Botanist alastair robinson sticking his nose inside a rafflesia kerrii a short documentary
Alastair S. Robinson (born 1980) is a British-American taxonomist and field botanist specialising in the carnivorous plantgenusNepenthes. Robinson published the first 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.
In 2007, Robinson co-discovered the giant Palawanpitcher plant, Nepenthes attenboroughii, for which he authored the formal description and diagnosis. This species was the largest-pitchered Nepenthes discovered since the identification of Nepenthes rajah on Borneo in 1858. Other discoveries resulting from his ongoing work in Palawan include the first records 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.
A slipper orchid endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia, was commemoratively named Paphiopedilum robinsonianum after this authority following its discovery in 2013.
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 include stapeliads (Apocynaceae), terrestrial orchids, ecology and conservation biology, which he has studied in southern Europe, Tanzania, Borneo and the Philippines.
Works of interest include the 2009 treatment of Nepenthes and Cephalotus, Pitcher Plants of the Old World (two volumes), for which he was contributor and principal editor, the authorship of the Indochina and New Guinea sections of New Nepenthes: Volume One (2011), and a range of field guides published during 2012.
Robinson is brother to Hollywood screen actress Zuleikha Robinson.
Time-lapse illustration of a Cryptostylis orchid drawn by Alastair Robinson
Publications
Lowrie, A. 2014. (editor, contributor) Carnivorous Plants of Australia Magnum Opus Volume 1. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
Lowrie, A. 2014. (editor, contributor) Carnivorous Plants of Australia Magnum Opus Volume 2. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
Lowrie, A. 2014. (editor, contributor) Carnivorous Plants of Australia Magnum Opus Volume 3. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
Parsons, R., M.E. Gerritsen, 2013. (editor) A Compendium of Miniature Orchid Species Volume 1. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
Parsons, R., M.E. Gerritsen, 2013. (editor) A Compendium of Miniature Orchid Species Volume 2. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
McPherson, S., D. Schnell, 2013. (editor) Field Guide to the Pitcher Plants of the United States and Canada. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
McPherson, S., D. Schnell, 2013. (editor) Field Guide to the Carnivorous Plants of the United States and Canada. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
Cross, A., 2012. (editor) Aldrovanda – The Waterwheel Plant. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
Fleischmann, A., 2012. (editor) A Monograph of the Genus Genlisea. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
Bourke, G., R. Nunn, 2012. (editor) Australian Carnivorous Plants. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
McPherson, S., A.S. Robinson, 2012. (co-author & editor) Field Guide to the Pitcher Plants of Australia and New Guinea. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
McPherson, S., A.S. Robinson, 2012. (co-author & editor) Field Guide to the Pitcher Plants of Peninsular Malaysia and Indochina. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
McPherson, S., A.S. Robinson, 2012. (co-author & editor) Field Guide to the Pitcher Plants of Sumatra and Java. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
McPherson, S., A.S. Robinson, 2012. (co-author & editor) Field Guide to the Pitcher Plants of Borneo. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
McPherson, S., A.S. Robinson, 2012. (co-author & editor) Field Guide to the Pitcher Plants of Sulawesi. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
Robinson, A.S., J. Nerz, A. Wistuba, M. Mansur & S. McPherson, 2011. Nepenthes lamii Jebb & Cheek, an emended description resulting from the separation of a two-species complex, and the introduction of Nepenthes monticola, a new species of highland Nepenthes from New Guinea. In: S.R. McPherson New Nepenthes: Volume One. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole. pp. 477–512.
Robinson, A.S., J. Nerz, & A. Wistuba, 2011. Nepenthes epiphytica, a new Pitcher Plant from East Kalimantan. In: S.R. McPherson New Nepenthes: Volume One. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole. pp. 316–331.
Mey, F.S., L.H. Truong, D.V. Dai & A.S. Robinson, 2011. Nepenthes thorelii, an emended description and novel ecological data resulting from its rediscovery in Tay Ninh, Vietnam. In: S.R. McPherson New Nepenthes: Volume One. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole. pp. 437–465.
