, the position of the embryo not usually visible on the surface.
Distkib.—Sixteen species are, so far, known, consisting of the fifteen hero described
and one {D. latiflorus, Munro) found in China and the island of Formosa. Of the Indian
specics, one {D. strictus) is the most widespread and common of all Indian bamboosthe
rest are confined to the North-East Himalaya, the Indo-Burmese and the Burma-
Malay regions. D. giganteiis is the largest of the Indian bamboos.
Analysis of the species.
Spikelets in spinous, congested, spicate heads, leaves usually narrow—Sectio:î I.
Spikelets usually hirsute, caryopsis rounded.
Anther-tips acute, spikelets moderately hirsute D. slriclvn
Anther-tips b k n t , spikelets very silky-hairy 2. D. serieem
Spikelets usually glabrous, caryopsis elongate 3. ,ncinbranacem.