REU: Systematic Study of Chusquea subg. Rettbergia (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) in Brazil

竹子，通常被称为树草，是一种生态和经济上重要的热带植物。竹子高高的、优雅的羽状茎是热带风景中常见的元素，但实际上竹子在大小、形状和栖息地上都是多种多样的。除了典型的“巨型”竹子外，一些品种非常像草，茎相对柔软，而其他品种则是藤蔓或灌木。许多竹子生长在热带低地森林中或附近，但许多种类可以在高山地森林中找到，有些种类出现在高海拔的风吹脊上。一些耐寒的竹子生长在温带，能在霜雪中生存。虽然世界上大约有1000种竹子，但由于它们的大小和采集困难，大多数都没有被深入研究过。爱荷华州立大学（Iowa State University）的林恩·克拉克（Lynn Clark）博士将研究一组大约30种原产于南美洲的藤蔓竹，其中大部分产于巴西。虽然这些物种目前几乎没有经济用途，但它们在巴西东部的低山地森林中很常见，具有重要的生态意义。第一步是在巴西学生和研究人员的协助下，实地观察和收集这些植物。压缩和干燥的标本，以及保存在液体中的叶子和花朵，将被带回实验室进行第二步，包括形态学，细胞学和解剖学的详细比较研究。一旦收集到这些数据，就可以对每个物种进行完整的描述，并提供地理分布数据和栖息地、开花结果行为的说明。研究的第三步涉及更高层次的分析，通过寻找独特生物相似性的一致模式来探索这些竹子物种之间的进化关系。该项目的成果将适用于那些对美国本土竹子的库存、保护和生态、竹子的经济潜力以及草的多样性和进化感兴趣的人。

Bamboos, often known as the tree grasses, are an ecologically and economically important group of primarily tropical plants. The tall, graceful plume-like stems of bamboo are a familiar element of any tropical scene, but bamboos are actually very diverse in size, form, and habitat. In addition to the typical "giant" bamboos, some species are very grass-like with relatively soft stems, while others are vines or shrubs. Many bamboos grow in or near the tropical lowland forest, but many species can be found in high montane forests, with some species occurring at high elevations on windswept ridges. Some hardy bamboos grow in the temperate zone and can survive frost and snow. Although there are approximately 1000 species of bamboos in the world, most have not been studied intensively because of their size and the difficulty in collecting them. Dr. Lynn Clark of Iowa State University will study a group of 30 or so species of viny bamboos native to South America, mostly in Brazil. Although these species have little current economic use, they are common in the lower montane forests of eastern Brazil and are ecologically important. The first step will be the observation and collection of these plants in the field, aided by collaborating Brazilian students and researchers. Pressed and dried specimens, and leaves and flowers preserved in liquid, will be taken back to the laboratory for the second step, involving detailed comparative studies of morphology, cytology, and anatomy. Once the data are assembled, a complete description of each species will be prepared, along with geographical distribution data and notes on habitat and flowering and fruiting behavior. The third step of the study involves a higher level of analysis, in which the evolutionary relationships among these bamboo species are explored by searching for consistent patterns of unique biological similarities. The results of this project will have application for those interested in the inventory, conservation, and ecology of native American bamboos, the economic potential of bamboos, and the diversity and evolution of grasses.