9315506 Crawford The sunflower family of plants, the Compositae or Asteraceae, is one of the largest in the world, with ca. 20,000 species, and has attracted a large proportion of scientists in taxonomic and evolutionary biology. Since the last international meeting where a synthesis of information was attempted on the family, in 1975, the Compositae have been the subjects of new molecular methods of DNA analysis and of numerous other studies on morphology, life histories, natural products, and ethnobotanical uses. Dr. Daniel Crawford of Ohio State University is coordinating travel grants for several U.S. participants to attend an international conference on the systematics and evolution of the Compositae, to be held at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England. Graduate students and faculty researchers are eligible for travel supplements to attend this two-week conference. Recent studies of phylogeny, genome organization and change, hybridization, diploid-level speciation, natural products chemistry, pollination and dispersal, life history evolution, and ethnobotany will be highlighted. The conference anticipates attendees from many countries in America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The first international conference on the Compositae, held in 1975, led to publication of a synthesis volume with wide and lasting impact on studies of systematics and evolution of the sunflower family of plants. The second conference at Kew is likely to achieve similar distinction, and in particular will highlight recent findings from new molecular technologies applied to DNA and genome organization in these plants.
