People

Hunt, David R.

Job Title Honorary Research Fellow
Department Herbarium
Section Honorary Research Associate
Science Teams Drylands: Tropical America
Joined Kew $$
Foreign Language(s) German, Spanish.

Qualifications & Appointments

BA (Hons), Univ. Cambridge, 1959

MA, Univ. Cambridge, 1963

PhD, Univ. Reading, 1983.

Editor, Curtis’s Botanical Magazine (1968–1982)

Cactus & Succulent and Global Trees Specialist Groups, IUCN-SSC

Convener/Editor, International Cactaceae Systematics Group

Editor (1992–95), Council & Scientific Committee, International Dendrology Society (1990-2003)

Secretary/Editor, International Organization for Succulent Plant Study (1974–94)

Conifer Nomenclature Committee, Royal Horticultural Society (1964-2005)

Council of Management, Cornwall Gardens Trust (1989–91).

Role

Taxonomy of Cactaceae, Commelinaceae and formerly Coniferae, exploiting and encouraging the interface between professional botanists and knowledgeable amateur enthusiasts.

Basic taxonomy and nomenclature of various groups best understood from well-documented living collections, to provide support for scientific research into, e.g., chromosome evolution and molecular systematics, and for conservation and horticulture. Main focus since 1984 has been on Cactaceae and on international collaboration among professional researchers and amateur students of the family, culminating in the publication of the ‘New Cactus Lexicon’ (2006), documenting and illustrating all taxa.

Projects

New Cactus Lexicon

Selected Publications 2001-2005

Hunt, D. (2001). Commelinaceae. In Stevens, W.D. (ed) Flora de Nicaragua, 1. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. 638-650.

Hunt, D. (2002). That’s Opuntia, that was! In Hunt, D.R. & Taylor, N.P. (eds) Succulent Plant Research 6. dh books, Milborne Port. 245-249.

Selected Publications pre-2001

Hunt, D. (1967). Cactaceae. In Hutchinson, J. (ed) The Genera of Flowering Plants, 2. Oxford University Press.

Barthlott, W. & Hunt, D. (1993). Cactaceae. In Kubitzki, K. (ed) The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants 2. Springer Verlag. 161–196.

Hunt, D. (1993). Commelinaceae. In McVaugh, R. (ed) Flora Novo-Galiciana 13. University of Michigan Herbarium. 130–201.

Hunt, D. (1999). CITES Cactaceae Checklist. Edition 2. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 315 pp.

Barthlott, W. & Hunt, D. (2000). Seed-diversity in the Cactaceae subfam. Cactoideae. Succulent Plant Research 5. 173 pp.