New distribution records of two bamboo species in Yunnan, China with description of the inflorescence for Melocalamus yunnanensis (Poaceae, Bambusoideae)

Abstract. Ampelocalamus actinotrichus (Merrill & Chun) S. L. Chen, T. H. Wen & G. Y. Sheng and Neomicrocalamus prainii (Gamble) P. C. Keng are reported with new distribution records in southern and southeastern Yunnan, China, respectively. Ampelocalamus actinotrichus was previously recorded to be endemic to Hainan, China, and Neomicrocalamus prainii to be distributed in southern Tibet and western Yunnan in China, northeastern India, and Burma. The identities of individuals collected in southern and southeastern Yunnan of these two species are confirmed by molecular evidence. The new distribution record of Ampelocalamus actinotrichus provides a case at the species level for confirming floristic affinities of southern Yunnan and Hainan Island in south China. The disjunct distribution of Neomicrocalamus prainii in Yunnan is concordant with the ecogeographical diagonal line from northwestern Yunnan to southeastern Yunnan and this may imply a tropical origin of this species. In addition, the inflorescence of Melocalamus yunnanensis (T. H. Wen) T. P. Yi is described.