My interest lies in systematic botany in all its diversity. I work at the Hortus botanicus Leiden as scientific collection manager. Using the various plant collections in the Hortus, I conduct research into the evolution of plants. By looking at special structures, such as flowers or the trapping mechanisms of carnivorous plants, I hope to unravel more on how plants have evolved.
In collaboration between Naturalis Biodiversity Center and the Hortus botanicus Leiden, I obtained my PhD on the plant genus ‘Phyllanthus’, an enormous plant group consisting of more than 800 species and with quite a few problems in its taxonomy. With an extensive phylogynetic study, we investigated the evolution of this plant group and developed a new classification.
Keywords
Botany, taxonomy, evolution, biogeography
ResearchInterests
My fascination lies in the evolution of different species and how adaptations to local conditions have led to differences in, for example, flower characteristics.
For my research, I use various plant collections to look at plant systematics. Because of my collection work at the Hortus, I can use a combination of living plants and herbarium material. Many of my projects use a combination of DNA with morphology and collection. For example, we combine studies of the evolutionary relationship between species with a comparison of different characteristics, such as the glands of carnivorous plants. I am also responsible for the archive at the Hortus, where we have ongoing projects on the history of the Hortus and plant exchanges through the ages.
Keypublications
Bouman, R.W., Keβler, P.J.A., Telford, I.R.H., Bruhl, J.J., Strijk, J.S., Saunders, R.M.K., Esser, H.-J., Falcón-Hidalgo, B., van Welzen, P.C. (2022). A revised phylogenetic classification of tribe Phyllantheae (Phyllanthaceae). Phytotaxa 540: 1–100. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.540.1.1
Bouman, R. W., Keβler, P. J., Telford, I. R., Bruhl, J. J., Strijk, J. S., Saunders, R. M., & van Welzen, P. C. (2021). Molecular phylogenetics of Phyllanthus sensu lato (Phyllanthaceae): Towards coherent monophyletic taxa. Taxon, 70, 72-98. https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12424
van Welzen, P. C., Arias Guerrero, S., Arifiani, D., Bangun, T. J., Bouman, R. W., Eurlings, M. C., & Wurdack, K. J. (2021). 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, 59(5), 1000-1017. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12581
Verwijs, J. I. M., Bouman, R. W., & Van Welzen, P. C. (2019). A taxonomic revision of Phyllanthus subgenus Macraea (Phyllanthaceae). Blumea-Biodiversity, Evolution and Biogeography of Plants, 64(3), 231-252. https://doi.org/10.3767/blumea.2019.64.03.05
Bouman, R. W., Keβler, P. J., & van Welzen, P. C. (2019). Lectotypification and amended description of Phyllanthus (Phyllanthaceae) species described by Koorders from Sulawesi, Indonesia. Reinwardtia, 18(2), 97-103. https://doi.org/10.14203/reinwardtia.v18i2.3781
Bouman, R.W., Keβler, P.J.A., Telford, I.R.H., Bruhl, J.J., van Welzen, P.C. (2018). Subgeneric delimitation of the plant genus Phyllanthus (Phyllanthaceae). Blumea, 63(2), 167-198. https://doi.org/10.3767/blumea.2018.63.02.14
Bouman, R.W., van Welzen, P.C., Sumail, S., Echevarria, G., Erskine, P.D., Van der Ent, A. (2018). Phyllanthus rufuschaneyi: a new nickel hyperaccumulator from Sabah (Borneo Island) with potential for tropical agromining. Botanical studies, 59 (9), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40529-018-0225-y
Bouman, R.W., Steenhuisen, S., van der Niet, T. (2016). The role of the pollination niche in community assembly of Erica species in a biodiversity hotspot. Journal of Plant ecology, 10 (4), 634-648. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtw068
Teachingactivities
- Lecturer M.Sc./Ph.D. vak 'Plant families of the tropics', eerste 3 weken van januari in de Hortus botanicus Leiden
- BSc. stages
- MSc. stages
- Lessen voor verschillende leeftijden voor scholen