A new species of Neomicrocalamus (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) from Thailand and the reduction of Temochloa indicated by morphological and molecular investigations

Authors

  • Watchara Arthan Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, 447 Si Ayutthaya Rd., Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
  • Sarawood Sungkaew Center of Excellence for Bamboos, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
  • Khoon Meng Wong Singapore Botanic Gardens, National Parks Board, 1 Cluny Road, 259569, Singapore
  • Yi-Hua Tong Laboratory of Plant Resources, Conservation and Sustainable Utilization/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Botanical Garden, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
  • Nian-He Xia Laboratory of Plant Resources, Conservation and Sustainable Utilization/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Botanical Garden, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
  • Wei-Lim Goh Faculty of Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900 Kampar, Perak, Malaysia
  • Wei Lim Faculty of Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900 Kampar, Perak, Malaysia
  • Piya Pinyo Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
  • Arnupap Janloy Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
  • Tipajin Thaipisutikul Faculty of Information and Communication Technology, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
  • Pornsawan Sutthinon Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
  • Natthaphong Chitchak Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
  • Atchara Teerawatananon Natural History Museum, National Science Museum, Technopolis, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20531/tfb.2026.54.2.16

Keywords:

Endemic, limestone, patella, Tenasserim, Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM)

Abstract

Temochloa and Neomicrocalamus are closely related bamboo genera exhibiting a complex taxonomy and substantial morphological overlap. Their phylogenetic relationships and generic delimitation remain insufficiently resolved and are further complicated by intermediate morphological character states in the newly discovered species N. patellaris described in this study. Phylogenomic analyses were undertaken using plastome and 97 partial or complete nuclear gene regions. Results were combined with morphological reassessment of Temochloa and Neomicrocalamus to support the taxonomic subsumption of Temochloa under Neomicrocalamus. Inclusion of N. patellaris in the plastome and nuclear phylogenetic analyses yielded congruent, well supported, topologies and revealed intermixing of species between the two genera. Neomicrocalamus patellaris was recovered as sister to T. liliana, the type species of Temochloa. Phylogenetic reconstructions further showed that Temochloa is polyphyletic, with T. elegans nested within Neomicrocalamus. Shared characters of the two genera include a climbing or scrambling habit, a similar mid-culm branch complement, culm leaves lacking a distinct sheath–blade junction, needle-like blade tips, and modified pseudospikelets. Therefore, phylogenomic and morphological evidence support transferring Temochloa to Neomicrocalamus to achieve a monophyletic generic circumscription. Two species formerly recognized in Temochloa, T. elegans and T. liliana, are transferred to Neomicrocalamus, and N. patellaris is newly described.

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Author Biographies

Watchara Arthan, Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, 447 Si Ayutthaya Rd., Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

Center of Excellence for Bamboos, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.

Sarawood Sungkaew, Center of Excellence for Bamboos, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand

Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
Center for Advanced Studies in Tropical Natural Resources, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.

Khoon Meng Wong, Singapore Botanic Gardens, National Parks Board, 1 Cluny Road, 259569, Singapore

Center of Excellence for Bamboos, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.

Yi-Hua Tong, Laboratory of Plant Resources, Conservation and Sustainable Utilization/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Botanical Garden, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China

South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou 510650, China.

Nian-He Xia, Laboratory of Plant Resources, Conservation and Sustainable Utilization/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Botanical Garden, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China

South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou 510650, China.

Arnupap Janloy, Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand

PTT Reforestation and Ecosystem Institute, 555 Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.

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Published

2026-11-10

How to Cite

Arthan, W., Sungkaew, S., Wong, K. M., Tong, Y.-H., Xia, N.-H., Goh, W.-L., … Teerawatananon, A. (2026). A new species of Neomicrocalamus (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) from Thailand and the reduction of Temochloa indicated by morphological and molecular investigations. Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany), 54(2), 188–205. https://doi.org/10.20531/tfb.2026.54.2.16

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Vol. 54 No. 2 (2026)

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