Dr David Simpson
Honorary Research Associate
My research focusses on Cyperaceae, Juncaceae, Poaceae and related families worldwide.
It includes: higher level collaborative studies focused on developing a comprehensive morphological/molecular phylogeny of Cyperaceae and Juncaceae; monographic studies in Cyperaceae tribes Cariceae, Cypereae, Hypolytreae, Scirpeae, Sclerieae and Juncaceae; floristics of Old World Cyperaceae, especially in eastern/southern Africa, Thailand/Indo-China, Malesia and the British Isles; floristics of Thai Poaceae; biogeography and conservation of Cyperaceae in SE Asia, especially Thailand/Indo-China. I am interested in the sustainable utilisation of Cyperaceae worldwide, and the systematics of aquatic monocots, especially Hydrocharitaceae.
I am committed to taxonomic data dissemination through editorial work, herbarium specimen digitisation and e-taxonomy.
- PhD, University of Lancaster, 1983
- MSc, Pure and Applied Plant Taxonomy, University of Reading,1978
- BSc (Hons), Botany and Forestry, Bangor University, 1977
- 2019- Associate Editor, Kew Bulletin
- 2018- President-Elect and Trustee, Kew Guild
- 2017- Editor, Flora of Thailand
- 2012- Member, Iheringia Editorial Board
- 2009- Member, Thai Journal of Botany Editorial Board
- 2007- Member, Tropical Natural History Editorial Board
- 2000- Member, Flora of Thailand Editorial Board
- 2000- Visiting Research Fellow in Botany, Trinity College, University of Dublin
- 1999- Member, Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) Editorial Board
- 1987- Fellow of the Linnean Society of London
- 1985- Botanical Referee for Cyperaceae and Hydrocharitaceae, Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland
Wangwasit, K., Muasya, A.M., Chantaranothai, P. & Simpson, D.A. (2017).
Taxonomy and phylogenetic position of Fimbristylis fusiformis, a new species of Cyperaceae from Thailand
Blumea 62, 47–52.
Osborne, C.P., Salomaa, A., Kluyver, T.A., Visser, V., Kellogg, E.A., Morrone, O., Vorontsova, M.S., Clayton, W.D. & Simpson, D.A. (2014).
A global database of C4 photosynthesis in grasses
New Phytologist 204: 441–446. DOI:
Smith, S.Y., Collinson, M.E., Rudall, P.J., Simpson, D.A., Marone, F. & Stampanoni, M. (2009).
Virtual taphonomy using synchrotron tomographic microscopy reveals cryptic features and internal structure of modern and fossil plants
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106: 12013–12018.
Jermy, A.C., Simpson, D.A., Foley, M.J.Y. & Porter, M. (2007).
Sedges of the British Isles
BSBI Handbook no 1. Edition 3. Botanical Society of the British Isles. 575 pp. ISBN: 9780901158352
Muasya, A.M., Simpson, D.A., Culham, A. & Chase, M.W. (1998).
An assessment of suprageneric phylogeny in Cyperaceae using rbcL sequence data
Plant Systematics and Evolution 211: 257–271.
Simpson, D.A. (1992).
A revision of the genus Mapania
Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens. 189 pp. ISBN: 0947643532
