Hoffmann, Petra

Job Title

(No longer at Kew)

Department

Herbarium, Library, Art and Archives Directorate

Section

Systematic Teams

Science Teams:

Joined Kew: 1998

Foreign Language(s): German (mother tongue), French, Dutch.

Qualifications & Appointments

Dipl.-Biol. (MSc equivalent), Humboldt Univ., Berlin, 1991

Dr. rer. nat. (PhD equivalent), Humboldt Univ., Berlin, 1995.

Editorial Board, Kew Bulletin

Madagascar Plant Specialist Group, IUCN-SSC

Committee for Sustainability (ISO 14001), RBG Kew.

Role

Systematics of Euphorbiaceae sensu lato, particularly Phyllanthaceae.
 

Phylogenetic studies, classification, taxonomic revisions and description of new taxa of Euphorbiaceae sensu lato, with special focus on Phyllanthaceae. Work at species, genus and family level. Floristic work in drylands and wet tropics of Madagascar, Malesia and China. Recent collaborative fieldwork in Madagascar, the Comoro Islands and Sri Lanka to fill gaps in Herbarium collections and DNA sampling. Close collaboration with molecular systematists at RBG Kew and abroad. Supervision of PhD and MSc students in UK and abroad, working on aspects of Phyllanthaceae systematics. Interest in electronic identification systems.

Projects

Selected Recent Publications

  • Hoffmann, P., Kirkup, D., Galster, A., Challen, G.L. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2005). Interactive key to the genera of Euphorbiaceae sensu lato. Release version 1.0. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Kew. Available at: http://www.kew.org/herbarium/keys/euphorbs/
  • Hoffman, P. (2005). Taxonomic revision of Antidesma (Phyllanthaceae) in Malesia and Thailand. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 292 pp.
  • Hoffmann, P., Kathriarachchi, H. & Wurdack, K.J. (2006). A phylogenetic classification of Phyllanthaceae (Malpighiales: Euphorbiaceae sensu lato. Kew Bulletin 61: 37-53.
  • Hoffmann, P. & McPherson, G. (2007). Revision of Wielandia, including Blotia and Petalodiscus (Phyllanthaceae; Euphorbiaceae S.l). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 94 (3): 519-553.
  • Hoffmann, P. (2008). Revision of Heterosavia, stat. nov., with notes on Gonatogyne and Savia (Phyllanthaceae). Brittonia 60: 136-166

Selected Earlier Publications

  • Hoffmann, P. (1999). The genus Antidesma (Euphorbiaceae) in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. Kew Bulletin 54: 877–885.
  • Hoffmann, P. & McPherson, G. (2003). Euphorbiaceae. In Goodman, S.M. & Benstead, J.P. (eds) Natural History of Madagascar. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 379–383.
  • Wurdack, K.J., Hoffmann, P. & Chase, M.W. (2005). Molecular phylogenetic analysis of uniovulate Euphorbiaceae (Euphorbiaceae sensu stricto) using plastid rbcL and trnL-F DNA sequences. American Journal of Botany 92: 1397-1420.
  • Kathriarachchi, H., Samuel, R., Hoffmann, P., Mlinarec, J., Wurdack, K.J., Ralimanana, H.N., Stuessy,T.F., Chase, M.W. (2006). Phylogenetics of tribe Phyllantheae (Phyllanthaceae; Euphorbiaceae sensu lato) based on nrITS and plastid matK DNA sequence data. American Journal of Botany 93 (4):637-655
  • Hoffmann, P. & Wurdack, K.J. (2006). Radcliffea, a new genus of Euphorbiaceae sensu stricto from Madagascar. Kew Bulletin 61 (2): 193-197.

Scientific Research & Data

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