Research project Rubiaceae – diversity, phylogeny and macroevolution

They are easily recognized with their (generally) opposite branching and phylotaxis, interpetiolar stipules and epigynous flowers. Several crucial questions on evolutionary relationships within Rubiaceae have remained unanswered and intrafamilial phylogeny and character evolution are still not fully comprehended.

Our current projects mainly concern the subfamily Rubioideae, a clade which includes nearly 7500 species. We study phylogeny, biogeography, character evolution, and pollination biology, based on field work, massive amounts of molecular data and morphological investigations. The project started 2006 and the end date for this project has not yet been determined.

The photo shows the genus Danais (Rubiaceae) from Madagascar. Photo: Catarina Rydin.