Research interest

Systematics and Evolution of Bromeliaceae, especially of subfam. Tillandsioideae; Taxonomy of Gymnocalycium (Cactaceae); Floristics of Austria and Central Europe; Mycofloristics of Higher Fungi

Current research

Phylogeny, Systematics and Taxonomy of Tillandsia, Vriesea, and Guzmania (Bromeliaceae). These three largest genera of subfam. Tillandsioideae have been intensively studied in the past decades by our research group but their phylogenies and classifications still are insufficiently resolved. Increased taxon sampling and character evaluations are needed to get better resolutions and deeper insights into the evolution of the numerous taxon groups within these genera. While molecular tools have quite rapidly developed during the past years and whole genomic analyses can now be conducted at reasonable expenses, morphological characters a still underexplored and are a major focus for the years to come.

Publications

Marylaure de La Harpe, Margot Paris, Jaqueline Hess, Michael H. J. Barfuss, Martha L. Serrano-Serrano, Arindam Ghatak, Palak Chaturvedi, Wolfram Weckwerth, Walter Till, Nicolas Salamin, Ching Man Wai, Ray Ming & Christian Lexer (2019) Genomic footprints of repeated evolution of CAM photosynthesis in tillandsioid bromeliads. bioRxiv (preprint) doi: doi.org/10.1101/495812.

Sauberer N, Till W (2017) Nachträge zur Flora der Stadtgemeinde Traiskirchen II (Niederösterreich). Biodiversität und Naturschutz in Ostösterreich 3(1)26-35.

Barfuss MHJ, Till W, Leme EMC, Pinzon JP, Manzanares JM, Halbritter H, Samuel R & Brown GK (2016). Taxonomic revision of Bromeliaceae subfam. Tillandsioideae based on a multi-locus DNA sequence phylogeny and morphology. Phytotaxa 279:1-97.

Pinzon JP, Ramirez-Morillo IM, Carnevali G, Barfuss MHJ, Till W, Tun J & Ortiz-Diaz JJ (2016). Phylogenetics and evolution of the Tillandsia utriculata complex (Bromeliaceae, Tillandsioideae) inferred from three plastid DNA markers and the ETS of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 181:362-390.

Castello LV, Barfuss MHJ, Till W, Galetto L & Chiapella JO (2016). Disentangling the Tillandsia capillaris complex: phylogenetic relationships and taxon boundaries in Andean populations. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 181:391-414.

Gilli C, Ehrendorfer-Schratt L, Till W, Pachschwöll C (2016) (176) Cardamine occulta: Niklfeld H. (Ed.): Floristische Neufunde (170–235). Neilreichia 8:187-189.

Sauberer N, Bieringer G, Gereben-Krenn B-A, Holzinger W, Milasowszky N, Panrok A, Schuh TH, Till W, Zulka KP (2016) Flora, Fauna and Management der Trockenlebensräume beim "Busserltunnel", dem ältesten Bahntunnel Österreichs (Niederösterreich, Traiskirchen). Biodiversität und Naturschutz in Ostösterreich 2(1)71-96.

Till W & Sauberer N (2015) Nachträge zur Flora der Stadtgemeinde Traiskirchen I: Der erste Nachweis von Allium atropurpureum in Niederösterreich seit mehr als 90 Jahren und weitere Ergänzungen. Biodiversität und Naturschutz in Ostösterreich 1(2).

Sauberer N, Till W (2015) Die Flora der Stadtgemeinde Traiskirchen in Niederösterreich: Eine kommentierte Artenliste der Farn-und Blütenpflanzen. Biodiversität und Naturschutz in Ostösterreich 1(1). 

Givnish TJ, Barfuss MHJ, Van Ee B, Riina R, Schulte K, Horres R, ... Till W, ... Sytsma KJ (2014) Adaptive radiation, correlated and contingent evolution, and net species diversification in Bromeliaceae. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 71:55-78.

Till W, Barfuss MHJ (2014) A new epilithic Tillandsia from Central Bolivia: T. lechneri. The Journal of the Bromeliad Society 64(2):96 -101. (PDF)

Espejo A, López-Ferrari AR, Martínez-Correa N, Till W (2013) A note on the typification of Hechtia galeottii (Hechtioideae, Bromeliaceae). Phytotaxa 94(2)41-48.

Amerhauser H, Till W (2013) Arten- und Gruppenzuweisungen bei Gymnocalycium. Gymnocalycium 26(3):1085-1094. 

Bert TM, Andreas M, Till W (2013) Bromeliad species named after Harry Luther. The Journal of the Bromeliad Society 62(6):310-319.

Manzanares JM, Till W (2013) Racinaea lutheri, A new Racinaea from Amazonian Ecuador. The Journal of the Bromeliad Society 62(6):263-267.

Pinzón JP, Barfuss MHJ, Ramírez-Morillo I, Carnevali G, Till W (2013). Phylogeny and Evolution of Tillandsia subg. Tillandsia: a preliminary project. The Journal of the Bromeliad Society 63:75-82.

Greimler J, Till W (2012) Gentianella insubrica and G. germanica s. l. (Gentianaceae) in the western Alps. Annalen des naturhistorischen museums in wien, B 113: 109-117.