Taxonomic revision and phylogenetic analysis of continental African angraecoid Orchidaceae

非洲大陆兰科兰科的分类学修订和系统发育分析

• 批准号: 1051547
• 负责人: Tariq Stevart
• 金额: $ 44.2万
• 依托单位: Missouri Botanical Garden
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-04-01 至 2016-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1051547&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Taxonomic; revision; phylogenetic; analysis; continental

Since Darwin's seminal book on orchid pollination, this remarkable plant family has been widely regarded as one of the most intriguing and attractive plant groups. Orchids, the second largest plant family in the world, comprises over 25,000 species that grow largely as epiphytes in the canopies of rainforest trees. Due to their inaccessible habitat, they remain poorly represented in international collections, making a comprehensive study of their classification, diversity patterns, and habitat requirements difficult. While many subgroups have been recently revised, the study of the complex African angraecoid orchids remains incomplete. So little is known about these particular species that it is difficult to plan for their conservation in rapidly degrading tropical forest habitats.In order to study the angraecoid orchids, a multi-disciplinary team of scientists will conduct collecting expeditions, evolutionary analyses, and specimen-based research. The research will focus on four key angraecoid groups centered in Central Africa (representing approximately 40 species); using a proven method developed since 1997 that ensures the collection of high-quality specimens. Rather than attempting to work with the sterile plant specimens that are often found in the wild, the research methodology involves the cultivation of living plants in shade-houses, allowing them time to flower and to be fully studied.The innovative network of shade-houses in tropical Central Africa will offer a model for conducting botanical research on orchids that benefits a wide group of people. The research team will offer valuable training opportunities for young African botanists, thus increasing in-country capacity to study their rich plant diversity. The results of this study will also help in the conservation of the African flora by identifying priority areas and the species most in need of conservation. A website will be created that will serve scientists, conservation planners, natural resource managers, and a rapidly growing number of amateurs world-wide interested in this fascinating group of plants.

自从达尔文关于兰花授粉的开创性著作问世以来，这个非凡的植物家族已被广泛认为是最有趣和最具吸引力的植物类群之一。兰花是世界第二大植物科，包含 25,000 多个物种，主要以附生植物形式生长在雨林树木的树冠上。由于它们的栖息地难以接近，它们在国际收藏中的代表性仍然很低，这使得对其分类、多样性模式和栖息地要求的全面研究变得困难。虽然最近对许多亚类进行了修订，但对复杂的非洲安格拉科兰花的研究仍然不完整。人们对这些特殊物种知之甚少，因此很难在迅速退化的热带森林栖息地中制定保护计划。为了研究安格拉科兰花，一个多学科的科学家团队将进行采集探险、进化分析和标本采集。基础研究。该研究将重点关注以中部非洲为中心的四个关键类群（代表约 40 个物种）；使用自 1997 年以来开发的经过验证的方法，确保收集高质量的标本。该研究方法不是尝试使用野外常见的不育植物标本，而是在遮荫室中培养活植物，让它们有时间开花并进行充分研究。遮荫室的创新网络位于热带中部非洲的兰花植物学研究将为广大人群提供一个模型。该研究团队将为年轻的非洲植物学家提供宝贵的培训机会，从而提高国内研究其丰富植物多样性的能力。这项研究的结果还将通过确定优先区域和最需要保护的物种来帮助保护非洲植物区系。我们将创建一个网站，为科学家、保护规划者、自然资源管理者以及世界范围内不断增长的对这一迷人植物群感兴趣的业余爱好者提供服务。