Dissertation Research: Biosystematic Studies of the Penstemon kingii Group (Scrophulariaceae)

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Graduate student Karl Vincent, under the supervision of faculty adviser Dr. Noel Holmgren of the New York Botanical Garden and City University of New York, plans a comprehensive study of the morphology, chromosome constitution, flavonoid chemistry, and pollination relationships of an estimated ten species of the genus Penstemon in western United States. New morphological features will be studied using scanning electron microscopy; these characters will be intergrated with chemical and chromosomal ones to construct a reliable classification of the group and determine evolutionary relationships. Field studies will test the association of particular pollinating insects (bees, wasps, and flies) with particular floral forms in the different species. Results of the project will include an improved taxonomy of these plants and insight into the adaptive evolution of floral form.