Trial Lecture
Title: «What's in a name? Exploring the purpose, impact and philosophy of generic reclassification in wild and cultivated plants»
Time and place: Apr. 4, 2025, 10:15 AM, Tøyen Hovedgård
Public Defence
Adjudication Committee
- Professor, Stephen Boatwright, University of the Western Cape, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Cape Town, South Africa
- Dr. Ana Rita Giraldes Simoes, Royal Botanical Gardens Kew
- Researcher, Dr. Lene Liebe Delsett, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
- Research Director and Professor Hugo de Boer, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo
Supervisors
- Professor Charlotte Sletten Bjorå, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo
- Professor Mika Bendiksby, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo
- Senior Adviser, Dr. Tor Carlsen, The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate
Summary
The biodiversity, taxonomy, conservation, evolution, and phylogenetics of Anthericum and Chlorophytum genera have been studied for over 200 years, yet many aspects remain unclear. This thesis employs an integrative taxonomy approach across five papers (Papers I–V) to resolve their complex evolutionary relationships. A combination of traditional (morphology, Sanger sequencing, phylogenetics) and modern (NGS, target-capture, phylogenomics, species distribution modeling) methods were used.
Paper I focused on the Chlorophytum filipendulum complex, while Paper II examined the C. comosum complex in Uganda, both using Sanger sequencing and morphological analyses. Paper III described the new species C. hysterocarpum, introducing the term "hysterocarpy" for plants that complete reproduction before leaf growth. Paper IV used phylogenomic and species distribution models to study the C. comosum complex across sub-Saharan Africa. Paper V redefined the generic boundaries of Anthericum and Chlorophytum, significantly reducing Anthericum to four species.
This work reinstated, recombined, or described 12 species and formally recognized long-standing informal sections within Chlorophytum. It highlights the importance of taxonomy in conservation, recommending further assessments for range-restricted species. The findings provide a robust phylogenetic framework for future studies in the Chlorphytum and Anthericum genera.
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