Monica Carlsen

Caracas, Venezuela

PhD Student

B.S. Plant Ecology. Universidad Central de Venezuela

Research interest: Relationships within the genus Anthurium.

I am interested in the relationships among species of the genus Anthurium. This is a large neotropical genus of monocots that belongs to tha Araceae family ("aroids"). Most of these species have high value as ornamental plants due to their characteristic and colorful inflorescences.

There is a large diversity of leaf forms within Anthurium, from simple heart-shaped leaves to highly divided ones, with almost all possible forms in between. Leaf form has been used to separate groups of related species within the genus. However, this appears to be an unreliable character for understanding relationships within the genus. I am interested in the evolution of different leaf forms within Anthurium and their ecological significance. I will also test the current sectional classification of the genus and contribute to a better understanding of the relationships among Anthurium species.

Current Lab Activity:

I have been extracting DNA from fresh leaves collected at the Missouri Botanical Garden's greenhouses. I have sampled 30 living specimens from these collections (Dr. Tom Croat's research collection). I will sequence part of the DNA (a chloroplast gene) and compare those sequences among species in order to infer their relationships. I will use morphological and ecological data to confirm those relationships.