People
Paton, Alan
| Job Title | Assistant Herbarium Keeper, Dicot Systematics |
|---|---|
| Department | Herbarium |
| Section | Dicot Systematics |
| Science Teams |
Wet Tropics: SE Asia Conventions and Policies Lamiaceae Large-Scale Syntheses Drylands: Africa |
| Joined Kew | 1990 |
| Foreign Language(s) | French |
Qualifications & Appointments
BSc (Hons), Univ. Edinburgh, 1986
PhD, Univ. Edinburgh, 1989.
Coordination Mechanism, Global Taxonomy Initiative of the CBD
Electronic Catalogue of Names Science Committee, Global Biodiversity Information Forum (GBIF)
Plants Conservation Committee, IUCN-SSC.
Role
Management of Dicot Systematics sections of the Herbarium; Lamiaceae research; implementation of Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC).
My principal duty is to manage the research and collections relating to core systematic research teams including Leguminosae, Lamiaceae, Rubiaceae and Euphorbiaceae. In addition there is supervision of Kew’s Convention and Policy Section, dealing with CITES and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Responsibility for liaising with the Secretariat of the CBD on progress on Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC - a widely accessible list of all known plant species). Strong interest in developing preliminary conservation assessments (Target 2 GSPC) from specimen data (Willis et al. 2003). PI on a large grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to explore collaborative methods with Missouri and New York Botanical Gardens for accelerating progress of towards Targets 1 & 2 of the GSPC. Leading the cross-departmental Lamiaceae team, with own research centred on African and Asian Labiatae, writing accounts of the family for ‘Flora Tropical East Africa’ and ‘Flora Zambesiaca’. Also pursuing monographic and phylogenetic research in tribe Ocimeae and have published several multidisciplinary papers on Ocimum (basil) and Plectranthus (e.g. Paton et al. 2004) and currently completing a revision of 150 species of Plectranthus as part of the African Floras, which will serve as a basis for future multidisciplinary work. Currently supervising PhD students in Thailand, Ireland and the UK.
Projects
Authentication and Chemical Fingerprinting of Economically Important Species
Chemosystematics and Biological Activity of Lamiaceae
Co-Evolution at the Plant-Animal Interface
Diversity of Biologically Active Plants and Plant-Derived Compounds
Global Overview of Lamiaceae and Related Families
Interactive Key to African Plants
Medicinal Uses of British Plants
Systematics of Lamiaceae Subfamily Viticoideae
Systematics, Sustainable Use and Conservation of Tribe Ocimeae (Basil and Allies, Lamiaceae)
Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation - Global Checklists
Understanding and Conserving the Earth’s Biodiversity Hotspots (HOTSPOTS)
World Classification and Phylogeny of Salicaceae sensu stricto
Selected Publications 2001-2005
Paton, A.J., Springate, D., Suddee, S. Otieno, D., Grayer, R.J., Harley, M.M., Willis, F., Simmonds, M.S.J., Powell, M.P., & Savolainen, V. (2004). Phylogeny and Evolution of Basils and Allies (Ocimeae, Labiatae) based on three Plastid DNA Regions. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 31: 277-299.
Suddee, S., Paton, A.J., & Parnell, J.A.N. (2004). A Taxonomic Revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia. III. Ociminae. Kew Bulletin 60: 3-75.
Willis, F., Moat, J. & Paton, A. (2003). Defining a role for herbarium data in Red List assessments: A case study of Plectranthus from East and Southern Tropical Africa. Biodiversity and Conservation 12: 1537-1552.
Paton, A. (2002). Global Strategy for Plant Conservation: Target 1: A widely accessible working list of known plant species, as a step towards a complete world Flora. Follow-up on SBSTTA Recommendation VII/8 paragraph 2 on the refinement of the 16 draft targets included in the proposed strategy. UNEP/CBD/GSPC/1/2 Available at http://www.biodiv.org/doc/meetings/pc/tempc-01/official/tempc-01-03-en.pdf .
Kirkup, D., Malcolm, P., Christian, G. & Paton, A. (2005). Towards a digital African Flora. Taxon 54 (2): 457-466.
Selected Publications pre-2001
Paton, A.J. (1997). Classification and Species of Platostoma and its relationship with Haumaniastrum (Labiatae). Kew Bulletin 52: 257–292
Paton, A.J. (1997). The genus Haumaniastrum (Labiatae). Kew Bulletin 52: 293–378.
Paton, A., Harley, R.M. & Harley M.M. (1999). Ocimum - an overview of relationships and classification. In Holm, Y. & Hiltunen, R. (eds). Ocimum. Medicinal and Aromatic plants- industrial profiles. Series Ed. Hardman, Harwood Academic, Amsterdam. 1–38.
Paton, A., ten Kate, K. & Cheyne, P. (2000). Herbarium Collections – Accessibility and Implementation of the CBD. Diversity: 15 (4): 12–15.