Begonia has a pan tropical distribution and is one of the largest genera of flowering plants, containing over 1500 species. The goal of this research programme, (supported by the M.L. MacIntyre Begonia Trust), is to document species diversity in the genus and to understand the evolutionary processes that have given rise to it. Our research has made heavy use of the excellent national Begonia collection at Glasgow Botanic Garden.
The first phase of research, coordinated by Pete Hollingsworth, aimed to:
- estimate the backbone phylogeny of the genus.
- study the systematics and biogeography of species groups.
- understand the evolution of developmental genes.
- investigate patterns of population genetic structure.
SE Asian Begonia database
Current research focuses on Southeast Asian Begonia, and is coordinated by Mark Hughes (home page). A taxonomic database of all known species in Southeast Asia
is now online, and includes distribution maps, nomenclatural
information and over 6000 specimen images.
Other active projects on Begonia at RBGE include:
- A monograph of Sumatran Begonia (M. Hughes, D. Girmansyah (Bogor))
- Biogeography and systematics of Sulawesi Begonia (D. Thomas, M. Hughes, J. Richardson)
- Origin of the Begonia flora of Palawan (C. Coyle, M. Hughes)
- Tempo and geography of speciation in Begonia sect. Diploclinium in the Philippines (M. Hughes, R. Rubite (Manila))
Selected publications
Hughes, M. (2007). Begonia cladotricha: a new species from Laos. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 64: 101-105.
Hughes, M. (2006). Four new species of Begonia from Sulawesi. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 63: 191-199.
Plana, V., Beentje, H. & Sands, M.J.S. (2007). Begoniaceae. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.
Forrest, L.L., Hughes, M. & Hollingsworth, P.M. (2005). A phylogeny of Begonia using nuclear ribosomal sequence data and non-molecular characters. Systematic Botany, 30: 671-682.
Plana, V., Gascoigne, A., Forrest, L.L., Harris, D., Pennington, R.T. (2004). Pleistocene and pre-Pleistocene Begonia speciation in Africa. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 31: 449-461.
Hughes, M. & Hollingsworth, P.M. (2003). Population structure in the endemic Begonia of the Socotra archipelago. Biological Conservation, 113: 277-284.
Wilde, J.J.F.E. de & Plana, V. (2003). A new section of Begonia from west central Africa. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 60: 121-130.
Plana, V. (2003). Phylogenetic relationships of the Afro-Malagasy members of the large genus Begonia inferred from trnL intron sequences. Systematic Botany 28: 693-704.
Forrest, L.L. & Hollingsworth, P.M. (2003). A recircumscription of Begonia based on nuclear ribosomal sequences. PLant Systematics and Evolution, 241: 193-211.
Hughes, M., Hollingsworth, P.M. & Squirrell, J. (2002). Isolation of polymorphic microsatellite markers for Begonia sutherlandii Hook. f. Molecular Ecology Notes, 2: 185-186.
Hughes, M. & Miller, A.G. (2002). A new endemic species of Begonia (Begoniaceae) from the Socotra archipelago. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 59: 273-281.
Hughes, M., Russell, J. & Hollingsworth, P.M. (2002). Polymorphic microsatellite markers for the Socotran endemic herb Begonia socotrana. Molecular Ecology Notes, 2: 159-160.