ANATOMICAL AND MICROMORPHOLOGICAL STUDIES IN CHUSQUEA SUBG. MAGNIFOLIAE AND C. SUBG. PLATONIA (POACEAE, BAMBUSOIDEAE, BAMBUSEAE)

GUERREIRO, C.; CLARK, L. G.; VEGA, A. S.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PLANT SCIENCES

UNIV CHICAGO PRESS

Lugar: Chicago; Año: 2023

1058-5893

Premise of the research. Chusquea Kunth is the most diverse bamboo genus worldwide and comprises 196 species classified into five subgenera. Chusquea subg. Magnifoliae and C. subg. Platonia together include 26 taxa that were studied based on incomplete or fragmentary material, and complete keys to their taxonomic identification based on vegetative and reproductive characters are still pending. Since the identification of woody bamboos often relies mainly on vegetative characters, the addition of foliage leaf blade anatomy and micromorphology characters provides valuable information to be considered.Methodology. Anatomical and micromorphological studies were performed based on herbarium material. Foliage leaf blade abaxial epidermal and transverse section characters are described and compared among 11 species of Chusquea subg. Magnifoliae and 14 of C. subg. Platonia, in order to enhance the currently available descriptions.Pivotal Results. Regarding foliage leaf blade anatomy in transverse section, no single character turned out to be exclusive to a species or subgenus. All taxa studied here are recognizable by a combination of anatomical characters. Of note, intercostal sclerenchyma is recorded for the first time in the subtribe Chusqueinae. When considering micromorphological characters of the foliage leaf blade abaxial epidermis, a few potential autapomorphies may be recognized for a few species. Conclusions. On the basis of anatomical and micromorphological studies, characters of taxonomic value are presented in comparative tables. Also, a key to the identification of the species of Chusquea subg. Magnifoliae and C. subg. Platonia was elaborated and is here presented for the first time as an additional tool to corroborate the taxonomic identity of sterile or poorly collected specimens.