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Neil Snow

Associate Professor

• Postdoctoral Experience: Queensland Herbarium (Brisbane, Australia)
• Ph.D.: Washington University in St. Louis (Biology)
• M.S.: University of Wyoming (Botany)
• B.S.: Colorado State University (Botany)

Contact information

• E-mail: neil.snow@unco.edu
• Phone: (970) 351-2650
• Fax: (970) 351-2335
• Office: Ross Hall 1510
• Office hours: by appointment

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Courses taught

• BIO 330/530 (Plant Taxonomy)
• BIO 440/540 (Anatomy and Morphogenesis of Vascular Plants)
• BIO 111 (Organismal Biology)
• BIO 465 (Evolution)

Research Interests and Professional Activities

My research program focuses on the systematics of the Myrtle Family, Myrtaceae. This ecologically common family includes the well-known genus Eucalyptus and the much more poorly known genus Eugenia. Myrtaceae is common in many parts of the world but remains poorly known, particularly in the neotropics. The family is common in some of the world's biodiversity hotspots, such as the Greater Antilles, New Caledonia, the Atlantic Coastal Forests of Brazil, Madagascar, and Australia.

Recently published studies in Myrtaceae include the Australasian genera Myrtella, Lithomyrtus, Austromyrtus, Gossia, Lenwebbia, Rhodamnia, Uromyrtus, Decaspermum, and Pilidiostigma. Treatments for most of these genera and of Rhodomyrtus have been submitted for Flora of Australia. Many of the approximately 30 new species I have described with colleagues from Australasia are rare and in need of conservation measures. Dr. John Dawson of Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand and I are revising several genera from New Caledonia for the Flore de la Nouvelle-Calédonie series. I am also engaged in various revisions of the large, very poorly known genus Eugenia of species in the New World. Dr. Andrew Salywon (U.S.D.A., Phoenix) and I have sequenced some 100 species in Myrtaceae in 30+ genera to test hypotheses of 1) suprageneric evolutionary relationships within the family, 2) the timing of divergence of major lineages, and 3) evolution of important character states (e.g. embryo types) in the family.

Another on-going project is the production of a monograph of the grass genus Leptochloa (including Diplachne), which was the topic of my doctoral dissertation in 1997.

On-line interactive keys: I have been promoting the expanded use of on-line interactive keys in teaching and research (Brasher and Snow 2003). Such keys can greatly facilitate the process of identification and expedite the dissemination of taxonomic data on-line. This is particularly true for poorly known groups in tropical regions. At UNC we use LucidTM software because of its numerous advantages and its continued active development (www.lucidcentral.com <http://www.lucidcentral.com>). Phase 1 of the Southern Rocky Mountain Interactive Flora (SRMIF), a key to the vascular plant families written primarily by Jeffrey Brasher, is available at <http://asstudents.unco.edu/students/lucid/>. The Southern Rocky Mountain Flora Project has recently received support from the National Science Foundation; a preliminary checklist for plants from this region is available at (http://www.unco.edu/biology/herbarium/SRMIF/SRMIFChecklistFeb04.pdf

Graduate Study: I prefer that graduate students partake of projects in Myrtaceae since the need is so great and it is my area of expertise. Potential projects for graduate study in Myrtaceae include: 1) DNA sequencing studies within Myrtaceae; 2) Systematic studies of Eugenia sensu lato; 3) Systematics of the non-Australian species of Rhodamnia; 4) Systematics of Eugenia and Syzygium from Madagascar. However, students interested in floristics of the High Plains or southern Rocky Mountain regions are also encouraged to apply. He trabajado en varios países latinoamericanos y hablo español y portugués. Tenemos un buen programa de biología. Favor de escribirnos si se interesa por sacar estudios graduados.

Current Graduate Students: 1) Jeffrey Brasher is a doctoral candidate writing an interactive key to the vascular plants of the Southern Rocky Mountain Region; 2) Jessie Csizmadi is a masters degree student studying the systematic relationships of Rhodomyrtus (Myrtaceae); 3) Michael Schiebout is a masters degree student who has recently begun a floristic survey of northeastern New Mexico with an emphasis on the high plains region.

