DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Hedyotis L. (Rubiaceae) in Asia: Phylogeny, Character Evolution, and Biogeography

花耳草属（英语：Hedyotis）是一个由近180种亚洲太平洋热带植物组成的植物群，属于茜草科（咖啡科）。耳草属及其近缘属是目前分类学上定义不清的类群。耳草属植物具有高度的物种特有性，许多物种分布在一个岛屿或山上，其最近的亲戚分布在非洲和美洲。此外，一些岛屿和高海拔的物种在蛇舌草-Oldenlandia复合体已经从草本祖先进化成小树。这被称为次生木质，通常特定于岛屿或岛屿状栖息地。通过使用DNA和形态学数据建立一个系统发生学，该项目旨在改进该组的分类，调查古代传播模式的更广泛问题，并研究亚洲和太平洋物种次生木质的进化发展。该项目将解决第四大植物科（Rubiaceae）的分类问题，并改善五个收集不足的生物多样性热点的植物收藏和植物学知识。此外，这项研究将与六个国家的国际机构建立合作伙伴关系，促进科学家之间的合作，并培养学生的遗传学，植物学和分类学。

The plant genus Hedyotis is a group of nearly 180 Asian-Pacific tropical species in the plant family Rubiaceae (the coffee family). Hedyotis and its related genera are currently taxonomically ill-defined groups. Hedyotis exhibits high levels of species endemism, with many species occurring on a single island or mountain, and its closest relatives occur in Africa and America. Additionally, some of the island and high elevation species in the Hedyotis-Oldenlandia complex have evolved from herbaceous ancestors into small trees. This is known as secondary woodiness, and is often specific to islands or island-like habitats. By building a phylogeny using DNA and morphological data, this project aims to improve the classification of the group, investigate broader issues of ancient dispersal patterns, and examine the evolutionary development of secondary woodiness in the Asian and Pacific species. This project will resolve the classification of the fourth largest plant family (Rubiaceae), and improve plant collections and botanical knowledge from five under-collected biodiversity hotspots. Additionally, this research will build partnerships with international institutions in six countries, foster collaborations between scientists, and train students in phylogenetics, botany, and taxonomy.