Department of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants (with Herbarium)
Welcome to our department!
"Plant systematics" is one of the oldest disciplines at the University of Göttingen and is being taught there since the founding of the university in 1735.
The major research topics of our Department are evolution, phylogeny and taxonomy of flowering plants (poster). Our mission is to understand the patterns and processes of diversification of plants in space and time. We focus on evolutionary processes at the population and species level, and on interspecific relationships within genera. The role of reproductive and evelopmental biology for plant evolution is an important focus of our research. By analyzing asexual reproduction in plants we try to understand the evolutionary paradox of predominance of sex in nature. Our major model systems are Ranunculus (buttercups), Salix (willows), Xanthium (Asteraceae), and Rutaceae (the citrus family). Find out more about our current research projects.
Department members 2025 including herbarium volunteers
The Department is equipped with modern molecular, karyological and computer laboratories. We host an internationally renowned Herbarium (GOET) of about 800.000 specimens (including over 14,000 types) and research collections of living plants (c. 2.000).
New Curator of herbarium GOET
After 12 years (2013-2025) Dr. Marc Appelhans left the position as curator of the Herbarium GOET to become full Professor at the University of Jena. His successor is Dr. Salvatore Tomasello. We welcome him in our department and wish him all the best for this new task. For requests regarding the herbarium please contact Dr. Tomasello.
Dr. Salvatore Tomasello
+49 551 39 25757
salvatore.tomasello@uni-goettingen.de
find out more about Salvatore
News
CONGRATULATIONS!
We congratulate Eleonora Manzo and Loic Pittet to their successful PhD graduation. Both defended in October 2025. Eleonora´s PhD thesis was about an integrative approach on species delimitation in genus Xanthium, while Loic´s thesis comprised the analyses of hybrid zones of Salix species in the European Alps. Both published the results in several papers (see "Publications").
More than dried plants - Historische Arbeit über Albert Peter
Im Rahmen ihrer BSc-Arbeit "New insights into old treasures – reconstruction of the expeditions of Albert Peter to German East Africa by utilizing digitized historical specimens of the herbarium GOET" untersuchte Lenja Mertens das Schaffen Albert Peters. In der Arbeit befasste sich Lenja mit den Expeditionen des Göttinger Professors. Die beiden Reisen Albert Peters nach Deutsch-Ostafrika in den Jahren 1913–1919 und 1925/1926 fanden in einer Zeit intensiver kolonialer Erschließung und wissenschaftlicher Erforschung statt. Lenja untersuchte, wie sich seine Reiserouten anhand digitalisierter Herbarbelege rekonstruieren lassen. mehr
Hier können die Reisen anhand einer virtuellen Karte nachvollzogen werden.
Graduiertenkolleg - Evolutionäre Genomik: Folgen biodiverser Fortpflanzungssysteme
DFG fördert neues Graduiertenkolleg in der Biologie an der Universität Göttingen. Das GRK mit dem Titel „Evolutionary Genomics: Consequences of Biodiverse Reproductive Systems (EvoReSt)“ verfolgt einen interdisziplinären Ansatz, der die Evolution von Genomen unter verschiedenen Reproduktionsformen an Organismen aus dem gesamten „Tree of Life“ untersucht.
Kontakt: Prof. Dr. Elvira Hörandl
Pressemitteilung der Uni Göttingen
Welcome to lectures and courses
Our department is responsible for several lectures, courses and seminars for beginners as well as advanced students.
The main part is module B.Bio.103 "Pflanzensystematik und Anatomie" which includes a lecture and a practical course (microscopy). (winter term)
and the module B.Bio127/210: Structure and diversity of plants including field trips.
Learning about anatomy of plants from cellular algae to higher vascular plants
If you are interested in our courses and seminars click here and/or check Exa/FlexNow.
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Info:
Prof. Elvira Hörandl
elvira.hoerandl@biologie.uni-goettingen.de
Tel.: +49 (0)551 39 27843
Termine n. Ü.
Herbarium curator
Dr. Salvatore Tomasello
+49 551 39 25757
salvatore.tomasello@uni-goettingen.de
Termine n. Ü.