TAXONOMY WORKING GROUP

Coordinators: Marianne le Roux (South African National Biodiversity Institute, SANBI, South Africa), Anne Bruneau (Université de Montréal, Canada), Juliana Gastaldello Rando (Universidade Federal do Oeste da Bahia, Brazil)

The Legume Phylogeny Working Group (LPWG) Taxonomic Working Group has advanced its core mission of developing a peer-reviewed, global consensus checklist for Leguminosae (Fabaceae) under the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP). In 2025, the group again focused on expanding taxonomic verifications. This work builds on the foundational data from the International Plant Names Index (IPNI), Plants of the World Online, and World Flora Online (WFO).

Key Achievements in 2025

  • Publication of WCVP: Fabaceae Checklist 2025v.6: Released on 22 May 2025, this version is accessible via the Legume Data Portal, ChecklistBank, GBIF, Catalogue of Life, and the WFO taxonomic backbones. It is archived on Zenodo for long-term preservation and citation. The checklist reflects the latest published taxonomies and adheres to the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants.

  • Expanded Verification Coverage: Approximately 62% of legume genera are now fully checked and peer-reviewed, a 12% increase from the 50% in the prior version. This includes verification of 45 additional genera in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae since early 2024, with minor corrections applied to names in other subfamilies. Specific updates targeted genera such as Abarema, Calliandra, Chamaecrista, Cojoba, Entada, Pithecellobium, and Zapoteca, addressing nomenclatural alignments and resolving unplaced taxa in Crudia and Lotus.

  • Community Collaboration: The effort engaged 109 legume experts worldwide, including eight new contributors. Notable support came from the Plant and Fungal Names Team at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (including Rafaël Govaerts, and Nicholas Black), the World Flora Online TEN Manager, Alan Elliott, and the GBIF informatics team. Contributions were mobilised following the publication of Advances in Legume Systematics volume 14, emphasising community-driven refinements.

These updates enhance the checklist’s utility for downstream applications, such as species distribution modelling and conservation assessments, by providing a more accurate and consensus-based taxonomic backbone.

Plans for 2026

Looking ahead, the group will prioritise verification of remaining genera, with a targeted focus on the subfamily Papilionoideae, which still requires substantial review to reach full coverage. Revisions for the next iteration (2026v.7) are due by 10 April 2026, aiming for publication in May 2026. To support this, we encourage all collaborators to:

  • Join the Taxonomy Working Group if not already registered using this form.

  • Follow editing procedures outlined at the Legume Data Portal.

  • Log into Rhakhis via the WFO portal to link your ORCID and make further contributions (particularly for unplaced names).

For queries, contact Juliana Rando (juliana.rando@ufob.edu.br), Marianne le Roux (m.leroux@sanbi.org.za), or Anne Bruneau (anne.bruneau@umontreal.ca).

This progress underscores the value of sustained, collaborative input. Thank you to all contributors for driving these refinements forward. We anticipate even greater coverage and accuracy in the coming year.