Sapotaceae
The tropical tree family Sapotaceae is a major research focus of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. The family contains over 50 genera and about 1200 species and is ecologically and economically important. They include a number of important timber trees with Peninsular Malaysia alone exporting nearly £100,000 worth of timber per year, making Sapotaceae the second most valuable timber tree family in that area. The copious latex found in their wood has been used as gutta-percha and chewing-gum. Many other species produce edible fruits such as sapote and sapodilla. 
The principal aim of the Sapotaceae research programme is to produce monographs and phylogenies of understudied taxa, in particular species rich and pan-tropical genera. Southeast Asian taxa are poorly studied and are of particular interest. International collaboration and field expeditions are providing additional material necessary for taxonomic, molecular phylogenetic and biogeographic research.
The genus Manilkara
Dr Vanessa Plana, a Peter Davis Research Fellow, has been working towards a traditional revision of the African and Madagascan species of the genus Manilkara. Each species will be mapped and a key to the identification of the species written. All specimen data is being databased using PADME with the view to making this available
on the World Wide Web. An MSc student, Josh Clayton, has used molecular data to examine generic limits in Manilkara (Clayton. 2003). These studies have paved the way for a PhD project being undertaken by Kate Armstrong that will complete the monograph of the genus by revising the Southeast Asian and Pacific island taxa and produce a molecular phylogeny of the whole genus that will be used to determine its biogeographic history.
The Tribe Isonandreae
RBGE staff members Dr Peter Wilkie and Dr James Richardson are currently investigating potential genera for monographic and phylogenetic study in the Southeast Asian centred tribe Isoandreae that includes species-rich genera such as Palaquium and Madhuca whose generic limits are unclear. We are closely collaborating with researchers at the Natural History Museum in Stockholm to determine the phylogenetic position of this tribe within Sapotaceae and towards producing a revised classification of the family as a whole.
Sapotaceae Resource Centre
A key aspect of our programme is the development of the Sapotaceae Resource Centre website. This will incorporate a searchable specimen database with information collated from a range of collaborators. The site will access the Sapotaceae checklist at RBG Kew and link this information to specimen records, images and protologues. Links to other Sapotaceae researchers, studies and publications will also be established. Plans also include the development of online interactive keys.
Biogeography
Sapotaceae are found throughout the tropics but the evolutionary processes that led to this distribution pattern are unclear. Genera such as Manilkara that are well represented throughout the tropics are ideal candidates for testing hypotheses of diversification on different continents. Isonandreae are of particular interest in elucidating biogeographic patterns within Southeast Asia. Details on the experimental approaches for phylogenetics and biogeography projects are described in the Environmental Change and Biogeography project description.
Regional Floras
Our research group will also contribute accounts to regional floras. Currently Peter Wilkie is producing a family account for the Flora of Peninsular Malaysia.
Selected publications
J. Clayton 2003 Pantropical genera: systematics and biogeography. A pilot study using Manilkara. MSc thesis. Univ. Edinburgh) was supervised by Dr Toby Pennington.