Xia Nianhe bamboo (Yersinochloa nianheana), a rare bamboo species from Voi Mountain, southern Vietnam

NEWS - Xia Nianhe bamboo (Yersinochloa nianheana) from southern Vietnam, grows at an elevation of 1400-1500 meters on Voi Mountain, Duc Trong District, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. Researchers added a new species to Yersinochloa H.N.Nguyen & V.T.Tran 2016, a very rare genus.

Yersinochloa consists of Y. dalatensis H.N.Nguyen & V.T.Tran and Y. nghiana V.T.Tran & T.V.Tran which are narrowly distributed in degraded natural forests in the highlands of southern Vietnam. This genus is distinguished from other related genera of Bambusinae by pseudo-spikelets with only one perfect floret, unnotched palea and anther tips with small spines.

Researchers conducted a bamboo survey on Voi Mountain in December 2023 and found several populations of climbing bamboos growing sparsely in a valley. This population has only one perfect floret without terminal remnant flower, palea is not notched and the anther tip has small spines.

The shape, branch structure and inflorescence of the collected specimens are similar to Yersinochloa. However, the combination of leaf-stem structure and inflorescence, along with other features are not found in other bamboo species.

Y. nianheana differs from Y. dalatensis by having thick and swollen kneecaps at the culm nodes (vs. without thick and swollen kneecaps), erect culm leaf blades (vs. folded) and prominent auricles (vs. absent).

Y. nianheana differs from Y. nghiana in having flat culm leaf blades at the base (vs. swollen at the base), palea with white cilia at the top (vs. glabrous), purple lodicules at the top half, not bifurcated at the base (vs. purple, bifurcated at the base) and 2-keeled buds (vs. 1-keeled buds).

The bamboo grows in degraded natural forest and was found flowering in December 2023. The new species is named in honor of Prof. Xia Nianhe for his contributions to bamboo research. The specimen is only known from a single population and no more than 500 mature clumps.

Original research

Van Duy N, Vinh TT, Cong VK, Hoi QV, Tham DT, Hang NTT, Khiem DV, Truong HT, Nghia NH, Minh NTA, Tien TV (2024). Yersinochloa nianheana (Poaceae, Bambusoideae), a new species from southern Vietnam. PhytoKeys 247: 67-73, DOI:10.3897/phytokeys.247.132975

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