Tuesday, August 16, 2016

[Botany • 2016] Sokinochloa, A New Bamboo Genus (Poaceae - Bambusoideae) from Madagascar


Sokinochloa australis S. Dransf. 

Fig. 3 Sokinochloa australis, taken in the type locality. non-flowering plant (2003); flowering plant with inflorescences (2008); inflorescence (2003); inflorescence, during anthesis (2008); inflorescence, probably after anthesis, taken from a different branch of D (2008).
photos: Soejatmi Dransfield.  DOI 10.1007/s12225-016-9650-9

Summary

Sokinochloa, from Madagascar, is described as a new genus. It is characterised by the climbing habit and the determinate, capitulate inflorescence with the presence of subtending bracts; the internodes of the inflorescence are extremely short and there are three or more branches at each node borne at the same level, bearing sterile and fertile spikelets; the fertile spikelet consists of five glumes and one floret. Superficially the capitulate inflorescence resembles that of tropical and subtropical Asian Cephalostachyum Munro (Melocanninae Benth.), which has indeterminate inflorescences. Sokinochloa is included in the subtribe Hickeliinae A. Camus. There are seven species, four of them new, Sokinochloa australisS. bosseriS. brachyclada and S. chiataniae, and three new combinations, Sviguieri (A. Camus) S. Dransf., Sperrieri (A. Camus) S. Dransf. and S. chapelieri (Munro) S. Dransf.

Key Words: Capitulum-like inflorescence; endemic; Hickeliinae; new combinations; new species; one-flowered spikelet; sterile spikelet


Soejatmi Dransfield. 2016. Sokinochloa, A New Bamboo Genus (Poaceae-Bambusoideae) from Madagascar. Kew Bulletin. 71:40. DOI: 10.1007/s12225-016-9650-9