Standing in a surviving clump of trees was what she knew immediately to be a Commiphora, a genus of trees that is known around the world. This, however, was no ordinary Commiphora, and as she got closer she instinctively knew it was a tree that had never been described — until now.

On a hot January day, Andrea Weeks, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, was exploring a ridge in Madagascar with her team of local Malagasy guides and interpreters.This was her first trip to the island nation, a place she describes as “the last botanical frontier.”

As they reached the top, it was clear that a large part of the forest had been scarred by man-made deforestation. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries on Earth, she explains. “People do realize the damage they are causing to the environment, but they also need to live, and they harvest the trees to make charcoal to sell.”

Yet as startling as the deforestation was, when she looked to the other side of the ridge she was even more startled. Standing in a surviving clump of trees was what she knew immediately to be a Commiphora, a genus of trees that is known around the world.This, however, was no ordinary Commiphora, and as she got closer she instinctively knew it was a tree that had never been described — until now.

Weeks, a systematic biologist, says,“My research focuses on understanding the systematics, historical biogeography, and evolution of flowering plants.” She is well-known for her study of frankincense and myrrh, two trees from the same family but with different properties. Since 2005 she has been teaching students in the College of Science about the evolution of organisms, the intricacies of taxonomy, and the relationships that plant species share with the Earth. She joined the Mason faculty after completing a two-year post-doctoral assignment with the Army. “I wasn’t looking for a position per se, but the job here at Mason was a perfect fit,” says Weeks, who enjoys her classroom work and her research.

Weeks travels the globe seeking the “evolutionary lineage” of plants.The Madagascar Commiphora is an example of how she and other botanists are working to preserve the Earth’s biodiversity. “Extinction is a natural process,” she says. “The problem we face now is that species are disappearing faster than ever before.This means our ability to understand life is disappearing, as well.”

Weeks was able to collect leaf and seed samples from the Commiphora and now has them in her lab . She has begun the meticulous process of research that is needed to see if this is truly a new tree. Once she has finished documenting her evidence, she will publish her findings to the international scientific community.

Weeks admits that the find is exciting but says new species are found all the time. A new orchid was found last year in Virginia, confirming that biodiversity is all around us, not just in the far, exotic places on Earth.Weeks is also the director of the university’s Ted R. Bradley Herbarium, where she and her students are making information about native Virginia flora available to the public via the Internet.