Wood, John R. I.
Job TitleHonorary Research Associate
DepartmentHerbarium, Library, Art & Archives
SectionHerbarium
Science Teams:
Foreign Language(s): Spanish, Arabic (basic), French and German.
Qualifications & Appointments
BA (Hons), Univiversity of Cambridge, 1966.
MA, University of Cambridge, 1969.
PGCE, London Univiversity, 1970.
MA, Reading Univiversity, 1981.
Cert Manag, Wolverhampton University, 1996.
Role
Taxonomy of Acanthaceae (especially Strobilanthes), Labiatae (especially Salvia, Lepechinia); floristics, plant distribution patterns and conservation in Bolivia.
John has a long-term interest in the taxonomy of Labiatae and especially Acanthaceae with recent involvement in the Convolvulaceae project at Oxford. Within Acanthaceae his principal interest is in Strobilanthes worldwide, but also strong interests in other genera, notably Justicia, Dicliptera, Stenostephanus and Dyschoriste. He has been collaborating with Robert Scotland (University of Oxford) and colleagues in a series of papers related to the systematics and taxonomy of Strobilanthes and its allies, and also from 2011 in the Convolvulaceae. In the Labiatae John's principal interests are in Neotropical Salvia, Clinopodium and Lepechinia. At the country level his principal interest is in Bolivia, with some interest in Arabia. In Bolivia John has co-ordinated a Darwin project from 2007-11 involved in taxonomy, training and conservation awareness raising with some follow-up activities planned for 2012. John also has a growing interest in the total flora of the country, including the taxonomy of groups with high levels of endemism and/or taxonomic challenge, e.g. Tecoma (Bignoniaceae), Convolvulaceae, Polygala and Malvaceae.
Projects
Selected Recent Publications
Wood, J. R. I. (ed.) (2011). Guía Darwin de las plantas de los cerrados de la Chiquitania. Museo de Historia Natural 'Noel Kempff Mercado', Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Bebber, D. P., Carine, M. A., Wood, J. R. I., Wortley, A. H., Harris, D. J., Prance, G. H., Davidse, G., Paige, J., Pennington, T. D., Robson, N. K. & Scotland, R. W. (2010). Herbaria are a major frontier for species discovery. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 107(51): 22169 – 22171.
Mamani, F., Pozo, P., Soto, D., Villarroel, D. & Wood, J. R. I. (ed.) (2010). Libro Rojo de las Plantas de Los Cerrados del Oriente Boliviano. Museo de Historia Natural, Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Wood, J. R. I. (2007). The Salvias (Lamiaceae) of Bolivia. Kew Bull. 62(2): 177 – 222.
Wood, J. R. I. (2006). Inter-Andean dry valleys of Bolivia – Floristic affinities and patterns of endemism. In: R. T. Pennington, G. P. Lewis & J. Ratter (eds), Neotropical Savannas and Seasonally Dry Forests. Syst. Assoc. Special Volume No. 69.
Selected Earlier Publications
Wood, J. R. I. (ed.). (2005). La Guia 'Darwin' de las Flores de Los Valles Bolivianos. Darwin Initiative Project 162/11/010.
Wasshausen, D. C. & Wood, J. R. I. (2004). Acanthaceae of Bolivia. Contrib. US Natl. Herb. No. 49. Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.
Wasshausen, D. C. & Wood, J. R. I. (2004). Notes on the genus Justicia in Bolivia. Kew Bull. 58(4): 769 – 831.
Wood, J. R. I. & Wasshausen, D. C. (2003). Notes on the genus Ruellia (Acanthaceae) in Bolivia, Peru and Brazil. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 116(2): 263 – 274.
Wasshausen, D. C. & Wood, J. R. I. (2003). The genus Dyschoriste (Acanthaceae) in Bolivia and Argentina. Brittonia 55(1): 10 – 18.
Wasshausen, D. C. & Wood, J. (2001). The genus Stenostephanus in Bolivia. Harvard Pap. Bot. 6(2): 449 – 454.
Wood, J. R. I. (1997). A Handbook of the Yemen Flora. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Wood, J. R. I. (1994). Notes relating to the Flora of Bhutan XXXI: Acanthaceae with special reference to Strobilanthes. Edinb. J. Bot. 51(2): 175 – 273.
Wood, J. R. I. & Harley, R. M. (1989). The genus Salvia (Labiatae) in Colombia. Kew Bull. 44(2): 211 – 278.
Wood, J. R. I. (1988). Colombian Acanthaceae - some new discoveries and some reconsiderations. Kew Bull. 43(1): 1 – 51.
Wood, J. R. I. (1983). The Aloes of the Yemen Arab Republic. Kew Bull. 38(1): 13 – 31.
