Exploring Phylogenetic Relationships Within the Subgenera of Bambusa Based on DNA Barcodes and Morphological Characteristics

The genus Bambusa belongs to the subtribe Bambusinae and the subfamily Bambusoideae. The subgenera of Bambusa have not been satisfactorily circumscribed, and this remains a major taxonomic problem. Meanwhile, genera such as Dendrocalamus and Gigantochloa have not been confidently assigned to Bambusa . Here, the phylogenetic relationships among subgenera were investigated using five chloroplast deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) markers (rpl32-trnL, rpl16, matK, rbcL, and trnH-psbA) for a sample of 50 ingroup species and 16 outgroup species. A total of 186 key morphological descriptors were studied for the 50 ingroup species. The results indicated that rpl 32-trnL and trnH-psbA were more suitable for the identification of Bambusa than the other markers. Using these markers, it was possible to distinguish Bambusa species from other species and to divide them into several clusters. Phylogenetic analyses conducted using morphological descriptors and a combined marker (rpl32-trnL+rpl16) revealed three and four distinct lineages among the members of the currently recognized Bambusa , respectively. The branching pattern of the dendrogram was not completely consistent with the classical taxonomic classification of Bambusa . In addition, not all varieties and cultivars were clustered with McClure. As the maximum parsimony topology and morphological analyses were not consistent, some clustering results overlapped. Overall, the results obtained here did not support the current classification of the Bambusa subgenera.