Wurdack, Kenneth
Research Botanist and Associate Curator of Botany (Euphorbiaceae, Malpighiales)
0000-0003-0010-6932
Wurdack, Kenneth
Research Botanist and Associate Curator of Botany (Euphorbiaceae, Malpighiales)
Systematic biology: Systematics, phylogenetics, and biogeography of Euphorbiaceae s.l. and other Malpighiales; also Thymelaeaceae.
Evolutionary biology: plant-insect interactions, especially pertaining to ants and myrmecophytic associations.
Floristic work: neotropics, southeastern USA, Molecular biology: genome evolution especially in plant mitochondria; processes of molecular evolution.
History of science: botanical exploration and natural history, especially pertaining to 19th century southeastern USA.
Background And Education
Education And Training
Research And Grants
Co-principal Investigator On
Investigator On
- Understanding the causes of evolutionary novelty: Genetic architecture underlying floral specialization in Dalechampia (Euphorbiaceae) awarded by Competitive Grants Program for Science
- missing activity
- Floral development, conservation genetics, and horizontal gene transfer in the world's largest awarded by Harvard University
- PBI: EuphORBia: A Global Inventory of the Spurges awarded by University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Publications
Selected Publications
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Article
- van Welzen, Peter, van der Veldt, Jeffrey, van der Marel, Dirk, Esser, Hans-Joachim, Arifiani, Deby, and Wurdack, Kenneth. 2024. "Anew generic affiliation for New Guinean Paracroton sterrhopodus (Euphorbiaceae, Crotonoideae) as a member of recently described Indonesian Weda." Candollea, 79, (2) 299–302. https://doi.org/10.15553/c2024v792a7. 2024
- Dorr, Laurence J. and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2024. "Re-evaluating monotypic Eleutherostylis from New Guinea and the Moluccas and its inclusion in Grewia (Malvaceae, Grewioideae)." PhytoKeys, 237 91–102. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.237.114105. 2024
- Gillespie, Lynn J., Cardinal-McTeague, Warren, and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2024. "Three Unusual New Species of Plukenetia (Euphorbiaceae) from Madagascar: Species Radiation and Convergent Evolution in P . sect. Madagascarienses." Systematic Botany, 49, (1) 192–208. https://doi.org/10.1600/036364424X17110456120767. 2024
- Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2023. "A new, disjunct species of Bahiana (Euphorbiaceae, Acalyphoideae): Phytogeographic connections between the seasonally dry tropical forests of Peru and Brazil, and a review of spinescence in the family." Phytokeys, (219) 121–144. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.219.95872. 2023
- Hamersma, Ashley, Herrera, Fabiany, Wurdack, Kenneth, and Manchester, Steven R. 2022. "Belenocarpa tertiara (Berry) gen. et comb. nov. (Euphorbiaceae): Fossil Fruits with Carunculate Seeds from the Oligocene of Peru." International journal of plant sciences, https://doi.org/10.1086/718830. 2022
- Reback, Rachel G., Kapgate, Dashrath K., Wurdack, Kenneth, and Manchester, Steven R. 2021. "Fruits of Euphorbiaceae from the Late Cretaceous Deccan Intertrappean Beds of India." International journal of plant sciences, https://doi.org/10.1086/717691. 2021
- Mauricio Bonifacino, Jose, Baldwin, Bruce G., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2021. "Harold Robinson (1932-2020): the Bryologist Who Revamped Compositae Taxonomy." Taxon, 70, (3) 692–696. https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12524. 2021
- Davenport, L. J. and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2021. "More on Mohr: his final Asheville, North Carolina days." Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 15, (1) 121–124. https://doi.org/10.17348/jbrit.v15.i1.1054. 2021
- Laraba, Imane, Kim, Hye-Seon, Proctor, Robert H., Busman, Mark, O'Donnell, Kerry, Felker, Frederick C., Aime, M. C., Koch, Rachel A., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2020. "Fusarium xyrophilum, sp. nov., a member of the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex recovered from pseudoflowers on yellow-eyed grass (Xyris spp.) from Guyana." Mycologia, 112, (1) 39–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2019.1668991. 2020
