1988 Volume 57 Issue 3 Pages 449-463
The numbers of genera and species of the subfamily Bambusoideae known, described and generally accepted by authors today were examined bibliographically and listed in the tables. The results was that the numbers of genera and species were 109 and 1056 respectively. Within the total number of genera and species of the subfamily Bambusoideae, the woody bamboos have a greater number of genera (77%) and species (84%) than the herbaceous bamboos. Bambusoid grasses are distributed in all the continents except Europe. Inside the world's tropical and subtropical belt bamboo is most densely distributed in eastern Asia and Central and South America. Africa causes by far a small number of species than America and Asia. The centers of diversity of bambusoid grasses seem to be the coastal regions of the Atlantic side of South America and the monsoon-belt of South-East and East Asia. Bambusoid grasses, though not a C4 subfamily, have an analogous tropical and subtropical distribution patterns which are broadly similar to the C4 grasses. Such difference as do exist are due to marginal differences in ecological adaptability, especially in damp and shady environments. These characteristics of the bambusoid grasses cause a reduction of C4% in the range of tropical and subtropical Rain-Forest and Monsoon-Forest districts.
