Plant Science Bulletin
The Plant Science Bulletin (Print:
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LAST ISSUE - FALL, 2008
WINTER 2008
Table of Contents
» Botany in Pakistan
» Tom Croat, Plant Collector at the Missouri Botanical Garden
News from the Society:
» Meet the new staff in the BSA office
» News from the Annual Meeting
» » Awards
» » Women in botany Luncheon
» BSA Science Education News and Notes
» » Editor’s Choice
» News from the Sections
» » BSA Historical Section
Announcements:
In Memoriam
» Lazarus Walter (Walt) Macior (1926-2007)
Personalia
» Eshbaugh Honored for Outreach Efforts
» Donation of the Graham Palynological Collection to the Smithsonian Institution
» Missouri Botanical Garden Awards Highest Honor to Renowned Ecologist
» 2008 ESRI User Conference Features Keynote Address by Dr. Peter H. Raven
» Professor Dedicated To Study Of Plant Use By Native Americans Will Receive William L. Brown Award
Courses/Workshops
» Experience in Tropical Botany
» Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University Create Doctorate Program in Plant Biology and Conservation
Positions Available
» M.S. Student
Position: Analysis of patterns of gene flow in Maryland populations
of Harperella (Ptilimnium nodosum)
Other News
» Brooklyn Botanic Garden and New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Sign Breakthrough Conservation Initiative
» Rare Book Exhibition Focuses on Children's Books about Plants Lenhardt Library, November 28, 2008 through February 1, 2009
» Missouri Botanical Garden Mounts Milestone Six Millionth Herbarium Specimen
» Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden on Display in Olympic Venues
» The Elastic Stability of Palms
» Wind load analysis for trees
Books Reviewed
Books Received for Review
This issue brings an end to 2008 and what an exciting year it’s
been for plant science and the Society. We are living our motto
of “Leading Scientists and Educators since 1893” in many ways,
not the least of which is PlantingScience.org. As you will read
inside, six other plant-science societies have now formally joined
us in this effort as we lead the grass roots effort to engage
school-age students in learning about, appreciating, and researching
plants. The efforts of the Society, however, are not restricted
to the United States. Our lead article, Botany in Pakistan, is
the second in a series from the Society’s International Affairs
Committee focusing on Botany and Plant Science in developing countries
around the world. Our goal is to strengthen ties between individuals
and institutions in the U.S. and around the world. Our second
article focuses on Tom Croat, plant collector extraordinaire,
who was recently celebrated by the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Tom provided PSB with a slightly expanded transcript of the address
he presented at the celebration recognizing the 6 millionth mounted
specimen added to the MoBot herbarium. What an interesting story!
But the thing that really caught my attention is at the beginning
of his second paragraph. What got Tom interested in Botany?
His college botany professor, Jack Carter. Jack, now retired
in Silver City, NM, is a long time BSA member who was active in
the BSA teaching section when I first joined the society. Jack
could not only inspire his students, he inspired young professionals
to continue the tradition. As you read Tom’s story, I hope you
are inspired to renew your dedication to proselytize for botany
whenever an occasion arises. - the Editor
Botany in Pakistan
by Mudassir Asrar Zaide and Anitra Thorhaug
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has a spatial extent of 796 100 km2 (latitudes
24 and 27° N and longitudes 61 and 75° E). The boundaries include
The Arabian Sea on the south, India to the east, Afghanistan on
the north-west, Iran on the west; Russia and China on the north.
The land mass is divided into three main geographical regions:
1.) Mountains occupying northern and western parts of the country.
The northern mountains are the termination of the Himalayan range
(with a number of peaks above 6 000 m permanently clad with snow).
The sub-mountainous areas are extensive, forming a number of plateaus
and valleys. The western mountains are not very high with plateaus,
semi-arid valleys and plains, much of which land is unproductive;
2.)The Indus plain is the western part of the Indo-Gangetic plain
that forms one of the most prominent and extensive physiographic
features of the subcontinent. The plain is believed to be more
than one thousand meters deep and is formed by large quantities
of alluvial material deposited since time immemorial by the Indus
and several of its tributaries. The land is fertile and heavily
populated. The original agricultural civilization of this region
was thought to begin here more than 5000 years ago; 3.)The coastal
zone is a narrow fringe bordering the Arabian Sea. It includes
also the Indus delta and saline marshes. The climate of the country,
which lies in the subtropical region, is varied due to the wide
range of altitude and distance to sea. In the mountain regions
of the north and west, temperatures fall below freezing during
winter; in the Indus Valley area, temperatures range between about
32° and 49° C in summer and the average about 13° C in winter.
The geology is recent dating from the event of the Indian subcontinent
bumping into the Asian land mass. The mountains in the western
and northern areas uplifted during the late Tertiary and early
Quaternary. During that time the present-day plains were still
under sea. The plains came into existence as a result of gradual
accumulation of silt brought down by rivers during the upper Tertiary
period.
Climatically the country can be divided into arid (largest part),
sub arid (secondary) and humid area (smallest) (5”-10”- over 50”
rainfall in the north). The mean monthly temperature in summer
in plains is 37.7oC (100oF). The extreme maximum temperature rises
above 47.2o C. In northern and north western mountains the temperature
remains low and the areas are snow bound until April. Part of
the precipitation in the high hills is received in the form of
snow. Lower down, the annual rainfall averages between 750 and
900 mm, decreasing progressively to the west and south to as low
as 125mm in certain areas.
The climate is considerably influenced by monsoon winds that
come from the south-east in summer and by cyclonic disturbances
that originate in the Mediterranean Sea during winter. About 70
percent of the average precipitation is received from June to
September. The difference in temperature between the seasons is
relatively high. Most of the hilly area is denuded and has little
soil left. Sub-mountainous plateaus and the adjoining plains have
well drained alluvial soils and part of the corresponding agriculture
land is very fertile. The Indus plain is composed of silt, sand,
clay and, rarely, gravel. Much of the land in this basin was desert
and has been developed by irrigation. Due to arid conditions,
evaporation exceeds precipitation and this may result in the accumulation
of salt in the soils, rendering them less productive ( FAO, 2008).
The General Organizational Structure of Botany in Pakistan.
There is a Pakistan Botanical Society which has 600 members and
there is additionally a Society of Biology and Pharmacology, Pakistan
Society of Physiology, and a Wheat Society of Pakistan. Botany
is taught in a series of Universities: Karachi University ( where
high quality research is being carried out in different fields
of plant sciences such as phycology, mycology, ecology, taxonomy,
physiology, biochemistry, plant tissue culture, molecular biology
, genetics and natural products); Punjab University (special emphasis
on molecular genetics, pathology, physiology and biotechnology)
; Agha Khan University Karachi ;Quaid I Azam University Islamabad
; Balochistan University ;Peshawar University; NIAB ;NIBGE ;PARC
.
There is PAKISTAN-US SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COOPERATIVE PROGRAM
in the United States Department of State. In 2003, the Ministry
of Science and Technology of the Government of Pakistan and the
United States Department of State signed a comprehensive Science
and Technology Cooperation Agreement that established a framework
to increase cooperation in science, technology, engineering and
education for mutual benefit and peaceful purposes between the
science and education communities in both countries. In 2005,
the United States Agency for International Development joined
with the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Higher Education
Commission of Pakistan to support the joint Pakistan-US Science
and Technology Cooperative Program. This program, which is being
implemented by the US National Academy of Sciences on the US side,
is intended to increase the strength and breadth of cooperation
and linkages between Pakistan scientists and institutions with
counterparts in the United States.
Scientific Journals
The leading journals are: Pakistan Journal of Botanical Society,
Pakistan Journal of Marine Sciences, Pakistan Journal of Biological
Sciences, Pakistan Journal of Biology and Biotechnology, Biologia,
and the Pakistan Journal of Forestry.
The Ecological Zones of Pakistan
Uniregional elements - Irano-Turania, Sino-Japanese,
Saharo-Sindian, Indian, Euro-Siberian, Mediterranean 45.6%,10.6%,
9.1%, 4.5%, 1.3%, 0.5% respectively.
Bi- or Pluriregional elements - Irano-Turanian,
MediterraneanSino-Japanese, Irano-Turanian Tropico-Subtropical,
Euro-Siberian, Irano-Turanian Boreal-Subboreal, Indo- Malayan,
Saharo-Sindian, Indian Saharo-Sindian, Irano-Turanian, Saharo-Sindian,
Mediterranean. All others: Euro-Siberian, Sino-Japanese, Euro-Siberian,
Mediterranean, Subcosmopolitan, Boreal-Tropical, Boreal-Subtropical
5.2%, 5.07%, 4.5%, 3.5%, 2.6%, 2.03%, 1.5%, 0.9%, 0.9%, 2.1%.
Phytogeographical Analysis of The Percent of Phanerograms
in Pakistan and Kasmir. (Zaida, 2008)
1.) The Saharo-Sindian Region. This region extends
from the Atlantic coast of N. Africa through entire Sahara, Sinai
peninsula most of Arabia, part of Syria, S. Iraq, S. Iran, most
parts of Pakistan, S. Baluchistan, Sind & Punjab– Rajasthan–India
.The area is very dry, has an average rain/fall between 15-30
cm. Greater part of the country belongs to this region but the
flora is represented by 10.6% Saharo-Sindian element. Some plants
which represent this region are the following: Representing the
Arab-African north— Anastatica hierochuntica, Asteriscus pygmaeus,
Astragalus hauarensis, Astragalus schimperi, Citrullus colocynthis,
Eremobium aegyptiacum, Fagonia glutinosa, Gymnarrhena micrantha,
Gymnocarpos decander, Helianthemum lippii, Launaea nudicaulis
Lycium shawii, Moricandia sinaica, Neurada procumbens, Panicum
turgidum, Psoralea plicata, Rumex vesicarius, Salvia aegyptiaca,
Savignya parviflora, Trigonella anguina, East- West Blepharis
ciliaris, Calotropis procera, Capparis cartilaginea, Capparis
deciduas, Caralluma edulis , Cassia italica, Cocculus pendulus,
Cornulaca monacantha, Cymbopogon olivieri, Fagonia bruguieri,
Fagonia indica, Grewia tenax. 
2.) The Irano-turanian region. This region is
characterized by extreme range of temperature both diurnal and
annual ,low precipitation, hot and dry summers, cold and harsh
winters. The region is dominated by Chaemophytes and Hemicryptophytes.
It has the highest percentage (45.6%) of species of phaerograms.
