Simpson, David
Job TitleAssistant Keeper, Systematics
DepartmentHerbarium
SectionMonocot Systematics
Science Teams:
- Drylands: Africa
- Monocots I: General Alismatids & Lilioids
- Monocots II: Commelinids
- United Kingdom
- Wet Tropics: SE Asia
Joined Kew: 1985
Foreign Language(s): French (basic), Thai (basic).
Qualifications & Appointments
BSc (Hons), Univ. Wales (Bangor), 1977
MSc, Univ. Reading, 1978
PhD, Univ. Lancaster, 1983
Editor-in-chief, Kew Bulletin (2005 - )
Editorial Boards, Watsonia (1998-2005), Thai Forest Bulletin (1999 - ), Flora of Thailand (2000 -), Flora of China (2006 - ), Tropical Natural History (2007 - ), Thai Journal of Botany (2009 - )
Visiting Lecturer, University of Reading (1989 - )
Visiting professor, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011
Hon. Research Associate, University of Dublin (Trinity College) (2000 - )
Role
Management and leadership of Systematics Section in HLAA; Systematics of Poales
Management and leadership of the nine research Teams in the Systematics Section. Research focusing on the systematics of Cyperaceae, Poaceae and related families worldwide. This includes: higher level collaborative studies focused on developing a comprehensive morphological/molecular phylogeny of Cyperaceae and Juncaceae; monographic studies in Cyperaceae tribes Cariceae, Chrysitricheae; Cypereae, Hypolytreae, Scirpeae, Sclerieae and Juncaceae; floristics of Old World Cyperaceae, especially in eastern/southern Africa, Thailand/Indo-China, Malesia and the British Isles; floristics of Thai Poaceae; biogeography and conservation of Cyperaceae in SE Asia, especially Thailand/Indo-China. Sustainable utilization of Cyperaceae worldwide. Also, interests in the systematics of aquatic monocots, especially Hydrocharitaceae. Broad commitment to data dissemination through editorial work (especially as Editor-in-Chief Kew Bulletin), and etaxonomy (e.g. eMonocot, GrassBase, Monocot Types, World Checklist of Monocots).
Projects
- Co-Evolution at the Plant-Animal Interface
(project completed 2010) - Digitising the specimens and archive of A.F.G. Kerr, pioneering botanist in Thailand
- eMonocot
- electronic Plant Information Centre (ePIC)
(project completed 2004) - Flora of China
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Generic Delimitation in Cyperaceae Tribe Cypereae
- Genera of Cyperaceae
- Grasses of Thailand
- Grasses and Sedges of Britain and Ireland - COMPLETED 2009
- Grass Evolution, Anti-Herbivory and Past Climate - COMPLETED 2008
- Monocot Checklist-Project Completed
- Electronic cataloguing and imaging of monocot type specimens
- Morphological Innovations in Poales
- Synthesis of Systematic Resources 2
- Systematics and Phylogenetics of Cyperaceae Subfamily Mapanioideae
- Thai Cyperaceae: Distribution and Conservation
- GrassBase
Selected Recent Publications
Jermy, A.C., Simpson, D.A., Foley, M.J.Y. & Porter, M. (2007). Sedges of the British Isles. BSBI Handbook no 1. Edition 3. Botanical Society of the British Isles. 575 pp.
Simpson, D.A., Muasya, A.M., Alves, M., Bruhl, J.J., Dhooge, S., Chase, M.W., Furness, C.A., Ghamkhar, K., Goetghebeur, P., Hodkinson, T.R., Marchant, A.D., Reznicek, A.A., Nieuwborg, R., Roalson, E.A., Smets, E., Starr, J.R., Thomas, W.W., Wilson, K.L., Zhang, X. (2007). Phylogeny of Cyperaceae based on DNA sequence data - a new rbcL analysis. Aliso 23: 72-83.
Muasya, A.M., Simpson, D.A., Verboom, G.A., Goetghebeur, P., Naczi, R.F.C., Chase, M.W. & Smets, E. (2009). Phylogeny of Cyperaceae based on DNA sequence data: current progress and future prospects. Botanical Review 75: 52-66.
Smith, S.Y., Collinson, M.E., Simpson, D.A., Rudall, P.J., Marone, F. & Stampanoni, M. (2009). Elucidating the affinities and habitat of ancient, widespread Cyperaceae: Volkeria messelensis gen. et sp. nov., a fossil mapanioid sedge from the Eocene of Europe. American Journal of Botany 96: 1581–1593.
Simpson, D.A., Yesson, C., Culham, A., Couch, C. & Muasya, A.M. (2011). Climate Change and Cyperaceae. In Hodkinson, T.R., Jones, M.B., Waldren S. & Parnell, J.A.N. (eds), Climate change and systematics. 439-456. Systematics Association Special Volume Series. CRC Press, London.
Selected Earlier Publications
- Simpson, D.A. (1992). A revision of the genus Mapania. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 189 pp.
- Simpson, D.A. (1995). Relationships within Cyperales. In Rudall, P., Cribb, P.J., Cutler, D.F. & Humphries, C.J. (eds) Monocotyledons: systematics and evolution 2. 497–509.
- Muasya, A.M., Simpson, D.A., Culham, A. & Chase, M.W. (1998). An assessment of suprageneric phylogeny in Cyperaceae using rbcL sequence data. Plant Systematics and Evolution 211: 257–271.
- Simpson, D.A. & Koyama, T. (1998). Cyperaceae. Flora of Thailand 6. 247–485.
Muasya, A., Bruhl, J.J., Simpson, D.A., Culham, A. & Chase, M.W. (2000). Suprageneric phylogeny of Cyperaceae. In Wilson, K.L. & Morrison, D. (eds) Monocots: Systematics and Evolution. 593–601.
- Simpson, D.A. & Inglis, C.A. (2001). Cyperaceae of economic, ethnobotanical and horticultural importance: a checklist. Kew Bulletin 56: 257-360.
Simpson, D.A., Furness, C.A., Hodkinson, T. & Chase, M.W. (2003). Phylogenetic relationships in Cyperaceae subfamily Mapanioideae inferred from pollen and plastid DNA sequence data. American Journal of Botany 90: 1071-1087.
Starr, J.R., Harris, S.A. & Simpson, D.A. (2004). Phylogeny of the unispicate taxa in Cyperaceae Tribe Cariceae I: generic relationships and evolutionary scenarios. Systematic Botany 29(3): 528-544.
Simpson, D.A., Muasya, A.M., Chayamarit, K., Parnell, J.A.N., Suddee, S., De Wilde, B., Jones, M.B., Bruhl, J.J. & Pooma, R. (2005).Khaosokia caricoides, a new genus and species of Cyperaceae from Thailand. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 149: 357–364.
