People

Frodin, David

Job Title Honorary Research Associate
Department Herbarium
Section Honorary Research Associate
Science Teams Rubiaceae
Joined Kew
Foreign Language(s) French, Melanesian Pidgin, German, Russian

Qualifications & Appointments

BS, Univ. Chicago, 1963

MS, Univ. Tennessee, 1964

MSc, Univ. Liverpool, 1964

PhD, Univ. Cambridge, 1971.

Taxonomist, Chelsea Physic Garden

Lecturer (1971–78), Senior Lecturer (1979–82) and Associate Professor (1983–85), University of Papua New Guinea

IUCN-SSC Temperate Trees Specialist Group.

Role

Systematics of Araliaceae; world flora documentation; flora of Malesia; tree taxonomy and conservation; botanical bibliography, history and theory.

Preparation of a databased series of world checklists and bibliographies of seed plant families (print and electronic) as contributions towards a global species inventory (with staff at Kew and elsewhere). Monographic studies (partly collaborative) in Araliaceae, notably of the large pantropical genus Schefflera (>900 spp), and family treatments in floras and other outlets; also, contributions towards improved phylogeny and family delimitation within Apiales. Assistance with the curation of Araliaceae in the Kew Herbarium as well as (in the past) determinations and advice to other Kew departments. Floristics and biogeography of greater Malesia (notably Papuasia). Bibliography and history of floras, botanical exploration and institutions. Tree taxonomy and conservation. General problems of very large genera.

Projects

World Checklist of Malpighiales

World Rubiaceae Checklist

Selected Publications 2001-2005

Frodin, D.G (2001). Guide to standard floras of the world, 2nd edition. CUP, Cambridge. 1100 pp.

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

Frodin, D.G. & Govaerts, R. (2004). World Checklist and Bibliography of Araliaceae (2003). Royal Botanic Garden, Kew. 444 pp.

Frodin, D.G. (2004). History and concepts of big plant genera. Taxon 53 (3): 753–766.

Plunkett, G.M., Lowry, P.P., Ii, Frodin, D.G. & Wen, J. (2005). Phylogeny and geography of Schefflera: pervasive polyphyly in the largest genus of Araliaceae. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 92 (2): 202–224.

Selected Publications pre-2001

Frodin, D.G. & Heywood, V.H. (1968). Laburnum, Podocytisus, Cytisus, Chamaecytisus, Chronanthus. In Tutin, T.G. et al., (eds), Flora Europaea 2. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 86–90 & 90–93.

Frodin, D.G. (1975). Studies in Schefflera (Araliaceae): the Cephaloschefflera complex. J. Arnold Arbor 56: 427–448.

Frodin, D.G. Guide to standard floras of the world (1984). CUP, Cambridge. 619 pp

Frodin, D.G. (1997). Araliaceae. In Steyermark, J.A., Berry, P.E. & Holst, B.K. (eds) Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana 3: 1–31. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000). World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae). Royal Botanic Garden, Kew. 1–4: 1621 pp.