- van Welzen, Peter C., Guerrero, Susana Arias, Arifiani, Deby, Bangun, Tjut J. F., Bouman, Roderick W., Eurlings, Marcel C. M., Gushilman, Iska, Phillipson, Peter B., Tabak, Iris, Winkel, Esmée, and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2020. "Weda, a new genus with two new species of Euphorbiaceae-Crotonoideae from Halmahera (North Maluku, Indonesia) and phylogenetic relationships of the Australasian tribe Ricinocarpeae." Journal of Systematics and Evolution, https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12581. 2020
- Dorr, Laurence J. and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2020. "Indo-Asian Eriolaena expanded to include two Malagasy genera, and other generic realignments based on molecular phylogenetics of Dombeyoideae (Malvaceae)." Taxon, https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12370. 2020
- Gillespie, Lynn J., Cardinal-McTeague, Warren M., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2020. "Monadelpha (Euphorbiaceae, Plukenetieae), a new genus of Tragiinae from the Amazon rainforest of Venezuela and Brazil." Phytokeys, (169) 119–135. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.169.59244. 2020
- Laraba, Imane, McCormick, Susan P., Vaughan, Martha M., Proctor, Robert H., Busman, Mark, Appell, Michael, O'Donnell, Kerry, Felker, Frederick C., Catherine Aime, M., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2020. "Pseudoflowers produced by Fusarium xyrophilum on yellow-eyed grass (Xyris spp.) in Guyana: a novel floral mimicry system?" Fungal Genetics and Biology, 144 Article 103466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fgb.2020.103466. 2020
- Skaltsas, Demetra N., Badotti, Fernanda, Martins Vaz, Aline Bruna, da Silva, Felipe Ferreira, Gazis, Romina, Wurdack, Kenneth, Castlebury, Lisa, Goes-Neto, Aristoteles, and Chaverri, Priscila. 2019. "Exploration of stem endophytic communities revealed developmental stage as one of the drivers of fungal endophytic community assemblages in two Amazonian hardwood genera." Scientific Reports, 9 Article 12685. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-48943-2. 2019
- Wurdack, Kenneth J. and Zartman, Charles E. 2019. "Insights on the systematics and morphology of Humiriaceae (Malpighiales): androecial and extrafloral nectary variation, two new combinations, and a new Sacoglottis from Guyana." PhytoKeys, 124 87–121. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.124.34679. 2019
- Cardinal-McTeague, Warren M., Wurdack, Kenneth J., Sigel, Erin M., and Gillespie, Lynn J. 2019. "Seed size evolution and biogeography of Plukenetia (Euphorbiaceae), a pantropical genus with traditionally cultivated oilseed species." Bmc Evolutionary Biology, 19 29–29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-018-1308-9. 2019
- Wurdack, Kenneth J. and Michelangeli, Fabián A. 2019. "Systematics and relationships of Tryssophyton (Melastomataceae), with a second species from the Pakaraima Mountains of Guyana." PhytoKeys, 136 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.136.38558. 2019
- Dorr, Laurence J. and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2018. "A new disjunct species of Eriolaena (Malvaceae, Dombeyoideae) from Continental Africa." PhytoKeys, 111 11–16. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.111.29303. 2018
- Dorr, Laurence J., Romero-Hernández, Carolina, and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2018. "A new large-flowered species of Andeimalva (Malvaceae, Malvoideae) from Peru." PhytoKeys, (110) 91–99. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.110.29376. 2018
- Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2017. "A new disjunct Dendrothrix (Euphorbiaceae, tribe Hippomaneae): a Guiana Shield element in sub-Andean cordilleras of Ecuador and Peru." PhytoKeys, (86) 117–130. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.86.14761. 2017
- Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2017. "A new tiny-leaved species of Raveniopsis (Rutaceae) from the Pakaraima Mountains of Guyana." Phytokeys, (91) 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.91.14763. 2017
- Wen, Jun, Harris, Aj, Ickert-Bond, Stefanie, Dikow, Rebecca B., Wurdack, Kenneth J., and Zimmer, Elizabeth Anne. 2017. "Developing integrative systematics in the informatics and genomic era, and calling for a global Biodiversity Cyberbank." Journal of Systematics and Evolution, 55, (4) 308–321. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12270. 2017
- Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro, Wurdack, Kenneth J., Ferrucci, M. S., Johnson, Gabriel, Dias, Pedro, Coelho, Rubens G., Somner, Genise V., Steinmann, Victor W., Zimmer, Elizabeth Anne, and Strong, Mark T. 2017. "Generic Relationships and Classification of Tribe Paullinieae (Sapindaceae) with a New Concept of Supertribe Paulliniodae." Systematic Botany, 42, (1) 96–114. https://doi.org/10.1600/036364417X694926. 2017
- Funk, Vicki Ann, Gostel, Morgan, Devine, Amanda, Kelloff, Carol L., Wurdack, Kenneth J., Tuccinardi, Chris, Radosavljevic, Aleks, Peters, Melinda, and Coddington, Jonathan. 2017. "Guidelines for collecting vouchers and tissues intended for genomic work (Smithsonian Institution): Botany Best Practices." Biodiversity Data Journal, (5) e11625. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.5.e11625. 2017
- Wurdack, Kenneth J. and Farfan-Rios, William. 2017. "Incadendron: a new genus of Euphorbiaceae tribe Hippomaneae from the sub-Andean cordilleras of Ecuador and Peru." Phytokeys, (85) 69–86. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.85.14757. 2017
- Commock, Tracy, Rose, Philip E., Gandhi, Kanchi N., Campbell, Keron C. St E., Wurdack, Kenneth J., Francisco-Ortega, Javier, and Jestrow, Brett. 2017. "Typification and Nomenclature of Five Taxa Endemic to Jamaica." Harvard Papers in Botany, 22, (2) 137–140. https://doi.org/10.3100/hpib.v22iss2.2017.n8. 2017
- Horn, James W., Xi, Zhenxiang, Riina, Ricarda, Peirson, Jess A., Yang, Ya, Dorsey, Brian L., Berry, Paul E., Davis, Charles C., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2014. "Evolutionary bursts in Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae) are linked with photosynthetic pathway." Evolution, 68, (12) 3485–3504. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.12534. 2014
- Matamoro-Vidal, A., Furness, C. A., Gouyon, P. H., Wurdack, Kenneth J., and Albert, B. 2012. "Evolutionary stasis in Euphorbiaceae pollen: selection and constraints." Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 25, (6) 1077–1096. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2012.02494.x. 2012
- Xi, Zhenxiang, Bradley, Robert K., Wurdack, Kenneth J., Wong, K. M., Sugumaran, M., Bomblies, Kirsten, Rest, Joshua S., and Davis, Charles C. 2012. "Horizontal transfer of expressed genes in a parasitic flowering plant." BMC Genomics, 13, (3) S25–S30. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2164-13-227. 2012
- Horn, James W., van Ee, Benjamin W., Morawetz, Jeffery J., Riina, Ricarda, Steinmann, Victor W., Berry, Paul E., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2012. "Phylogenetics and the evolution of major structural characters in the giant genus Euphorbia L. (Euphorbiaceae)." Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 63, (2) 305–326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2011.12.022. 2012
- Xi, Zhenxiang, Ruhfel, Brad R., Schaefer, Hanno, Amorim, André M., Sugumaran, M., Wurdack, Kenneth J., Endress, Peter K., Matthews, Merran L., Stevens, Peter F., Mathews, Sarah, and Davis, Charles C. 2012. "Phylogenomics and a posteriori data partitioning resolve the Cretaceous angiosperm radiation Malpighiales." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109, (43) 17519–17524. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1205818109. 2012
