Abstract Detail

Systematics

Tyrrell, Christopher [1], Londoño, Ximena [2], Oviedo Prieto, Ramona [3], Attigala, Lakshmi [4], McDonald, Katelyn [5], Clark, Lynn [6].

Systematics of the narrow-leaved woody bamboo species of Arthrostylidium from the West Indies.

Arthrostylidium, a genus of 31 Neotropical woody bamboo species, has two centers of diversity: one in the northern West Indies and the other in northern South America. The genus has long been a catchall for species that are thought to be members of the Arthrostylidiinae (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae), but are morphologically ambiguous as to placement in one of the other genera of the subtribe. Arthrostylidium is traditionally diagnosed by having (1) three or more branches at culm nodes with a single dominant branch arising from a morphological feature called a promontory (a characteristically shaped swelling); (2) a clambering habit in most species; and (3) racemose synflorescences with one to three glumes. Owing to its vague taxonomic history, several species of Arthrostylidium have extraordinary morphologies. A particular case of this is observed in the West Indian species Arthrostylidium farctum and A. pinifolium, which have stiff, thread-like leaves emanating from the nodes giving the plant the appearance of pom-poms arranged along the culm. Arthrostylidium farctum is widespread in the Greater Antilles and Bahamas and is sometimes called “old-man’s beard” in reference to these clusters of branch complements, but is also known by the name tibisi, a Taino word describing plants good for making baskets and fish traps. We investigated the relationship between A. farctum, A. pinifolium and other Neotropical woody bamboos using detailed morphological, anatomical and molecular analyses. We generated a phylogenetic tree based on four chloroplast DNA markers (ndhF, trnC-rpoB, trnD-trnT, rps16-trnQ) and recovered A. farctum and A. pinifolium as forming a well-supported clade with A. angustifolium. Parametric bootstrap tests uphold this topology as significant. Detailed analyses revealed that these three species also share morphological and anatomical characteristics, supporting the phylogenetic result. Our findings help to improve the disordered taxonomy of Arthrostylidium and reinforce the taxonomic value of leaf anatomical characters for classification among the Neotropical woody bamboos.

1 - Milwaukee Public Museum, Botany Department, 800 W Wells St, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, United States
2 - Sociedad Colombiana del Bambú, Carrera 5 #14-26, Montenegro, Quindío, 633008, Colombia
3 - Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, Herbario Nacional Onaney Muñiz, Carretera de Varona #11835 entre de Oriente y Lindero, La Habana 19, La Habana, La Habana, Código Postal 11900, Cuba
4 - Iowa State University, Department of Agronomy, 2035D Roy J. Carver Co-Lab, 1111 WOI Road, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
5 - 2564 Westgate Way, Muscatine, IA, 52761, USA
6 - Iowa State University, Department Of Ecology, Evolution, And Organismal Biology, 251 Bessey Hall, 2200 Osborn Dr., Ames, IA, 50011, United States

Keywords:
Arthrostylidiinae
Neotropical woody bamboos
Caribbean.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 3, Systematics I--Tracheophytes, Pteridophytes to Monocots 1
Location: 110/Mayo Civic Center
Date: Monday, July 23rd, 2018
Time: 11:00 AM
Number: 3012
Abstract ID:408
Candidate for Awards:None