Research

Main fields of research:

Biology, karyology, polyploidy, DNA-analytical biosystematics and taxonomy of Rubiaceae (Galium, Asperula etc.), Dipsacaceae (Knautia etc.), Asteraceae (Achillea, Anacyclus, Artemisia, Carlina, Leontodon etc.), Winteraceae (Drimys, Tasmannia, Takhtajania), Rutaceae (Aurantioideae etc.), Caryophyllaceae (Cerastium), Veroniceae, Ranunculaceae (Anemone etc.), Solanaceae (Capsicum), collaborator of “Flora Europaea”, “Flora of Turkey”, “Flora Iranica”, “Flora of China” etc., comparative phylogenetics and evolution of Higher Plants; world-wide biogeography and ecology of terrestrial biota.

Scientific publications:

More than 370 publications in various scientific journals, several monographs and textbooks (as author, coauthor or editor). Coauthor of the “Strasburger” textbook on Botany, eds.30 –34, 1971—1998 (chapters on seedplants and phytogeography/ geobotany). most recently and together with R. Berger, editor of “Ökosystem Wien, die Naturgeschichte einer Stadt“, Böhlau-Verlag Wien (2011). Managing Editor of the international journal “Plant Systematics and Evolution”, 1974-1999.

Career

• 1995-2013 Active Research Collaborator at the Department for Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Faculty Center for Biodiversity, University Vienna, Austria
• since 1994 Professor Emeritus, Institute of Botany, University of Vienna, Austria
• 1975 Visiting Professor, University of Massachusetts, USA
• 1970-1995 Full Professor, Head (until 1990) of Institute of Botany and Director of the Botanical Garden, University of Vienna, Austria
• 1966 Senior Research Fellow, Australian Academy of Sciences, Canberra
• 1965-1970 Full Professor, Head of Institute of Systematic Botany and Director of the Botanical Garden, University of Graz, Styria, Austria
• 1960-1964 Custodian, Department of Botany, Museum of Natural History, Vienna, Austria
• 1959 Research Associate, Univ. of California, Davis and Berkeley (with G.L. Stebbins), USA
• 1952 Fulbright Scholarship, Harvard Univ., Cambridge (with R. Rollins); Carnegie Institution, Stanford, Calif. (with J. Clausen); Field Museum, Chicago, USA
• 1949-1959 Research Assistant, since 1955 as Univ.-Docent, Institute of Botany, University of Vienna, Austria
• 1945-1949 Dr. phil. (botany, paleontology, philosophy), University of Vienna, Austria

Functions

• 1996-2002 Chairman of the Commission for Interdisciplinary Ecological Studies, Austrian Academy of Sciences
• 1986-2002 Chairman of the Austrian National Committee for the International Program “Man and Biosphere”

Honours and Memberships

• 1997 Member, Academia Nacional de Ciencias de Córdoba, Argentina; Doctor honoris causa, Univ. Córdoba, Argentina 1994 - 2011 etc.
• since 1996 Member, Georgian Academy of Sciences, Tbilisi
• since 1996 Member, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia
• since 1993 Member, Academia Europaea
• since 1990 Foreign Honorary Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• since 1977 Member, German Academy of Scientists Leopoldina
• 1972/1975 Corresponding/Full Member, Austrian Academy of Sciences