Special Symposium Issue continues on page 10

Department of Botany & the U.S. National Herbarium The Plant Press

New Series - Vol. 17 - No. 3 July-September 2014 Botany Profile Biogeography: There’s No Place Like Home By Gary A. Krupnick aird Auditorium at the National raphy, and evolution of Restionaceae and regional hummingbird and plant commu- Museum of Natural History pro- Poaceae. Although Linder was unable to nities to describe the speed of adaptation. vided the location for a full day attend the Symposium, he sent a message To approach this topic, the first step is B th of biogeography talks at the 12 Smith- stating how to develop a sonian Botanical Symposium, “Location, honored well-dated Location, Location...New Advances he was to phylogeny in the Science of Biogeography.” The receive of hum- speakers celebrated the past contributions such rec- mingbird and of biogeography and provided a look ognition: plants. Fossil toward future ones that bring a deeper “Although evidence understanding of the relationship between I have little of wing our planet and its biota. The invited contact to the Andean Asteraceae, I know shape suggests swifts are stem relatives speakers addressed why “location” mat- of the work of José Cuatrecasas. The list of hummingbirds, and precursors of ters with a wide range of modern studies of previous recipients is also very impres- hummingbirds are found in European and applications on the geography of life. sive—a long list of people I have seen as fossils that date back to 34-28 million Held over two days, the Symposium role models, and whose work I have much years ago. Molecular evidence places kicked off on April 24, 2014, with a appreciated. It is very nice to know that the age of modern hummingbirds at poster session at the Conservatory of my work on Restionaceae and the dan- 25-18 million years ago. Looking at the United States Botanic Garden. An thonioid grasses is appreciated.” bird-adapted plant clades, Renner found international group of 24 presenters dis- similar increases in lineages over time, played their posters and spoke about their ach invited speaker was then intro- as demonstrated by data of swordbills research ranging in topics from lichen duced by the Symposium Conve- and passionflowers in the Andes, and biodiversity and algae phylogeny, to the Ener, Vicki Funk. Susanne Renner, hummingbirds and their plants in North evolution of sea slugs and the effects of from the University of Munich, gave the America. climate change on plants. first scientific presentation, “Historical Renner then spoke about the world- The next day, the Symposium began Biogeography and Ecological Biogeog- wide endoparasites Apodanthaceae to with opening remarks by Warren L. Wag- raphy – Come Together Now.” Renner describe the problems of relaxed clock ner, Chair of the Department of Botany. began her talk by noting the first instance models without “good” calibration John Kress, the Interim Under Secretary of biogeography in the scientific literature. fossils. Dating clade divergences help for Science, also welcomed the partici- In 1820, Augustin P. de Candolle hinted us understand the factors that lead to pants and speakers to the Smithsonian at biological geography: because species distribution patterns. For a holoparasitic Institution. become locally adapted, regional floras angiosperm, the host age can be used as The presentation of the 2014 José and faunas differ. De Candolle recognized a calibration point. Renner explained that Cuatrecasas Medal for Excellence in that to understand biogeographic patterns, fossil calibrations estimate older ages Tropical Botany took place as Laurence one needs to study both the speed of eco- of divergence than random local clocks, Dorr announced H. Peter Linder as this logical adaptation and the differentiation leading Renner to place more trust in the year’s recipient. Linder was recognized of regional floras and faunas by speciation local clock estimates. for his many accomplishments as an and extinction. The German geographer Renner’s third area of interest was educator and scientist, including his Friedrich Ratzel coined the word biogeog- applying the fossilized birth-death contributions to the systematics, biogeog- raphy in 1891. Renner’s talk covered three areas of interest. She first spoke about Continued on page 13 Travel Pedro Acevedo traveled to New York, and to access rare taxa in preparation Society for Preservation of Natural His- New York (4/13 – 4/14) to attend a talk on for 13 Flora of Thailand treatments; to tory Collections meeting. the orchids of the West Indies and to work Raleigh, North Carolina (6/18 – 6/25) to Rusty Russell traveled to Djibouti in the herbarium at the New York Botani- attend the Phylogenomics Symposium City, Djibouti (4/29 – 5/15) to conduct