- Soltis, Douglas E., Smith, Stephen A., Cellinese, Nico, Wurdack, Kenneth J., Tank, David C., Brockington, Samuel F., Refulio-Rodriguez, Nancy F., Walker, Jay B., Moore, Michael J., Carlsward, Barbara S., Bell, Charles D., Latvis, Maribeth, Crawley, Sunny, Black, Chelsea, Diouf, Diaga, Xi, Zhenxiang, Rushworth, Catherine A., Gitzendanner, Matthew A., Sytsma, Kenneth J., Qiu, Yin-Long, Hilu, Khidir W., Davis, Charles C., Sanderson, Michael J., Beaman, Reed S., Olmstead, Richard G. et al. 2011. "Angiosperm phylogeny: 17 genes, 640 taxa." American Journal of Botany, 98, (4) 704–730. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.1000404. 2011
- Redden, Karen M., Herendeen, Patrick S., Wurdack, Kenneth J., and Bruneau, Anne. 2010. "Phylogenetic Relationships of the Northeastern South American Brownea Clade of Tribe Detarieae (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) based on Morphology and Molecular Data." Systematic Botany, 35, (3) 524–533. https://doi.org/10.1600/036364410792495863. 2010
- Wurdack, Kenneth J. and Davis, Charles C. 2009. "Malpighiales phylogenetics: Gaining ground on one of the most recalcitrant clades in the angiosperm tree of life." American Journal of Botany, 96, (8) 1551–1570. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.0800207. 2009
- Wurdack, Kenneth J. and Dorr, Laurence J. 2009. "The South American genera of Hemerocallidaceae (Eccremis and Pasithea): two introductions to the New World." Taxon, 58, (4) 1122–1132. 2009
- Daniell, H., Wurdack, Kenneth J., Kanagaraj, A., Lee, S. B., Saski, C., and Jansen, R. K. 2008. "The complete nucleotide sequence of the cassava (Manihot esculenta) chloroplast genome and the evolution of atpF in Malpighiales: RNA editing and multiple losses of a group II intron." Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 116, (5) 723–737. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-007-0706-y. 2008
- Davis, C. C., Latvis, M., Nickrent, D. L., Wurdack, Kenneth J., and Baum, D. A. 2007. "Floral gigantism in Rafflesiaceae." Science, 315, (5820) 1812. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1135260. 2007
- Reveal, J. L., Hoffmann, P., Doweld, A., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2007. "Proposal to conserve the name Phyllanthaceae." Taxon, 56, (1) 266. 2007
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Book
- Kelloff, Carol L., Redden, Karen M., Wurdack, Kenneth J., and Alexander, Sara N. 2023. Smithsonian Plant Collections, Guiana Shield 2002-2012, Karen M. Redden and Kenneth J. Wurdack. In Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, 116. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.21912828. 2023
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Chapter
- Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2022. "Euphorbiaceae, and its segregates Peraceae, Picrodendraceae, Putranjivaceae." In The New Natural History of Madagascar. Goodman, Steven M., editor. 634–639. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. 2022
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Dataset
- Gillespie, Lynn J., Cardinal-McTeague, Warren M., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2020. [Dataset] Data from: Monadelpha (Euphorbiaceae, Plukenetieae), a new genus of Tragiinae from the Amazon rainforest of Venezuela and Brazil. Distributed by Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/DRYAD.5HQBZKH4D. 2020
- Dorr, Laurence J., Romero-Hernandez, C., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2018. [Dataset] A new large-flowered species of Andeimalva (Malvaceae: Malvoideae) from Peru. Compiled by Dorr, Laurence J. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.44dm150. 2018
- Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro, Wurdack, Kenneth J., Ferrucci, M. S., Johnson, Gabriel, Dias, Pedro, Coelho, Rubens G., Somner, Genise V., Steinmann, Victor W., Zimmer, Elizabeth Anne, and Strong, Mark T. 2017. [Dataset] Generic Relationships and Classification of Tribe Paullinieae (Sapindaceae) with a New Concept of Supertribe Paulliniodae. Distributed by Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.p2g6p. 2017
Affiliation
Member Of
Contact
Location
- National Museum of Natural History Academic Department
