Trichome Ecology

Insects stuck on the barbed trichomes of desert stingbush (Eucnide urens). Grand Canyon, AZ.

Scanning electron microscope image of trichomes on desert stingbush (Eucnide urens) leaf.

Giant blazingstar (Mentzelia laevicaulis) in bloom in southern California.

Herbarium voucher of giant blazingstar from my fieldwork.

Scanning electron microscope image of trichomes on the edge of a giant blazingstar (Mentzelia laevicaulis) leaf.

Understanding the evolutionary trajectories and drivers of adaptive phenotypes is a major goal in the field of evolution. Trichomes, or plant hairs, are ubiquitous and ecologically important structures that exhibit extensive phenotypic diversity. Their variable morphology and multiple functionalities can make them difficult to study in an evolutionary context, but understanding what drives their diversification is essential to clarifying how they mediate interactions between plants, other organisms, and the abiotic environment.

My PhD dissertation focuses on the ecology and evolution of complex trichomes in the plant family Loasaceae. This diverse and geographically widespread group bears some of the most intricate hairs seen in any plant lineage, including barbed, branched, needlelike, glandular, and stinging trichomes that differ across closely related species. Over the past century, botanists have marveled at their remarkable ability to trap insects and small mammals, their complex biomineralization, and their nettle-like stinging hairs.

I am exploring the evolution and functional role of Loasaceae trichomes through the lens of plant-arthropod interactions. What drives the diversity of trichome morphologies seen across species? Does insect capture via barbed trichomes increase plant fitness? How do members of this family balance defense and recruitment of mutualists?

This research is in progress, so stay tuned!