Research Interests
Plant systematics, evolutionary biology of orchids, insular systems, population genetics, maintenance of natural history collections, biodiversity of southeastern plants

Current Research Projects
Phylogeographic patterns of endemic species on the California Channel Islands
Evolutionary diversification of Schiedea, an endemic genus on the Hawaiian Islands
Evolutionary diversification of Platanthera orchids

Most Current Publications:
Willyard, A*, L.E. Wallace*, W.L. Wagner, S.G. Weller, A.K. Sakai, and M. Nepokroeff. 2011. Estimating the species tree for Hawaiian Schiedea (Caryophyllaceae) from multiple loci in the presence of reticulate evolution. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 60: 29-48. *Equal contributions.

Marsico, T.D., L.E. Wallace, G.N. Ervin, C.P. Brooks, J.E. McClure, and M.E. Welch. 2011. Geographic patterns of genetic diversity from the native range of Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg) support the documented history of invasion and multiple introductions for invasive populations. Biological Invasions 13: 857-868.

Wallace, L.E., S.G. Weller, W.L. Wagner, A.K. Sakai, and M. Nepokroeff. 2009. Phylogeographic patterns and demographic history of Schiedea globosa (Caryophyllaceae) on the Hawaiian Islands. American Journal of Botany 96: 958-967.

Wallace, L.E. and K. Helenurm. 2009. Has herbivory negatively impacted the flora of the California Channel Islands? Insights from Crossosoma californicum (Crossosomataceae). International Journal of Plant Sciences 170: 311-322.