Some species found in this regions are the following: Haloxylon
persicum, Salsola richteri, S. tomentosa, Convolvulus erinarius,
Astragalus chivensis, Leptorhabdos parviflora, Haploplyllum bungei,
Perovskia abratanoides, Nepeta glomerulosa, N. praetervisa, Gagea
dshungarica, G. capusi, G. olgae, G. stipitata, G. gageoides,
Canlligonum leucocladum, Suaeda arcuata, Cousinia schugnanica,
C. multiloba, Eremurus persicus.
3.) The Indian Region. This area is not continuous.
Its characteristics are the following: 1.)The eastern part of
Punjab and extreme southern part of Sindh are included in this
region; 2.) The area is characterized by real monsoon; 3.) It
is represented by 4.5% of the total number of species; 4.) Many
of these elements extend to Saharo-Sindian region.
4.) Sino-Japanese Region. Characteristics are
the following: 1.) This region is characterized by high rainfall
(180cm); 2.)Part of Kashmir, Swat and Kaghan are included in this
region; 3.)The flora is one of the richest particularly in tree
species 4.)10.6% of flora belongs to this region.
Conservation and Sustainability
No red data list is yet available. Only 14 species have been recorded
as threatened which includes 2 species as endangered, 2 vulnerable,
5 rare and 5 of uncertain status (IUCN, 1998).Only 0.3% of the
total flowering species are considered as threatened as compared
to 12.5% flora of the world which is considered threatened. Two
species have become extinct: Scaveola frutescens (Mill.)
Krause and S. plumieri (L.) Vahl . Obviously,
more work and research is necessary in this area. There is one
biosphere reserve in Pakistan. There are 714 nature reserves and
protected areas up from 205 in 2003.
The Flora of Pakistan
Due to its great diversity in habitat, a great many species are
found in Pakistan. This plus the excellent level of botanical
knowledge and research has allowed a great deal of botanical information
to be obtained. The Flora of the Pakistan project was started
by Professor E. Nasir (RAW) & Prof. S.I. Ali (KUH) in late 1960
through separate projects submitted to USDA. The best available
herbarium was at Gordon College Rawalpindi with a rich collection
of Stewart. Monumental work of Stewart An Annotated Catalogue
of Vascular Plants of Ecological zones of Pakistan: tropical desert
in green, cross-hatched green for temperate mountains, tan for
subtropical steppe, pink for tropical shrubland, yellow for barren,
light green cross hatched for temperate mountains. (Courtesy
of FAO. Data sets from U. Maryland and USGS EROS data center.)
Pakistan and Kashmir (published in 1972) provided the
basis for Flora of Pakistan. Prof. Nasir & Prof. Ali continued
to edit Flora of Pakistan jointly from 1970 to 1989, until the
former editor migrated to Canada. From 1995 till to date Prof.
Ali & Qaiser have continued working on this. This was difficult
best with problems from the beginning of Independence. Not a single
comprehensive book was available at the time of creation of Pakistan
which could identify the plants of the whole country. The only
Flora available was that of J.D. Hooker’s Flora of British
India (1872-97). It also did not include Baluchistan and
major part of the NW Frontier Province. Some regional Floras and
check lists were also available. At this time the information
about Pakistan’s plant wealth was scattered, incomplete and out
dated. The basic aim in producing the Flora was to provide a base
line information which could be used for proper identification
of all the plants of Pakistan. Correct identification of every
plant is of utmost importance. Plant names were the key to the
literature (Vansteenis, 1957). At the time of independence the
following resources for the Pakistan flora were available. 1.
Hooker, J. D. 1872-1894 Flora of British India; 2. Boissier
E.1867-1884 Flora Orientalis; 3. Parker, R. N. 1928,
Flora of the Punjab and Delhi; 4. Cooke, T.1904-1908
The Flora of Bombay Presidency; 5. Kashyap, S. R. 1936
Lahore District Flora, Punjab; 6. Talbot, W. A. 1909-1911
Forest Flora of Bombay Presidency; 7. Blatter, C., E.
McCann, and Sabnis, T.S. 1927-1929 Flora of Indus Delta.
Plant collection was started as early as 1820. The conditions
for complining a Flora of Pakistan were far from Ideal. 1.) Most
of the collection was done by the British with a few other Europeans
; 2.) The historical collections were in British Herbaria like
Kew, British Museum and Edinburgh or Indian Herbaria like Calcutta
(Kolkata) and Dehra Dun ; and 3.) Only few odd duplicates were
present in RAW. Thus the writing of the Flora of Pakistan by a
Pakistani team was difficult. Punjab University Herbarium. Three
or 4 mini Herbaria were present in Pakistan at the time of its
creation except R.R. Stewart Herbarium at Gordon College Rawalpindi
(RAW) which had about 55000 specimen - who had collected all over
Pakistan for 50 years. The Stewart collection ( 1910- 1960) formed
the basis for writing the Flora of Pakistan. Some new herbaria
were also established afterward.
The herbaria in Pakistan. Location(abbreviation), Number
of specimens, Date
1. Herbarium, Biological Sciences Dept.,Quaid-i- Azam University,
Islamabad, (ISL) 175000 1974
2. Herbarium, Botanical Sciences Division,Pakistan Museum of Natural
History,Islamabad (PMNH) 60500 1981
3. National Herbarium, PARC,Islamabad (RAW) Formerly StewartHerbarium,
Gordon College,Rawalpindi. 75000 1912
4. Herbarium, Botany Department ,Karachi University, Karachi (KUH)
150000 1953
5. Herbarium, University of the Punjab,Lahore (LAH) 50000 1918
6. Herbarium, Botany Department,Islamia College, Peshawar (ICP)
12000 1920
7. Herbarium, PCSIR, Peshawar (PES). 13000 1958
8. Herbarium, Pakistan Forest Institute,Peshawar (PPFI). 20000
1947
9. Herbarium, Botany Department,Peshawar University, Peshawar
(PUP).40000 1952
The Publication of The Flora of Pakistan Group and Date
1 Flacourtiaceae 1970
210 Asteraceae – Part II (Inuleae, Plucheeae and Gnaphaleae) 2003
211 Asphodelaceae 2005
212 Hemerocallidaceae 2005
213 Convallariaceae 2005
214 Hyacinthaceae 2005
215 Liliaceae 2007
216 Asteraceae - Part III (Mutisae and Senecioneae) in press
Editors of the Flora of Pakistan and numbers of families produced
during their editorship.
Years Families Editors
1970-1989 190 E. Nasir &
S. I. Ali
1989-1991 3 S.
I. Ali & Y. J. Nasir
1995-to date 22 S. I. Ali & M. Qaiser
Families 215+1 (parts I&II)
Genera 1388
Species 4758
Plates 1286
Illustrated Taxa 2874
Printed Pages 6813
7.6% species are endemic with 405 species belonging to 43 families
and 169 genera, Most of these are in the central area in the mountains.
Forests and Forest Plantations in Pakistan
Pakistan is deficient in forest resources. The natural forest
cover area in 1990 was 1 855 000 ha constituting 2.4 percent of
the land area. Most of the forest cover belongs to Hill and Montane
forest formations (FAO, 1993). In terms of plantations, the Forestry
Sector Master Plan (FSMP 1992) estimates the total forest area
of the country, including plantations and scrub forests, at 4
220 000 ha. Plantations, with the exception of nearly 100 000
ha do not legally constitute forests (Siddiqui, 1997). Plantations
in Pakistan were initially established in 1866 in the plains of
Punjab and Sindh provinces to produce fuel wood for the railways.
Due to the arid and semi-arid climate of the region, these plantations
had to be irrigated through a network of canals and are referred
to as “irrigated plantations”. Their size varies between 2 000
ha to 10 000 ha (FAO, 1981 and MFA, 1981). These plantations are
now managed to produce wood for industrial purposes.
During the five year plan from 1977 to 1982, 39 872 ha of regular
plantations and 16 200 km of linear (row) plantations were established,
mainly in Punjab. During the same period 50 825 ha of plantations
were established in watershed areas, mainly in North West Frontier
Province (MFA, 1984). The total annual planting was on the order
of 20 000 ha during that period. Many trees have also been planted
in farmlands and this constitutes a major portion of the wood
supply. Dalberergia sissoo has been the main species
in the irrigated plantations. It produces high quality timber
as well fuelwood. Other species subsequently introduced were Morus
alba for sporting goods and Acacia nilotica for
the mining industry (MFA, 1981). In farm forestry plantations,
Dalbergia sissoo, Acacia nilotica, Eucalyptus
spp., Populus spp., Bombax cieba and Melia
azedarach are popular species. Pinus roxburghii
is planted in subtropical regions.
What is the Future of Botany in Pakistan?
Obviously, the flora of Pakistan needs to be completed. Relatively
less explored areas should be botanized such as: North and South
Waziristan ;Kurram Agency; Sulaiman range; Khirthar range; Deosai
plateu. More material and information is now available. First
fascicle of Flora of Pakistan appeared 34 years before. Flora
now has to be revised in light of recent advances in Botany.
Conservation strategies have to be developed. At minimal red
data lists must be prepared. Over exploitation of our plant wealth
has to be discouraged.
Criterion for the classification of threatened plants has to
be developed because every county has different conditions and
the criteria differ for endangered and threatened plants. Narrow
endemics have to be given first preference followed by such endemics
which are found in more than one locality.
The Forestry Sector Master Plan (FSMP, 1992) proposed to increase
the forest area of the country from the existing 4.8 percent to
9.8 percent in 25&nmbsp;years (1993-2017), mainly through plantations.
The plan envisages establishing 3 900 000 ha of plantations on
new areas of which 3 600 000 ha will be on private lands - 2 070
000 ha on farmlands and 1 530 000 ha in watershed areas. The irrigated
plantations will be expanded by only 50 000 ha. ( FAO, 2008)
Tom Croat, Plant Collector at the Missouri Botanical
Garden
Two milestones were reached simultaneously at the Missouri Botanical Garden
in October 2008—the MO herbarium mounted its 6 millionth specimen, and
this specimen was veteran plant collector and Curator Tom Croat's 100 thousandth
plant collection. To know Tom is to admire him for his passion for botany and
his adventurous spirit. This is his story, in his own words….
