Filgueirasia
Encyclopedia
Filgueirasia is a genus
of bamboo
(tribe
Bambuseae of the family
Poaceae
), comprising two species found in the cerrado
of Brazil
. Members of the genus were originally published as species of Apoclada
(Apoclada cannavieira & A. arenicola) and remained so for many years.
Over time though, with revised concepts of morphological interpretation in the bamboos and the accumulation of strong molecular evidence it became clear that the two species formerly known as A. arenicola, and A. cannavieira are actually unrelated to A. simplex and are correctly placed in their own genus Filgueirasia. The genus was named after Dr. Tarciso Filgueiras who has been an icon of scholarly research on the grasses of Brazil, especially those of the cerrado region, for decades. There is a photograph of him in a patch of F. arenicola on the cover of the journal in which the genus was published - cited above and linked below.
Both species are unusual in many respects. They display the unique (or nearly so depending on interpretation) condition in the bamboos of having the ability to give rise to branches from multiple equal primary branch buds at their nodes. They are also some of the most drought tolerant of the bamboos and are well adapted to fire. They serve as forage for cattle and wildlife, especially in the dry season when the above ground parts of many other grasses are dead . Although both species are highly adapted to the cerrado biome, they have separate ranges and different habitat requirements including soils and climate.
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 two species found in the cerrado
Cerrado
The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...
of 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...
. Members of the genus were originally published as species of Apoclada
Apoclada
Apoclada is a genus of bamboo , comprising one species found in the forests of southeastern Brazil. The genus was for many years thought to contain four species Upon further examination and fieldwork at the collection locality, the single piece of...
(Apoclada cannavieira & A. arenicola) and remained so for many years.
Over time though, with revised concepts of morphological interpretation in the bamboos and the accumulation of strong molecular evidence it became clear that the two species formerly known as A. arenicola, and A. cannavieira are actually unrelated to A. simplex and are correctly placed in their own genus Filgueirasia. The genus was named after Dr. Tarciso Filgueiras who has been an icon of scholarly research on the grasses of Brazil, especially those of the cerrado region, for decades. There is a photograph of him in a patch of F. arenicola on the cover of the journal in which the genus was published - cited above and linked below.
Both species are unusual in many respects. They display the unique (or nearly so depending on interpretation) condition in the bamboos of having the ability to give rise to branches from multiple equal primary branch buds at their nodes. They are also some of the most drought tolerant of the bamboos and are well adapted to fire. They serve as forage for cattle and wildlife, especially in the dry season when the above ground parts of many other grasses are dead . Although both species are highly adapted to the cerrado biome, they have separate ranges and different habitat requirements including soils and climate.
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. 2001. A brief note on the forage value of Apoclada. Bamboo Science and Culture 15(1): 48.
- 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.
- Guala, G.F. 2000. Spatial habitat characterization and predictions for two endemic sister species of bamboo on the cerrados of central Brazil. Bamboo Science and Culture 14(1): 21-27.
- Dr. Tarciso Filgueiras standing in a patch of Filgueirasia arenicola near Parque Nacional das Emas, Brazil in 1990
- Filgueirasia cannavieira in flower near Brasilia in 1981.
