Mark Hughes: Tropical Botanist

On fieldwork in West SumatraEmail: Mark Hughes
Phone: +44 (0)131 248 2893
Fax: +44 (0)131 248 2901

Research interests

I am interested in the partitioning and distribution of biodiversity within large genera, and what this can tell us about factors affecting both species richness and species distributions. To gain a holistic view of the generation of biodiversity within large genera, one needs to consider distributions and biodiversity indices at the species level, above the species level (clades / infra-generic taxa) and below the species level (populations). I have used Begonia and Streptocarpus as models to explore these issues.

Current research

  • Begonia of SE Asia database
  • A revision of Memecylaceae for the Flora of Peninsular Malaysia
  • Sumatran Begonia. Producing a taxonomic monograph and colour field guide, in collaboration with Herbarium Bogoriense and the Universities of Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.
  • Do rare plants inhabit rare niches? BBSRC PhD project (Steven Wrigley)
  • Tempo and geography of speciation in Begonia sect. Diploclinium in the Philippines. In collaboration with Rosario Rubite, University of Manila, Philippines, and Ching-I Peng, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
  • Collaborating on a revision of sect. Symbegonia in Papua New Guinea (Janet Gagul, University of Port Moresby; Martin Sands, RBGKew)

Publications

(please email me for reprints)

Thomas, D.C., Hughes, M., Phutthai, T., Ardi, W.H., Rajbhandary, S., Rubite, R., Twyford, A.D., & Richardson, J.E. (2012). West to east dispersal and subsequent rapid diversification of the mega-diverse genus Begonia (Begoniaceae) in the Malesian archipelago. Journal of Biogeography 39: 98-113.

de Wilde, J.J.F.E., Hughes, M., Rodda M. & Thomas D.C. (2011). Pliocene intercontinental dispersal from Africa to Southeast Asia highlighted by the new species Begonia afromigrata (Begoniaceae). Taxon 60: 1685-1692.

Rajbhandary, S., Hughes, M., Phutthai, T., Thomas, D.C. & Shrestha, K.K. (2011). Asian Begonia: out of Africa via the Himalayas? Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 63: 277-286.

Hughes, M. & Girmansyah, D. (2011). Searching for Sumatran Begonia described by William Jack: following in the footsteps of a 19th century Scottish botanist. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 63: 83-96.

Thomas, D.C., Hughes, M., Phutthai, T., Rajbhandary, S., Rubite, R., Ardi, W.H., Richardson, J. (2011). A non-coding plastid DNA phylogeny of Asian Begonia (Begoniaceae): Evidence for morphological homoplasy and sectional polyphyly. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 60: 428-444.

Thomas, D.C., Ardi, W.H. & Hughes, M. (2011). Nine new species of Begonia L. (Begoniaceae) from South and West Sulawesi, Indonesia. Edinburgh Journal of Botany 68: 225-255.

Hughes, M., Rubite, R.R., Kono, Y. & Peng, C-I. (2011). Begonia blancii (sect. Diploclinium), a new species endemic to the Philippine island of Palawan. Botanical Studies 52: 203-209.

Hughes, M. (2011). A new species of fleshy-fruited Begonia from the Masoala Peninsula, Madagascar. Adansonia 33: 81-85.

Hughes, M., Girmansyah, D. (2011). A revision of Begonia sect. Sphenanthera from Sumatra. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 62: 239-251.

Rajbhandary, S., Hughes, M. & Shrestha, K. (2010). Distribution patterns of Begonia species in the Nepal Himalaya. Botanica Orientalis, 7:73-78.

Hughes,M., Coyle, C. & Rubite, R.R. (2010). A revision of Begonia section Diploclinium on the Philippine island of Palawan, including five new species. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 67: 123–140.

Ardi, W.H. & Hughes, M. (2010). Begonia droopiae, a new species from West Sumatra. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 62: 17-22.

Rajbhandary, S., Hughes, M., & Shrestha, K.K. (2010). Three new species of Begonia sect. Platycentrum from Nepal. Gardens Bulletin Singapore 62: 143-152.

Hughes, M., Girmansyah, D., Ardi, W.H. & Nurainas. (2009). Seven new species of Begonia from Sumatra. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore, 61: 29-44.

Thomas, D.C., Ardi, W.H., Hartutiningsih & Hughes, M. (2009). Two new species of Begonia from South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 66: 229-238.

Thomas, D.C., Ardi, W.H. & Hughes, M. (2009). Two new species of Begonia from Central Sulawesi. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 66: 103-114.

Hughes, M. & Coyle, C. (2009). Begonia section Petermannia on Palawan (Philippines) including two new species. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 66: 205-211.

