Kenneth Wurdack

• B.S., University of Maryland, College Park
• M.S., University of North Carolina
• Ph.D., University of North Carolina

Systematic biology: Systematics, phylogenetics, and biogeography of Euphorbiaceae s.l. and other Malpighiales; also Thymelaeaceae.

Evolutionary biology: plant-insect interactions, especially pertaining to ants and myrmecophytic associations.

Floristic work: neotropics, southeastern USA, Molecular biology: genome evolution especially in plant mitochondria; processes of molecular evolution.

History of science: botanical exploration and natural history, especially pertaining to 19th century southeastern USA.

Journal Article

• Dorr, Laurence J. and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2024. "Re-evaluating monotypic Eleutherostylis from New Guinea and the Moluccas and its inclusion in Grewia (Malvaceae, Grewioideae)." PhytoKeys, 237 91–102. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.237.114105.
• Gillespie, Lynn J., Cardinal-McTeague, Warren, and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2024. "Three Unusual New Species of Plukenetia (Euphorbiaceae) from Madagascar: Species Radiation and Convergent Evolution in P . sect. Madagascarienses." Systematic Botany, 49, (1) 192–208. https://doi.org/10.1600/036364424X17110456120767.
• Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2023. "A new, disjunct species of Bahiana (Euphorbiaceae, Acalyphoideae): Phytogeographic connections between the seasonally dry tropical forests of Peru and Brazil, and a review of spinescence in the family." Phytokeys, (219) 121–144. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.219.95872.
• Hamersma, Ashley, Herrera, Fabiany, Wurdack, Kenneth, and Manchester, Steven R. 2022. "Belenocarpa tertiara (Berry) gen. et comb. nov. (Euphorbiaceae): Fossil Fruits with Carunculate Seeds from the Oligocene of Peru." International journal of plant sciences, https://doi.org/10.1086/718830.
• Reback, Rachel G., Kapgate, Dashrath K., Wurdack, Kenneth, and Manchester, Steven R. 2021. "Fruits of Euphorbiaceae from the Late Cretaceous Deccan Intertrappean Beds of India." International journal of plant sciences, https://doi.org/10.1086/717691.
• Mauricio Bonifacino, Jose, Baldwin, Bruce G., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2021. "Harold Robinson (1932-2020): the Bryologist Who Revamped Compositae Taxonomy." Taxon, 70, (3) 692–696. https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12524.
• Dorr, Laurence J. and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2020. "Indo-Asian Eriolaena expanded to include two Malagasy genera, and other generic realignments based on molecular phylogenetics of Dombeyoideae (Malvaceae)." Taxon, https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12370.
• Gillespie, Lynn J., Cardinal-McTeague, Warren M., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2020. "Monadelpha (Euphorbiaceae, Plukenetieae), a new genus of Tragiinae from the Amazon rainforest of Venezuela and Brazil." Phytokeys, (169) 119–135. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.169.59244.
• Laraba, Imane, Kim, Hye-Seon, Proctor, Robert H., Busman, Mark, O'Donnell, Kerry, Felker, Frederick C., Aime, M. C., Koch, Rachel A., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2020. "Fusarium xyrophilum, sp. nov., a member of the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex recovered from pseudoflowers on yellow-eyed grass (Xyris spp.) from Guyana." Mycologia, 112, (1) 39–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2019.1668991.
• Laraba, Imane, McCormick, Susan P., Vaughan, Martha M., Proctor, Robert H., Busman, Mark, Appell, Michael, O'Donnell, Kerry, Felker, Frederick C., Catherine Aime, M., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2020. "Pseudoflowers produced by Fusarium xyrophilum on yellow-eyed grass (Xyris spp.) in Guyana: a novel floral mimicry system?" Fungal Genetics and Biology, 144 Article 103466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fgb.2020.103466.
• van Welzen, Peter C., Guerrero, Susana Arias, Arifiani, Deby, Bangun, Tjut J. F., Bouman, Roderick W., Eurlings, Marcel C. M., Gushilman, Iska, Phillipson, Peter B., Tabak, Iris, Winkel, Esmée, and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2020. "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, https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12581.
• Cardinal-McTeague, Warren M., Wurdack, Kenneth J., Sigel, Erin M., and Gillespie, Lynn J. 2019. "Seed size evolution and biogeography of Plukenetia (Euphorbiaceae), a pantropical genus with traditionally cultivated oilseed species." Bmc Evolutionary Biology, 19 29–29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-018-1308-9.
• Skaltsas, Demetra N., Badotti, Fernanda, Martins Vaz, Aline Bruna, da Silva, Felipe Ferreira, Gazis, Romina, Wurdack, Kenneth, Castlebury, Lisa, Goes-Neto, Aristoteles, and Chaverri, Priscila. 2019. "Exploration of stem endophytic communities revealed developmental stage as one of the drivers of fungal endophytic community assemblages in two Amazonian hardwood genera." Scientific Reports, 9 Article 12685. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-48943-2.
• Wurdack, Kenneth J. and Michelangeli, Fabián A. 2019. "Systematics and relationships of Tryssophyton (Melastomataceae), with a second species from the Pakaraima Mountains of Guyana." PhytoKeys, 136 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.136.38558.
