Panama as a crucial centre of differentiation for the herbaceous bamboos (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Olyreae): a study in progress

Abstract

This contribution introduces the ongoing research on herbaceous bamboos started by the University of Florence (FT herbarium), the Universidad de Panama (PMA herbarium) and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in 2011. The main goal of this project consists in collecting field data, in order to provide updated material to be used in a phylogenetic analysis to improve the knowledge of the complex tribe Olyreae.

Keywords::

• Bambusoideae
• Cryptochloa
• Flora of Panama
• herbaceous bamboos
• Olyreae
• Poaceae

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Prof. Mireya Correa, director of the PMA herbarium and staff member at STRI, for giving us the possibility to collect and study the material during 2012–2013 and for supporting us. Dr Maria Stapf for her invaluable suggestions, help and patience during the various difficulties we met in the field trips, the Dean Prof. C. Ramos and Prof. C. Garibaldi from the Faculty of Sciences in Panama. Thanks also to Dr Lynn G. Clark (Iowa State University) for improving us to begin studying the big Cryptochloa “mess”, Prof. D. Geltman (LE herbarium) and P.E. Peterson (US herbarium). Thanks to Graciela Valdespino, Lucila Guillén de Zárate and Vielka Murillo from PMA and Carmen Galdames from SCZ herbaria. We are also grateful to all who helped us, even if not botanists, like Mr Dimas Stapf, Mrs Antonia and Mr Louis Mora from La Rica (Coclé) and their sons, Prof. Gustavo Morales, the members of the Guna Yala Congress in Panama City for approving our visit in the Comerca de San Blas, and the entire Guna Yala Community in Ailigandi' for their hospitality, without them we could not have visited and enjoyed the wildlife of their land, uses and culture. Last but not least, thanks to Nelson and Karina, excellent “compañeros de coleta”. Finally, thanks to Mr Elia Menicagli (University of Florence) for his invaluable graphic expertise. This paper is part of the series of Centro Studi Erbario Tropicale, University of Florence. Publication n. 136.

Additional information

Funding

FundingThe financial supports by STRI fellowship and CSET-FT herbarium (University of Florence) to R. M. Baldini and O. O. Ortiz are acknowledged.