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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Paul Peterson

Research Botanist and Curator of Botany (Poaceae)
Department / Division
Botany
Education
  • B.A., Humboldt State University
  • M.S., University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  • Ph.D., Washington State University
Research Interests

Peterson's interests are in species and generic relationships, and biogeographical patterns in the grasses (Poaceae). His specialty is biosystematic studies of the grasses using a multitude of techniques ranging from in depth morphological, anatomical, cytological, micromorphological, molecular, cladistic, and population based genetic studies using soluble enzymes. He has completed revisionary studies in large grass genera, such as: Eragrostis, Muhlenbergia, and Sporobolus, all important forage grasses. He is currently serving as editor of our department's periodical, Contributions from the United States National Herbarium

Publications
Article

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Web Page
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2014. "Muhlenbergia Muhly. In: B.G. Baldwin, D.J. Keil, S. Markos, B.D. Mishler, R. Patterson, T.J. Rosatti, and D.H. Wilken (eds.). Jepson Flora Project: Jepson eFlora."
  • Peterson, Paul M., Saarela, J. M., and Greene, C. W. 2014. "Calamagrostis Reed Grass. In: B.G. Baldwin, D.J. Keil, S. Markos, B.D. Mishler, R. Patterson, T.J. Rosatti, and D.H. Wilken (eds.). Jepson Flora Project: Jepson eFlora."
  • Saarela, J. M. and Peterson, Paul M. 2014. "Bromus Brome, Chess. In: B.G. Baldwin, D.J. Keil, S. Markos, B.D. Mishler, R. Patterson, T.J. Rosatti, and D.H. Wilken (eds.). Jepson Flora Project: Jepson eFlora."
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2012. "Poaceae (Gramineae)." https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/21907.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2003. "Poaceae (Gramineae)." http://www.els.net/ doi:10.1038/nps.els.0003689.
  • Soreng, Robert John, Peterson, Paul M., and Annable, C. R. 1995. "Catalogue of the C. B. Trinius Gramineae Herbarium."
Chapter
  • Peterson, Paul M. and Harvey, Michael J. 2014. "Agrostis Bent Grass." in Jepson Flora Project: Jepson eFlora, edited by Baldwin, B. G., Keil, D. J., Markos, S., Mishler, B. D., Patterson, R., Rosatti, T. J., and Wilken, D. H.,
  • Herrera, Yolanda and Peterson, Paul M. 2013. "Poaceae." in Plantas acuáticas mexicanas: una contribucion a la flora de México, edited by Lot, A., Medina Lemos, R., and Chiang, F., 255–305. México, D.F.: Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2013. "Poaceae (Gramineae)." in eLS: Encyclopedia of Life Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470015902.a0003689.pub2
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2012. "Clave de los Generos de Chloridoideae." in Monocotyledoneae, Poaceae: Aristidoideae a Pharoideae, edited by Zuloaga, Fernando O., Rúgolo de Agrasar, Zulma E., and Anton, Ana M., 76–78. Flora Argentia: Flora Vascular de la República Argentina. Córdoba: Graficamente Ediciones.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2012. "Tribu Zoysieae." in Monocotyledoneae, Poaceae: Aristidoideae a Pharoideae, edited by Zuloaga, Fernando O., Rúgolo de Agrasar, Zulma E., and Anton, Ana M., 204. Flora Argentina: Flora Vascular de la República Argentina. Córdoba: Graficamente Ediciones.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2012. "Clave de las Tribus de Chloridoideae." in Monocotyledoneae, Poaceae: Aristidoideae a Pharoideae, edited by Zuloaga, Fernando O., Rúgolo de Agrasar, Zulma E., and Anton, Ana M., 76. Flora Argentina: Flora Vascular de la República Argentina. Córdoba: Graficamente Ediciones.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2012. "Tribu Chlorideae Martinov." in Monocotyledoneae, Poaceae: Aristidoideae a Pharoideae, edited by Zuloaga, Fernando O., Rúgolo de Agrasar, Zulma E., and Anton, Ana M., 79. Flora Argentina: Flora Vascular de la República Argentina. Córdoba: Graficamente Ediciones.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2012. "Tribu Eragrostideae Stapf." in Monocotyledoneae, Poaceae: Aristidoideae a Pharoideae, edited by Zuloaga, Fernando O., Rúgolo de Agrasar, Zulma E., and Anton, Ana M., 175. Flora Argentina: Flora Vascular de la República Argentina. Cordoba: Graficamente Ediciones.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2012. "Muhlenbergia." in The Jepson manual: vascular plants of California, edited by Baldwin, Bruce G., Goldman, D. H., Keil, D. J., Patterson, R., Rosatti, T. J., and Wilken, D. H., 2nd ed. 1464–1473. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2012. "Clave de las Tribus de Pooideae." in Flora Argentina, edited by Zuloaga, Fernando O., Rúgolo de Agrasar, Zulma E., and Anton, Ana M., 24. Flora Argentina: Flora Vascular de la República Argentina. Córdoba: Graficamente Ediciones.