cal Garden; to San Juan, Puerto Rico (5/20 and Software School for which she was plant survey and genomic tissue collec- – 5/26) to present a talk on the history of awarded a travel grant, and to present at tion at Lemmonier Air Base; to Riverside, Puerto Rican biodiversity studies, to be the Evolution 2014 annual meeting; and California (6/17 – 6/19) to present a talk interviewed on the botanical contribution throughout the southern United States on citizen science at the AAAS-Pacific of Agustin Stahl in Puerto Rico at the Fun- (6/26 – 7/10) for field collection for meeting at the University of California dacion Luis Munoz Marin (FLMM), and population level sampling of kudzu for at Riverside; and to Cardiff, Wales (6/22 to participate in an advisor board meeting genetic diversity and population genomics – 6/28) to present a talk on specimen to FLMM; and to Barranquilla, Colombia investigation. digitization and a talk on the history of (6/3 – 6/7) to present a plenary talk on Robin Everly traveled to Richmond Alaskan plant collecting at the Society for plant diversity in the Caribbean at the IV and Williamsburg, Virginia (4/29 – 5/3) Preservation of Natural History Collec- Caribbean Biodiversity Symposium held to attend the 46th Annual Meeting of the tions meeting. at Universidad del Norte. Council on Botanical and Horticultural Eric Schuettpelz traveled to Wilming- Andrew Clark traveled to Cardiff, Libraries (CBHL). ton, North Carolina (4/21 – 4/23) to attend Wales (6/22 – 6/28) to present a poster on Vicki Funk traveled to Memphis, Ten- a master’s student seminar and defense; material transfer agreements at the Society nessee (4/15 – 4/18) to present a talk at the to Durham, North Carolina (5/9 – 5/10) to for Preservation of Natural History Collec- University of Memphis; and to Raleigh, meet with collaborators; and to Costa Rica tions meeting. North Carolina (6/20 – 6/24) to attend the (6/30 – 7/8) as an invited instructor for a Ashley Egan traveled to Cambridge, Evolution 2014 annual meeting. Tropical Plant Systematics course offered Massachusetts (5/28 – 6/1) to visit the Carlos García-Robledo traveled to by the Organization for Tropical Studies. Harvard University Herbaria for research Costa Rica (5/1 – 6/22) to conduct field Laurence E. Skog traveled to Cam- relating to phaseoloid legumes (Fabaceae), work on climate change and the extinc- bridge, Massachusetts (5/2 – 5/3) to tions of plants and insects in tropical visit the collections at Harvard’s Arnold The Plant Press mountains; and to Sierra de Los Tuxtlas, Arboretum. Mexico (6/2 – 6/8) to teach a course on Meghann Toner traveled to Cardiff, New Series - Vol. 17 - No. 3 multi-trophic interactions by the Institute Wales (6/22 – 7/3) to present a talk on Chair of Botany of Ecology (INECOL). APG Conversion of the herbarium using Warren L. Wagner Robert Ireland traveled to St. Louis, GIS at the Society for Preservation of ([email protected]) Missouri (6/1 – 7/7) to visit the Missouri Natural History Collections meeting. Botanical Garden where he examined Alain Touwaide and Emanuela EDITORIAL STAFF moss specimens that he collected in south- Appetiti traveled to Philadelphia, Penn- Editor central Chile (funded by two grants from sylvania (6/21) to attend the meeting of Gary Krupnick the National Geographic Society). the American-Hellenic Educational Pro- ([email protected]) Carol Kelloff traveled to Cardiff, gressive Association (AHEPA) to present Wales (6/24 – 6/30) to present a poster research on the medicinal plants of ancient Copy Editors “Salvaging an Historical Herbarium” at Greece. Robin Everly, Bernadette Gibbons, and Rose Gulledge the Society for Preservation of Natural Jun Wen traveled to Beijing, China History Collections meeting. (4/28 – 5/14) to participate in the Flora News Contacts W. John Kress traveled to Dominica of Pan-Himalayas meeting; to Myanmar MaryAnn Apicelli, Rusty Russell, Alice (5/3 – 5/9) to conduct field work onHeli - (5/14 – 5/15) to conduct field work; to Tangerini, and Elizabeth Zimmer conia and hummingbird pollination, with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (6/1) to collect The Plant Press is a quarterly publication pro- Ida Lopez and Yongli Fan; to Chicago, specimens; to Concord, Massachusetts vided free of charge. To receive notification of Illinois (6/5 – 6/7) to meet with the Chair (6/12 – 6/14) to collect Vitis (Concord when new pdf issues are posted to the web, please subscribe to the listserve by sending a message of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, grapes); to Blacksburg and Ashland, Vir- to [email protected] containing only the to attend a university forum, “How Do ginia (6/19 – 6/21) to collect specimens; following in the body of the text: SUBSCRIBE PLANTPRESS-NEWS Firstname Lastname. We Think about Climate