Sapotaceae is one of the most important plant families in the world. With around 1,250 species, this Pantropical family is particularly diverse in the Neotropics. Given its high diversity and importance, it is surprising that the major clades of Sapotaceae are so poorly understood. In this project we focus our attention on the hyperdominant species of Sapotaceae in Amazon rainforest: Is Sapotaceae hyperdominance an artifact of unrecognized diversity under the current taxonomy, or a real biological pattern? We propose to start with Amazonian hyperdominant species of the genus Pouteria Aubl.

At least 100 undescribed species of Indigofera are known from southern Africa. About 50 are being described at present (Cape Region), while the rest of southern Africa will be done from 2023. Extensive fieldwork and in-depth phylogenetic analyses will be done to revise the genus and understand biogeographic patterns.

Despite of its biological significance, most of Amazonian plant diversity is considered poorly known and severely threatened, due to rapid environmental changes. We aim to advance in the systematics of two Amazonian neglected plant lineages, building robust phylogenetic framework, testing macroevolutionary hypothesis and constructing identification tools to the wide public.

The goal of this project is to advance the knowledge of the MMV flora and to contribute to a better understanding about the patterns and processes of diversification in the region as well to his conservation. To meet this goal, the following specific objectives will be developed.

The proposed expedition focuses on areas in central Sulawesi which have never been botanically explored. This work will close a major gap in our knowledge of the Sulawesi flora, make data and specimens available in international herbaria and online, and contribute to local botanical training and initiatives for ex-situ conservation.

The widely distributed Clerodendrum (Lamiaceae) is economically useful but confusion about generic and species boundaries persists. This project will acquire genomic sequence data to assess relationships between Australasian and Asian species, which is needed to test the monophyly of the genus and assist an accurate taxonomic classification of Asian Clerodendrum.

The project aims to enhance taxonomic knowledge by collecting species of the Begonia sect Baryandra in the Philippines (especially from remote islands) and use them to illustrate possible congruence of image processing techniques and phylogenomics in illustrating tempo and mode of evolution of one of the greatest plant radiation in the archipelago.

The proposed project aims to contribute to the lacking lichen collections in Colorado and better understand the full picture of lichen diversity from both the fungal and algal symbiont perspective. We propose innovative techniques such as physiology and sequencing to compare mechanisms driving fungal and algal diversity across elevational gradients.

Our research project aims to: (1) revise the scaly tree ferns of Java; (2) observe reproductive mode and chromosome number of the taxa; (3) study interspecific and intraspecific relationships of the taxa using molecular approaches.

Although the relationships of Solanaceae have been exhaustively examined using molecular data, there are still genera where the phylogenetic relationships and taxonomy are not nearly resolved, what we call ‘major gaps’. This project aims to clarify the taxonomy and evolution of the groups less studied: Browallia, Cestrum, and Physalis.

Identifying trees in tropical forests is challenging and expensive but vital. Our project will pioneer an affordable, next generation DNA sequencing based protocol for identifying trees in a poorly known tropical biodiversity hotspot, in collaboration with taxonomists and ecologists, to increase the quality and quantity of tropical tree identifications.

We want to empower local communities in the identification of their native orchids through strengthening taxonomic skills, improving local herbaria, and developing open-access materials. Collectively, we will establish the orchid diversity and its distribution in geographic gradients, and update the national database of orchid records made in 2015.