Abstract
Aims Fargesia decurvata is closely allied with F. dracocephala and differs in 5 major characters (i.e. the culm sheath blade base shape, the width of the culm sheath blade base, the auricle shape, and the lower surface of leaf blade) in Fargesia. It is difficult to distinguish these two species because of existing of transitional statements of characters. The aims of this paper are to (i) investigate whether the variation of the characters is continuous or not; (ii) reveal whether the publishment of F. dracocephala was the result of discontinuous sampling of F. decurvata or not.MethodsTen populations of F. decurvata and F. dracocephala were investigated in their entire distribution (including type localities). The statements of 5 major characters were measured from 693 annual and 693 perennial culms of 231 individuals in 10 populations, and analyzed at population, individual and culm levels. UPGMA cluster analysis was carried out based on 29 characters from 10 populations of F. decurvata and F. dracocephala and 2 populations of F. qinlingensis as outgroup. The ITS sequences were also sequenced and analyzed.Important FindingsFive major characters exhibited great variation not only at population level, but at individual level within a population, even the culm level within an individual and in different parts of the same culm. Cluster analyses showed that 10 populations of F. decurvata and F. dracocephala were not divided into two species, but they were well separated with outgroup. There was no difference in floral organ between F. decurvata and F. dracocephala. MP and NJ trees based on ITS sequences showed the same results with the cluster analysis on morphological characters. All the facts indicated that the publishment of F. dracocephala was the result of discontinuous sampling of F. decurvata, and F. dracocephala should be treated as the synonym of F. decurvata.
Highlights
The correct definition of species is the most basic work for further researches
Neither Fargesia decurvata and F. dracocephala nor F. qinlingensis is on the list of state-protected plant species (Yu YF, A milestone of wild plants protection in China - the first list of wild plants protected by the nation, Plants 1999 (5): 3–11; Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on the protection of wild plants, http://www.people.com.cn/item/faguiku/zrzyf/U1020.html)
We used the ratio of the width of the blade base and the width of the sheath apex to exhibit the change of the blade bases in different populations
Summary
The correct definition of species is the most basic work for further researches. The type and other voucher specimens play an important role in the process of defining a species. Because the herbarium specimens are often collected from the limited location(s) and/or limited individual(s) or sometimes just from parts of an individual, the continuity of variation of character(s) within a species would be artificially isolated. The artificial isolation of character(s) might lead to the result that a virtual species will be defined as different ones [1,2,3,4]. Each of the bamboo is distributed in a wide range and grows in diverse habitat, but the specimens can be collected in limited locations and habitat, many vegetative variations might be ignored due to the limited sampling. The specimen-based description and definition of bamboo species would inevitably cause the continuous variations of the characters to be fragmented
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