Bambusoideae Luerss.

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Life Sciences)

Identification key to the genera of bamboos from the Serra do Cachimbo, Eastern Amazon, Brazil 1. Leaves not differentiated into culm leaves and foliage leaves; leaves without an outer ligule..........................................................2 - Culm leaves and foliage leaves clearly distinct; foliage leaves bearing an outer ligule ....................................................................6 2. Leaf sheaths with fimbriae at the apex; synflorescence spiciform, comprising a series of whorls with five staminate spikelets surrounding a central sessile female spikelet .......................................................................................................................... Pariana - Leaf sheaths without fimbriae at the apex; synflorescence paniculate or racemose, without whorls of spikelets.............................3 3. Culms 6–40 cm tall, sprawling or decumbent; leaf blades 0.4–1.5 cm long, ovate-triangular or elliptic............................ Raddiella - Culms 2–4 m tall, erect, rarely clambering; leaf blades 17–32 cm long, oblong-lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate............4 4. Female spikelets 7.3–32 mm long, pedicels clavate to subclavate............................................................................................. Olyra - Female spikelets 3–4 mm long, pedicels filiform ..............................................................................................................................5 5. Anthecium foveolate (with small pits) only at the apex................................................................................................... Parodiolyra - Anthecium foveolate (with small pits) over the entire surface............................................................................................... Taquara 6. Infra- and supranodal band of white trichomes present on the culms; midnerve of foliage leaves prominent..................................7 - Infra- and supranodal band of white trichomes absent on the culms (sometimes present in Merostachys); midnerve of foliage leaves not prominent......................................................................................................................................................................................8 7. Blades of culm leaves reflexed, narrower than the sheath summit; branch complement without thorns ...................... Eremocaulon - Blades of culm leaves erect, confluent with sheath summit; branch complement with thorns............................................... Guadua 8. Branch complement consisting of 3-many branches borne on a promontory; culm leaf blades erect....................... Arthrostylidium - Branch complement apsidate (fan-shaped); culm leaf blades horizontal or reflexed ........................................................................9 9. Culm leaves dimorphic, terminal culm leaves (apex of the culm) with blades distinctly developed in comparison with those of the midculm; culm leaf sheaths with “ruffle-like” fused fimbriae persistent...................................................................... Actinocladum - Culm leaves not clearly differentiated along the culm, blades similar in size; culm leaf sheaths with fimbriae free, caducous......... ......................................................................................................................................................................................... Merostachys