Charity Z. Goeckeritz
Undergraduate Research Associate
Department of Biology
257 South 1400 East
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
charityzitting17 at gmail dot com
Duration in the Bohs lab: 2014 to present.
Projects: General Solanaceae lab and greenhouse research, including Cyphomandra and its related clades, and documenting taxa for the Solanaceae Source website.
Favorite solanaceae taxon: Solanum glaucophyllum! If the fact that it is in the Cyphomandra group doesn’t already make me biased, it is amazing all on its own. It has lovely, lavender stellate corollas and a fragrance to die for. Not only is it beautiful, but it also has some medicinal uses. One of the most striking includes the use for calcium absorption; S. glaucophyllum contains a compound that functions like vitamin D, and increases calcification of soft tissues.
Least favorite solanaceae taxon: If I had to choose, my least favorite Solanaceae would have to be Solanum ensifolium merely because I have a personal vendetta with the specimen inhabiting our greenhouse. It is covered in spines that even appear on the main veins of leaves. As a result, it (painfully) snags on EVERYTHING. However, S. ensifolium is actually an endangered species due to habitat loss, so I have a special kind of respect for it. After all, if my habitat was being destroyed, I’d have a pretty thorny personality as well.