  • Peterson, Paul M. and Canas, D. Giraldo. 2012. "Eragrostis Wolf." in Monocotyledoneae, Poaceae: Aristidoideae a Pharoideae, edited by Zuloaga, Fernando O., Rúgolo de Agrasar, Zulma E., and Anton, Ana M., 178–203. Flora Argentina: Flora Vascular de la República Argentina. Córdoba: Graficamente Ediciones.
  • Peterson, Paul M. and Giraldo Canas, D. 2012. "Muhlenbergia Schreb." in Monocotyledoneae, Poaceae: Aristidoideae a Pharoideae, edited by Zuloaga, Fernando O., Rúgolo de Agrasar, Zulma E., and Anton, Ana M., 140–154. Flora Argentina: Flora Vascular de la República Argentina. Córdoba: Graficamente Ediciones.
  • Peterson, Paul M. and Harvey, M. J. 2012. "Agrostis." in The Jepson manual: vascular plants of California, edited by Baldwin, Bruce G., Goldman, D. H., Keil, D. J., Patterson, R., Rosatti, T. J., and Wilken, D. H., 2nd ed. 1413–1417. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Peterson, Paul M. and Saarela, J. M. 2012. "Calamagrostis." in The Jepson manual: vascular plants of California, edited by Baldwin, Bruce G., Goldman, D. H., Keil, D. J., Patterson, R., Rosatti, T. J., and Wilken, D. H., 2nd ed. 1431–1439. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Peterson, Paul M., Soreng, Robert John, and Smith, S. F. 2012. "Poaceae." in Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies, edited by Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro and Strong, Mark T., 714–766. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution.
  • Saarela, J. M. and Peterson, Paul M. 2012. "Bromus." in The Jepson manual: vascular plants of California, edited by Baldwin, Bruce G., Goldman, D. H., Keil, D. J., Patterson, R., Rosatti, T. J., and Wilken, D. H., 2nd ed. 1426–1435. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Columbus, J. T., Peterson, Paul M., Refulio Rodriguez, N. F., Cerros Tlatilpa, R., and Kinney, M. S. 2010. "Phylogenetics of Muhlenbergiinae (Poaceae: Chloridoideae, Cynodonteae) based on ITS and trnL-F DNA sequences." in Diversity, phylogeny, and evolution in the Monocotyledons, edited by Seberg, O., Petersen, G., Barfod, A. S., and Davis, J. I., 477–495. Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press.
  • Romaschenko, Konstantin, Peterson, Paul M., Soreng, Robert John, Garcia-Jacas, N., and Susanna, A. 2010. "Phylogenetics of Stipeae (Poaceae: Pooideae) based on plastid and nuclear DNA sequences." in Diversity, phylogeny, and evolution in the Monocotyledons, edited by Seberg, O., Petersen, G., Barfod, A. S., and Davis, J. I., 511–537. Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press.
