Research Training Program

Xavier Haro
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador
Quito, Ecuador

Harold Robinson, Ph.D.
Supervising Scientist
Department of Botany

"A key is an important tool to identified species. Working in the US National Herbarium developing a key for species from my country, and learning how a taxonomic treatment is done have been one of the most important experiences in my life "

Can the species of Critoniopsis from Ecuador be easily identified?

Critoniopsis is a genus of Compositae, the sunflower family, with seventeen species claimed from Ecuador. It has usually been treated as a section of Vernonia, until its reestablishment by Robinson in 1980. In order to make a key, the Ecuadorian species were reviewed in detail using macro and microscopically techniques, including scanning electronic microscopy analysis. As a result, two of the species cited for the country have been withdrawn: Critoniopsis bogotana and Critoniopsis elbertiana. A well distributed northern-Peruvian species, Critoniopsis jelskii, have been recorded for Ecuador, and four species are currently being proposed as new. A key, including all the newly proposed species, is presented as a result of this project, and the number of Ecuadorian Critoniopsis is expanded to 20 species. The genus is relatively poor represented in the Herbaria, and rate of endemism is high, so a key constitutes an important contribution for people in Scientific, and Environmental fields that need to identify species, and record their endangered status.

This research was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Fund.

Letter of gratitude