Two new species of Merostachys (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) from the Brazilian Atlantic forest

Abstract

Two new species, Merostachys ramosa and M. ximenae, from the Brazilian Atlantic forest are here described and illustrated. The species are apparently endemic to Minas Gerais state, with M. ramosa being restricted to the Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro. The conservation status of each species is examined. A key to all taxa of Merostachys present in eastern Minas Gerais and comments about the species are provided.

Merostachys Spreng. (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae: Arthrostylidiinae) na Mata Atlântica do Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil

“…Os caracteres que diferem M. ximenae de M. ternata já foram discutidos nos comentários desta última espécie. Distribuição: a espécie é registrada apenas para Minas Gerais, onde ocorre em sua região Sudeste (Parma et al 2016a), em sub-bosque e borda de vegetação caracterizada por Veloso et al (1991) Distribuição: distribui-se pelas regiões Sul e Sudeste de Minas Gerais, onde é encontrada em sub-bosque e borda de vegetação caracterizada por Veloso et al (1991) como Floresta Atlântica Estacional Semidecidual Montana.…”

“…é um dos gêneros mais diversos pertencente à subtribo Arthrostylidiinae, com 53 espécies descritas (Bamboo Phylogeny Group 2012, Tyrrell et al 2012, Parma et al 2016a, Vinícius-Silva et al 2016. As espécies do gênero estão distribuídas desde o México até o sul do Brasil, e têm a costa Atlântica do Brasil como o centro de diversidade e endemismo (Judziewicz et al 1999).…”

<div class="grammarly-disable-indicator">A new species of Merostachys (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae: Arthrostylidiinae) with the northernmost distribution of the genus</div>

“…Merostachys is defined by the combination of short-necked, pachymorph rhizomes; usually hollow culms; culm leaves with the blades pseudopetiolate and usually reflexed; one bud per mid-culm node producing a fan-shaped (apsidate) array of subequal branches; racemose, often densely one-sided synflorescences; spikelets with usually two unequal glumes; and usually one floret (uncommonly two to several), with a rachilla extension; and a nucoid caryopsis (McClure 1973, Judziewicz et al 1999. Merostachys, with 52 described species, is the most species-rich genus in the subtribe Arthrostylidiinae (Santos-Gonçalves et al 2012, Parma et al 2016, followed by Aulonemia Goudot (1846: 75) with 48 species (Clark et al 2015). In the last 20 years, 19 Merostachys species have been described, 18 of them from Brazil (Sendulsky 1997, Parma et al 2016 and only one from Bolivia (Lizarazu et al 2011).…”

“…Merostachys, with 52 described species, is the most species-rich genus in the subtribe Arthrostylidiinae (Santos-Gonçalves et al 2012, Parma et al 2016, followed by Aulonemia Goudot (1846: 75) with 48 species (Clark et al 2015). In the last 20 years, 19 Merostachys species have been described, 18 of them from Brazil (Sendulsky 1997, Parma et al 2016 and only one from Bolivia (Lizarazu et al 2011). Merostachys has an interesting geographical distribution, with 50 of the species located in South America and only two of them in Central America and Mexico, with southern Mexico representing the northernmost distribution limit of the genus (Judziewicz et al 1999, Parma et al 2016.…”

“…In the last 20 years, 19 Merostachys species have been described, 18 of them from Brazil (Sendulsky 1997, Parma et al 2016 and only one from Bolivia (Lizarazu et al 2011). Merostachys has an interesting geographical distribution, with 50 of the species located in South America and only two of them in Central America and Mexico, with southern Mexico representing the northernmost distribution limit of the genus (Judziewicz et al 1999, Parma et al 2016. Of those 50 South American species, 44 are distributed in Brazil mainly in the Atlantic forest biome (Vinícius-Silva et al 2016) and thus the Atlantic forest is clearly the center of diversity of Merostachys.…”