Australian Tropical Herbarium Herbarium Staff Frank Zich

Frank Zich

portrait of Frank Zich

Curator, Australian Tropical Herbarium

BAppSci (Ecology and Natural Resource Management), University of Canberra

Office:

E2.118, Sir Robert Norman Building (E2), James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns QLD 4870

Phone:

+61 (0)7 4059 5014 (office); +61 (0)7 4232 1818 (collection room)

Email:

frank.zich@csiro.au

Projects

  1. Herbarium curation and management. As Curator of the Australian Tropical Herbarium I oversee day to day operations, apply current taxonomic concepts to the collections, maintain collection databases, train and supervise collection users, develop the Public Reference Collection, develop policies and procedures.

  2. Identification tools. https://apps.lucidcentral.org/rainforest/.

    I lead the development of this web-based interactive identification system for over 2700 species of trees, shrubs, vines, herbs, palms, pandans and epiphytes of northern Australian rain forests. I am also collaborator on the development of an interactive identification system for ferns and lycophytes of northern Australian rainforests.

  3. Taxonomic research. I undertake small taxonomic projects to name new species. Previous projects have included description of Tecomanthe burungu (Bignoniaceae), and Wilkiea kaarruana (Monimiaceae).

  4. Public Engagement. I support the volunteer program of the Australian Tropical Herbarium, and occasionally give public talks and seminars.

Selected Publications

Zich FA, Hyland BPM, Whiffin T, Kerrigan RA (2020) Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants, Edition 8. https://apps.lucidcentral.org/rainforest/.

Zich FA, Hyland BPM, Whiffin T, Kerrigan RA (2018) Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants, Edition 7.

Zich FA, Ford AJ (2018) Tecomanthe burungu (Bignoniaceae), a new species from northern Queensland. Australian Systematic Botany 31(6): 481-486.

Field AR, Zich FA (2012) Types of enigmatic north-Queensland Orchids from the Dockrill herbarium. Austrobaileya 8(4): 696-698

Harrington M, Zich F (2012) A new combination in Australian Costaceae. Telopea 14: 9-10.

Zich F, Ford AJ (2011) Wilkiea kaarruana Zich & A.J.Ford (Monimiaceae), a new species from north-east Queensland. Austrobaileya 8(3): 406-409.

Hyland BPM, Whiffin T, Zich FA, Duffy S, Gray B, Elick R, Venter F, Christophel D (2010) Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants – An interactive identification system. CSIRO