February 2026 Noon Lecture

Description: Dr. Alford will share the story of how unusual spurge plants in Mississippi were ultimately recognized as a new species occurring infrequently throughout the southeastern United States. Mississippi Natural Heritage program scientists had suspicions about the classification of this "thing" for decades, and a graduate student and Honors student at the University of Southern Mississippi followed up with targeted field work, statistics, and genetics. Thought to be a new species, examination of type specimens turned up a close match described over a century ago and subsequently ignored. Their work highlights the unrecognized diversity that may be overlooked and the work, time, and collaboration needed to solve species problems.

Bio: Dr. Mac H. Alford is professor of botany and curator of the herbarium at the University of Southern Mississippi. A native of Liberty, Mississippi, and graduate of Mississippi College (B.S.), Duke University (M.S.), and Cornell University (Ph.D.), his research has focused on the flora of the southeastern United States and the tropical relatives of willows and cottonwoods (Salicaceae). While an undergraduate at Mississippi College, he worked as Database Manager at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science.

Website: https://www.usm.edu/faculty-directory/profile.php?id=1936632