Plant Molecular Systematics

Plant molecular systematics is a discipline that uses molecular data to unravel the evolutionary relationships among plant species. This book serves as an introduction to the core principles of plant molecular systematics, presenting the fundamentals in a concise and coherent way. It equips students with both foundational knowledge and insights from the latest research. The book details how molecular data can be leveraged to build phylogenetic trees, which depict evolutionary relationships among plant species.

Structured into 18 chapters, the book explores various aspects of molecular systematics in an engaging and stimulating manner. Each chapter includes summaries and relevant illustrations to reinforce key concepts. To further support learning, the book features a glossary of essential scientific terms, suggested further reading, and a dedicated section on current challenges and future directions in the field.

Key molecular techniques and their applications in plant systematics are comprehensively covered, including the following:

• Nucleic acids, genes, and genomes
• Molecular markers
• DNA isolation and amplification
• Next-generation sequencing
• Phylogenetic tree construction
• Molecular clocks
• DNA barcoding

This book is intended for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students in plant sciences, especially those interested in plant taxonomy. It provides a comprehensive resource for anyone pursuing studies in plant molecular systematics.

Arun K. Pandey is a former Professor of Botany, Ex-Dean of Colleges, University of Delhi, and former Vice-Chancellor, Mansarovar Global University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. He has over four decades of teaching and research experience. Dr. Pandey has supervised 38 PhD students, published over 200 research papers, and edited/authored 14 books. He is credited for initiating molecular systematics work on Indian taxa. He has published a series of papers on taxonomic revisions, checklists, and molecular phylogeny of flowering plants. He has described ten species new to science. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India, Indian Botanical Society, Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy, East Himalayan Society for Spermophyte Taxonomy, and recipient of several prestigious awards.

Ritesh K. Choudhary is Scientist-E at Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, specializing in plant taxonomy with about 20 years of experience. He was a post-doctoral fellow at the Korea Research Institute of Biotechnology & Bioscience. Dr. Choudhary has described 14 new species in India and played a key role in resolving the phylogeny of various genera like Eriocaulon, Capparis, and Smilax, among others, utilizing molecular data. His career spans five books and over 95 research papers, earning recognition such as fellowships with the Linnean Society, UK, and the Indian Association of Angiosperm Taxonomy.

Mayank D. Dwivedi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University of Amritsar, where he teaches plant taxonomy and systematics of angiosperms. His research focuses on the taxonomy of cucurbits and allied groups, estimation of phylogeny, and molecular systematics studies. He has published around 35 research articles in leading International and National journals and authored 2 books. He is a DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) fellow.

Shruti Kasana is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany, University of Delhi. She specializes in plant taxonomy and molecular phylogeny. She has received multiple awards, including the prestigious Prof. Y.D. Tyagi Medal of the Indian Botanical Society. She has published her research work in reputed National and International journals. She is an active member of several scientific societies and has delivered invited lectures and chaired sessions in various conferences. She is also the Curator of the Delhi University Herbarium.