Collaborative Research: Phylogenetic, Biogeographic and Monographic Studies in the Wintergreen Group

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The wintergreen group is a part of the blueberry and rhododendron family (Ericaceae) that contains about 250 species. Perhaps its best known species is Gaultheria procumbens, the original source of wintergreen oil (methyl salicylate). Members of this group grow in North and South America and in the lands bordering the Pacific Rim. The objectives of the research are to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships in the group and to use this to test specific hypotheses of geographic distribution and changes in growth form. This project brings together researchers with particular expertise in Ericaceae, molecular systematics, morphology, and historical biogeography. This project will take a global approach and use multiple data sets from different genomes and morphology to provide the first comprehensive phylogeny for the wintergreen group. The broader impacts of the proposal include training of graduate and undergraduate students, including members of underrepresented groups. Data and results will be accessible (www.ericaceae.org) to anyone interested in Asian, Pacific Rim, and South American biodiversity, ecology, pollination biology, and ecological physiology. Results of the project will be incorporated into public museum programs and integrated into Dr. Kron's teaching curriculum.