People
Thomas, Melanie
| Job Title | Plant Taxonomist |
|---|---|
| Department | Herbarium |
| Section | Regional Teams |
| Science Teams |
Wet Tropics: SE Asia |
| Joined Kew | 1973 |
| Foreign Language(s) | Latin, French, Spanish (basic); Chinese (very basic). |
Qualifications & Appointments
BSc (Hons), Botany/Zoology, Univ. London, 1973.
Role
Systematics of Urticaceae, Mucuna (Old World).
Research currently focuses on Urticaceae and is mainly collaborative. A monograph of the tribe Forsskaoleae was produced, and subsequent work has focused on the tribe Boehmerieae, with the aims of (1) redefining generic limits using morphological and fruit-anatomical data, (2) producing monographs of individual genera, (3) producing or giving input into accounts of the family for flora projects. Two revisions, New World Boehmeria and Pouzolzia, and Old World Pouzolzia, have so far been produced, and Old World Boehmeria is in progress. Input has been given to Urticaceae for ‘Flora of China’, accounts of Boehmeria and Pouzolzia written for ‘Flora Mesoamericana’, and two papers on fruit anatomy have been co-authored. Have also worked on Cannabaceae, Casuarinaceae, Ceratophyllaceae, Ulmaceae and Compositae for regional African Floras and produced several revisions in Old World Mucuna (Leguminosae). An account of Mucuna is planned for the ‘Flora of Thailand’.
Selected Publications 2001-2005
Wilmot-Dear, C.M. & Friis, I. (2002). Two notes on Urticaceae: a correction in New World Pouzolzia and a new species record of Droguetia for Madagascar. Kew Bulletin 57: 1005-1006.
Chen Jiarui, Lin Qi, Friis, I., Wilmot-Dear, C.M. & Monro, A.K. (2003). Urticaceae. In Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds) Flora of China, Vol. 5 (Ulmaceae through Basellaceae). Beijing/St. Louis: Science Press/Missouri Botanical Garden Press. 76-189.
Kravtsova, T.I., Friis, I. & Wilmot Dear, C.M. (2003). Morphology and anatomy of fruits in Pouzolzia (Urticaceae) in relation to taxonomy. Kew Bulletin 58: 297-327.
Wilmot-Dear, C.M., Friis, I. & Kravtsova, T.I. (2003). A new species of Boehmeria (Urticaceae), B. burgeriana Wilmot-Dear, Friis & Kravtsova, endemic to Costa Rica. Kew Bulletin 58: 213-218.
Friis, I. & Wilmot-Dear, C.M. (1988). A revision of the tribe Forsskaoleae (Urticaceae). Nordic Journal of Botany 8(1): 25-59.
Wilmot-Dear, C. M. (1988). An account of the genus Debregeasia (Urticaceae-Boehmeria). Kew Bulletin 43: 673-692.
Wilmot-Dear, C.M., & Friis, I. (1996). The New World spp of Boehmeria & Pouzolzia (Urticaceae tribus Boehmereae): a taxonomic revision. Opera Botanica. 103 pp.
Wilmot-Dear, C.M., & Friis, I. (1998). Cypholophus decipiens (Urticaceae).-Taxonomy & range of a species often misplaced in Boehmeria. Kew Bulletin 53: 919-927.
Kravtsova, T.I., Friis, I. & Wilmot Dear, C.M. (2000). Morphology and anatomy of fruits in New World Boehmeria in relation to taxonomy. Kew Bulletin 55: 43-62.