People

Govaerts, Rafaël H.A.

Job Title Senior Checklist Compiler
Department Herbarium
Section Monocot Systematics
Science Teams Rubiaceae
Lamiaceae
Monocots I: General Alismatids & Lilioids
Myrtaceae
Monocots II: Commelinids
Large-Scale Syntheses
Monocots III: Orchids
Joined Kew 2001
Foreign Language(s) Dutch, French, German.

Qualifications & Appointments

BSc (Hons), EHSAL, Brussels, 1994.

Convener, Geography, Taxonomic Databases Working Group.

Role

Compilation of World Checklists of selected plant families of particular interest to Kew with a current focus on Monocots.

Compilation of World checklists for seed plant families, in-line with objectives of RBG Kew, Science Teams, and staff. After initial compilation, each checklist (or parts of it) is sent to internal and external specialists for verification and comment. The data sets are then prepared for dissemination, primarily as electronic publications, but whenever possible hard copy publication is also undertaken. Website interfaces are updated to give users the different options they demand. The data sets are also constantly maintained as new information is published. A compilation tool has been developed to make checklist compilation much easier, which may also be used by external collaborators who are compiling other checklists in the World checklist series. At the present time the focus is on Monocotyledons. Working towards compiling a checklist for all taxa of Monocots, with full bibliographic references, global distribution and life form. This involves a global network of experts who verify and edit the data, and co-ordination of the collaborators who are compiling specific families.

Projects

European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT)

Global Overview of Lamiaceae and Related Families

Monocot Checklist

Seed Information Database (SID)

Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation - Global Checklists

World Checklist of Malpighiales

World Classification and Phylogeny of Salicaceae sensu stricto

World Grass Species Databases (GrassBase)

World Myrtaceae Checklist and Bibliography

World Rubiaceae Checklist

Selected Publications 2001-2005

Govaerts, R. (2001 publ. 2002). How many species of seed plants are there? Taxon 50(4): 1085-1090.

Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Pennington,T.D. (2001 publ. 2002). World Checklist and Bibliography of Sapotaceae. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 364 pp.

Govaerts, R. & Frodin,D.G. (2002). World Checklist and Bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae). Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 560 pp.

Govaerts, R. & Dransfield, J. (2005). World Checklist of Palms. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 223 pp.

Selected Publications pre-2001

Govaerts, R. (1995). Proposal to conserve or reject three species names in Quercus L. (Fagaceae). Taxon 44(4): 631-633.

Govaerts, R. & Frodin, D.G. (1998). World Checklist and Bibliography of Fagales. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 408 pp.

Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checkist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): Deurne, Continental Publishing. 1532 pp.

Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000). World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae), 4 parts. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 1622 pp.

Govaerts, R., Kato, H. & Paton, A. (2001). 414 Scutellaria longituba, Lamiaceae. Curtis’s Botanical Magazine 18(2): 85-90.