Plant systematics and biogeography in the Australasian tropics: part 2

Abstract

[Extract:] This double issue is the second on the topic of plant systematics and biogeography in the Australasian tropics published in Australian Systematic Botany. The first issue on this topic (vol. 31, 5–6) was published in 2018 and brought together ten papers that contributed original research in a wide range of disciplines, including biogeography, developmental anatomy, evolutionary radiation and taxonomy. This second special issue follows directly on, and showcases 10 additional papers, many across those same disciplines; however, several fascinating papers expand the range of disciplines represented. These include palaeobotanical work that contributes critical new information on the history of horsetails (Equisetum) in Australia (Rozefelds et al. 2019); a detailed account of the taxonomic work on Australian plants of the Wendland family, Court Gardeners at the Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen, Hanover, Germany (Dowe et al. 2019), a little known aspect of Australian botanical history; and lastly a demonstration of the utility of genome skimming approaches for untangling evolutionary relationships in species-rich and morphologically complex tropical Australasian groups, using the carnivorous plant genus Nepenthes as an example (Nauheimer et al. 2019).