People
Furness, Carol
| Job Title | Pollen morphologist |
|---|---|
| Department | Jodrell |
| Section | Micromorphology |
| Science Teams |
Monocots I: General Alismatids & Lilioids Monocots II: Commelinids Large-Scale Syntheses |
| Joined Kew | 1986 |
| Foreign Language(s) | basic French |
Qualifications & Appointments
BSc, Univ. Durham, 1979
MSc, Univ. Reading, 1983
PhD, Univ. Reading, 1987.
Meeting co-ordinator, Palynology Specialist Group, Linnean Society
Role
Structure, development and evolution of pollen and anther characters in angiosperms, particularly monocots.
Involved in ongoing collaborative projects aimed at (1) reviewing pollen and anther characters of systematic significance throughout the monocots, e.g. tapetum type, microsporogenesis, inaperturate pollen, operculate pollen, and (2) carrying out more detailed studies of specific target groups particularly in lilioids (Asparagales, Liliales, Dioscoreales, Pandanales) and commelinids (Cyperaceae). Research techniques include both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Work on specific pollen and anther characters of systematic significance, e.g. tapetum, microsporogenesis, pollen apertures, has been extended to encompass basal angiosperms and eudicots. Other activities have included supervision of two PhD students working on pollen of Dioscorea and Fabaceae; editing the proceedings of a symposium on pollen from the 16th International Botanical Congress, St Louis, 1999, as a special issue of the journal Grana; and currently editing the proceedings of a pollen symposium from the 17th IBC, Vienna, 2005, for publication in Plant Systematics and Evolution. Publishing peer-reviewed papers, including some in high impact journals.
Projects
Systematics and Evolution of Pandanales
Systematics and Phylogenetics of Cyperaceae Subfamily Mapanioideae
Selected Publications 2001-2005
Furness, C.A. & Rudall, P.J. (2003). Apertures with lids: distribution and significance of operculate pollen in monocotyledons. International Journal of Plant Sciences 164: 835-854.
Furness, C.A. & Rudall, P.J. (2004). Pollen aperture evolution – a crucial factor for eudicot success? Trends in Plant Science 9: 154-158.
Furness, C.A., Rudall, P. J. & Sampson, F. B. (2002). Evolution of microsporogenesis in angiosperms. International Journal of Plant Sciences 163: 235-260.
Schols, P., Wilkin, P., Furness, C.A., Huysmans, S. & Smets, E. (2005). Pollen evolution in yams (Dioscorea: Dioscoreaceae). Systematic Botany 30: 750-758.
Simpson, D.A., Furness, C.A., Hodkinson, T.R., Muasya, A.M. & Chase, M.W. (2003). Phylogenetic relationships in Cyperaceae subfamily Mapanioideae inferred from pollen and plastid DNA sequence data. American Journal of Botany 90: 1071-1086.
Selected Publications pre-2001
Furness, C.A. & Rudall, P.J. (1998). The tapetum and systematics in monocotyledons. The Botanical Review 64: 201-239.
Furness, C.A. & Rudall, P.J. (1999a). Inaperturate pollen in monocotyledons. International Journal of Plant Sciences 160: 395-414.
Furness, C.A. & Rudall, P.J. (1999b). Microsporogenesis in monocotyledons. Annals of Botany 84: 475-499.
Rudall, P.J. & Furness, C.A. (1997). Systematics of Acorus: ovule and anther. International. Journal of Plant Sciences 158: 640-651.
Rudall, P.J., Furness, C.A., Chase, M.W. & Fay, M.F. (1997). Microsporogenesis and pollen sulcus type in Asparagales (Lilianae). Canadian Journal of Botany 75: 408-430.