The 7th edition of the International Conference on the Comparative Biology of Monocotyledons has been a milestone in the history of Lankester Botanical Garden, a research center of the University of Costa Rica. MONOCOTS VII, which celebrated the garden’s 50th anniversary, is a prestigious botanical conference that is traditionally held every five years.
The MONOCOTS VII conference has been a collaborative effort between the Lankester Botanical Garden (JBL), the Biodiversity and Tropical Ecology Research Center (CIBET), and the School of Biology. The program featured 99 talks, including seven keynotes, delivered by some of the world’s most renowned plant scientists, as well as 20 symposia covering key topics such as anatomy and morphology, biotechnology, conservation, ecology, ethnobotany, genomics, physiology, taxonomy and systematics.
For the first time, the talks from a MONOCOTS conference are available for free online viewing. Of the 99 talks presented, 68 are freely accessible on the MONOCOTS VII channel on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@MONOCOTSVII) and can also be accessed individually through the QR codes provided from page 227 onwards.
We thank our fellow colleagues in the organizing committee, the scientific committee and all participants. We are deeply grateful to the directors, professors, administrators, technicians, students, volunteers, and everyone who supported this event and the diverse other branches of the University of Costa Rica for supporting the MONOCOTS VII conference. Gustavo Gutiérrez Espeleta, Rector, Maria Laura Arias, Vice-rector of research, the directors and staff of OAICE, OCI, the postgraduate program and VIVE.
Costa Rica, a global biodiversity hotspot known for its breathtaking natural beauty, has been the proud host of this successful MONOCOTS. We now invite everyone to China for the MONOCOTS VIII conference, wishing the new hosts all the best in this exciting endeavor.
