Utilizing a phylogenetic plant classification for systematic arrangements in botanic gardens and herbaria

James A. Wearn*, Mark W. Chase, David J. Mabberley, Charlotte Couch

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The use of different and often outmoded systems for the arrangement of collections in botanic gardens and herbaria hampers international research because it makes finding the location of a specific genus and family unpredictable. Following a series of international workshops, intended to develop a set of widely accepted circumscriptions of vascular plant families, a European and Australian consortium, the Vascular Plant Classification Committee (VPCC), was formed in 2008 to address the challenge of harmonizing collections (of living and preserved material and associated literary archives) across Europe and Australia; this was envisaged as an ambitious first step towards a globally accepted alignment of family circumscriptions and the use of an accepted unified linear sequence. In 2009, agreement on this was reached among six of the largest European botanical organizations, a pioneering scientific and political accomplishment. Global acceptance of this arrangement is now beginning to gather pace. A network of organizations adopting this new classification and sequence (or intending to, when resources allow) is developing and now reaches across five continents. In this article, we outline the aims of and progress made by the VPCC, and acknowledge the resources required for the reorganization of large collections, with a particular focus on those at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The importance of a dynamic sequence, reflective of taxonomic changes, and the ways in which such changes can be incorporated into collections are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)127-141
Number of pages15
JournalBotanical Journal of the Linnean Society
Volume172
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Angiosperms
  • Archives
  • Circumscription
  • Gymnosperms
  • Living collections
  • Lycophytes
  • Museums
  • Pteridophytes
  • Vascular plants

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Utilizing a phylogenetic plant classification for systematic arrangements in botanic gardens and herbaria'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this