Generic Segregation of Pithecellobium and Revision of Abarema and Macrosamanea (Leguminosae)

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Taxonomic research is the basic tool by means of which all evolutionary, ecological, and other biological studies on species can be accomplished. Also, for studies of endangered species and for the numerous biological inventories now in preparation, misidentifications or misinterpretations, undocumented findings, and incorrect species names can produce confusion and disaster. Dr. Rupert Barneby of the New York Botanical Garden and his colleague Dr. James Grimes are conducting a basic taxonomic study of the tropical legume genus Pithecellobium and other genera associated with it, in an attempt to find stable morphological features that will permit reliable identification of all species. They will conduct field work in South America to gather new material, to supplement existing herbarium specimens, and they will add new data from scanning electron microscopy of pollen, known to show extensive variation among these plants. To begin the project, they will focus on a number of segregate genera with 50 or so species, before tackling the whole genus, estimated to include over 160 species, mostly in the New World tropics. Resources at New York Botanical Garden are excellent for this project.