Dissertation Research: Systematics and Evolution of Myrcianthes Berg (Myrtaceae)

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Under the guidance of Dr. Natalie Uhl at Cornell University, graduate student Francesca Grifo will conduct field work in Central America and the West Indies to collect samples of species of the tropical plant genus Myrcianthes. These will complement collections already made from Andean South American locales, and will permit comprehensive study of the morphology and anatomy of these tropical plants. Research will help describe more accurately the estimated 45 species in the genus, map their geographical distributions, provide a reliable identification key, and provide evidence for inferring the evolutionary history of divergence among the species and related genera. Patterns of diversity in Myrcianthes can then be compared to those for other tropical plant genera, to search for common patterns of evolution in the Neotropics.