![blue flowers](/sites/biodiversity/files/styles/21_9_placeholder_/public/images/2022/35299889881_6559f9ae06_o.jpeg?h=926d89e9&itok=8ln_J5RW)
Botany
Botany conducts research, research training and graduate education on the world’s plants — their global diversity, evolution, geography, genomic, morphology, conservation, ecology and behavior.
![cactus flower](/sites/biodiversity/files/styles/7_5_placeholder_/public/images/2022/cactus-flower.jpg?h=695059ea&itok=abURNDZn)
Research
Botany staff engage in specimen-based research using interdisciplinary approaches, field-and lab-based studies, and a range of research tools to examine questions in plant systematics, evolutionary biology, plant biogeography, ecology, conservation biology and natural resource management.
Featured Research Topics
![Plant with white puffball like blooms and dark greenery. Species is Cephalanthus occidentalis](/sites/biodiversity/files/styles/1_1_placeholder_/public/images/2022/Cephalanthus%20occidentalis_4.jpg?h=d759eb5f&itok=tAn9vcZG)
Collections
The McGregor Herbarium houses approximately 454,000 specimens accumulated by Botany staff during the past 150 years. The collection ranks in the top 5% of U.S. herbaria in the number of accessioned specimens. Vascular plant holdings are rich in Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Fabaceae, Juncaceae and Poaceae.
![Pressed and dried plant specimen on paper with a bar code on bottom left and detailed plant information on right](/sites/biodiversity/files/styles/1_1_placeholder_/public/images/2021/14115793317_2e6b7c239c_o.jpeg?h=85ff63d1&itok=QSJcf1qY)