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.

Two contrasting molecular techniques, namely DNA sequences and amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) were used to investigate phylogenetic relationships of Phyllostachys, a large, economically important genus of woody bamboos. DNA sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) were used in a parsimony analysis. PhyrrOStachys was well supported as monophyletic with Chimonobambusa as its closest allied genus. The 5s spacer region of nrDNA was investigated but found unsuitable for this purpose. The AFLP analysis showed much higher discriminating power between species and was more useful for phylogenetic reconstruction at this taxonomic level. The combined data were used to review the previous infra-generic classifications. Section Heteroclada Wang & Ye is strongly supported and can be further divided into sub-groups. A group within section Phyllosachys is strongly supported, but a further group of taxa previously included in this section is difficult to place. The ability of the methods to help separate species such as P.sulphurea and investigate genetic diversity at the infra-specific level was also assessed. It is argued that AFLPs could often be the method of choice for phylogenetic studies of closely related taxa for which DNA sequence data provide insufficient resolution.

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This paper continues the systematic treatment of the bamboos of Nepal and Bhutan, covering four hardy temperate genera with semelauctant inflorescences and 3 stamens from the subtribe Arundinariinae Bentham. Arundinaria Michaux has leptomorph rhizomes, while Thamnocalamus Munro, Yushania Keng f, and the new genus Borinda have pachymorph rhizomes. The separation of these and related Sino-Himalayan genera is discussed. Sinarundinaria Nakai is treated as a synonym of Fargesia Franchet, a genus that is not known from the Himalayas. A new treatment of Himalayan Thamnocalamus species is given, including the description of two new subspecies of Thamnocalamus spathiflorus (Trin.) Munro, subsp. nepalensis and subsp. occidentalis, and one new variety, bhutanensis. T. aristalus is treated as a synonym of T. spathiflorus subsp. spathiflorus, and Fargesia crassinoda Yi is transferred and given new status as Thamnocalamus spathiflorus (Trin.) Munro var. crassinodus (Yi) Stapleton. Two new species of Borinda are described: B. chigar from West Nepal and B. emeryi from East Nepal. Six species of Fargesia from Tibet are transferred to Borinda, which thus comprises eight species. STATUS AND SEPARATION OF THE GENERA

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