MYSTERY OF THE BAMBOOS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17277, 15 October 1921, Page 15

MYSTERY OF THE BAMBOOS.

One of the most perplexing problems in the world concerns the flowering of the bamboos. These giant grasses often allow a number of years to go by without attempt to produce blossom. Then comes a season when the bamboo breaks into flower, and, as soon as the seed is set, the whole of the clump dies down. Now-and again a little life seems to remain in the underground stems of the plant, but, generally speaking, the bamboo may be said, to die" when it blossoms, and the new generation arises from seed. A French explorer, M. St. Hilaire, states that he passed through a Brazilian bamboo forest in full flower._ None of the clumpe was less than 50ft high. A few months later, when he returned, the whole.of the dense growth had completely vanished. This (says "Everyday Science"), is unusual on the part of a plant, but there is a still greater i\vsterv about the bamboo. _ WTienever the flowering time arrives all the specimens of that particular kind burst into flower, no matter what their age may be or to what part of the world they may have been carried. The director of a; botanic garden "in the south of France told the writer a few"years ago that a certain clump of bamboos broke into, blossom. On making enquiries he found that this species of bamboos flowered at just about the same' time in Japan, India { Ceylon, California, and in the _botanic gardens of the Hamma, in Algiers. The plants concerned ranged from neVly established off-shoots only a few months old'to veterans that had been flourishing for many years. Yet all flowered when the time came, and all died down afterwards. For centuries the flowering of the bamboos has been regarded in many Eastern countries as a presage of calamity. However this may. be, it is certain- that- the complete ance for a while of a certain species of bamboo would be a serious matter, for the bamboo in many places is as valuable as is the cocoanut palm in the South Sea Islands. Eventually the seedlings would .put in an appearance, but there wouldf be an awkward gap between the dying of the parents ana the full maturity of the new genera-