Malpighiales
Future Plans
Collections (2006 onwards)
Malpighiales will continue to be curated to a high standard and gaps in representation will be closed through further exchange and fieldtrips. Special emphasis will be on the acquisition of material suitable for DNA extraction through targeted fieldtrips of staff and students and liaison with other institutions, which will also contribute to the Kew DNA bank.
New accessions will be named as fast as possible to maximise access to the collections by staff and visitors. Herbarium collection of Malpighiales Section will be recurated according to most recent taxonomic revisions published.
Type specimens and other selected specimens in the section will continue to be imaged and databased.
Baseline Plant Diversity Research (2006 onwards)
Achariaceae sensu lato and Salicaceae sensu lato for Kubitzki’s Family and Genera of Vascular Plants will be submitted (2007). (see project: Salicaceae sensu lato and Achariaceae sensu lato for Kubitzki’s Families and Genera of Vascular Plants).
The electronic (DELTA) morphological data matrix and illustrated interactive keys of Achariaceae sensu lato, Euphorbiaceae sensu lato, Ochnaceae and Salicaceae sensu lato will be merged into a single key. It will be continually improved and updated, and other Malpighiales families added (see project: Interactive Key to the genera of Malpighiales).
The co-ordination of Euphorbiaceae sensu lato treatments for Flora of China by Mike Gilbert is ongoing (see project: Flora of China). In collaborations with Chinese co-authors, “Flacourtiaceae”, Phyllanthaceae and selected genera of Euphorbiaceae sensu stricto for Flora of China will be prepared by Kew staff and students.
A revised classification of Euphorbiaceae sensu stricto based on molecular phylogenetic analysis will be published, led by Ken Wurdack of the Smithsonian Institution (see project: Molecular Phylogenetics of Euphorbiaceae sensu lato).
A taxonomic revision of Andrachne and Leptopus will be published which will take into account the changes of generic circumscriptions necessary following the molecular phylogenetic study. A paper on the identity of Andrachne cuneifolia is being prepared. One or several new genera may be described to reflect phylogeny of this tribe more accurately (see project: Evolution of Tribe Poranthereae).
The PhD thesis on Systematics and biogeography of Phyllanthus (Phyllanthaceae) in Madagascar at the University of Antananarivo will be completed and its results published. There are several new species to be described, and adjustments in the infrageneric taxonomy of Phyllanthus will be made. The species-richness of Phyllanthus in Madagascar means that the taxonomic revision will be published in several parts (see project: Systematics and Biogeography of Phyllanthus (Phyllanthaceae) of Madagascar).
A project on Salicaceae sensu stricto, funded by an EU Marie Curie fellowship, will generate a checklist and bibliography of all Salicaceae sensu stricto taxa and all described hybrids, and a DELTA database containing the morphological characters of all Eurasian species of Salicaceae sensu stricto which will be combined with those of American and Chinese species already available (see project: World Classification and Phylogeny of Salicaceae sensu stricto).
New taxa will be described as they come to the attention of the team.
Comparative Plant Biology (2006 onwards)
The PhD project on the molecular phylogenetics of tribe Poranthereae (Phyllanthaceae) will be completed and its results published. This will include dating the trees and an analysis of available palaeoecological data (see project: Evolution of Tribe Poranthereae).
The morphological and molecular characters of tribe Oncobeae (Achariaceae/Salicaceae) will be investigated to resolve difficulties in the group (see project: Systematics of Tribe Oncobeae (Salicaceae/Achariaceae/Flacourtiaceae).
The intrageneric relationships in Salix (Salicaceae) will be studied as part of a Marie Curie incoming researcher fellowship in the Jodrell Laboratory (see project: World Classification and Phylogeny of Salicaceae sensu stricto).
The phylogenetic study of Picrodendraceae (Euphorbiaceae sensu lato) based on four genes will be published, led by Ken Wurdack of the Smithsonian Institution (see project: Molecular Phylogenetics of Euphorbiaceae sensu lato).
The survey of polyhydroxyalkaloids in Euphorbiaceae sensu stricto will be published following isolation and characterisation of glycosidic alkaloids from Omphalea (see project: Polyhydroxyalkaloids in Euphorbiaceae sensu stricto).
A paper on the initial broad wood anatomical survey of Malpighiales will be submitted to IAWA Journal. Based on these previous results, detailed data collection for species and genera in selected Malpighiales families where wood anatomical characters are phylogenetically significant will be gathered and analysed. A separate survey will be published on the wood anatomy of Malpighiaceae (see project: Wood anatomy of Malpighiales).
The cyathium in tribe Euphorbieae (Euphorbiacae sensu stricto) will be investigated to test hypotheses of its evolution (see project: Cyathium Evolution in Euphorbieae (Euphorbiaceae)).
A first molecular marker ‘genome-scan’ will be carried out in natural hybrids Populus alba x P. tremula to study the genetics of adaptation and species differentiation in these taxa (P. I. Christian Lexer, Genetics section, Jodrell Laboratory). Leaf biometric data for this purpose will be generated in collaboration with Don Kirkup (Herbarium). The results will be published in at least four papers in peer-reviewed journals (subject areas molecular ecology, evolution, genetics). Genetic markers and expressed gene sequences will be identified for potential future use in systematics research of related Malpighiales (see projects: Molecular Genetic Analysis of a Barrier to Gene Flow Between Two Ecologically Divergent Populus Species; Introgression of Abiotic Stress Response Genes Across Hybrid Zones in Populus; Testing the Role of Ecological Selection and Clonal Reproduction in Hybrid Zone Persistence in European Populus).
Sustainable Utilisation of Plant Resources (2006 onwards)
The project on the chemistry of Passiflora (Passifloraceae) is being continued and the results published in high impact journals, as well as in those journals used by the food trade and in popular non-scientific magazines. The distribution of phenolic compounds among the different subgenera of Passiflora will also be compared with recent DNA-based phylogenetic studies. Possible benefits of this research are not only in the field of human health but also of plant-pest interactions.
Research into the medicinal properties of a range of species from Malpighiales genera including Phyllanthus (Phyllanthaceae), Salix (Salicaceae) and Viola (Violaceae) continues. A literature survey on uses of Phyllanthus for treatment of diabetes will be carried out.
The collation of information on sustainable use of selected Malpighiales species is also planned.
Conservation and Environmental Monitoring (2006 onwards)
Conservation assessments for all newly described or revised taxa will be published, including full IUCN assessments of the c. 60 Phyllanthus taxa endemic to Madagascar.