People

Hoffmann, Petra

Job Title (Currently on career break)
Department Herbarium, Library, Art and Archives
Section Systematic Teams
Science Teams Malpighiales
Madagascar
Wet Tropics: SE Asia
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

Evolution of Tribe Poranthereae (Phyllanthaceae) PROJECT COMPLETED

Flora of China

Interactive Key to the Genera of Malpighiales

Molecular Phylogenetics of Euphorbiaceae sensu lato

Molecular Phylogenetics of Tribe Phyllantheae (Phyllanthaceae) PROJECT COMPLETED

Phylogenetics and Conservation of Madagascan Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae) PROJECT COMPLETED

Polyhydroxyalkaloids in Euphorbiaceae sensu stricto

Systematics and Biogeography of Phyllanthus (Phyllanthaceae) of Madagascar

World Checklist of Malpighiales

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.