• Wurdack, Kenneth J. and Zartman, Charles E. 2019. "Insights on the systematics and morphology of Humiriaceae (Malpighiales): androecial and extrafloral nectary variation, two new combinations, and a new Sacoglottis from Guyana." PhytoKeys, 124 87–121. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.124.34679.
• Dorr, Laurence J., Romero-Hernández, Carolina, and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2018. "A new large-flowered species of Andeimalva (Malvaceae, Malvoideae) from Peru." PhytoKeys, (110) 91–99. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.110.29376.
• Dorr, Laurence J. and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2018. "A new disjunct species of Eriolaena (Malvaceae, Dombeyoideae) from Continental Africa." PhytoKeys, 111 11–16. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.111.29303.
• Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro, Wurdack, Kenneth J., Ferrucci, M. S., Johnson, Gabriel, Dias, Pedro, Coelho, Rubens G., Somner, Genise V., Steinmann, Victor W., Zimmer, Elizabeth Anne, and Strong, Mark T. 2017. "Generic Relationships and Classification of Tribe Paullinieae (Sapindaceae) with a New Concept of Supertribe Paulliniodae." Systematic Botany, 42, (1) 96–114. https://doi.org/10.1600/036364417X694926.
• Commock, Tracy, Rose, Philip E., Gandhi, Kanchi N., Campbell, Keron C. St E., Wurdack, Kenneth J., Francisco-Ortega, Javier, and Jestrow, Brett. 2017. "Typification and Nomenclature of Five Taxa Endemic to Jamaica." Harvard Papers in Botany, 22, (2) 137–140. https://doi.org/10.3100/hpib.v22iss2.2017.n8.
• Funk, Vicki Ann, Gostel, Morgan, Devine, Amanda, Kelloff, Carol L., Wurdack, Kenneth J., Tuccinardi, Chris, Radosavljevic, Aleks, Peters, Melinda, and Coddington, Jonathan. 2017. "Guidelines for collecting vouchers and tissues intended for genomic work (Smithsonian Institution): Botany Best Practices." Biodiversity Data Journal, (5) e11625. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.5.e11625.
• Wen, Jun, Harris, Aj, Ickert-Bond, Stefanie, Dikow, Rebecca B., Wurdack, Kenneth J., and Zimmer, Elizabeth Anne. 2017. "Developing integrative systematics in the informatics and genomic era, and calling for a global Biodiversity Cyberbank." Journal of Systematics and Evolution, 55, (4) 308–321. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12270.
• Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2017. "A new tiny-leaved species of Raveniopsis (Rutaceae) from the Pakaraima Mountains of Guyana." Phytokeys, (91) 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.91.14763.
• Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2017. "A new disjunct Dendrothrix (Euphorbiaceae, tribe Hippomaneae): a Guiana Shield element in sub-Andean cordilleras of Ecuador and Peru." PhytoKeys, (86) 117–130. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.86.14761.
• Wurdack, Kenneth J. and Farfan-Rios, William. 2017. "Incadendron: a new genus of Euphorbiaceae tribe Hippomaneae from the sub-Andean cordilleras of Ecuador and Peru." Phytokeys, (85) 69–86. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.85.14757.
• Horn, James W., Xi, Zhenxiang, Riina, Ricarda, Peirson, Jess A., Yang, Ya, Dorsey, Brian L., Berry, Paul E., Davis, Charles C., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2014. "Evolutionary bursts in Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae) are linked with photosynthetic pathway." Evolution, 68, (12) 3485–3504. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.12534.
• Horn, James W., van Ee, Benjamin W., Morawetz, Jeffery J., Riina, Ricarda, Steinmann, Victor W., Berry, Paul E., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2012. "Phylogenetics and the evolution of major structural characters in the giant genus Euphorbia L. (Euphorbiaceae)." Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 63, (2) 305–326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2011.12.022.
• Matamoro-Vidal, A., Furness, C. A., Gouyon, P. H., Wurdack, Kenneth J., and Albert, B. 2012. "Evolutionary stasis in Euphorbiaceae pollen: selection and constraints." Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 25, (6) 1077–1096. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2012.02494.x.
• Xi, Zhenxiang, Bradley, Robert K., Wurdack, Kenneth J., Wong, K. M., Sugumaran, M., Bomblies, Kirsten, Rest, Joshua S., and Davis, Charles C. 2012. "Horizontal transfer of expressed genes in a parasitic flowering plant." BMC Genomics, 13, (3) S25–S30. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2164-13-227.
• Xi, Zhenxiang, Ruhfel, Brad R., Schaefer, Hanno, Amorim, André M., Sugumaran, M., Wurdack, Kenneth J., Endress, Peter K., Matthews, Merran L., Stevens, Peter F., Mathews, Sarah, and Davis, Charles C. 2012. "Phylogenomics and a posteriori data partitioning resolve the Cretaceous angiosperm radiation Malpighiales." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109, (43) 17519–17524. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1205818109.
• Soltis, Douglas E., Smith, Stephen A., Cellinese, Nico, Wurdack, Kenneth J., Tank, David C., Brockington, Samuel F., Refulio-Rodriguez, Nancy F., Walker, Jay B., Moore, Michael J., Carlsward, Barbara S., Bell, Charles D., Latvis, Maribeth, Crawley, Sunny, Black, Chelsea, Diouf, Diaga, Xi, Zhenxiang, Rushworth, Catherine A., Gitzendanner, Matthew A., Sytsma, Kenneth J., Qiu, Yin-Long, Hilu, Khidir W., Davis, Charles C., Sanderson, Michael J., Beaman, Reed S., Olmstead, Richard G. et al. 2011. "Angiosperm phylogeny: 17 genes, 640 taxa." American Journal of Botany, 98, (4) 704–730. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.1000404.
