| Abstract Detail
Systematics Section / ASPT Bohs, Lynn [2], Knapp, S. [4], Nee, M. [3], Spooner, D.M. [1]. The PBI: Solanum project. Containing some 1500 species, Solanum is the largest genus in the Solanaceae and one of the largest and morphologically diverse genera of flowering plants. It is also arguably the world’s most economically important plant genus, including the potato (S. tuberosum), tomato (S. lycopersicum), and eggplant (S. melongena). Solanum is the focus of several large-scale genomics initiatives and also serves as a model system for the investigation of many fundamental biological questions. Integrating work on Solanum will be greatly facilitated by basic knowledge of the taxonomy of its component species and the availability of information about Solanum in an electronic searchable format. The PBI: Solanum project, funded by the National Science Foundation, will produce a comprehensive species-level treatment of Solanum by the year 2008. An interoperable database and website will be established that will serve as the central repository for information on Solanum taxonomy, nomenclature, typification, and specimens as well as photographs and illustrations of all species, interactive identification keys, information about habitats, ecology, phylogeny, and molecular data, and links to other Solanum sites. This resource will promote a synergistic view of Solanum biology, will expose researchers to the huge diversity of naturally occurring species in the genus, and will further conservation efforts by carefully documenting Solanum biodiversity. We envision the PBI: Solanum project as a model for other large-scale taxonomic studies, especially of hyperdiverse and economically important plant taxa.
1 - University of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706-1381, USA 2 - University of Utah, Department of Biology, 257 S. 1400 E., Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112, USA 3 - New York Botanical Garden, Institute of Systematic Botany, 200th St & Kazimiroff Blvd, Bronx, New York, 10458, USA 4 - Natural History Museum, Department of Botany, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
Keywords: Solanaceae Solanum taxonomy monograph.
Presentation Type: Paper Session: 37-8 Location: Cottonwood B (Snowbird Center) Date: Tuesday, August 3rd, 2004 Time: 4:00 PM Abstract ID:582 |