Plant Systematics, Conservation Biology, and Ethnobotany

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Wendy L. Applequist, Ph.D.

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Wendy L. Applequist, Ph.D.

Associate Curator and Acting Director of  William L. Brown Center

Research Interests
• Malagasy flora
• Plant systematics
• Identification, quality control, and systematics of medicinal plants

Taxonomic studies of Salicaceae in Madagascar. Applequist, the current REU program PI, is an associate curator in and acting director of MBG’s William L. Brown Center, with research interests involving medicinal plants and taxonomy of the flora of Madagascar. She has been conducting revisionary studies of all genera of Salicaceae in Madagascar, as they have not been treated for several decades, during which much additional material has been collected. Multiple new species have been found in every genus or section studied. Students working on these projects will learn about Malagasy geography and climatic regions, study herbarium specimens in detail, determine how many species are present in a small genus or selected group of species, compile species descriptions, and co-author manuscripts. Endemic species of the widespread tropical genera Flacourtia and Casearia are available for study.

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