Home
About Us
The Ruhfel Lab (PI Brad Ruhfel) at the University of Michigan Herbarium (MICH) has a focus on plant diversity. We explore topics in plant systematics, biogeography, and the flora of the Eastern United States. Our research combines fieldwork, herbarium work, and molecular study. Currently we are focusing on resolving the evolutionary history and biogeography of the river-weed family (Podostemaceae) using data from whole plastid genomes. The river-weeds belong to the clusioid clade of Malpighiales which consists of five families (Bonnetiaceae, Calophyllaceae, Clusiaceae, Hypericaceae, and Podostemaceae) and have both tropical and temperate representatives. Examples of other plants included in this group are the St. Johns worts and the tropical fruits, the mangosteen and the mammey apple. It is our hope that by resolving relationships within this clade, we can begin to understand the systematics, biogeography, and character evolution within this fascinating group of plants. We are also working to further understand the flora of the eastern United States by conducting floristic studies in several areas of Kentucky, including the beautiful Red River Gorge. Check out the new Tennessee-Kentucky Plant Atlas launched June 2020! [link] Connecting Students to Citizen Science and Curated Collections Check out our project designed to help students learn about plant systematics and collecting in the context of our information-rich digital age. Students connect physical plant specimens to citizen science observations and online herbarium databases. They also explore how making these connections helps contribute to our understanding of global biodiversity. The project webpage is *here* and the associated iNaturalist project page is *here*. As of December 2023 we have over 8500 observations! |