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Lynn Bohs Back to Faculty

Lynn Bohs

Professor

Ph.D. Harvard University

Graduate Program Membership:

Office/Building: Biol 228
Phone: 801-585-0380
Email: bohs@biology.utah.edu
Bohs Lab: http://bohs.biology.utah.edu/

Research Statement

Research in our lab centers on plant systematics, phylogeny, evolution, and biodiversity, with an emphasis on plants in the Solanaceae (tomato family). We use a variety of approaches from morphology to molecular phylogenetics and a diversity of techniques from field and herbarium studies to DNA sequencing to delimit and describe species and investigate their evolutionary relationships, distributional ranges, and basic biology. The Solanaceae has a worldwide distribution and is one of the world's most economically important plant families, including the tomato, potato, eggplant, chili pepper, petunia, and tobacco as well as lesser-known species with potential uses as foods or medicines. It provides opportunities to investigate the interactions of plants with people, the evolution of domesticated species, and character changes associated with human selection.

Research Interests

General Interests
Specific Interests
  • Plant systematics, phylogeny, evolution, and biodiversity
  • Biology of the Solanaceae (tomato family)
  • Economic botany and ethnobotany

Selected Publications

  • Bohs, L. 2015. Solanaceae. Pp 205�336 in B. E. Hammel, N. Zamora, and M. H. Grayum (eds.), Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica. Vol. VIII. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, MO and Inst. Nac. de Biodiversidad, Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica. Keys and descriptions for 25 genera and 174 species in Costa Rica.
  • Carrizo Garc�a C., G.A. Wahlert, C. I. Orozco, G. E. Barboza, and L. Bohs. 2015. Phylogeny of the Andean genus Deprea (Physalideae, Solanaceae): testing the generic circumscription. PhytoTaxa 238 (1): 71�81.
  • Clark, J. L., M. Nee, L. Bohs, and S. Knapp. 2015. A revision of Solanum section Aculeigerum (the Solanum wendlandii group, Solanaceae). Systematic Botany 40: 1102�1136.
  • Wahlert, G. A., F. E. Chiarini, and L. Bohs. 2015. A revision of Solanum sect. Lathyrocarpum (the Carolinense clade). Systematic Botany 40(3): 853�887.
  • Stern, S. R., L. Bohs., and J. Keeling. 2014. New species and combinations in Solanum section Androceras (Solanaceae). Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 8: 1�7.

Courses Taught

  • Biol 2010: Evolution and Diversity of Life
  • Biol 2355: Field Botany
  • Biol 5435: Plant Systematics