  • Saarela, Jeffrey M., Liu, Qing, Peterson, Paul M., Soreng, Robert John, and Paszko, Beata. 2010. "Phylogenetics of the grass 'Aveneae-type plastid DNA clade' (Poaceae: Pooideae, Poeae) based on plastid and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence data." in Diversity, phylogeny, and evolution in the Monocotyledons, edited by Seberg, O., Petersen, G., Barfod, A. S., and Davis, J. I., 557–587. Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2009. "10.17 Muhlenbergia Schreb." in Grasses of the Intermountain Region, edited by Anderton, L. K. and Barkworth, Mary E., 196–210, 427−442, 507−509. Logan, Utah: Intermountain Herbarium.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2009. "10.12 Eragrostis Wolf." in Grasses of the Intermountain Region, edited by Anderton, L. K. and Barkworth, Mary E., 184–189, 416−420, 506. Logan, Utah: Intermountain Herbarium.
  • Peterson, Paul M. and Annable, C. R. 2009. "10.08 Blepharoneuron Nash." in Grasses of the Intermountain Region, edited by Anderton, L. K. and Barkworth, Mary E., 181, 413, 506. Logan, Utah: Intermountain Herbarium.
  • Peterson, Paul M., Hatch, S. L., and Weakley, A. S. 2009. "10.14 Sporobolus R. Br." in Grasses of the Intermountain Region, edited by Anderton, L. K. and Barkworth, Mary E., 190–195, 421−425, 507. Logan, Utah: Intermountain Herbarium.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2007. "16.23 Eragrostis Wolf." in Manual of grasses for North America, edited by Barkworth, Mary E., Anderton, L. K., Capels, K. M., Long, S., and Piep, M. B., 201–440, 532. Logan: Intermountain Herbarium and Utah State University Press.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2007. "16.33 Muhlenbergia Schreb." in Manual of grasses for North America, edited by Barkworth, Mary E., Anderton, L. K., Capels, K. M., Long, S., and Piep, M. B., 219–451, 536. Logan: Intermountain Herbarium and Utah State University Press.
  • Peterson, Paul M. and Annable, C. R. 2007. "16.16 Blepharoneuron Nash." in Manual of grasses for North America, edited by Barkworth, Mary E., Anderton, L. K., Capels, K. M., Long, S., and Piep, M. B., 197, 434, 532. Intermountain Herbarium and Utah State University Press.
  • Peterson, Paul M., Hatch, S. L., and Weakley, A. S. 2007. "16.30 Sporobolus R. Br." in Manual of grasses for North America, edited by Barkworth, Mary E., Anderton, L. K., Capels, K. M., Long, S., and Piep, M. B., 212–444, 535. Intermountain Herbarium and Utah State University Press.
  • Peterson, Paul M. and Soreng, Robert John. 2007. "Systematics of California grasses (Poaceae)." in California grasslands: ecology and management, edited by Stromberg, M. R., Corbin, J. D., and D'Antonio, C. M., 7–20. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Chen, S. L. and Peterson, Paul M. 2006. "Eragrostis." in Flora of China: Poaceae, Volume 22, edited by Wu, Z. Y., Raven, Peter H., and Hong, De-Yuan., 471–479. Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden Press.
  • Chen, S. L., Wu, Z. L., Lu, S. L., Sun, B. X., Phillips, S. M., and Peterson, Paul M. 2006. "Tribe Eragrostideae." in Flora of China: Poaceae, Volume 22, edited by Wu, Z. Y., Raven, Peter H., and Hong, De-Yuan., 457–487.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2006. "Grasses." in Encyclopedia of Appalachia, edited by Abramson, R. and Haskell, J., 68.
  • Wu, Z. L. and Peterson, Paul M. 2006. "Muhlenbergia." in Flora of China: Poaceae, Volume 22, edited by Wu, Z. Y., Raven, Peter H., and Hong, De-Yuan., 486–487. Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden Press.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2005. "Chapter 5.4 Grasses: family Poaceae." in Plant conservation: A natural history approach, edited by Krupnick, Gary A. and Kress, W. John., 104–108.
  • Peterson, Paul M. and McCracken, C. L. 2005. "Chapter 9 Genetic consequences of reduced diversity: Heterozygosity loss, inbreeding depression, and effective population size." in Plant conservation: A natural history approach, edited by Krupnick, Gary A. and Kress, W. John., 194–205.
