Systematic Botany

My Ph.D. research project and coursework were focused in biological systematics, specifically using newer techniques of phylogenetics to explore questions of natural (genetic) relationships among organisms. My core project focused on a plant I had come to know well in Rotuma, Fiji, the true sago palms of the genus Metroxylon. The funding for much of my dissertation work was provided through Fairchild Tropical Garden in Miami, Florida. The garden has a major collection of palms and my role was to work in Indo-Pacific countries with local botanists collecting seeds, voucher specimens, and making observations about palm ecology. The work was a lot of fun and took me to all sorts of rain forests and mosquito infested swamps. I loved it!

More recent work sponsored by private contracts and grants has enabled me to collect other plant diversity. Some of these plants were collected systematically to follow-up on specific questions, while others were collected as part of biodiversity inventories. Examples of locations worked and the kinds of work are listed below.

Indo-Malesia

• Sarawak, Malaysia. Studies of Calamoideae genera: Metroxylon, Korthalsia, Eugeissona, Calamus, and Salacca. Morphological characters were recorded for each genus for phylogenetic studies of the Calamoideae.[Specimens in SAR and FTG]

Melanesia

• Viti Levu, Vanua Levu and Taveuni, Fiji. Studies of endemic and naturalized palm genera: Balaka, Clinostigma, Veitchia, Metroxylon, Pelagodoxa, Areca, Neoveitchia, Ptychosperma, Calamus, Pritchardia, Physokentia, and Cocos. Each genus was evaluated distributionally and ecologically with living and preserved collections from representative populations transported to Florida for further study. [Specimens in SUVA and FTG]
• Guadalcanal and New Georgia, Solomon Islands. Studies of endemic palm genera: Ptychosperma, Areca, Calamus, and Metroxylon. Each genus was evaluated distributionally and ecologically with living and preserved collections from representative populations transported to Florida for further study. [Specimens in BSIP and FTG]

Micronesia

• Palau. Studies of endemic palm genera: Gulubia, Heterospathe, Nypa, and Ptychosperma. Studies of introduced palm genera: Veitchia, Metroxylon, and Calamus. Each genus was evaluated distributionally and ecologically with living and preserved collections from each population transported to Florida for further study. [Specimens in BNM and FTG]
• Pohnpei and Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia. Studies of endemic palm genera: Clinostigma, Metroxylon, Nypa, and Heterospathe. Each genus was evaluated distributionally and ecologically with living and preserved collections from each population transported to Florida for further study. Collections of Metroxylon were measured for morphological, phylogenetic studies. [Specimens in FLAS, BISH and FTG]

United States

• Utah and Arizona. Studies of desert species of Asclepias, Ephedra, Aquilegia, Garrya, Eriogonum, Opuntia, Krameria, and Moertonia. Specimens were collected and analyzed for biochemical activity. [Specimens in BRY and ASC. Secondary specimens in HAW.]
• Florida. Studies of Sabal, Serenoa, and Ilex. Distributions and morphologies evaluated for phylogenetic analysis. [Specimens in FLAS and BISH]
• Hawaii. Studies of genetic and morphological diversity of Pacific Basin Piperaceae with special emphasis upon Piper methysticum traditional varieties in Hawaiian culture. [Specimens in BISH and HAW]

Western Polynesia

• Savai’i and ‘upolu, Western Samoa. Studies of endemic palm genera: Clinostigma, Metroxylon, Veitchia, and Balaka. Each genus was evaluated distributionally and ecologically with living and preserved collections from each population transported to Florida for further study. Through this work a new species of Metroxylon was identified. Additionally, specimens of medicinal plant genera were collected for taxonomic identification. [Specimens in BISH, FTG and BRY]
• Rotuma, Fiji. Collection and identification of the flora of the eight islands of the Rotuma group. Herbarium collections of each species were prepared and distributed to four herbaria. The distribution and conservation status of each species was determined as baseline data for future ecological/impact studies following the current rapid cultural and land use changes. [Specimens in SUVA, BISH, and BRY]