28March2024

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Handful of Botanists Find Most New Discoveries

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New plant discoveries accredited to a select few. Just 64 botanists are responsible for discovering the majority of new plant species, according to new research. A team led by Oxford University looked at more than 100,000 type specimens, used by scientists to name new species, from four of the world's major specimen databases and recorded who had first collected them.

They found that just 2% of field botanists have collected more than 50% of new plant discoveries. These plant hunters include figures from the 18th and 19th century such as Robert Brown, who collected nearly 1,700 type specimens during his travels to Australia including Grevillea banksii and Cyathea australis.

However modern-day botanists are also making an impact: John Wood, of Oxford University, has collected 30,000 specimens and more than 100 new species from South America and Asia, while Peter Davis, of Edinburgh University, collected nearly 350 type specimens from Turkey and the Mediterranean before his death in 1992.

Supporting plant hunters

The team found the most prolific plant hunters had a long career, with experience in several countries and plant families. They warn that concentrating funding on new collectors, who they say are less selective and find fewer new species, is unlikely to help build up expertise. Instead, they are calling for resources to be concentrated on the most experienced field botanists as the search continues for the remaining 20% of the world's flowering plants as yet undiscovered.

'These 'big hitters' tend to collect more species that are new to science towards the end of their careers,' said team member Mark Carine, of the Natural History Museum. 'Identifying, training and supporting modern-day plant hunters and targeting their efforts in the right areas of the world is likely to be an effective element in completing the inventory of flowering plants.'

Source: RHS - Handful of Botanists Find Most New Discoveries