• Redden, Karen M., Herendeen, Patrick S., Wurdack, Kenneth J., and Bruneau, Anne. 2010. "Phylogenetic Relationships of the Northeastern South American Brownea Clade of Tribe Detarieae (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) based on Morphology and Molecular Data." Systematic Botany, 35, (3) 524–533. https://doi.org/10.1600/036364410792495863.
• Wurdack, Kenneth J. and Davis, Charles C. 2009. "Malpighiales phylogenetics: Gaining ground on one of the most recalcitrant clades in the angiosperm tree of life." American Journal of Botany, 96, (8) 1551–1570. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.0800207.
• Wurdack, Kenneth J. and Dorr, Laurence J. 2009. "The South American genera of Hemerocallidaceae (Eccremis and Pasithea): two introductions to the New World." Taxon, 58, (4) 1122–1132.
• Daniell, H., Wurdack, Kenneth J., Kanagaraj, A., Lee, S. B., Saski, C., and Jansen, R. K. 2008. "The complete nucleotide sequence of the cassava (Manihot esculenta) chloroplast genome and the evolution of atpF in Malpighiales: RNA editing and multiple losses of a group II intron." Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 116, (5) 723–737. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-007-0706-y.
• Davis, C. C., Latvis, M., Nickrent, D. L., Wurdack, Kenneth J., and Baum, D. A. 2007. "Floral gigantism in Rafflesiaceae." Science, 315, (5820) 1812. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1135260.
• Reveal, J. L., Hoffmann, P., Doweld, A., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2007. "Proposal to conserve the name Phyllanthaceae." Taxon, 56, (1) 266.
• Hoffmann, P., Kathriarachchi, H., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2006. "A phylogenetic classification of Phyllanthaceae (Malpighiales; Euphorbiaceae sensu lato)." Kew Bulletin, 61, (1) 37–53.
• Hoffmann, P. and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2006. "Radcliffea, a new genus of Euphorbiaceae sensu stricto from Madagascar." Kew Bulletin, 61, (2) 193–197.
• Kathriarachchi, H., Samuel, R., Hoffmann, P., Mlinarec, J., Wurdack, Kenneth J., Ralimanana, H., Stuessy, T. F., and Chase, M. 2006. "Phylogenetics of tribe Phyllantheae (Phyllanthaceae; Euphorbiaceae sensu lato) based on nrITS and plastid matK DNA sequence data." American Journal of Botany, 93, (4) 637–655. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.93.4.637.
• Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2006. "The lectotypification and 19th century history of Croton alabamensis." SIDA, Contributions to Botany, 22, (1) 469–483.
• Berry, P. E., Hipp, A. L., Wurdack, Kenneth J., Ee, B. Van, and Riina, R. 2005. "Molecular phylogenetics of the giant genus Croton and tribe Crotoneae (Euphorbiaceae sensu stricto) using ITS and trnL-trnF DNA sequence data." American Journal of Botany, 92, (9) 1520–1534.
• Davis, C. C., Anderson, W. R., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2005. "Gene transfer from a parasitic flowering plant to a fern." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 272, (1578) 2237–2242.
• Davis, Charles C., Webb, Campbell O., Wurdack, Kenneth J., Jaramillo, Carlos A., and Donoghue, Michael J. 2005. "Explosive Radiation of Malpighiales Supports a Mid-Cretaceous Origin of Modern Tropical Rain Forests." American Naturalist, 165, (3) E36–E65.
• Kathriarachchi, H., Hoffmann, P., Samuel, R., Wurdack, Kenneth J., and Chase, Mark W. 2005. "Molecular phylogenetics of Phyllanthaceae inferred from five genes (plastid atpB, matK, 3' ndhF, rbcL, and nuclear PHYC)." Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 36, (1) 112–134.
• Kite, G. C., Hoffmann, P., Lees, D. C., Wurdack, Kenneth J., and Gillespie, L. J. 2005. "a-Homonojirimycin and other polyhydroxyalkaloids in Suregada Roxb. ex Rottl. (Euphorbiaceae)." Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 33, (11) 1183–1186.
• Kress, W. John, Wurdack, Kenneth J., Zimmer, Elizabeth Anne, Weigt, Lee A., and Janzen, Daniel H. 2005. "Use of DNA barcodes to identify flowering plants." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 102 8369–8374.
• Motley, T. J., Wurdack, Kenneth J., and Deprete, P. G. 2005. "Molecular systematics of the Catesbaeeae-Chiococceae complex (Rubiaceae): flower and fruit evolution and biogeographic implications." American Journal of Botany, 92, (2) 316–329.
• Samuel, R., Kathriarachchi, H., Hoffmann, P., Barfuss, M., Wurdack, Kenneth J., Davis, C. C., and Chase, Mark W. 2005. "Molecular phylogenetics of Phyllanthaceae: evidence from plastid matK and nuclear PHYC sequences." American Journal of Botany, 92, (1) 132–141.
• Wurdack, Kenneth J., Hoffmann, P., and Chase, Mark W. 2005. "Molecular phylogenetic analysis of uniovulate Euphorbiaceae (Euphorbiaceae sensu stricto) using plastid rbcL and trnL-F DNA sequences." American Journal of Botany, 92, (8) 1397–1420.
• Davis, C. C. and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2004. "Host-to-parasite gene transfer in flowering plants: phylogenetic evidence from Malpighiales." Science, 305 676–678.
• Wurdack, Kenneth J., Hoffmann, P., Samuel, R., Bruijn, A. de, der Bank, M. van, and Chase, Mark W. 2004. "Molecular phylogenetic analysis of Phyllanthaceae (Phyllanthoideae pro parte, Euphorbiaceae sensu lato) using plastid rbcL DNA sequences." American Journal of Botany, 91, (11) 1882–1900.

