I am a biologist specialising in the taxonomy and systematics of large, poorly known tropical plant groups, with a particular focus on economically important taxa. My research centres on the megadiverse genera Ipomoea and Acalypha, and integrates taxonomy and phylogenomics, supported by herbarium material, field observations, and historical sources, to clarify evolutionary relationships and longstanding questions in crop origins, biodiversity, and plant use.

Bridging the gap: integrating global taxonomy and ethnobotany in the genus Acalypha

Much like the challenges we face in Convolvulaceae, the genus Acalypha (Euphorbiaceae) presents a daunting task: 450 species, a pantropical distribution, and error-prone literature accumulated over centuries. In this talk, I will share insights from our ongoing project to monograph Acalypha at a global scale, and how this work aims to bridge the gap between taxonomy and pharmacology.

In particular, I will present the results of a recent study in which we synthesised global Acalypha medicinal data and revealed high rates of error in published literature, ranging from already-outdated synonyms at the time of publication to impossible geographic ranges. By applying taxonomic rigor to this "noise", we were able to produce a global, taxonomically curated review of Acalypha uses worldwide, identifying dozens of species with high pharmacological potential that remain largely unstudied in the lab. I will conclude by sharing some thoughts on how these lessons may apply to Convolvulaceae research, illustrating how global systematic revisions are not just an academic exercise, but essential tools for identifying, for example, the medicines of tomorrow.