Myrtaceae
Background
Work on Myrtaceae has been intermittent at Kew since the time of Bentham (generic overview), with a tropical Asian focus in the 1970s (A.J. Scott) and a New World focus since the late 1980s. The current multi-disciplinary collaborative programme has been developed over the last fifteen years, and has its foundations in: 1) Kew’s exceptionally type-rich Neotropical collections; 2) strong cross-departmental links between the herbarium and the Micromorphology, Biological Interactions and Molecular Systematics sections in the Jodrell Laboratory; and 3) nomenclatural expertise (essential in a family where the combined effects of biology and history have often resulted in nomenclatural disorder). Kew staff have a broad generic view across Myrtaceae, however the overall focus of the team is in resolving systematic relationships in the predominantly South American tribe Myrteae and promoting its conservation. At a lower taxonomic scale, the focus is on the core genera of subtribe Myrciinae (Myrcia, Marlierea, Calyptranthes and Gomidesia, c. 700 species and >1,000 binomials). The objectives are achieved by producing consistently high quality data within Kew and from collaboration with an established network of global Myrtaceae researchers.
Kew’s current work on Myrteae and Myrciinae complements that of Landrum (Arizona State University) and collaborators who have approached the tribe with emphasis on Neotropical Myrtinae, and the paleotropical Myrtinae emphasis of Guymer and Snow (Brisbane Botanic Gardens).Other international collaborations include joint publication with Australian (RBG Sydney) and New Zealand (University of Dunedin) researchers who have produced or contributed to the latest family and tribal level molecular phylogenies. Collaboration is also strong between Brazilian botanists researching ecological issues in Myrtaceae (University of Brasília, UFLA), Myrtaceae-specific data repatriation (University of Feira da Santana) and floristic, herbarium based and molecular systematics of Myrciinae and Eugeniinae (Universities of Belo Horizonte, Campinas, Maringá and São Paulo). Networking with RBG Sydney, Arizona State University, the Marie Selby Botanic Gardens and RBG Edinburgh supports Kew-based molecular systematic and wood anatomical research on the Myrciinae and Myrteae. Kew staff contributed Myrtaceae and Melastomataceae accounts to Heywood’s Flowering Plants of the World and continue to contribute to collaborative Flora projects (e.g. Flora of São Paulo, Flora of the Guianas, Flora Neotropica).
After a slow start as a result of staff changes, the work of the Myrtaceae team is now flourishing; Kew’s high quality, multidisciplinary and collaborative research on Myrtaceae is now entering a new phase, based on the firm foundations set down over the years.