I was raised on a small farm in Iowa and came to know plants by their common
names, mostly as weeds in our corn and bean fields. My father had died when
I was 11, leaving my mother, my six siblings, and me on a heavily mortgaged
farm. We began a dairy business because nothing else seemed to bring in a steady
or reliable income, but it was an endless cycle of milking, hauling manure,
and making hay. After high school I joined the 10th Mountain Division in Germany
because in my county if you could walk, you were eventually drafted anyway.
I trained as a radar repairman and was stationed in Bavaria. The Russians had
invaded Hungary, and shortly after I arrived they launched the satellite Sputnik,
which alarmed our government into making funds available for science education.
So after returning home to operate the family farm, I also went to nearby Simpson
College in Indianola, Iowa. During the summers I ran the farm and worked full
time on construction jobs, including working on the roadbed of Interstate 35
and later on the paving crew that added the concrete.
One of my professors at Simpson, Jack Carter, had been a student of Bob Thorne
then at the University of Iowa. Carter was a systematist and impressed me with
what he knew about naming plants, and I enjoyed learning the Latin names. I
became hooked on botany, but my first official collections were made while I
later taught high school in the Virgin Islands near Puerto Rico. I was impressed
with the colorful tropical trees that were so prevalent there. I dried the specimens
in my apartment oven.
The next summer after school was out, I loaded up an army duffle bag with a
change of clothes, a sleeping bag, and 75 rolls of film, then traveled 23,000
miles by boat, plane, bus, and truck throughout the West Indies and South America,
often sleeping in parks and sometimes in jails. The entire trip cost me $525!
While I took a lot of pictures of plants and visited botanical gardens along
my route, I was not equipped to collect or dry herbarium specimens. I returned
home, worked on the Rock Island Motor Freight dock at night unloading and unloading
18 wheelers, then taught a semester of high school biology in Knoxville, Iowa,
before entering the University of Kansas in Lawrence to get my Ph.D. in botany.
At Kansas I took one of the first Organizational for Tropical Studies courses,
in 1965 in Costa Rica, where I collected plants as well. On returning to Kansas
I married Pat Swope, who was teaching calculus at the university. She helped
me through my course in Biological Statistics taught by Sokal and Rolf, using
their as-yet-unpublished textbook.
Most of my first 4000 plant collections were made in the Great Plains of North
America, from Saskatchewan and Montana south to Oklahoma, when I worked with
Solidago (Compositae/Asteraceae) for my Ph.D. thesis. I dried these plants with
the heat from my 1962 VW bug engine by propping the press on the bumper and
under the hood cover.
In 1967 I came to the Missouri Botanical Garden to work on the Flora of Barro
Colorado Island in the Canal Zone of Panama. The next 12,000 numbers were collected
on Barro Colorado Island and other areas in Panama up until 1972. Then work
began in Central America, later in 1975 in Madagascar and Kenya.
It was in Madagascar, the third largest island in the world off the eastern
coast of Africa, that I first decided to dry plants in my vehicle so that I
would be free to continue collecting without long return trips to Tananarive.
I collected all over the southern half of the island. Most of the terrain was
eroded and dry with only isolated human populations. The massive vistas allowed
me to see where I would be at the end of a day’s drive. I was driving
a long-bed Land Rover, which belonged to John Buetner-Janish, an anthropologist
who lived in New York City. I built a large wooden dryer in the rear of the
truck and slept beside the dryer.
As the bundles began filling up the back of the Land Rover, I slept on top of
them. The only serious problem was that the dryer occasionally caught fire,
and I had to put it out by reaching into the box to throw the smoldering materials
outside where I could snuff out the fire with sand. I did not have enough water
to waste putting out fires, since drinking water was scarce.
Three weeks later I reached Tulear. Due to the terrible roads,
I had ruined one tire and had no spare. Two other tires were in
bad condition, so I flew back to the capitol with all my plants.
I left the plants at the botanical institute where I was headquartered,
bought two tires, and secured a car to take me back to Tulear.
The car allowed me to complete this trip, but no additional public
transportation was possible for the next 3 weeks. I could continue
to drive the Land Rover, but because I was supposed to be in a
hotel by dark, I had to be very secretive, camping far away from
cities. One night I camped along the Indian Ocean near Finaransoa,
and my camp light was seen by the authorities. They sent soldiers
to escort me to a military base.
On another occasion I was stopped at a military checkpoint. After
the soldier said he would take me in for interrogation, I raced
off and hoped that he would not take a shot at me.
My arms were covered with scratches from spiny plants. They had
become infected, perhaps owing to malnutrition. I visited an American
Lutheran mission hospital, and the doctor thought it might be
an endemic disease requiring amputation of each area of infection—fortunately
an antibiotic cured the condition.
Since no scheduled flights were exiting the country, it was difficult
to leave. I received help from the Charge des Affairs at the American
Embassy, a St. Louis native. He got me on an unscheduled flight
to Paris. I sorted and boxed up my plants only to discover that
the Land Rover would not start. We rounded up a group of young
men to push it far enough to start it. 
I delivered my huge crate of dried plants to the Marine guard at the door of
the American Embassy and sped to the airport, barely making the flight. Four
months later, my crate containing 4000 valuable collections arrived by sea under
an Embassy Customs permit, never having been opened by the authorities.
In Central America I used a specialized camper that I constructed with a built-in
dryer, which allowed me to collect 5000 numbers in 9 weeks' time. Learning from
my fires in Madagascar, I added baffles to prevent flames from reaching any
part of the press and an automatic fire-extinguishing system.
It was not until 1980 that I made my first official collecting trip to South
America—beginning in Ecuador, then Peru, and Colombia—but it was
back in Panama where I collected my 50,000th number. In 1981 I took an extensive
collecting trip to Australia, New Guinea, Philippines, Malaysia, and Nigeria.
In 1982 I collected in Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, Trinidad, and Venezuela.
In 1983 and 1984 I collected again in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru; in 1985 in
Panama, Costa Rica, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico. I made repeated trips to all
of these areas and more over the course of the next 15 years, collecting in
all parts of South America. If you took me blindfolded into nearly any forested
part of South America, I would recognize the area or be able to tell you where
I was, based on the species composition of the forest.
As you might imagine, I enjoy collecting plants despite all the trials and
tribulation, as well as the many injuries I have received. During one week in
Madagascar I collected 1246 numbers, and during a single day in Panama on Cerro
Pirre I collected 225 numbers.
My 100,000th collection was made in October of last year in Ecuador near Volcán
Pichincha, in an area that had been well collected by the Jesuit botanist Luis
Sodiro, at the end of the 19th Century. He had collected and described over
250 species of Anthurium, most of them in the region of Volcán Pichincha,
so I was not expecting anything new to science. I was collecting with my student,
Monica Carlsen, and Dan Levin, a former President of the International Aroid
Society. On the day that I approached the magic number of 100,000, I decided
that I must be in an area where there were at least some interesting Araceae
(the group of plants in the Philodendron family that I work on). The day before
I had been in a rather weedy area near Esmeraldas, so we drove to Puerto Quito
to begin collecting the next morning. October 16th was to be our last day in
the field, so I knew that we had to push. We needed only 66 collections, but
we did not have a way of keeping track of the total collections, so we just
kept collecting. The first stop was near the Endesa Reserve, but I did not have
a permit to collect there so we collected in an interesting area along the entrance
road. Then we drove to Mindo, taking the old road that leads down to Tandayapa,
then on to Nono and finally Quito. This old road was once the major route to
the coast for Quito. I had collected this road before and did not expect to
find anything new, but on our second stop along a steep road bank covered with
aroids, I spotted a huge Anthurium leaf near the top of an almost vertical road
bank 25 feet high. I climbed through the fence into a pasture above the bank,
then jumped down the bank to get to the plant. It had a stem 8 cm in diameter
and stood well over 2 meters high. Because it was much lower on the bank than
the edge of the pasture and yet so far down to the road, I had to heave it back
into the pasture, then with considerable difficulty haul myself out of the hole.
I managed to haul the beast back to the road without ripping a leaf, and on
closer inspection found that it was a new species. Since it was my 100,000th
collection, I named it Anthurium centimillesimum! The plant was so large that
it required 7 sheets of herbarium paper to mount it, and one of these seven
sheets bears the MO-6,000,000 number.
I am glad that I was able to play a role in this significant achievement of
acquiring, processing, and mounting the 6 millionth herbarium specimen for the
Missouri Botanical Garden. Many people at the Garden are involved in this process
in one way or another by collecting plants, typing labels, filing specimens,
or determining plant material. We are all proud to be a part of this great occasion.
Now let’s set our sights on the next million!
News from the Society
Meet the new staff in the BSA office
Heather Cacanindin, Director of Membership & Subscriptions
Heather joined the BSA team in August 2007 after
8 years as Program Director at the United Soybean
Board. With a background in association
management and governance, she enjoys the
ongoing work in strategic planning and board/
committee development. Joining with the efforts of
Wanda Lovan and Bill Dahl, she has helped to
increase BSA membership to a record high of over
3050 members. Heather also launched an effort to
survey and track members’ opinions and trends in
order to better meet your needs. She is keenly
aware of the special “community” aspect of the BSA
and is working to foster more ways for members to
interact. Heather also works with the American
Journal of Botany editorial staff to find more avenues
to market our top-notch journal. Reaching out to
current and past AJB subscribers, Heather’s goal
is to stop the slow but steady decrease in institutional
subscriptions to the AJB. From her office at the BSA
World Headquarters in St. Louis, Heather is eager
to talk to all of our members. -
hcacanindin@botany.org
Richard Hund, Production Editor, American Journal of Botany
Richard joined the BSA in January 2008 as the
Production Editor of the American Journal of Botany.
He spent 5 years as a production editor of medical
textbooks for Elsevier and 4 years as a project
manager for SPi (a full-service compositor) before
coming to the AJB. Rich has been working closely
with Managing Editor Amy McPherson and Editorin-
Chief Judy Jernstedt to increase the AJB’s impact
factor and visibility in both the scientific and general
community, and the team recently launched AJB
Advance Access, which allows for the publication of
articles ahead of print. - rhund@botany.org
Jennifer L. Potratz, Education and Outreach Coordinator
Since May 2008 Jennifer has been helping
PlantingScience maintain its present position and
move into the next phase of complex program
delivery, including; improved educational/
instructional materials and expanded automation
to reach more students, more efficiently. Jennifer
has an interdisciplinary Masters in Conservation
Biology and Political Science with a strong
background in Environmental and Outdoor
Education having worked as a naturalist, guide,
ranger, and wilderness emergency trainer in Alaska,
Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Missouri. -
jpotratz@botany.org
News from the Annual Meeting
Awards
Michael Cichan Award
Dr. Maria A. Gandolfo, Cornell University
For her paper: “Fossil Nelumbonaceae from the La
Colonia Formation (Campanian-Maastrichtian,
Upper Cretaceous), Chubut, Patagonia, Argentina.”