McPherson, S., 2011. (editor) New Nepenthes: Volume One. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
McPherson, S., V.B. Amoroso, 2011. (editor) Field Guide to the Pitcher Plants of the Philippines. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
McPherson, S., G. Bourke, J. Cervancia, M. Jaunzems, E. Gironella, A. Robinson & A. Fleischmann 2011. Nepenthes leonardoi (Nepenthaceae), a new pitcher plant species from Palawan, Philippines. Carniflora Australis8(1): 4–19.
Fleischmann, A., A.S. Robinson, S. McPherson, V. Heinrich, E. Gironella & D.A. Madulid 2011. "Drosera ultramafica (Droseraceae), a new sundew species of the ultramafic flora of the Malesian highlands." (PDF).Blumea56(1): 10–15.
McPherson, S.R., Fleischmann, A.S., Robinson, A.S., 2010. Carnivorous Plants and their Habitats Volume 1. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK, 723 pages.
McPherson, S.R., Fleischmann, A.S., Robinson, A.S., 2010. Carnivorous Plants and their Habitats Volume 2. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK, 719 pages.
Mey, F.S., M. Catalano, C. Clarke, A. Robinson, A. Fleischmann & S. McPherson 2010. "Nepenthes holdenii (Nepenthaceae), a new species of pyrophytic pitcher plant from the Cardamom Mountains of Cambodia." (PDF). In: S.R. McPherson Carnivorous Plants and their Habitats. Volume 2. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole. pp. 1306–1331.
McPherson, S., J. Cervancia, C. Lee, M. Jaunzems, A. Fleischmann, F. Mey, E. Gironella & A. Robinson, 2010. Nepenthes palawanensis (Nepenthaceae), a new pitcher plant species from Sultan Peak, Palawan Island, Philippines. In: S.R. McPherson Carnivorous Plants and their Habitats. Redfern Natural History Productions Ltd., Poole. pp. 1332–1339.
McPherson, S., J. Cervancia, C. Lee, M. Jaunzems, A. Fleischmann, F. Mey, E. Gironella & A. Robinson, 2010. Nepenthes gantungensis (Nepenthaceae), a new pitcher plant species from Mount Gantung, Palawan, Philippines. In: S.R. McPherson Carnivorous Plants and their Habitats. Redfern Natural History Productions Ltd., Poole. pp. 1286–1295.
Robinson, AS, et al., 2009. A spectacular new species of Nepenthes L. (Nepenthaceae) pitcher plant from central Palawan, Philippines. Bot. J. Linn. Soc.159(2): 195–202.
McPherson, SR, Robinson, AS, Fleischmann, AS, 2009. Pitcher Plants of the Old World Volume 1. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK, 630 pages.
McPherson, SR, Robinson, AS, Fleischmann, AS, 2009. Pitcher Plants of the Old World Volume 2. Redfern Natural History Productions, UK, 766 pages.
de Jager, SM, Scofield, S, Huntley, RP, Robinson, AS, et al., 2009. Dissecting regulatory pathways of G1/S control in Arabidopsis: common and distinct targets of CYCD3;1, E2Fa and E2Fc. Plant Molecular Biology.71(4–5): 345–365.
Mey, FS, 2009. (editor) Nepenthes bokorensis, a new species of Nepenthaceae from Cambodia. Carniflora Australis7(1): 6–15.
Heinrich, VB, McPherson, SR, Gronemeyer, T, Amoroso, VB, 2009. (editor) Nepenthes micramphora (Nepenthaceae), a new species of Nepenthes L. from southern Mindanao, Philippines. PPOW2: 1314–1319, Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
Striffler, BF, Rembold, K, 2009. (editor) Henriksenia labuanica nom. nov., a replacement name for Misumenops nepenthicola Bristowe (1930) and clarification of the current taxonomic status of Misumenops nepenthicola Fage (1928) (Arachnida, Araneae, Thomisidae). PPOW2: 1334–1337, Redfern Natural History Productions, UK.
Robinson, A. 1997. Malaysia Trip 1996. The Carnivorous Plant Society Journal20: 6–17.
Robinson, A. 1995 ['1994/95']. Plant findings in Malaysia. The Carnivorous Plant Society Journal18: 44–47.