  • Peterson, Paul M., Shetler, Stanwyn G., Abu-Asab, M. S., and Orli, Sylvia S. 2005. "Global climate change: The spring temperate flora." in Plant conservation: A natural history approach, edited by Krupnick, Gary A. and Kress, W. John., 185–193.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2003. "Muhlenbergia." in Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae: (in part): Poaceae, part 2. Flora of North America North of Mexico, volume 25, edited by Barkworth, Mary E., Capels, K. M., Long, S., and Piep, M. B., 145–201. Oxford University Press.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2003. "Eragrostis." in Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, part 2. Flora of North America North of Mexico, volume 25, edited by Barkworth, Mary E., Capels, K. M., Long, S., and Piep, M. B., 65–105. Oxford University Press.
  • Peterson, Paul M. and Annable, C. R. 2003. "Blepharoneuron." in Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, part 2. Flora of North America North of Mexico, volume 25, edited by Barkworth, Mary E., Capels, K. M., Long, S., and Piep, M. B., 47–48, 50. Oxford University Press.
  • Peterson, Paul M., Hatch, S. L., and Weakley, A. S. 2003. "Sporobolus." in Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, part 2. Flora of North America North of Mexico, volume 25, edited by Barkworth, Mary E., Capels, K. M., Long, S., and Piep, M. B., 115–139. Oxford University Press.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2002. "Muhlenbergia." in The Jepson Desert Manual: Vascular Plants of Southeastern California, edited by Baldwin, Bruce G., Boyd, S., Ertter, B. J., Patterson, R. W., Rosatti, T. J., and Wilken, D. H., 586–588, 591. Berkely, CA: University of California Press.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2001. "Eragrostis." in Illustrated Flora of British Columbia, Volume 7 Monocotyledons (Orchidaceae through Zosteraceae), edited by Douglas, G. W., Meidinger, D., and Pojar, J., 144–149. Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2001. "Muhlenbergia." in Illustrated Flora of British Columbia, Volume 7 Monocotyledons (Orchidaceae through Zosteraceae), edited by Douglas, G. W., Meidinger, D., and Pojar, J., 202–211. Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 2000. "Systematics of the Muhlenbergiinae (Chloridoideae: Eragrostideae)." in Grasses: Systematics and Evolution, edited by Jacobs, W. L. and Everett, J., 195–212.
  • Planchuelo, A. M. and Peterson, Paul M. 2000. "The species of Bromus (Poaceae: Bromeae) in South America." in Grasses: Systematics and Evolution, edited by Jacobs, S. W. L. and Everett, J., 89–101.
  • Teece, M. A., Tuross, Noreen C., Kress, W. John, Peterson, Paul M., Russell, G., and Fogel, Marilyn L. 2000. "Preservation of proteins in museum herbarium samples." in Perspectives in Amino Acid and Protein Geochemistry, edited by Goodfriend, G. A., Collins, Martin J., Fogel, Marilyn L., Macko, S. A., and Wehmiller, J., 83–87.
  • Webster, R. D. and Peterson, Paul M. 1996. "Poaceae." in The Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Island, edited by Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro., 509–540.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 1994. "Eragrostis and Muhlenbergia." in The Vascular Plants of British Columbia, Part 4 - Monocotyledons, edited by Douglas, G. W., Straley, G. B., and Meidinger, D., 114–115, 124. Ministry of Forests.
  • Peterson, Paul M. 1993. "Muhlenbergia." in The Jepson manual: higher plants of California, edited by Hickman, J. C., 1272–1275, 1279. University of California Press.

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Book
  • Herrera Arrieta, Y., Peterson, Paul M., and Granzow de la Cerda, I. 2004. Revision de Bouteloua Lag. (Poaceae). Comision Nacional Conocimiento y Uso Biodiversidad and Instituto Politecnico Nacional.
  • Soreng, Robert John, Peterson, Paul M., and Annable, C. R. 1995. Trinius Herbarium, Kamarov Botanical Institute, St. Petersburg, Guide to the microform collection. Inter Documentation Company BT-16, Norman Ross Publishing.