Book

• Kelloff, Carol L., Redden, Karen M., Wurdack, Kenneth J., and Alexander, Sara N. 2023. Smithsonian Plant Collections, Guiana Shield 2002-2012, Karen M. Redden and Kenneth J. Wurdack. In Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, 116. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.21912828.

Dataset

• Gillespie, Lynn J., Cardinal-McTeague, Warren M., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2020. [Dataset] Data from: Monadelpha (Euphorbiaceae, Plukenetieae), a new genus of Tragiinae from the Amazon rainforest of Venezuela and Brazil. Distributed by Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/DRYAD.5HQBZKH4D.
• Dorr, Laurence J., Romero-Hernandez, C., and Wurdack, Kenneth J. 2018. [Dataset] A new large-flowered species of Andeimalva (Malvaceae: Malvoideae) from Peru. Compiled by Dorr, Laurence J. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.44dm150.
• Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro, Wurdack, Kenneth J., Ferrucci, M. S., Johnson, Gabriel, Dias, Pedro, Coelho, Rubens G., Somner, Genise V., Steinmann, Victor W., Zimmer, Elizabeth Anne, and Strong, Mark T. 2017. [Dataset] Generic Relationships and Classification of Tribe Paullinieae (Sapindaceae) with a New Concept of Supertribe Paulliniodae. Distributed by Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.p2g6p.