Jer-Ming Hu

Professor Jer-Ming Hu is a faculty member at National Taiwan University, serving as Curator of the NTU Herbarium (TAI) and leading the Plant Systematics and Evolution Lab in the Department of Life Science. With a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis, his research spans plant systematics, reproductive ecology, East Asia floristics, and ethnobotany, focusing on parasitic plants like Balanophora and Mitrastema, as well as collaborations with anthropologists on indigenous knowledge systems.

• Education: Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Davis, USA

Research Interests focus on:

• Plant systematics, phytogeography, and floristics, particularly in East Asian flora
• Evolution of plant reproductive ecology, including dioecy and agamospermy patterns
• Natural history and museum studies, with emphasis on pre-1945 TAI herbarium specimens
• Ethnobotany, studying traditional ecological knowledge among Taiwan's Amis tribe

Recent Publications highlight taxonomic revisions in Elatostema (Urticaceae), Sonerila (Melastomataceae), and Ardisia (Primulaceae), alongside biogeographic studies of Taiwan's flora and evolutionary genetics of parasitic plants. His work integrates molecular phylogenetics with traditional specimen analysis.

Courses Taught include advanced seminars in plant evolution, ethnobotany, and biological illustration, as well as field-focused programs like Exploring Taiwan: Natural Environment and Resources.

Lab Activities center on:

• Taxonomic and phylogenetic research across multiple plant families
• Herbarium-based studies of historical collections
• Development of science education tools like the NTU Museum Loan Box
• Collaborative ethnobotanical fieldwork with Anthropology Department