Discussing controversial topics in
cladistics in Braunwald, Switzerland.
(photo courtesy of Chloé Galley)

Dr. Christopher R. Hardy
Keeper of the Herbarium
& Assistant Professor

Department of Biology
Millersville University
288 Roddy Building
50 E. Frederick St.
Millersville, PA 17551, USA

Phone: (717) 871-2312
Fax: (717) 872-3905 christopher.hardy@millersville.edu

Areas of Specialization:

• Plant Systematics & Phylogenetics
• Floral Morphogenesis & Anatomy
• Botanical Illustration

Education:

• PH.D., Cornell University & The New York Botanical Garden, 2001
• B.S., University of Maryland, 1995
• A.A., Catonsville Community College, 1991

Publications:

• Complete list of publications

 

Floral Morphogenesis & Anatomy

My work in this area has been in the monocotyledonous spiderwort & dayflower family, Commelinaceae.

Left: Floral organogenesis in Plowmanianthus, a recently described genus of Commelinaceae from the Neotropics. Working clockwise from nine o'clock, can you track the development of the 3 sepals, 3 petals, 3 stamens (note that only three out of six stamen primordia develop to maturity), and 3 carpels? Note that first the sepals and then the petals were dissected away by me successively in the later sequence in order to expose the developing stamens and carpels. [Hover cursor over image to enlarge.]

 

Selected Publications on This Topic:

Hardy CR, JI Davis, DW Stevenson (2004) Floral organogenesis in Plowmanianthus (Commelinaceae). International Journal of Plant Sciences 165 (4): 511-519.

Hardy CR, DW Stevenson (2000) Floral organogenesis in some species of Tradescantia and Callisia (Commelinaceae). International Journal of Plant Sciences 161 (4): 551-562.

Hardy CR, DW Stevenson (2000) Development of the flower, gametophytes, and floral vasculature in Cochliostema odoratissimum (Commelinaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 134 (1): 131-157.

Hardy CR, DW Stevenson, HG Kiss (2000) Development of the flower, gametophytes, and floral vasculature in Dichorisandra thyrsiflora (Commelinaceae). American Journal of Botany 87 (9): 1228-1239.