Research

The expertise of the staff at the State Herbarium covers a range of areas in researching and gathering information for the various collections within the Herbarium:

Taxonomic expertise

The taxonomic botanists of the Biosystematics Research team have considerable experience in undertaking taxonomic revisions of Australian plant groups. They have taxonomic knowledge predominantly in arid and lower plant groups. They have an often unique in-depth knowledge of the taxonomy, biology, and ecological and geographical distribution of their specialist groups, and thus the capacity to interpret available evidence in other groups.

Their studies have made and are making major advances in knowledge of the species and infraspecific variation of the groups they specialise in, through:

• detailed examination of existing collections
• directed field work across much of the range of the group
• morphological study and analysis
• development of new classifications reflecting evolutionary relationships.

Genetic expertise

Evolution and origin of weeds.

DNA analytical expertise

• extracting and reconstituting fragmented DNA from sediments
• general molecular systemaic analysis
• interpreting the past.

Phylogenetic analysis

Cladistic techniques interpreting the relationship of plant species, which can then be related to past climates or adaptive transformations.