New discoveries to science from Kew
Over 250 years, Kew has made many discoveries about the fascinating worlds of plants and fungi. Each year, many new species of plant and fungi are discovered by our world class scientists.
We discover new things about the plants and fungi every day. This includes how different species relate to one another and new ways to use plants to make life easier and better.
Plants are essential to life on earth. In a world where our changing environment is becoming less and less certain, the power of plants combined with Kew’s scientific expertise is ever more critical.
Establishing a common classification with APG III
The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) is an international group of botanists that aims to establish a common view on the classification of flowering plants, based mainly upon evidence gained from analyses of plant DNA sequences. The first APG classification was published in a ground-breaking paper in 1998. Since then the classification has been refined through two further updates.
As easy as APG III - Scientists revise the system of classifying flowering plants
Scientists from Kew have led a global revision of the system botanists use to classify flowering plants. This work will have a fundamental impact on how botanic gardens organise their collections and the future use of plant information to improve quality of life.
First known instance of a cricket as an orchid pollinator captured on film by Kew scientist
An orchid researcher based on the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, and collaborating with researchers at Kew, has used motion-sensitive night cameras to capture the first known occurrence of a cricket functioning as a pollinator of flowering plants. The ‘raspy cricket' is entirely new to science.
A bumper year for Kew in new species discovery
Canopy giants and miniature fungi are among over 250 new species discovered in Kew’s 250th anniversary year
Seven species of wild coffee amongst Kew's haul of new discoveries
Newly discovered coffee species could help safeguard the long-term survival of this important industry
Twenty new Madagascar palm species discovered by Kew botanists
Kew's work in new species discovery is helping to safeguard the future of some of the country's most endangered plant life.
Knee-high eucalyptus discovered in SW Australia
Kew's Director has recently described two new species in his native Australia
Twenty new species discovered by Kew in Brazil
A beautiful passionflower is amongst the species found in some of the country's most threatened habitats
Minute fungi and tiny flowering plants join the list of species newly discovered by Kew
Some of the smaller - but no less important - new species include tiny fungi and flowering plants less than 10 cm tall.
