Key projects

The National Herbarium of New South Wales was one of 138 herbaria, universities and research institutes in a project led by the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew that collaborated to produce the ground-breaking Flowering Plant Tree of Life. This project utilised data from 353 nuclear genes to examine the evolution of all 416 flowering plant families over the last 150 million years. 

Read more about this ground breaking project 

The New South Wales Plant Tree of Life (NSWPToL) project is a collaboration between the Plant Diversity and Evolution and Collection teams at the NSW National Herbarium. We aim to utilise that same Angiosperms353 target capture methodology to sequence every native flowering plant in NSW during stage one of our Phylogenomic Flagship project (about 7000 species and subspecies). Ultimately, we hope to sample from multiple specimens of all species. As our herbarium has the best representation of the NSW flora anywhere in the world, we are the best-placed organisation to deliver this critical project. Plant classifications based on evolutionary relationships underpin our valuable herbarium collection (>$350 million), including their physical order and management. This project will serve not only our own organisational needs for curation and research, but also workers in the broader fields of ecology, conservation and evolution. The NSWPToL therefore represents a fundamental unit of knowledge for current and future research. 

• Building the New South Wales Plant Tree of Life (NSWPToL): (2023–)
• Building the Australian Angiosperm Tree of Life (AAToL): (2018–) 
• A genomic solution for sword sedge taxonomy (Lepidosperma, Cyperaceae): (2024–)
• Creating a new classification for Malvaceae tribe Hibisceae: (2022–) 
• Phylogenomics and taxonomic resolution of Fabaceae tribe Mirbelieae: (2021–) 
• Diversification of tropical rain forests at a global scale (phylogenomics and macroevolution of Annonaceae): (2020-2026) 
• Generic and species-level resolution in subtribe Anthistiriinae (Andropogoneae, Poaceae) using whole genome sequencing: (2023–)
• Genome sequencing in Byblidaceae: Untangling sticky complexes: (2025–)

• Teucrium of Australia – Evolution, biodiversity and biogeography of a medicinal mint: (2018–)
• Mints of a southern flavour – Evolution of reproductive systems, biodiversity and biogeography of the Prostantheroideae (Lamiaceae) : (2007–) [from 2016]
• Evolutionary history and conservation of an iconic Australian plant group: (2020–2025)
• Diversification and floral evolution in angiosperms (eFLOWER): (2011–) 
• AusTraits: a national database on the traits of Australia’s complete flora: (2011–2026) 
• Testing links between genomic and morphological evolutionary rates: Using phylogenetics to understand the tempo and mode of macroevolution: (2022–2025)
• Diversity and diversification of the Speculantha group (Tiny Greenhoods): (2022–)
• Patterns of plant biodiversity exchange spanning Australasia to China: (2024–)