Hughes, M. & Pullan, M. (2009). Memecylaceae of Peninsular Malaysia. WWW publication: http://elmer.rbge.org.uk/memecylaceae/

Thomas, D.C. & Hughes, M. (2008). Begonia varipeltata (Begoniaceae): A new peltate species from Sulawesi, Indonesia. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 65: 369-374.

Edwards, T., Hughes, M., Möller, M., Bellstedt, D. (2008). New Streptocarpus species (Gesneriaceae) from South Africa. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 158: 743-748.

Hughes, M. & Hollingsworth, P.M. (2008). Population genetic divergence corresponds with species-level diversity patterns in the large genus Begonia. Molecular Ecology, 17: 2643-2651.

Hughes, M. (2008). An annotated checklist of southeast Asian Begonia. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Hughes, M. & Tanaka, N. (2007). A new species of Begonia from northern Myanmar. Acta Phytotaxonomica et Geobotanica, 58: 83-86.

Hughes, M., Möller, M., Bellstedt, D.U., Edwards, T.J. (2007). The impact of pollination syndrome and habitat on gene flow - a comparative study of two Streptocarpus (Gesneriaceae) species. American Journal of Botany, 94: 1688-1695.

Hughes, M. & Pullan, M. (2007). An online database of southeast Asian Begonia. WWW publication: http://elmer.rbge.org.uk/Begonia/

Hughes, M. (2007). Begonia cladotricha: a new species from Laos. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 64: 102-105.

Hughes, M. (2006). Four new species of Begonia from Sulawesi. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 63: 191-199.

Hughes, M., Möller, M., Bellstedt, D.U., Edwards, T.J. (2005). Breeding system of a plesiomorphic floral type: an investigation of small flowered Streptocarpus species. Plant Systematics and Evolution, 262: 13-24.

Hughes, M., Möller, M., Bellstedt, D.U., Edwards, T.J & de Villiers, M. (2005). Refugia, dispersal and divergence across a forest archipelago: a study of Streptocarpus in eastern South Africa. Molecular Ecology, 14: 4415-4426.

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.

MacMaster, G., Möller, M, Hughes, M., Edwards T.J. & Bellstedt D.U. (2005). A new species of Streptocarpus endemic to Madagacascar. Adansonia, 27: 131-136.

Möller, M., Brooks K.J. & Hughes, M. (2004). Plastid inheritance in Streptocarpus (Gesneriaceae) and an inferred hybrid origin for a population of S. aff. primulifolius from Igoda River, South Africa. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 60: 389-408.

Hughes, M., Möller, M., Bellstedt, D.U., Edwards, T.J. & Woodhead, M. (2004). EST and random genomic nuclear microsatellites for Streptocarpus. Molecular Ecology Notes, 4: 36-38.

Hughes, M. & Hollingsworth, P.M. (2003). Population structure in the endemic Begonia of the Socotra archipelago. Biological Conservation, 113: 277-284.

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.

Hughes, M. (2001). Collecting Begonia sutherlandii in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. Glasgow Naturalist, 23: 125.

Hughes, M. (2001). The Begonia of the Socotra archipelago. The Begonian, 68: 199-213.

Catry, P., Mellanby, R., Suleiman, K.A., Salim, K.H., Hughes, M., McKean, M., Anderson, N., Constant, G., Heany, V., Martin, G., Armitage, M., Wilson, M. (2000). Habitat selection by terrestrial birds on Pemba Island (Tanzania), with particular reference to six endemic taxa. Biological Conservation, 95: 259-267.

Cresswell, W., Hughes, M., Mellanby, R., Bright, S., Catry, P., Chaves, J., Freile, J., Gabela, A., Martineau, H., MacLeod, R., McPhee, F., Anderson, N., Holt, S., Barabas, S., Chapel, C. & Sanchez T. (1999). Densities and habitat preferences of Andean cloud-forest birds in pristine and degraded habitats in north-eastern Ecuador. Bird Conservation International, 9: 124-145.

Cresswell, W., Mellanby, R., Bright, S., Catry, P., Chaves, J., Freile, J., Gabela, A., Hughes, M., Martineau, H., MacLeod, R., McPhee, F., Anderson, N., Holt S., Barabas, S., Chapel, C. & Sanchez, T. (1999). The birds of the Guandera Biological Reserve, Carchi, Northern Ecuador. Cotinga, 12: 55-63.

Hughes, M., Donelly, C., Crozier, A., & Wheeler, C.T. (1999). Effects of the exposure of roots of Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. to light and flavonoids on nodulation. Canadian Journal of Botany, 77: 1311-1315.

Crozier, A., Hughes, M. & McDonald, M. (1998). Survey of the free and conjugated myricetin and quercetin content of red wines of different geographical origins. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 46: 368-375.

Back to Top

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a charity (registration number SC007983)