国际天南星科协会（International Aroid Society, IAS）是一家成立于美国佛罗里达州迈阿密的非营利学术组织，1977 年由 17 位天南星科爱好者在 Bette Waterbury 家中聚会时创立，原名 American Aroid Society。协会成立首年会员即从 32 人扩展至 362 人、覆盖 15 个国家，是天南星科（Araceae）植物研究、命名登记与全球爱好者网络的核心枢纽，旗下 Aroideana 学术期刊自 1978 年起持续出版至今。
协会沿革与全球天南星科研究枢纽地位
国际天南星科协会 1977 年 6 月 18 日在迈阿密 Bette Waterbury 寓所由 17 位天南星科爱好者发起成立，首年会员从 32 人扩展至 362 人、覆盖 15 国，迅速成长为国际性学术组织。协会长期承担天南星科（Araceae）植物的官方命名登记职能，统一栽培品种（cultivar）的命名规范并维护 nomenclatural 档案，是兰科以外少有的、由非营利学会承担国际植物命名注册职责的范例。组织由全志愿者董事会（volunteer Board of Directors）治理，运营完全依靠会费、捐赠与志愿者贡献。
旗舰出版物 Aroideana 与 Newsletter 学术体系
协会的学术旗舰是 1978 年创刊的 Aroideana 期刊，登载天南星科新种描述、分类修订、解剖学与系统发育研究，最新一期 Vol. 48 No. 2 于 2025 年 9 月出版，仍持续登载南美 Philodendron、Anthurium、Schismatoglottis、Arisaema 等属的原创分类学成果；面向会员的 IAS Newsletter 自 1978 年同源创刊，2025 年发行至 Vol. 47 No. 4，主题覆盖野外科考、栽培繁育、博览会展评与保育实践，两套刊物共同构成全球天南星科研究的核心文献基础。
会员体系、奖项资助与社区网络
协会个人会籍年费 20 美元、机构会籍 25 美元，会员可获 Aroideana 数字版、Newsletter 全文、专属交流平台与年度博览会展商优先权；奖项体系包括以创始人命名的 Bette Waterbury Award（表彰天南星科园艺杰出贡献）和 HW Schott Award（表彰天南星科研究终身成就），均由独立 Awards & Grants 委员会运作，2025 年已颁发三项研究资助，2026 年资助计划正在制定中，会员社区平台提供专家、收藏者与新入门爱好者的实时跨地域交流。
热带植物博览会与天南星科栽培登记
协会年度旗舰活动原名 Aroid Show and Sale，2024 年正式更名为 Tropical Plant Expo，定位为面向全球天南星科爱好者、收藏者、研究者与商业种植者的年度盛事；同期运营的 Aroid Cultivar Registry 是天南星科栽培品种的唯一权威登记平台，详细规定 nomenclatural 规则、nothospecies 命名（如 Philodendron × lucasiorum）、栽培品种后缀写法与 Grex 概念在 Araceae 中的不适用性，是全球爱好者引种与商业流通的命名基准。
The International Aroid Society (IAS) is a non-profit scholarly organization founded in Miami, Florida, in 1977 by 17 aroid enthusiasts who gathered at the home of Bette Waterbury; originally named the American Aroid Society, it grew from 32 to 362 members across 15 countries in its first year and remains the global hub for Araceae research, cultivar registration, and community networking, publishing its flagship Aroideana journal continuously since 1978.
Heritage and the Global Araceae Research Hub
Founded on June 18, 1977, at Bette Waterbury’s Miami home by 17 aroid enthusiasts, the Society expanded from 32 to 362 members across 15 countries in its first year, quickly becoming an international organization. It serves as the official registrar for the Araceae family and aroid cultivars, standardizing nomenclature and preserving horticultural history. Governance is provided by a fully volunteer Board of Directors, with operations funded entirely by membership dues, donations, and volunteer contributions.
Aroideana and the IAS Newsletter Publication System
Aroideana, the Society’s flagship peer-style journal, has been published since 1978 and continues to release original research on Araceae taxonomy, with Vol. 48 No. 2 appearing in September 2025 covering new South American Philodendron and Anthurium species, plus revisions of Schismatoglottis, Arisaema, and Typhonium. The companion IAS Newsletter, also launched in 1978, reached Vol. 47 No. 4 in 2025, documenting field expeditions, cultivation techniques, expo coverage, and conservation case studies, making both titles the central literature foundation for the worldwide aroid community.
Membership Tiers, Awards, Grants, and the Community Network
Individual membership is priced at USD 20 per year, institutional membership at USD 25, granting access to Aroideana, the IAS Newsletter archive, the members-only community platform, and priority privileges at the annual expo. The Awards & Grants Committee administers the Bette Waterbury Award for outstanding aroid horticulture and the HW Schott Award for lifetime research achievement, awarding three research grants in 2025 with a 2026 program under development. The members-only interactive platform connects taxonomists, growers, and hobbyists in real time across continents.
Tropical Plant Expo and Cultivar Registrar Authority
The Society’s annual gathering, originally the Aroid Show and Sale, was rebranded in 2024 as the Tropical Plant Expo, positioning itself as the premier event for aroid researchers, collectors, and commercial growers worldwide. Alongside the expo, the Aroid Cultivar Registry serves as the sole authoritative registration platform for aroid cultivar names, codifying nomenclature rules, nothospecies treatment such as Philodendron × lucasiorum, cultivar suffix conventions, and the explicit non-applicability of the Orchidaceae grex concept to Araceae, providing the naming baseline for hobbyist breeding and commercial trade.
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