Co-author on the paper is N. R. Cuneo
The Isabel Cookson Award
Cyrille Prestianni, Universite de Liege, Géologie
For the paper entitled “”Xenotheca” and
Pseudosporogonites: two Belgian acupulate
seeds?.” Co-authors were Jason Hilton and Philippe
Gerrienne.
The Darbaker Prize
The two Darbaker prize winners for 2008 are
Debashish Bhattacharya and Virginia (Ginger)
Armbrust
Dr. D. Bhattacharya was nominated on the basis of
his contributions to an international tree of life project and phylogeny papers published on a wide
range of algal groups during the years of 2006 and
2007, particularly Li, S., T. Nosenko, J.D. Hackett,
and D. Bhattacharya. 2006. Phylogenomic analysis
provides evidence for the endosymbiotic transfer of
red algal genes in chromalveolates. Mol. Biol. Evol.
23:663-674.
Dr. V. Armbrust was cited for several notable
research contributions on the biology of diatoms in
2006 and 2007, including the following: Oudot-Le
Secq, M.-P., J. Grimwood, H. Shapiro, C. Bowler, E.
V. Armbrust and B R. Green. 2007. Chloroplast
genomes of the diatoms Phaeodactylum
tricornutum and Thalassiosira pseudonana:
comparison with other plastid genomes of the red
lineage. Molecular Genetics and Genomics
277:427-429.
The Katherine Esau Award
Alana Oldham, Humboldt State University
For her paper “Height-Associated Variation in
Sequoia sempervirens (Coast Redwood) Leaf
Anatomy: Potential Impacts on Whole-Tree Carbon
Balance.” Her co-authors were Stephen Sillett and
George Koch.
The Gleason Award
xx
Lawrence Memorial Award
The Lawrence Memorial Award for 2008 goes to Mr. Dylan O. Burge, a student of Professor Paul Manos at Duke University. The proceeds of the award will help support his travel for field and collections-based work in an integrative research study of the genus Ceanothus.
The Margaret Menzel Award
Michael Barker, University of British Columbia
For the paper “Evolutionary genomics of
hybridization: Detecting ancient hybridization and
introgression by the inference of intrologs in plant
genomes.” Co-author was Loren H. Rieseberg.
The Maynard Moseley Award
Eric Madrid, University of Colorado
For his paper “Female Gametophyte Developmental
Evolution in Piperales. ” His co-author was Ned
Friedman.
Ecological Section Best Student Presentation & Poster Awards
Iman Sylvain, of Howard University, for her poster,
“Comparison of Seedling Fitness in the
Hyperaccumulator, Alyssum murale Waldst and
Kit. (Brassicaceae) in Soils With and Without Nickel.”
Genetics Section Graduate Student Research Award
Renate Wuersig, Purdue University (PhD student)
Historical Section Emanuel D. Rudolph Award
Sarah Kelsey, Rutgers University
for her poster: “The Establishment and Persistence
of Plants Introduced to New Jersey by Solid Ballast on Ships.” Co-authors were Sasha Eisenman and
Lena Struwe.
Physiological Section Li-COR Prize
Uromi Manage Goodale, Yale University, for her talk
“Physiological acclimation of pioneer species to
changing light environments.” Her co-authors were
Graeme P. Berlyn, Mark S. Ashton, and Kushan U.
Tennakoon.
Physiological Section Best Student Presentations
Nicole Hughes of Wake Forest University, for her
poster entitled, “Coordination of anthocyanin decline
and photosynthetic maturation in juvenile leaves of
three deciduous tree species.” Her co-authors are
Christianna Morely and William Smith.
Women in Botany luncheon
The first of many Women in Botany luncheons took
place during Botany 2008 in Vancouver. The event
was well attended with well over 90 participants.
Karen Renzaglia, Pam Soltis and Muriel Poston
moderated a discussion about the strategies for
women to succeed in science. We began with a
brain-storming session that focused on the positive
attributes women bring to science. We then turned
to ideas on how to make our professional
environment supportive and responsive to the needs
of women. The interactions were lively and
insightful......creativity abounded.
The event provided an excellent means for women
at all stages of their career to network and share
experiences. We will host a second luncheon in
Snowbird during Botany 2009. It is hoped that more
than one man will attend the luncheon. The input
and collaboration of men in botany are essential to
the success of their female counterparts.
note: The Botanical Society of America's "Women in
Botany" networking Listserv is now operational. To join
the list, please go to http://lists.botany.org/mailman/listinfo/womeninbotany_lists.botany.org and/or contact Amy
(amcpherson@botany.org) or Heather
(hcacanindin@botany.org) at the BSA office for details.
BSA Science Education News and Notes
BSA Science Education News and Notes is a
quarterly update about the BSA’s education efforts
and the broader education scene. We invite you to
submit news items or ideas for future features.
Contact: Claire Hemingway, BSA Education
Director, at chemingway@botany.org or Marshall
Sundberg, PSB Editor, at psb@botany.org.
PlantingScience — BSA-led student research
and science mentoring program
Planting Science continues to grow by leaps and
bounds! The fall 2008 session again broke our
previous record of number of students, teachers,
and scientists partnering in the online mentored
inquiry projects. We are delighted to welcome
scientists from the new societies as mentors. Seven
Scientific Societies are now partnering in the
program: American Society of Agronomy,
American Bryological & Lichenological Society,
American Fern Society, American Society of Plant
Biologists, American Society of Plant
Taxonomists, Society for Economic Botany and,
of course, the Botanical Society of America.
Plant IT — BSA-led Plant IT Careers, Cases, and
Collaboration project collaborates with Dr. Biology.
Last July Charles Kazelik, aka Dr. Biology, modeled
science interview techniques and podcast
technology for students and teachers participating
in the Plant IT Summer Institute for Teachers and
Student Career Camp held at Texas A&M University.
Charles’s podcast with Forensic Palynologist Dr.
Vaughn Bryant is online at the Ask a Biologist
website of the Life Sciences Department of Arizona
State University.
Pollen Podcast Interview http://askabiologist.asu.edu/podcasts/content_logs/vol42_log_aab_podcast.html
Web article http://askabiologist.asu.edu/research/pollen/index.html
Pollen gallery http://askabiologist.asu.edu/research/pollen/gallery.html
Check out also the Investigative Case resources
Ethel Stanley and Margaret Waterman prepared for
Summer Institute teachers to explore pollen and
remote sensing, and some of the pollen images
and case materials developed by teachers. http://www.bioquest.org/myplantit-2008/
Spotlight on BSA Member Contributions to Science Education
In this segment I highlight the communal effort of
BSA members to take botanical education to the
national science education meetings. BSA
members were well represented at the 2008
National Association of Biology Teachers meeting
(Oct. 15-18) in Memphis: Beverly Brown, Kim Sadler,
Steven Saupe, Ethel Stanley, Kumkum Prabhakar,
Phil Gibson, Gordon Uno, James Wandersee, Linda
Weinland. Look for your colleagues’ contributions in the program guide. http://www.nabt2008.org/sites/S6/index.php?p=573
And consider building the botanical presence at the
2009 NABT meeting in Denver or the 2009 NSTA
meeting in New Orleans. The BSA will again host
a booth exhibit and distribute information about the
BSA-led PlantingScience and Plant IT projects. We
welcome your engaging booth ideas and interest in
contributing.
Science Education in the News
High School Graduates Score Lowest in Science—
The 2008 ACT College Readiness Report of 1.42
million high school graduates indicate stable scores
across years in math, reading, and science. The
disturbing news is that only 28% of the high school
graduates taking the test met or surpassed the ACT
College Readiness Benchmarks for science. Math
was the next lowest content area, yet 43% of the high
school graduates me or exceeded the ACT
benchmarks. http://www.act.org/news/releases/2008/crr.html
Cultural Constrictions on the Math Pipeline
— How does US culture derail youth with high math
aptitude? In a comprehensive analysis of decades
of data on students identified with high math aptitude,
the authors document that the majority of top
mathematicians in the U.S. were born elsewhere
and identify influences that have deterred U.S. youth
from career trajectories in the mathematical
sciences. They also use the rich database to tackle
the controversial idea that girls lack the intrinsic
aptitude to excel in math.
Andreescu, T., Gailian, J.A., Kane, J.M.,
Mertz, J.E. 2008. Cross-Cultural Analysis of
Students with Exceptional Talent in Mathematical
Problem Solving. Notices of the American
Mathematical Society. 55. (10). 1248-1260 http://www.ams.org/notices/200810/fea-gallian.pdf
The Science Education Interactive Timeline Project
—The University of Arkansas’s Program to Advance Science Education
has launched a website designedas a snapshot of the evolution
of science education in the U.S. Links to events and documents
noted in the timeline provide further information about the events.
http://coehp.uark.edu/pase/itseusa/Widget/Widget.htm
Editor's Choice
Franklin, Wilfred. Investigating Effects of
Invasive Species on Plant Community Structure. 2008. American
Biology Teacher 70(8): 479– 482.
“Can’t see the trees for the forest?” Franklin describes a series
of activities she uses to introduce basic plant ecological sampling
and use it to answer some questions about invasive species. She
is lucky to have a small forest on campus nearby but the exercises
could easily be adapted to an urban landscape. The effectiveness
of the activities in combating “plant blindness” (see Schussler
below)is indicated by students frequent spontaneous use of their
cell phones to document their plant identifications.
Jensen, Philip A and Randy Moore. Students’
Behaviors, Grades & Perceptions in an Introductory Biology Course.
American Biology Teacher 70(8): 483-487.
For the last several years Randy and his colleagues have been
quantitatively examining many of the “truisms” about introductory
science students most of us who teach have come to accept. There
are not a lot of surprises for experienced teachers, however,
as Jensen and Moore suggest, it may be more effective in promoting
change in student behaviors if we can present actual data supporting
our contentions, such as, “It’s important to attend every class”
than for us to simply say it! In this paper they present data
on attendance, homework, extra credit, help sessions, and student
expectations.
Schussler, Elisabeth E. and Lynn A Olzak. It’s
Not Easy Being Green: Student Recall of Plant and Animal Images.
2008. Journal of Biology Education 42(3) summer: 112-118.
Remember plant blindness? (PSB 47[1]:2-9) In this paper Schussler
and her colleague provide additional substantiation that the phenomenon
is real and, in fact, has a gender component – women are less
“plant-blind” than men. The most discouraging finding, however,
is that students enrolled in a botany course did NOT differ significantly
from control students taking psychology! Clearly we have some
work to do.
Flannery, Maura. 2008. Biology Books for Young
People: Plants and Invaders. BioScience 58: 880- 881. Text and
illustrations of nine books introducing plant content to audiences
aged 4 to 12 are reviewed. Jordan, Nicholas R., Bawden, Richard
J., and Bergmann, Luke. 2008.
Pedagogy for Addressing the Worldview Challenge in Sustainable
Development of Agriculture. Journal of Natural Resources and Life
Sciences Education 92-99. Critical civic debates and classroom
conversations about the rapid shifts in agriculture and increasing
emphasis on production of ecological services in farmed landscapes
are the focus of this article.
Dyer, William E. 2008. Inhibitors of Fatty Acid
Synthesis and Elongation. Herbicide Discovery and Screening. Journal
of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education. The first of
these Web Lessons/Learning Activities provides an overview of
fatty acid synthesis and elongation and explains how herbicides
inhibit the pathway. The second web lesson describes historical
and current approaches to identify herbicides.
Stark, L. 2008. Plant movements revealed. CBE
Life Sciences Education 7(3): 284-287. A review of websites, including
the familiar Roger Hangarter’s Plants in Motion and the new YouTube
Quick Time movies, for teaching and learning about biology with
a focus on plant movement and carnivorous plants. http://www.lifescied.org/cgi/content/full/7/3/284?etoc
Dolan, E.L., Lally, D.J., Brooks,
E., and Tax, F.E. 2008. PREPing students
for authentic science. The Science Teacher 75(7): 38-43. An overview
of the Partnership for Research and Education in Plants program,
a partnership among high school students and teachers and plant
scientists, which provides students with authentic science opportunities
to identify noteworthy phenotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana
mutants.
News from the Sections
Historical Section
We are writing to encourage those of you that are interested in the history
of plant biology to consider becoming part of the Historical Section
of Botanical Society of America. To those of you that have already
indicated affiliation through your BSA registrations and emails
we say - Thank You.
Botany meetings are always a time to catch up with old friends,
to meet new people, and to discover what is happening in the various
fields of plant biology. The meeting in Vancouver, Canada was
a great success and as always the talks and posters were excellent.
Those who ventured away from the UBC campus, either on field trips
or on your own, surely found that the sub-alpine and timberline
plant communities, the botanical gardens, and the beautiful beaches
were worth the trip. This year, the Historical Section had three
outstanding posters. As you passed by the registration desk we
hoped that you had time to meet and talk with some of these young
students.
Next year, the annual Botanical Society of America meeting will
be back at Snowbird, Utah. We look forward to seeing you and invite
and encourage you and/or your students to consider presenting
a paper or poster in the Historical section.
You may recall that The Emanuel Rudolph Award was established
in 2006, at the Historical Section annual meeting in Chico, CA
for the best student paper on a historical subject in botany.
The qualifications were revised in 2007 to reflect and highlight
excellence in the area of historical presentations at the Botanical
Society of America meetings. Students presenting historical papers
in any section or symposium are eligible for this award. The first
award was given in 2007 to students organizing "A
Symposium in Honor of Sherwin Carlquist." This year's
award was given to a student, who co-authored a poster on "The
Establishment and Persistence of Plants Introduced to New Jersey
by Solid Ballast on Ships." The award recipients
are announced in the Plant Science Bulletin and on the BSA website.
We encourage your comments and thoughts about the types of lectures
or symposia you would like our section to sponsor and we look
forward to a great session at Snowbird, Utah – Botany 2009. Our
email addresses are listed below and our contact information is
on the BSA Website: http://www.botany.org/governance/sections.php#Historical
Sincerely,
Carol Kelloff, Secretary/Treasurer
KELLOFFC@si.edu
Lee B. Kass, Section and Program Chair
lbk7@cornell.edu
Marissa Jergenson, Co-Chai
mcjernegan@eiu.edu
Announcements
In Memoriam
Lazarus Walter (Walt) Macior (1926-2007)
Lazarus Walter (Walt) Macior passed away on October 5, 2007
after a long illness with Parkinson’s disease. Walt (Walter Aloysius
Macior, Jr.) was born on August 26, 1926 in Yonkers, New York.
He received his first degree from Columbia University before enlisting
in 1945 to serve in the United States Army as a Japanese linguist
during the final months of World War II. After his war service,
he received a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University.
Walt then entered a Catholic seminary, becoming a priest in 1956
as a member of the Franciscan Friars of the Assumption BVM Province
(taking the religious name Lazarus). He completed a Ph.D. in 1959
from the University of Wisconsin. In 1960, the results of his
dissertation were published in the Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical
Club 87(2): 99–138, title: “The tetrakaidecahedron and related
cell forms in undifferentiated plant tissues.” His first college
teaching position (1960 to 1962) was Instructor of Biology at
St. Francis College in Burlington, Wisconsin and it is here that
he began his life-long investigation of pollination mechanisms.
In the summers of 1960 and 1961 and from 1962 to 1964, he was
a lecturer at Marquette University. Between 1965 and 1967, he
was Assistant Professor of Biology at Loras College in Dubuque,
Iowa. In 1967, he came to the University of Akron where he continued
his research of Pedicularis and remained as Professor Emeritus
beyond his retirement in 2000. He also held visiting and adjunct
positions at various times during his career. From 1966 to 1968,
he was a Visiting Research Assistant at the Institute of Arctic
and Alpine Research (University of Colorado); between 1971 and
1973, he was an Adjunct Faculty Research Associate at Ohio State
University Institute of Polar Studies; and during a sabbatical
leave in 1984, he was a Faculty Research Associate in the Department
of Entomology at the University of California in Davis. During
his career, he published over fifty research articles. Although
his research interests were in the field of pollination biology,
he was by training and avocation a botanist and taught Plant Morphology,
Plant Anatomy, and Plant Development while at the University of
Akron in addition to Evolution and Bioethics. During his tenure
at the University of Akron, he was named a Distinguished Professor
of Biology and was given the honor of Outstanding Teacher by the
Alumni Association in 1990. He also established two scholarships
for graduate study in botany: the Lazarus Walter Macior Graduate
scholarship in Botany and Plant Sciences, and the Alice and Walter
Macior Award in Plant Sciences for students, which is named in
honor of his parents.
Walt’s earliest papers concentrated on the pollination dynamics
of herbs of deciduous forests, alpine zones, and tundra. He showed
an early interest in buzz-pollinated flowers with vibratile anthers
(Dodecatheon and Solanum), which provided him insight into his
later, major work on Pedicularis. With his training as a plant
morphologist, he understood the significance of adaptive modifications
to floral structures. His fieldwork took him throughout the Northern
Hemisphere to the Yukon Territory, Japan, India, Kashmir, and
China. I once asked him why Pedicularis and he related to me that
he came upon it quite by accident. One day while he was studying
the pollination of Aquilegia, he discovered that all the bumblebees
ignored it in preference for P. canadensis, “Having nothing to
study that day, I turned my attention to the curious little lousewort
plant that was stealing the pollinators from my subject plant
and I’ve been hooked ever since.” Thus began his research focus
and he often relayed this story to his students to remind them
of the importance of serendipity in science. Walt was a stickler
for making carefully conducted field studies and had little patience
for those who assumed a mechanism merely based upon extrapolation
of a pollination syndrome. He took pride in proving them wrong
with actual data. A case in point is his study of Pedicularis
groenlandica. An earlier investigator had assumed that its flowers
had nectar because its bumblebee pollinators entered the flower
in an upright position, but when Walt presented his data at a
symposium, revealing that the flowers are nectarless and the bees
collect pollen by buzzing, this investigator took great umbrage
refusing to speak to Walt for several years! In fact Peter Bernhardt,
a close friend and colleague of Walt, portrayed his approach as
forensic, “Walt didn’t believe that the mere, repeated presence
of an animal on a flower made it a true pollinator or even a prospective
pollinator. He wanted and got hard evidence to back it up each
time. When he captured an insect he noted where pollen was deposited
on its body, removed it and identified grains under the microscope
by matching it to the grains produced by the host flower. Walter
called this protocol “pollen load analysis.” In this way, he presented
some of the earliest hard data on the fidelity (faithfulness)
of foraging insects to a particular plant species. He also understood
that if anthers repeatedly deposited pollen on a bee’s head, then
the head of a true pollinator must repeatedly contact the receptive
stigma of another flower of the same species, so important in
his studies of the bizarre, elephantnose Pedicularis groenlandica
and P. attollens. Walter’s papers typically contain a Table analyzing
the pollen load contents carried by dozens of flower visitors.
Even today, very few field workers recognize the value of cross-referencing
a pollinator specimen with its pollen load.” With his attention
to detailed field analysis, he also revealed that some Pedicularis
of China with extremely long corolla tubes do not contain nectar
as had been assumed. Rather than being a vessel for nectar, Walt
suggested that the long, nectarless tube elevates the distal petals
above surrounding vegetation to enhance their display. Walt was
also the first botanist to study the federally endangered Furbish’s
lousewort (Pedicularis furbishiae) in the 1970’s. His reports
and publications about its life-cycle, habitat, and distribution
helped save the plant from extinction because he showed that the
major population would not survive flooding if a proposed dam
was built on the site. To conduct his studies in remote areas
in North America, Walt owned a medium sized Airstream travel trailer.
He stocked it with all the necessary field and laboratory equipment,
and it served as his mobile field station, mess hall, and sleeping
quarters. One of his favorite pieces of equipment was a still
camera modified to take close-up stereo photographs that he used
to discern the precise fit of pollinator to flower. To reveal
floral patterns only visible under ultraviolet illumination, he
had another camera outfitted with a quartz lens. He was also an
accomplished cinema photographer and accumulated many hours of
film documenting pollinator behavior on Pedicularis flowers. In
later years even as his health started to decline, he made several
field study trips to China, and Walt would be pleased to see that
many of his Chinese colleagues have since taken up the study of
Pedicularis pollination.
Walt’s teaching influenced many students. He was a keen observer
of nature and used many examples in the classroom and on field
trips. His style of teaching was to pose a problem or question
and then let the class attempt to answer before giving a detailed
explanation. Exams were often done the same way; he expected you
to synthesize knowledge learned in lecture and lab by posing novel
questions for the student to answer. On field trips, he often
presented open ended questions that sometimes inspired laboratory
investigations. I once asked if he knew the answer and he replied,
“Nope, just wanted to see if anyone would take the initiative.”
He always had time to talk to his students about any topic. One
student recollects of a time when, after failing a test, he went
to Dr. Macior’s office. “I well recall Dr. Macior’s posted office
hours being followed by the words ‘or gladly by appointment.’
Would he really be glad to see me? To my surprise, he was! As
I found out in subsequent years, Dr. Macior was glad to see all
such poor fish that washed up at his door.” His door was also
open to others as well. As he also taught evolution class, sometimes
creationists would take up their cause with him. Not suspecting
that he was also a Franciscan priest whose views of science and
faith were perfectly compatible, they would quote scripture to
him to prove their point. Walt soon had them squirming by posing
theological, philosophical, and scientific questions to which
they had no answer. His approach, however, was never mean-spirited
and his final reply to them would be, “Sometimes doubt is good
for the soul.” Among his graduate students, Walt expected investigative
thoroughness. I remember one student who spent many hours sectioning
and staining Pedicularis haustoria and then taking great lengths
to explain its detailed anatomy only to have Walt exclaim, “Well,
you forgot one very important aspect. How is the anatomical structure
of the host affected? Report back to me when you figure that out.”
Walt also took time to answer all letters from inquiring graduate
students and young scientists and indeed a colleague described
him as an old fashioned ‘Man of Letters’. He recalls exchanging
many correspondences with Walt while working on his Masters, “Walter
was willing to read and critique my Masters thesis even though
he was not on my graduate committee and his early intervention
saved me valuable revision time. In later years, I soon learned
to recognize his style when a refereed manuscript came back from
a journal. Walter’s critiques were always invaluable because he
knew how to itemize problems in a paper in a clear and progressive
manner. He never made the author feel stupid because his critiques
were like road maps. He pointed you in the right direction starting
at A and ending at Z.”
Not only was Dr. Macior an extraordinary teacher, scientist,
and mentor, he was a good friend as well. Over the years that
I knew him, we had many great discussions about science, philosophy,
religion, and life in general. His greatest legacy to his students,
colleagues, and friends is that he made you think! We have lost
a great pollination ecologist, botanist, teacher, mentor, and
humanitarian. He influenced many students’ careers and will be
missed by all.
Bruce W. Robart, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology
The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (UPJ)
Johnstown, PA 15905
robart@pitt.edu
Personalia
Eshbaugh Honored for Outreach Efforts
W. Hardy Eshbaugh, Miami University professor emeritus of botany, received the Peter H. Raven Award for his outreach in the areas of public education and conservation. Presented by the American Society of Plant Taxonomists during its conference this summer, the award recognizes a plant systematist for exceptional outreach efforts to nonscientists.
Eshbaugh's public education outreach includes giving public lectures, leading field trips and ecotourism trips throughout the world and writing papers on natural history for various publications.
His conservation outreach at the international and national level has encompassed serving on the boards of the Nature Conservancy (Ohio), National Audubon Society, Atlantic Salmon Federation, St. Mary's River Association (Nova Scotia) and Hawk Mountain. Locally, he has served on the boards of Audubon Miami Valley, the Avian Research and Education Institute and Three Valley Conservation Trust.
In 2007, Eshbaugh was recognized with the Herbert Osborn Award from the Ohio Biological Survey and the Distinguished Economic Botanist Award, the highest honor given to professionals by the Society for Economic Botany. He was elected President of the Botanical Society of America in 1988 and received the Society’s Merit Award in 1992 and both the Centennial and Bessey Awards in 2006. He was elected President of the American Institute of Biological Sciences in 1995.
Eshbaugh was a member of Miami's faculty from 1967-98, including positions as chair of the department and director of Miami's W.S. Turrell Herbarium.
 Donation of the Graham Palynological Collection to the Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama is proud to announce
that it has received the donation of the best collection of neotropical pollen
in the world, the Graham Palynological Collection, thanks to the generosity
of Alan Graham, Professor Emeritus at the Kent State University and current
curator at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. 
This collection began as part of an early palynology laboratory set up in the
herbarium of the University of Texas in 1954, and expanded with original preparations,
and also with exchanges with numerous laboratories throughout the world. It
comprises over 25,000 pollen slides of modern taxa, mostly from the neotropics,
thousands of pollen slides from Dr. Graham’s work on the geological history
of the forests of Central America, as well as pollen residues and an impressive
collection of literature (over 16,000 reprints related primarily to the biology
and geology of the New World with emphasis on Latin America). The modern reference
component has the added virtue that all the original preparations can be referenced
to a specific herbarium collection, allowing scientists to verify the identification
of fossil material and specimens used in taxonomic studies.
At STRI, we are grateful and honored to be hosting this collection, which is
an invaluable resource for our scientists. Soon, we hope to have
all components in digital format, to share it on the web with
everyone who might be interested, worldwide.
Carlos Jaramillo jaramilloc@si.edu
Maria Adelaida Cubides CubidesM@si.edu
Center for Tropical Paleoecology and Archaeology
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Tel: (507) 212-8057
Missouri Botanical Garden Awards Highest Honor to Renowned Ecologist
Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy, president of the Heinz
Center for Science, Economics and the Environment, has received
the Henry Shaw Medal from the Missouri Botanical Garden. The award
was presented by Dr. Peter Raven, president of the Missouri Botanical
Garden, during the annual Henry Shaw dinner on Oct. 13. Awarded
since 1893, and named for the Garden’s founder, the medal honors
those who have made a significant contribution to the Missouri
Botanical Garden, botanical research, horticulture, conservation
or the museum community.
A renowned ecologist, Dr. Lovejoy has worked in the Brazilian
Amazon since 1965 studying the interface of science and environmental
policy. Beginning in the 1970’s, Dr. Lovejoy helped bring attention
to the issue of tropical deforestation, and in 1981, published
the first estimate of global extinction rates in the Global 2000
Report to the President. Dr. Lovejoy also conceived the idea to
conduct the Critical Size of Ecosystems project, a long term study
on forest fragmentation in the Amazon.
Dr. Raven praised Dr. Lovejoy for coining the term “biological
diversity,” later shortened to “biodiversity,” and for originating
the concept of debt-for-nature swaps. A debt for nature swap is
an agreement between a developing nation in debt and its creditors
to forgive the debts in return for the promise of environmental
protection. Dr. Lovejoy established the concept in 1981, largely
to minimize the negative effect debt has on developing nations
and to minimize the environmental destruction that such nations
frequently cause.
Dr. Lovejoy is the founder of the public television series “Nature.”
He has served as the Senior Advisor to the President of the United
Nations Foundations, Chief Biodiversity Advisor and Lead Specialist
for the Environment for the Latin American region for the World
Bank, Assistant Secretary for Environmental and External Affairs
for the Smithsonian Institutions, and Executive Vice President
of World Wildlife Fund-US. He has also served on advisory councils
in the Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Clinton administrations.
Dr. Lovejoy received his B.S. and PhD in biology
from Yale University.
2008 ESRI User Conference Features Keynote Address by Dr. Peter H. Raven
Renowned Botanist and Environmentalist Speaks at World’s
Largest GIS Gathering
The 2008 ESRI International User http://www.esri.com/events/uc/index.html
Conference (ESRI UC) featured renowned botanist, environmentalist,
biodiversity expert, and president of the Missouri Botanical Garden,
Dr. Peter H. Raven. Raven discussed the significance of biodiversity
and the environment for sustaining our world.
“Dr. Raven has played a vital role in teaching others about the
importance of biodiversity and in researching our planet’s ecosystems,”
says Jack Dangermond, president, ESRI. “He’s making a difference
in securing our environmental resources. We’re honored to have
him as our guest and we’re excited about the opportunity our users
will have to hear from such a distinguished individual.”
The ESRI UC, the largest conference in the world devoted to geographic
http://www.gis.com/whatisgis/index.html information system (GIS)
technology, was held August 4-8 at the San Diego Convention Center
in California. The conference drew approximately 13,000 users
from more than 120 countries who came together to learn, collaborate,
and discover the latest developments in GIS technology. The conference
theme this year was GIS: Geography in Action.
Raven talked about the importance of biodiversity
and how it influences our daily lives. He discussed
the threats-including loss of habitat,
overconsumption, and climate change-that impact
biodiversity and the solutions available for us to
preserve and improve our planet’s sustainability.
As part of the presentation, GIS was used to analyze
ecosystems and the myriad of plant and animal life
that inhabit them. In addition, GIS was used to
model future impacts to these bionetworks.
Professor Dedicated To Study Of Plant Use By Native Americans Will Receive William L. Brown Award
The William L. Brown Center (WLBC) of the Missouri Botanical
Garden in St. Louis will award its highest honor, the William
L. Brown Award for Excellence in Genetic Resource Conservation,
to ethnobotanist Dr. Nancy Turner of the University
of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. The biennial award recognizes
the outstanding contributions of an individual in the field of
genetic resource conservation and use. It is made possible through
the generous support of the Sehgal Family Foundation, in cooperation
with the family of Dr. William L. Brown. Dr. Turner will receive
the award prior to delivering the keynote address at the 2008
WLBC Symposium, Ethnobotany: Integrating Biology and Traditional
Knowledge. The event will take place Friday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m.
at the Garden. It is free and open to the public.
Dr. Turner has devoted her career to the study and preservation
of indigenous plants used by native peoples of northwestern North
America. Her major research contributions include demonstrating
the pivotal role of plants in past and contemporary aboriginal
cultures, language and knowledge. She has documented how traditional
management of plant resources has shaped the landscapes and habitats
of western Canada. She has spent much of her professional career
fostering lasting relationships with Native Americans to further
understanding of indigenous plant management, and in turn preserve
plant genetic resources for future use. Her efforts on behalf
of traditional land management, sustainable use of non-timber
forest products, and the relationship of human and environmental
health has globally impacted the field of ethnobotany.
Immediately following the award presentation, Dr. Turner will
present on “Western Redcedar: An Endangered Cultural Icon of Northwestern
North America.” Western redcedar (Thuja plicata) is an iconic
tree in the culture of the indigenous population of the northwestern
coast of North America. It is a critically important part of the
coastal temperate rainforest ecosystem and a valuable economic
species in the forest industry. Although young cedars are common,
old-growth cedars have become rare due to industrial logging and
global climate change. Turner will use the tree species to illustrate
the clash of values and approaches that have characterized land
and resource use since colonial times, and to show how ethnobotany
and conservation biology, embracing ideas and concepts from indigenous
peoples, can help to reinstate the species for the future.
The award presentation and keynote address will take place Friday,
Nov. 7 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Shoenberg Theater of the Missouri
Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd. in St. Louis. The audience is
also invited to attend a multi-author ethnobotany book signing
in the Garden Gate Shop from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Participants include
conservation scientist Dr. Gary Nabhan, who will sign copies of
his new release, Where Our Food Comes From, and Missouri Botanical
Garden President Dr. Peter Raven, who will sign the new book,
Missouri Botanical Garden: Green for 150 Years. Both events are
free and open to the general public.
The events are being held in conjunction with the
two-day symposium, Ethnobotany: Integrating
Biology and Traditional Knowledge, presented by
the WLBC and the International Union of Biological
Sciences. The WLBC is one of the largest and most
active programs in economic botany in the world. It
operates under the auspices of the Science and
Conservation Division of the Missouri Botanical
Garden.
Courses/Workshops
Experience in Tropical Botany
Dates: June 15 to July 11 2009
Location: The Kampong Garden of the National
Tropical Botanical Garden, 4013 Douglas Road,
Coconut Grove, Miami FL 33133
The Class will use the newly-constructed Kenan
Teaching Laboratory at The Kampong (wet bench
and microscope facilities) and be accommodated
in comfortable dormitory style housing in the same
location (Scarborough House).
Course title: “Biodiversity of Tropical Plants”
Instructor: Professor P. Barry Tomlinson ,
Professor of Biology Emeritus, Harvard University &
Crum Professor of Tropical Botany, National Tropical
Botanical Garden.
“Biodiversity” is commonly interpreted as a catalogue
of species richness in a given environment and how
it might be preserved, but it can mean much more
if an investigation considers the functioning, not just
the systematics, of the organisms in a given area,
i.e., their biology. Clearly biodiversity in this broad
context can be studied best in the tropics, where
diversity is richest.
South Florida offers a sampling of this richness,
conveniently located in the continental United States.
And the course offers an opportunity at many levels
to become more familiar with tropical plants and
their biological mechanisms.
The course is intensive and intended to present an
overview of the rich plant diversity in natural
environments (e.g. The Everglades National Park,
Biscayne Bay National Park) and especially the rich
collections of introduced tropical plants at
collaborating Institutions, notably Fairchild Tropical
Botanic Garden and Montgomery Botanical Center,
Coral Gables. Here we have an estimated 10,000
species representing most major biological groups
of plants. For example, there are well over 500
species of palms (tropical icons) available, and
over 100 plant families not represented in natural
environments in the United States.
Emphasis is on morphology and anatomy in both a systematic but and functional
context and involves both field and laboratory study. The course
structure is extensively enquiry-based and is intended to develop
skills in investigative techniques and philosophical approaches
which can be applied subsequently in Graduate Study. Students
are introduced to many tropical plant families (especially the
iconic Arecaceae) and such topics as, e.g., tree architecture,
pollination biology, the morphology of vines and epiphytes as
well as distinctive tropical ecosystems like seagrass meadows
and mangroves. Laboratory work emphasizes anatomy and dissection
of fresh material, using implements ranging from chain saws to
scalpels.
Admission to the course depends on some demonstrated previous
familiarity with at least elementary Botany and is intended to
cater for students who are already enrolled in a graduate program
in Botany or Biology or plan to do so in the near future.
Students will be required to register with The Harvard Summer
School and will receive 4 credits. Estimated Cost.: Harvard Summer
School tuition; travel to and from Miami; Kampong accommodation
at $25 per day. Tuition and Travel scholarships may be available
for qualifying students.
For further information:-
P.B. Tomlinson at the above Miami address, or
Harvard Forest, Harvard University, 324 N.Main St.
Petersham MA 01366
e-mail: pbtomlin@fas.harvard.edu
And Harvard Summer School on-line in 2009
Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University Create Doctorate Program in Plant Biology and Conservation
Local response to global plant conservation issues
The Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University announced
a one-of-a-kind doctorate program in plant biology and conservation,
in response to the urgent need to train scientists who will embark
on a far-reaching course to address pressing conservation issues.
We are in a global extinction crisis. Biodiversity is facing
more threats than it ever has,² said Dr. Kayri Havens, director
of plant science and conservation at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
³There is great need for a graduate program that will bring more
scientists into the field of studying plant diversity, since this
is the foundation of all ecosystems, she said.
According to the World Conservation Union, 30 percent of the world¹s plants are threatened with extinction by 2050. Students will have the opportunity to gain experience, skills, and knowledge to become scholars, leaders and practitioners, in the effort to stem the loss of plant life worldwide.
This is an effort to find global solutions. With the creation of the doctorate program, the Garden will be a national home to far-reaching education and research programs, able to train professionals in a variety of plant science disciplines, which are critical to the Garden¹s mission to save the plants and save the planet,² said Sophia Siskel, president and CEO of the Chicago Botanic Garden.
The program begins in fall 2009 and will be housed in the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Ground was broken on the Rice Science Center in June of 2008.
When completed in the fall of 2009, the 38,000 square-foot Rice Science Center will serve as an international center for plant conservation research providing a world-class teaching and state-of-the-art laboratory facility designed specifically to meet the needs of students and teachers.
In 2005, the Garden partnered with Northwestern University to create a Master¹s degree program in plant biology and conservation. Since the program¹s inception, twenty-one students have enrolled; five have graduated and are currently pursuing careers in the fields of plant conservation or are attending doctorate programs.
The resources of Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden complement one another to create a learning environment that could not be duplicated by either one alone,² said Northwestern University Provost Daniel Linzer.
The doctorate program will provide a foundation in plant ecology, evolution and biology and in applied plant conservation theory and methods. The program offers advanced courses taught by distinguished faculty members and scientists from the Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University. The program includes over 15 teaching and research faculty from Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern in fields such as ecology, population genetics, restoration ecology, invasive plant biology, pollination biology, plant evolution, taxonomy, paleontology and climate change. The doctorate program will offer a comprehensive scholastic program that contributes to the field of plant biology. Students typically should complete the degree in five years.
Positions Available
M.S. Student Position: Analysis of patterns of gene flow in Maryland populations of Harperella (Ptilimnium nodosum)
Funding is available for a graduate teaching assistantship in the Department
of Biological Sciences at Towson University. The successful candidate
will assist in a research study regarding patterns of gene flow
in Maryland populations of Harperella (Ptilimnium nodosum), a
federallyendangered stream macrophyte. The study will focus on
examining patterns and relationships between gene flow via seed
and pollen using molecular markers. Understanding historical and
contemporary patterns of gene flow and their effects on genetic
diversity and genetic structure is necessary to manage and restore
populations of Harperella. Identification of more genetically
diverse plants may be key to restoring viable populations as these
carry more adaptive genetic variance. Additionally, if we understand
historical patterns of gene flow we can formulate more educated
hypotheses about the manner of restoration efforts, in particular,
we can identify the most genetically diverse subpopulations for
protection and use in restoration activities. Students would be
expected to use data generated from their studies for a Master’s
thesis at Towson University. The stipend is currently $12,000/year,
plus a full tuition waiver and travel costs. The assistantship
will begin in August 2009. Deadline for applications is 15 March
2009, but early applications are encouraged.
The ideal student for this position is self-motivated, works
well independently, and has a strong interest in conservation
biology, plant molecular ecology and evolution. The position will
require long hours in both the field and laboratory. Prior experience
with field research and molecular ecology is preferred but not
required.
Towson University is located just a mile north of the vibrant
city of Baltimore, Maryland. TU’s Department of Biology offers
outstanding opportunities for graduate students in several areas
including ecology, conservation biology and molecular ecology.
Previous graduate students have gone on to Ph.D. programs at a
number of major institutions or have found employment with state
or federal management agencies.
A complete list of departmental facilities, our current Graduate
Faculty, and their teaching and research interests is available
on our web site at: http://wwwnew.towson.edu/biologicalsciences/graduate_program.html.
For additional information, contact:
Roland P. Roberts
410-704-3034
rroberts@towson.edu
Other News
Brooklyn Botanic Garden and New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Sign Breakthrough Conservation Initiative
Brooklyn Botanic Garden and New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Sign Breakthrough Conservation Initiative
BROOKLYN, NY–SEPTEMBER 22, 2008–Today, in the shade of the Native
Flora Garden at Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG), New York City Department of Parks
& Recreation (Parks) commissioner Adrian Benepe and Brooklyn Botanic Garden
president Scot Medbury signed a historic memorandum of understanding (MOU),
committing the resources of the Garden and Parks to the conservation of plants
native to New York City. This is the first-ever comprehensive conservation initiative
targeting New York City’s native plants. The conservation effort will
be conducted primarily through ecological and molecular assessments of remaining
plant populations in the city’s 23 ecosystems, leading to management protocols
to improve the long-term sustainability of these plants.
The MOU acknowledges that of the over 1,450 species that once occurred in the
city, over 600 are gone and 500 are vulnerable. “Little attention has
been given to the management of rare species in the urban context and virtually
no attempt has been made to assess and manage the more common, yet declining
species found in urban, fragmented habitats,” the memorandum reads. The
conservation agreement will work toward increased conservation of the area’s
flora. BBG will utilize the resources of its New York Metropolitan Flora project
(NYMF) and other related BBG science programs. Parks brings to the initiative
its expertise from the Greenbelt Native Plant Center and Natural Resources Group.
Through the MOU, Parks and BBG will collect plants and seeds for research and
seed banking purposes, analyze the genetic diversity of plants, and raise awareness
about the conservation of New York City’s native plants.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden has long been committed to researching and promoting
the native flora of the region. The Native Flora Garden was the first “garden
within the Garden” opened to the public at BBG, in 1911. In 1990 the Garden
embarked on the New York Metropolitan Flora project, a multiyear effort to document
the flora in all counties within a 50-mile radius of New York City.
New York City may be known to many for its towering skyscrapers and pulsing
urban lifestyle, but few are aware of the incredible biodiversity and plant
life found within the city. “We are proud to collaborate with Parks and
work toward the common goal of conserving the area’s native plants,”
said Scot Medbury, BBG’s president. “Through the work of BBG’s
respected Science department, we will be able to engage in detailed analysis—down
to the molecular level—to help us understand the condition of New York
City’s native plants. This in turn will help us formulate ways to both
conserve current populations and preserve them for the future,” Medbury
explained. “In addition, I have asked BBG’s interpretive staff to
develop signage to better explain the initiative to the Garden’s visitors,
so that more people will learn of the work being done to protect the plants
that will populate our great city for generations to come,” Medbury added.
“The conservation initiative is an important step to not only preserve
New York City’s flora but also to provide information on the state of
plant life throughout the five boroughs,” said Commissioner Benepe. “Plants
provide numerous benefits, from helping to clean the city’s air to cooling
the environment to beautifying our streets and parks. We are pleased to partner
with Brooklyn Botanic Garden for this vital study to make the city a greener,
greater New York.”
Rare Book Exhibition Focuses on Children's Books about Plants, Lenhardt Library,
November 28, 2008 through February 1, 2009
Rare Book Exhibition Focuses on Children's Books about Plants, Lenhardt Library,
November 28, 2008 through February 1, 2009
Plants and gardens have long been places of wonder for children and excellent
opportunities to teach them about science. A new exhibition from the Rare Book
Collection of the Lenhardt Library provides a glimpse into rare children's books
about plants and the natural world. The exhibition will be on display in the
Lenhardt Library from November 28, 2008 through February 1, 2009.
One of the earliest books written specifically for a young reader was published
in Paris in 1545. Entitled De re Hortensi Libellus, it was written by Charles
Estienne for his eight-year-old nephew, Henri Estienne. In the late eighteenth
and early nineteenth centuries, an explosion of books for children were published,
many of which were quite small. Les Plaisirs de la Campagne, published in 1825,
is about the size of a postage stamp. Later in the nineteenth century, children's
books took on a slightly fantastic nature to make the scientific aspects of
the text a little more digestible and they usually included many colorful illustrations.
An interesting example is The Little Flower Seekers: Being Adventures of Trot
and Daisy in a Wonderful Garden, by Moonlight, published in London in 1873 and
written by Rosa Mulholland Gilbert. By the end of the nineteenth century, fictional
stories used gardens and botany as a background, as in The Secret Garden by
Frances Hodgson Burnett. The Lenhardt Library's copy is the first American edition
published in New York in 1911. Approximately fifteen books will be on display
in the exhibition.
A free library talk, ³Early Editions of Well-Loved Stories,"
will be given by Susan Boothe, curator of exhibitions at the Chicago
Botanic Garden at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 10, 2009.
The Lenhardt Library is the primary research tool for students
of the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Visitors are encouraged to research their latest gardening project,
thumb through inspiring garden journals and magazines, or see
the display of selections from the Garden¹s rare book collection.
The Lenhardt Library is located in the Regenstein Center. Hours are from 9
a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. On
Tuesdays, the Lenhardt Library is open until 7 p.m. Closed on holidays. Members
have borrowing privileges.
Admission to the Chicago Botanic Garden is free. Select event fees apply. Parking
is $15 per car; free for Garden members. For more information and to search
the library collections, visit www.chicagobotanic.org/library.
Missouri Botanical Garden Mounts Milestone Six Millionth Herbarium Specimen
Collection is Among the World’s Largest
The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis operates one of the
largest and fastest growing herbaria in the world, and the second
largest in the western hemisphere. With the addition of a specimen
of Anthurium centimillesimum, a gigantic new aroid species from
Ecuador, the Garden’s permanent collection of pressed and dried
plant specimens has reached a milestone of six million specimens.
A herbarium is essentially a “library” of plant specimens. The
Garden’s herbarium includes about five-and-a-half-million vascular
plants (flowering plants, ferns and conifers) and 500,000 bryophytes
(mosses, liverworts and hornworts). The bryophyte collection is
also one of the largest of its kind in the world.
“The importance of these ‘libraries’ of plants cannot be overstated,”
said Vice President, Science and Conservation, Dr. Robert Magill.
“There are an estimated 300,000 recognized, named species of plants,
with perhaps an additional 100,000 species still to be discovered.
Herbaria are vital resources that allow botanists to organize
information about this enormous diversity of plant life. Without
a system of documentation that includes actual samples of the
plants, it would be nearly impossible to make conclusions about
the roles and relationships of plants, or to even verify the discovery
of a species new to science.”
Plant specimens are collected in the wild, pressed in newspaper
folds, and dried in a wooden-framed plant press before being sent
to the Garden’s herbarium for study and identification. At the
Garden, newly received specimens are counted, recorded, and treated
by freezing to kill insects that might eat them. Permanent labels
are prepared from the collector’s field catalog for each specimen.
The label contains information on where and when the specimen
was gathered, by whom, and any features about the plant that are
not readily apparent from the pressed specimen. The specimens
are then studied by plant taxonomists with specialized knowledge
of the group to which the plant in question belongs. Taxonomists
will either identify the specimens, or recognize them as new to
science. One specimen from each collection is mounted and added
to the Garden’s herbarium. Any duplicates are distributed to other
herbaria in exchange for specimens from their areas of activity;
the Garden exchanges specimens with about 400 other herbaria worldwide.
The Missouri Botanical Garden’s six millionth herbarium specimen
was collected in late 2007 by Dr. Thomas Croat, P. A. Schulz Curator
of Botany. Croat discovered Anthurium centimillesimum while on
a collecting trip in Ecuador’s Pichincha province, in an area
of tropical premontane rain forest. The giant plant was found
growing on a steep bank next to a pasture.
“At first I considered it impossible that this species was new,
simply because the area was previously well collected,” said Croat.
“Still, after returning to the Garden, I went through all the
existing species and none came close to this Anthurium.”
Croat has been collecting plant specimens in the wild for over
41 years as part of the Garden’s science and conservation team.
Anthurium centimillesimum is the 100,000th collection made by
Croat, making him the fourth most prolific plant collector in
the history of botany. Of his vast collections, all but 4,500
have been deposited at the Garden.
The new Anthurium is a member of the aroid or Araceae family,
also known as the Philodendron family. Aroids make up the largest
group of ornamental pot plants, and more aroid species are counted
among the top dozen plants in North American sales than any other
plant family. The Missouri Botanical Garden is a major center
of aroid research, with one of the largest living collections
in the world. In some cases, it is unknown whether the species
are still found in nature, or whether the Garden’s plants are
the only survivors.
Garden scientists conduct field research in 36 countries and
six continents around the globe in an effort to collect, identify,
and preserve plant specimens. Staff focus their efforts on areas
of high biological diversity, with the goal of characterizing
and grouping the plant life they discover.
The expansiveness of the Garden’s science and conservation programs
allows the institution to coordinate in-house editorial activity
through MBG Press, the Garden’s publishing arm. Plants collected
in the wild and accessioned to the herbarium form the basis of
scholarly publications, including floras, which document the known
information about the plant species found in a particular geographic
region. These taxonomic tools allow the Garden’s wealth of plant
information to be readily accessed by a wide variety of users
throughout the worldwide scientific community.
“A fundamental part of our mission is to characterize, describe,
and name the patterns of diversity found in the plant world,”
said Dr. James Solomon, herbarium curator. “We then build the
tools that allow people to learn about, understand, and communicate
about that diversity. In order to find medicines or sustainably
manage lands, you have to be able to recognize and know the species
involved. Our work is helping to synthesize knowledge from around
the globe to make this possible.”
For more information on the Missouri Botanical Garden’s science
and conservation work, visit www.mobot.org/plantscience.
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden on Display in Olympic Venues
A global audience gained knowledge of the allimportant, sustaining
work of botanic gardens throughout the world this summer in Beijing.
Together with other botanical gardens and arboreta, Rancho Santa
Ana Botanic Garden (RSABG) in Claremont was featured in the World
Botanic Gardens Exhibition, “Homes for Plants - Gardens for Humans,”
- located in the active Olympic venues of Beijing.
RSABG botanical field studies coordinator, Naomi Fraga submitted
exhibit materials on the local 86- acre California native plant
garden to the Botanic Garden Council International (BGCI). The
RSABG exhibit includes historical information, the Garden’s mission
and programmatic work.
Inclusion in this important Olympic exhibit underscores the importance
of maintaining public and private gardens for scientific research,
conservation, restoration, education and public enjoyment. RSABG
is pleased to be acknowledged for its mission in support of these
critically essential world-wide endeavors.
Ann Joslin
Director of Visitor Services & Community Relations
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
California’s Native Garden
1500 North College Ave., Claremont, CA 91711
909.625.8767 ext. 251 | 951.743.4649 (cell)
The Elastic Stability of Palms
Peter Sterken, Abstract 
A mathematical model and hypothesis are presented, which goal
is to enhance visual palm diagnosis. Firstly, the safety factor
of the palm trunk regarding elastic stability is calculated. This
factor has to be higher than 100%, in order not to buckle under
its own weight. If this factor is satisfied, the palm can withstand
a certain amount of additional loads, like the weight of a climber
or wind loads. Secondly, the additional wind loads are estimated
which enables to optimize artificial supports of the palm. The
wind load in the palm, and the resulting loading of the supporting
structure, has to be assessed undeniably. The input of the expected
wind speed for the area, temperature and altitude, enable to optimise
this wind load analysis. Thirdly, a hypothesis has been formulated
(Sterken, 2005c) which could heighten the efficiency of visual
assessment. It is suggested that the critical wind speed for failure
of the palm stem depends significantly on the relationship between
the modulus of elasticity, the form of the cross-section (not
only diameter), the slenderness of the palm (ratio of height vs.
the thin stem), dynamic wind loading and mechanical behaviours.
Deductions from the Leonardo Da Vinci – Euler - Bernoulli theory
and the theory of elastic stability are introduced. The guidelines
that are given is to combine the visual assessment of mechanical
catastrophic behaviours with the safety factor regarding elastic
stability and the wind load analysis for cabling the palm tree.
Earlier components of this model have recently been published
in the scientific peer-reviewed Arboricultural Journal , Vol.
29, pp 243-265. The content of this publication has been published
earlier as a part of the Spanish paper on the modelling of forest
trees and palms in Foresta (Sterken, 2008).
Key-words: Palms · Safety · Critical wind speed
Data of the complete publication:
Sterken, P. 2008. The Elastic Stability of Palms. 15p.
Royal Belgian Library
Keizerslaan, 4
B-1000 Brussel
Adaptation of the original version: © Peter Sterken,
2008
Original version: © Peter Sterken, April 2007
www.sterken.be |
