Taxonomic interpretations of Australian native bamboos (Poaceae: Bambuseae) and their biogeographic implications

Abstract

Australia's three native bamboo species -Bambusa arnhemica, Mullerochloa moreheadiana and Neololeba atra -are restricted to northern Australia. The most parsimonious explanation for the occurrence of bamboo in Australia is that there have been at least three founder events from Asia, but other possibilities exist including an Australian radiation involving Neololeba and Mullerochloa. Bambusa arnhemica may be allied to the Asian B. blumeana which occurs as close as Timor. I summarise historical evidence and biogeographic patterns for B. arnhemica, and describe the flowering wave phenomenon in the species, evidence which collectively suggests that B. arnhemica is neither very ancient nor very recent in origin. Current studies of the population genetics of B. arnhemica, and of the relationship between Australian and Asian bamboos, may yield fascinating further biogeographic insights.

Biogeography of the Australian monsoon tropics

“…Examples of taxa originating in situ include eucalypts, ‘egg and bacon’ peas (Fabaceae: Mirbelieae), Melaleuca , Syzygium , Casuarina , Allocasuarina , freshwater fishes, and most passerines and marsupials. Possible examples of immigrant taxa include rodents (Aplin, 2006); genera of peas (Fabaceae: Faboideae) such as Crotalaria , Tephrosia , Indigofera , Cullen and Kennedia / Vandasina , whose crown groups are all estimated to be < 25 Myr old (Lavin et al ., 2005); Cycas (Hill, 1998); boab ( Adansonia ; Baum et al ., 1998); Bambusa (Franklin, 2008), Bauhinia and Erythrophleum (pantropical genera with one or two Australian species) and Bombax ceiba (widespread in south Asia and Australia). Examples of Australian exports include Pittosporaceae (Chandler et al ., 2007), Scaevola (Howarth et al ., 2003), eucalypts and Melaleuca (Ladiges et al ., 2003).…”

Thomson’s Spears: Innovation and change in eastern Arnhem Land projectile technology

“…This alerts us to the importance of trading relationships in this part of Australia. It should also be noted that Bambusa arhnemica grows only in the wetter parts of the Northern Territory and that access to this shaft material in eastern Arnhem Land was entirely through trade (Franklin 2008: Figure 1, p. 186).…”

“…The hardwood, softwood and bamboo shafts used for these spears represent such a cost-saving outcome. Sources: Based on information from Franklin 2008;Levitt 1981;Specht 1958Specht , 2006Yunupingu et al 1995. Third, the continued production of spear-thrower-capable one-piece hardwood spears in Arnhem Land indicates that the introduction of the spear-thrower caused adjustments to be made to this technology rather than its replacement with new forms. The fact that carving one-piece spears-a time-consuming activity-was going out of fashion only in the 1920s would seem to confirm this.…”

Innovation and change in northern Australian Aboriginal spear technologies: the case for reed spears

“…Reed shafts are not to be confused with those using indigenous bamboo ( Bambusa arnhemica ). Franklin () notes that B. arnhemica is restricted to western Arnhem Land. Apart from shafts traded in, indigenous bamboo is absent from the Kimberleys.…”