Alastair Robinson

For the New Zealand rugby union player, see Alastair Robinson (rugby union).

Alastair Robinson
Born1980 (age 43–44)
Alma materUniversity College London, Queens' College, University of Cambridge
Scientific career
FieldsCarnivorous plants, Nepenthes, Drosera
InstitutionsNational Herbarium of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
Thesis Mutational Analysis of Cyclin D3;1 in Arabidopsis  (2005)
Author abbrev. (botany)A.S.Rob.
Scholia has a profile for Alastair Robinson (Q261718).
Stigmatodactylus dalagangpalawanicum A.S.Rob.

Alastair S. Robinson (born 1980) is a taxonomist and field botanist specialising in the carnivorous plant genus Nepenthes, for which he is regarded as a world authority.[1][2] He is currently Manager Biodiversity Services at the National Herbarium of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, where he oversees identification botany services, the Library and Artwork components of the State Botanical Collection, and the botanical journal Muelleria,[3] a peer-reviewed scientific journal on botany published by the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria,[4] for which he is Editor in Chief.

Robinson explaining a digested terrestrial shrew consumed by a N. attenboroughii, the giant pitcher plant he co-discovered with S.McPherson & V.B.Heinrich in 2009.

In 2007, Robinson co-discovered the giant Palawan pitcher plant, Nepenthes attenboroughii, for which he published the formal description and diagnosis in 2009, speculating on the paleogeographical evidence for the radiative speciation of an enigmatic group of ultramafic Philippine and Malaysian Nepenthes from a common ancestor on the island of Borneo.[5][6] Nepenthes attenboroughii was the largest pitcher Nepenthes discovered since the identification of Nepenthes rajah on Borneo in 1858.[5][2][7][8] Other discoveries resulting from his work in Palawan include a first record of the orchid genus Stigmatodactylus in the Philippines, with two new species, Stigmatodactylus aquamarinus A.S.Rob. & E.Gironella and Stigmatodactylus dalagangpalawanicum A.S.Rob., described from Palawan in 2016.[9][10]

A slipper orchid endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia, was commemoratively named Paphiopedilum robinsonianum after this authority following its discovery in 2013.[11][12]

Robinson received his BSc from University College London and his PhD from the University of Cambridge for research into the molecular control mechanisms of spatio-temporal cell-development in plants. Specialisms also include stapeliads (Apocynaceae), terrestrial orchids, ecology and conservation biology.[1][2]

Works of interest include a 3-volume flora of the genus Drosera (2017), a 2-volume flora of the genus Pinguicula (2016), a 2-volume flora of Nepenthes, titled Pitcher Plants of the Old World (2009), for which he co-authored the species descriptions, and a range of Nepenthes field guides.[2][13]

Robinson is brother to screen actress Zuleikha Robinson.[7]

  1. ^ a b Ellison, A. & Adamec, L. eds., 2017. Contributing Author Information. Carnivorous Plants: Physiology, ecology, and evolution. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198779841. doi:10.1093/oso/9780198779841.001.0001
  2. ^ a b c d McPherson, S.R. 2009. Pitcher Plants of the Old World. Redfern Natural History Productions Ltd., Poole.
  3. ^ "Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne Staff". Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  4. ^ "Muelleria; an Australian Journal of Botany. Melbourne". The International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  5. ^ a b Robinson, A.S., A.S. Fleischmann, S.R. McPherson, V.B. Heinrich, E.P. Gironella & C.Q. Peña 2009. A spectacular new species of Nepenthes L. (Nepenthaceae) pitcher plant from central Palawan, Philippines. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 159(2): 195–202. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2008.00942.x
  6. ^ Cheek, M.R. & M.H.P. Jebb 1999. Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae) in Palawan, Philippines. Kew Bulletin 54(4): 887–895. doi:10.2307/4111166
  7. ^ a b Evening Standard Magazine (11 Dec 2009), Daily Mail Group.
  8. ^ Walker, M. 2009. Giant 'meat-eating' plant found. BBC Earth News, 11 August 2009.
  9. ^ New orchid species of Stigmatodactylus (Orchidoideae; Diurideae) and a new record of Cryptostylis carinata from central Palawan, Philippines
  10. ^ https://species.wikimedia.orgview_html.php?sq=&lang=&q=Category:Alastair_S._Robinson_taxa>Wikispecies: List of Taxon names authored by Alastair S. Robinson taxa
  11. ^ Cavestro 2014 publ. 2013. Paphiopedilum robinsonianum Cavestro Rhône-Alpes Orchid. 52(14).
  12. ^ Govaerts, R. 2013. Paphiopedilum robinsonianum World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Kew. Retrieved on 1 October 2013.
  13. ^ McPherson, S.R. New Nepenthes: Volume One. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole.