Apoclada
Encyclopedia
Apoclada is a genus
of bamboo
(tribe
Bambuseae of the family
Poaceae
), comprising one species found in the forests of southeastern Brazil
. The genus was for many years thought to contain four species (Apoclada cannavieira, A. arenicola, A. diversa & A. simplex) Upon further examination and fieldwork at the collection locality, the single piece of material at the US National Herbarium from which A. diversa had been described, was found to be merely a deformed stem of A. simplex
. Later, with revised concepts of morphological interpretation in the bamboos and strong molecular evidence it became clear that the two species formerly known as A. arenicola, and A. cannavieira which are endemic to the cerrado
of central Brazil
are actually unrelated to A. simplex and are correctly placed in their own genus Filgueirasia
.
The stems of this bamboo grow to more than 13 m tall although half that is more common. Like all bamboos, the upright stems (also called culms) grow from horizontal underground stems called rhizomes. In A. simplex these rhizomes can be more than 40 cm long, thus although this species is technically a clumping type of bamboo, groves of it often appear much like those of the Asian running bamboos because of the long distance between culms. The culms are light to dark green or sometimes reddish, and about 1.9–4 cm in diameter with internodes every 7–38 cm. The foliage leaf blades are long and thin, 1.3–16.4 cm long and 2–7 mm wide.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
(tribe
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
Bambuseae of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Poaceae
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
), comprising one species found in the forests of southeastern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The genus was for many years thought to contain four species (Apoclada cannavieira, A. arenicola, A. diversa & A. simplex) Upon further examination and fieldwork at the collection locality, the single piece of material at the US National Herbarium from which A. diversa had been described, was found to be merely a deformed stem of A. simplex
. Later, with revised concepts of morphological interpretation in the bamboos and strong molecular evidence it became clear that the two species formerly known as A. arenicola, and A. cannavieira which are endemic to the cerrado
Cerrado
The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...
of central Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
are actually unrelated to A. simplex and are correctly placed in their own genus Filgueirasia
Filgueirasia
Filgueirasia is a genus of bamboo , comprising two species found in the cerrado of Brazil. Members of the genus were originally published as species of Apoclada Filgueirasia is a genus of bamboo (tribe Bambuseae of the family Poaceae), comprising two species found in the cerrado of Brazil. Members...
.
The stems of this bamboo grow to more than 13 m tall although half that is more common. Like all bamboos, the upright stems (also called culms) grow from horizontal underground stems called rhizomes. In A. simplex these rhizomes can be more than 40 cm long, thus although this species is technically a clumping type of bamboo, groves of it often appear much like those of the Asian running bamboos because of the long distance between culms. The culms are light to dark green or sometimes reddish, and about 1.9–4 cm in diameter with internodes every 7–38 cm. The foliage leaf blades are long and thin, 1.3–16.4 cm long and 2–7 mm wide.
External links
- Guala, G.F. 2003. A new genus of bamboos from the cerrados of Brazil. Bamboo Science and Culture 17(1): 1-3.
- Guala, G.F., D. Bogler, J. Sadle and J. Francisco Ortega 2000. Molecular Evidence for polyphyly in the genus Apoclada (Poaceae: Bambusoideae). Bamboo Science and Culture 14:(1): 15-20.
- A photo of Apoclada simplex near Cacador, Brazil.
- A photo of the upper (adaxial) leaf surface of Apoclada simplex taken with a scanning electron microscope.
