Paula Rudall facts for kids

Paula J Rudall (born 1954) is a British botanist. A botanist is a scientist who studies plants. She used to be a leader at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. This is a famous place in London where scientists study plants from all over the world.

What Paula Rudall Does

Paula Rudall has studied plants for many years. She earned three degrees from the University of London. These include her first degree in 1975, a PhD in 1979, and a DSc in 2001.

Her Work at Kew Gardens

At the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Paula Rudall held important roles. She was the Head of the Micromorphology Section. This section studies the tiny details of plants. Later, she became the Head of the Department of Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology. This department compares different plants and fungi. Her work was based at the Jodrell Laboratory within Kew Gardens.

Awards and Recognition

Paula Rudall has received several special awards for her work. In 2005, she was given the Linnean Medal. In 2008, she won the Dahlgren Prize. These awards show how important her contributions are to the world of botany. She also became a Corresponding Member of the Botanical Society of America in 2007. In 2012, she became a Corresponding Member of the American Society of Plant Taxonomists. In 2020, she received a Distinguished Fellowship Medal.

Studying Plant Families

Paula Rudall is well-known for her research on taxonomy and phylogeny of monocotyledons.

• Taxonomy is the science of naming, describing, and classifying living things. It helps us organize plants into groups.
• Phylogeny is the study of how different groups of living things are related through evolution. It shows their family tree.
• Monocotyledons (or monocots) are a major group of flowering plants. Examples include grasses, lilies, and palm trees.

Paula Rudall helped organize a big international meeting in 1993. It was about "Monocotyledons, systematics and evolution." This meeting led to many more conferences and workshops around the world.

Current Role and Publications

Today, Paula Rudall is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. This means she continues to do important research there. She has written over 300 scientific papers. These papers are reviewed by other scientists before they are published. She has also written several books, including a textbook called Anatomy of Flowering Plants.

On Screen

Paula Rudall even appeared in a documentary! She was featured in Sir David Attenborough’s 2000 documentary called Lost Gods of Easter Island.