Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak: Myrtaceae
Syzygium sp. © E. Lucas.
With c. 4,000 species, the richest tree Flora in the Old World is found in north-west Borneo. Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei almost entirely encompass this plant geographic promise and, though comprising less than one third of Borneo, include c. 90% of its tree species. Myrtaceae is of particular interest as it includes the most species rich tree genus on the island, Syzygium with 175 species recognised in the account for the Flora. A systematic and evolutionary comparison of Syzygium with other large genera is proving valuable in elucidating processes of evolution, particularly speciation, in hyperdiverse ecosystems, and the relative role of ecologically neutral influences and niche specificity in ecosystem structure. In 2005, a revision of Bornean Syzygium was submitted for publication; also one paper describing 41 entities new to science in Syzygium, another describing 5 new entities in Tristanopsis.
Project Team
Project Leader: Ashton, Peter
Herbarium
Peter Ashton (Honorary Research Associate), Laura Jennings, Eve Lucas
Project Partners and Collaborators
Malaysia
Forest Research Institute Malaysia
USA
Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University