Facilities: A systematics lab is available for molecular studies and anatomy. The department also has an SEM and confocal microscope. The herbarium (www.unco.edu/biology/herbarium) is a recently renovated facility that includes space compactors, and has nearly doubled its holdings in the past 6 years.

Adjunct Appointment: I hold at adjunct appointment at the Missouri Botanical Garden (www.mobot.org http://www.mobot.org) as an Associate Researcher.

Recently published peer-reviewed articles

• Snow, N. (2006) New species of Gossia N. Snow & Guymer and Rhodomyrtus (DC.) Hassk. (Myrtaceae) from Papua New Guinea. Austrobaileya 7: 325-340.
• Snow, N., B. Holst. In review. Eugenia L., In: Catálago de las Plantas Vasculares de Bolivia (Missouri Botanical Garden).
• Snow, N. In press. Systematics of Pilidiostigma (Myrtaceae). Systematic Botany.
• Brasher, J. W., N. Snow. In press. Further additions to Weber’s 3-letter family acronyms. Taxon.
• Snow, N., G. P. Guymer, G. Sawvel. 2003. Systematics of Austromyrtus, Lenwebbia, and the Australian species of Gossia (Myrtaceae). Systematic Botany Monographs Vol. 65: 1-95.
• Snow, N. 2003. Schedonnardus Steud. In: Flora of North America. Vol. 25: 228-230.
• Snow, N. 2003. Buchloë Engelm. In: Flora of North America, Vol. 25: 270-271.
• Snow, N. 2003. Leptochloa P. Beauv. In: Flora of North America. Vol. 25: 51-60.
• Snow, N., G. P. Guymer. 2001. Revision of Australian species of Uromyrtus (Myrtaceae) and two new combinations from New Caledonia. Systematic Botany26: 733-742.
• Snow, N., A. J. Ford, B. Koblitz. 2001. Rhodamnia longisepala (Myrtaceae): An endangered species from northeastern Queensland, Australia. Novon: 11: 479-483.
• Snow, N. 2000. A conspectus of Australasian Myrtinae (Myrtaceae). Kew Bulletin 55: 647-654.
• Snow, N. 2000. A new Leptochloa (Poaceae: Chloridoideae) from Papua New Guinea and the Torres Strait Islands of Australia. Novon 10: 238-241.
• Snow, N., G. P. Guymer. 1999. Systematic and cladistic studies of Myrtella F. Muell. and Lithomyrtus F. Muell. (Myrtaceae). Austrobaileya 5(2): 173-208.
• Snow, N. 1999. Notes on generic concepts in Rhodomyrtus, Archirhodomyrtus, Decaspermum, and Pilidiostigma. Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 99: 5-7
• Snow, N., P. L. Keating. 1999. The relevance of specimen citations to conservation. Conservation Biology 13: 943-944.
• Snow, N. 1998. Nomenclatural changes in Leptochloa P. Beauvois sensu lato Poaceae: Chloridoideae). Novon 8: 77-80.
• Snow, N. 1997. Application of the phylogenetic species concept: a botanical monographic perspective. Austrobaileya 5: 1-8.
• Snow, N., 1996. The phylogenetic utility of lemmatal micromorphology in Leptochloa and related genera in subtribe Eleusininae (Poaceae, Chloridoideae, Eragrostideae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 83: 504-529.
• Snow, N. 1994. The vascular flora of southeastern Yellowstone National Park and the headwaters region of the Yellowstone River, Wyoming. Wassman Journal of Biology 50-51: 52-95.
• Snow, N., J. M. MacDougal. 1993. New chromosome reports in Passiflora (Passifloraceae). Systematic Botany 18: 261-274.
• Snow, N., P. Goldblatt. 1992. Chromosome number in Ticodendron (Fagales, Ticodendraceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 79: 906-907.
• Goldblatt, P., N. Snow. 1991. Chromosome cytology and systematics of Eleutherine Herbert (Iridaceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 78: 942-949.
• Snow, N., B. E. Nelson, R. L. Hartman. 1990. Additions to the vascular flora of Yellowstone National Park. Madroño 37: 214-216.

Other recently published materials

• Snow, N. (2006) Review of new plant taxonomy textbooks. Aquilegia 30: 4.