Science
- Evolutionary ecology research
- Horticultural research
- Plant diversity research
- Amalie Dietrich project
- Australian freshwater algae
- Australian mesic zone biota
- Biology of Myrtaceae
- Bryophytes
- Cycad evolution and diversity
- Cyperaceae
- DNA of ground orchids
- DNA studies of Restionaceae
- Ecdeiocoleaceae
- Evolution of Australian Utricularia
- Evolution of Proteaceae
- Fern biodiversity of Australia
- Indigofera
- Key to the Lichen Genus Pertusaria
- Lamiaceae & Urticaceae
- Lamiaceae
- Lejeuneaceae
- Lepidoziaceae - southern liverworts
- Marine algae
- New Species and phylogeny in Restionaceae
- Phylogenetic biome conservatism
- Phylogeny and new species of Australian Utricularia
- Phylogeny of Orchidaceae tribe Diurideae
- Poales
- Pollination studies in Prostanthera
- Project Camellia
- Rutaceae
- She-oaks - tough survivors
- Telopea special edition
- Theaceae of South-East Asia
- Trees of Papua New Guinea
- Tristaniopsis in south-east Asia
- Urticaceae of Java
- XVIII International Botanical Congress
- Plant pathology research
- Herbarium & resources
- Scientific publications
XVIII International Botanical CongressKaren Wilson AM - Senior Research Scientist/ Secretary General IBC2011 The International Botanical Congress (IBC) is held every 6 years and attracts several thousand participants from all fields of botany and from all parts of the world. Each IBC is held in a different country, mostly in Europe or North America. It has been held in Australia once before: in Sydney in August 1981. This time, the XVIII IBC took place in Melbourne in July 2011, over a fortnight. The first week of Nomenclature Sessions involved 204 delegates from 32 countries discussing possible changes to the rules to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature that govern the scientific naming of plants, algae and fungi. These sessions were held in the pleasant surrounds of the University of Melbourne. Ground-breaking changes were made to update the Code: allowing electronic-only publication of new names, and the use of English instead of Latin for the description of the new taxon; allowing only one name for a fossil or fungus; and requiring registration of new fungal names at designated electronic repositories. Even the name of the Code was changed, to the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants. These changes made it into the prestigious journal Nature’s online scientific news - an indication of how momentous the changes are for biology. Just over 2000 delegates from 73 countries took part in the second, main week of the Congress in the new Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Southbank. The program included 951 talks in 188 symposia, 722 electronic posters and 112 traditional posters-on-the-wall and other scientific events. Dr Tim Entwisle, former Executive Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, was co-chair of the Scientific Program Committee, and Karen Wilson was Secretary-General of the Organising Committee. Other members of our scientific staff organised symposia, spoke in them, or presented posters. A public discussion panel on the important roles of plants and micro-organisms was sponsored by the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust; organised by Janelle Hatherly, Manager, Public Programs, with Professor David Mabberley as one of the speakers, just prior to taking up his role as Executive Director.
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