<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phuphanochloa,</Emphasis> a new bamboo genus (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Poaceae</Emphasis>: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bambusoideae</Emphasis>) from Thailand

Summary  A new monotypic bamboo genus Phuphanochloa (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) from north-eastern Thailand is described, together with a new species, P. speciosa.     

Non-monophyly of the woody bamboos (Bambuseae; Poaceae): a multi-gene region phylogenetic analysis of Bambusoideae s.s.

The taxonomy of Bambusoideae is in a state of flux and phylogenetic studies are required to help resolve systematic issues. Over 60 taxa, representing all subtribes of Bambuseae and related non-bambusoid grasses were sampled. A combined analysis of five plastid DNA regions, trnL intron, trnL-F intergenic spacer, atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer, rps16 intron, and matK, was used to study the phylogenetic relationships among the bamboos in general and the woody bamboos in particular. Within the BEP clade (Bambusoideae s.s., Ehrhartoideae, Pooideae), Pooideae were resolved as sister to Bambusoideae s.s. Tribe Bambuseae, the woody bamboos, as currently recognized were not monophyletic because Olyreae, the herbaceous bamboos, were sister to tropical Bambuseae. Temperate Bambuseae were sister to the group consisting of tropical Bambuseae and Olyreae. Thus, the temperate Bambuseae would be better treated as their own tribe Arundinarieae than as a subgroup of Bambuseae. Within the tropical Bambuseae, neotropical Bambuseae were sister to the palaeotropical and Austral Bambuseae. In addition, Melocanninae were found to be sister to the remaining palaeotropical and Austral Bambuseae. We discuss phylogenetic and morphological patterns of diversification and interpret them in a biogeographic context.     

Multi-gene region phylogenetic analyses suggest reticulate evolution and a clade of Australian origin among paleotropical woody bamboos (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae)

The paleotropical woody bamboo subtribe Bambusinae has not been satisfactorily circumscribed and remains a major taxonomic problem. Genera such as Holttumochloa, Mullerochloa and Temburongia have not been confidently assigned to this subtribe. The phylogenetic relationships among genera hitherto placed in or near the Bambusinae, together with the related subtribes Racemobambosinae and Melocanninae, were investigated using three chloroplast DNA markers (rps16-trnQ, trnC-rpoB and trnD-T intergenic spacers) and a nuclear DNA marker (granule-bound starch synthase I, GBSSI) for a sample of 51 ingroup species and 2 outgroup species. Phylogenetic analyses revealed four distinct lineages among the members of the currently recognized Bambusinae: (1) the Bambusa-Dendrocalamus-Gigantochloa (BDG) complex, (2) the Holttumochloa-Kinabaluchloa clade, (3) the Dinochloa-Mullerochloa-Neololeba-Sphaerobambos (DMNS) clade and (4) Temburongia simplex. The BDG complex, which comprises the core of the Bambusinae, appears to have a complex evolutionary history as indicated by incongruence between the cpDNA and the nuclear gene topologies. Introgressive hybridization and incomplete lineage sorting are possible underlying causes for this complexity. The distinction of the climbing-scrambling bamboo lineages from the core Bambusinae and Racemobambosinae suggests directions for investigating the possible existence of further subtribes with increased taxon and geographical sampling. Possible biogeographic scenarios associated with the Holttumochloa-Kinabaluchloa clade and the DMNS clade are discussed.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Arundinella kokutensis</Emphasis> (Poaceae,Arundinelleae), a new species from south-eastern Thailand

Arundinella kokutensis Teerawat. & Sungkaew is described and illustrated here as a new species from Kut Island, Trat Province, Thailand.