Systematics of the Tropical Genus Heliconia (Heliconiaceae) Subgenus Griggsia

对热带动植物的研究在这个时候特别重要，因为目前热带森林的破坏率很高，居住在热带森林的许多物种即将灭绝。玛丽·塞尔比植物园的约翰·克雷斯博士计划研究与香蕉有关的螺旋藻的南美物种，该属包括园艺龙虾爪植物。将在南美洲北部进行实地采集，以获取活材料和保存的标本。这将为研究这些植物的宏观和微观特征提供依据。尤其重要的是使用扫描电子显微镜研究花粉结构，克雷斯博士已经在其中发现了许多物种的独特模式。来自形态、地理分布和生境的信息将被整合到对大约80种产生悬垂或悬垂花序的螺旋藻及其近缘植物的综合分类处理中。这项研究将增进对热带森林多样性的了解，并有助于分析热带环境中物种形成和进化的过程。

Research on tropical plants and animals is especially important at this time because of the current high rates of destruction of tropical forests and the imminent extinction of many species that inhabit them. Dr. John Kress of the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens plans to study the South American species of the banana-relative Heliconia, a genus which includes the horticultural lobster-claw plants. Field collecting will be conducted in northern South America, to acquire living materials and preserved specimens. These will serve as the basis for study of macroscopic and microscopic features of the plants. Especially important will be investigations of pollen structure using the scanning electron microscope, in which Dr. Kress has already found distinctive patterns for many species. Information from morphology, geographic distributions, and habitats will be integrated into a comprehensive taxonomic treatment of the estimated 80 species of Heliconia that produce hanging or pendent inflorescences and their relatives. The study will improve understanding of tropical forest diversity and help in analyzing processes of speciation and evolution in tropical environments.