Scientists collaborate to create a verified global legumes checklist

Led by researchers at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Université de Montréal, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, specialist botanists from around the world published the first community endorsed and verified list of legumes (family Leguminosae or Fabaceae) under the umbrella of the Legume Phylogeny Working Group (LPWG). The legume list is available on the new Legume Data Portal dedicated to communicate information about the legume family.

Coupled with the checklist, a Legume Data Portal was created with the support of GBIF to disseminate legume-related data. The LPWG was chosen by GBIF to develop as a pilot project a portal hosted by GBIF to showcase both GBIF-mediated occurrence data on legumes and the expertise of the international community on the taxonomy and evolution of the family.

To find out more, have a look at the press release.

Photo 1: A rare species of Hoffmannseggia from the lomas vegetation of coastal Peru, photographed by Gwil Lewis, Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, taken in November 2018 [orange flowers]

Photo 2: A rare species of Lupinus from the lomas vegetation of coastal Peru, photographed by Gwil Lewis, Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, taken in November 2018 [blue-purple flowers]