Taxonomic revision and phylogenetic analysis of continental African angraecoid Orchidaceae

自从达尔文关于兰花授粉的开创性著作以来，这一非凡的植物家族被广泛认为是最耐人寻味和最具吸引力的植物群之一。兰花是世界上第二大植物科，由超过25,000种植物组成，主要作为雨林树冠上的附生植物生长。由于它们难以到达的栖息地，它们在国际收藏品中的代表性仍然很低，这使得对它们的分类、多样性格局和栖息地要求进行全面研究变得困难。虽然最近对许多亚组进行了修订，但对复杂的非洲石兰科植物的研究仍然不完整。由于人们对这些特殊物种知之甚少，因此很难在迅速退化的热带森林栖息地规划它们的保护。为了研究这种眼镜兰，一个多学科的科学家团队将进行收集探险、进化分析和基于标本的研究。这项研究将侧重于以中部非洲为中心的四个关键的角类群(代表约40个物种)；使用自1997年以来开发的经证明的方法，确保收集高质量的标本。研究方法不是试图处理野外经常发现的无菌植物标本，而是在树荫下培养活植物，让它们有时间开花并进行充分研究。热带中非的树荫下的创新网络将为开展兰花植物学研究提供一个模式，使广泛的人群受益。研究小组将为非洲年轻的植物学家提供宝贵的培训机会，从而提高本国研究其丰富的植物多样性的能力。这项研究的结果还将有助于通过确定优先地区和最需要保护的物种来保护非洲植物区系。将创建一个网站，为科学家、保护规划者、自然资源经理以及世界各地对这一迷人的植物群感兴趣的迅速增长的业余爱好者提供服务。

Since Darwin's seminal book on orchid pollination, this remarkable plant family has been widely regarded as one of the most intriguing and attractive plant groups. Orchids, the second largest plant family in the world, comprises over 25,000 species that grow largely as epiphytes in the canopies of rainforest trees. Due to their inaccessible habitat, they remain poorly represented in international collections, making a comprehensive study of their classification, diversity patterns, and habitat requirements difficult. While many subgroups have been recently revised, the study of the complex African angraecoid orchids remains incomplete. So little is known about these particular species that it is difficult to plan for their conservation in rapidly degrading tropical forest habitats.In order to study the angraecoid orchids, a multi-disciplinary team of scientists will conduct collecting expeditions, evolutionary analyses, and specimen-based research. The research will focus on four key angraecoid groups centered in Central Africa (representing approximately 40 species); using a proven method developed since 1997 that ensures the collection of high-quality specimens. Rather than attempting to work with the sterile plant specimens that are often found in the wild, the research methodology involves the cultivation of living plants in shade-houses, allowing them time to flower and to be fully studied.The innovative network of shade-houses in tropical Central Africa will offer a model for conducting botanical research on orchids that benefits a wide group of people. The research team will offer valuable training opportunities for young African botanists, thus increasing in-country capacity to study their rich plant diversity. The results of this study will also help in the conservation of the African flora by identifying priority areas and the species most in need of conservation. A website will be created that will serve scientists, conservation planners, natural resource managers, and a rapidly growing number of amateurs world-wide interested in this fascinating group of plants.