Taxonomic research on ecologically important plant families in Southeast Asia

Many ecologically important plant groups in Southeast Asia are difficult to identify and baseline taxonomic and conservation information is often lacking. Conservationists and other field workers need easy to use and reliable keys, species descriptions, and conservation assessments to aid in their work and studies.

Vitex trifolia ssp. trifolia with visitor in the Bogor Botanic gardens. Photo: R. de Kok.

This project aims to address the need for identification tools and/or baseline taxonomic and conservation information of particular Southeast Asian plants.

Examples:-

Urticaceae:  The genus Boehmeria Jacq is being revised by Melanie Thomas (C.M. Wilmot-Dear) in collaboration with Ib Friis of the University of Copenhagen in order to provide baseline taxonomic and conservation information on this difficult taxonomic group. The project is ongoing and results will be published in international refereed journals. The genus Poikilospermum Zipp. ex Miq.is being revised by Alison Moore for the Flora of Peninsular Malaysia. The genus is currently curated under the Cecropiaceae but evidence from recent molecular studies will see it move back into the Urticaceae.

Myrsinaceae:  The genus Maesa Forssk. is being revised by Tim Utteridge. The genus is an ecologically important plant group in Southeast Asia and is often misidentified. The project is ongoing and results will be published in international refereed journals. The genus Systellantha B.C.Stone is being worked on by Clare Drinkell.

Lauraceae:  The genus Cryptocarya R.Br. is being revised by Rogier de Kok for the Flora of Thailand and the Flora of Peninsular Malaysia. The family consists of the economically important genus Cinnamomum Schaeff. along with many other genera with species which are highly prized for timber. This family present botanists with many identification and classification problems; molecular work and the development of an interactive key will be essential parts of the project. 

Lamiaceae:  The tree genera of the Lamiaceae are being revised by Rogier de Kok and Gemma Bramley in collaboration with Rusea Go of the Universiti Putra Malaysia. The group consists of the economically important genus Tectona L. and the ecologically important genera Teijsmanniodendron Koord. and Callicarpa L. The first phase of the project ended in 2007 and further results will be published in international refereed journals and in the Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak. Research is now focused on the Flora Malesiana account for Lamiaceae (see the ‘Southeast Asian Floristics: Lamiaceae’ project for further details).

Actinidiaceae: The genus Saurauia Willd. is being worked on by Marie Briggs for Flora Malesiana.

Key publications:

• Wilmot Dear, C.M., Friis, I. & Thomas Z (2010). New species in Old-World Boehmeria (Urticaceae) Edin. Journ. Bot. 67(3): 43 1-450.
• Bramley, G.L.C. (2009). The genus Callicarpa L. (Lamiaceae) on Borneo. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 159: 416-455.
• de Kok, R.P.J. (2009) The genus Teijsmanniodendron Koord. (Lamiaceae). Kew Bulletin 64: 587-625.
• de Kok, R.P.J. (2008) The genus Vitex (Labiatae) in the Flora Malesiana region, excluding New Guinea. Kew Bulletin 63: 17-40.
• Utteridge, T.M.A. and Saunders, R.M. K. (2004). The genus Maesa (Maesaceae) in the Philippines. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 145: 17–43.