Change,” and and throughout southeastern United States Replace “Firstname Lastname” with your name. to discuss climate change activities with (6/29 – 7/7) to collect specimens. If you would like to be added to the hard-copy colleagues. Elizabeth Zimmer traveled to Durham mailing list, please contact Dr. Gary Krupnick at: Melinda Peters traveled to Easton, and Raleigh, North Carolina (6/18 – 6/25) Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, NMNH MRC-166, Washington, Pennsylvania (4/18) to present a lecture to meet with collaborators studying Mimu- DC 20013-7012, or by E-mail: krupnickg@ about herbaria uses at Lafayette College; lus and to give a presentation on Isoëtes si.edu. and to Cardiff, Wales (6/22 – 6/28) to louisiana at the Evolution 2014 meeting. Web site: http://botany.si.edu/ present a talk on mercury mitigation at the

Page 2 Allies in Plant Conservation Sign Memorandum of Understanding memorandum of understanding (MOU) is often tools through efforts with non-federal partners. The Chair signed to define relationships among agencies MOU calls for Federal agencies to assist non-Federal Aand institutions. On June 30, the Smithsonian land managers in plant conservation and protec- ­Institution joined 11 federal agencies in signing a MOU tion efforts. It also calls for innovative partnerships With that continues the work of the Federal Native Plant among public and private sectors, nationally and Conservation Committee of the Plant Conservation internationally, to conserve native plants and their Alliance (PCA) and its cooperators in State govern- habitats before they become critically endangered. ment and non-government organizations. The PCA is a “This is an extraordinary union of such a diverse A public-private partnership of governments and non- group of federal and non-federal partners,” said government organizations that share the same goal of Healy Hamilton, chief scientist of NatureServe, a protecting native plants by ensuring that native plant conservation non-profit that delivers the science View populations and their communities are maintained, behind effective conservation. “This partnership enhanced, and restored. speaks to the importance of what we’ve presented “Every year America suffers significant losses of here today: that so many people’s economic and its native plants and wildlife due to fire, drought, flood ecological interests align when it comes to creating and other natural disaster damage,” Bureau of Land resilient native plants communities.” Warren Management (BLM) Director Neil Kornze said. “The The Committee Members include the Bureau MOU we are signing today calls attention to our need of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, L. as Federal agencies to adapt to changing realities and Federal Highway Administration, National Park Ser- Wagner to work together to restore affected landscapes for the vice, Smithsonian Institution, United States Botanic people, communities and economies that depend on Garden, United States Department of Agriculture them.” (USDA) Agricultural Research Service, USDA For- According to the BLM news release, the MOU est Service, USDA National Institute of Food and commits Federal agencies to bolster the collective Agriculture, USDA Natural Resources Conservation capacity of the PCA Committee to leverage funds and Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey. he Smithsonian’s Department of Botany at the National Museum of Natural History has Ta history of signing MOUs to further the mis- sion of the Department. In 2000, a MOU was signed between the National Museum of Natural History and the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the MOU was to greatly increase their interactions and enhance the overall mission of each institution through effective collaborations. The MOU between these “Botanical Partners on the Mall” facilitated jointly sponsored exhibits, Attendees who form the Federal Native Plant educational planning, public display projects, and Conservation Committee of the Plant Conservation programs such as the annual Smithsonian Botanical Alliance meet at the 2014 Seed Conference to sign a Symposia. MOU and renew their commitment to native plant In 2007 the Department of Botany and the New conservation. From left: Steve Shafer, Agricultural England Tropical Conservatory (NETC) signed a Research Service; Gary Krupnick, Smithsonian MOU for the Indonesian Botanical Exploration and Institution; Brenda Pierce, National Park Service; Taxonomy Project (IBETP) to provide a framework Healy Hamilton, NatureServe; Dan Ashe, U.S. for the exchange of scientific and technical knowl- Fish and Wildlife Service; Suzette Kimball, U.S. edge, to undertake joint field research in Indonesia, Geological Survey; Neil Kornze, Bureau of Land and to enhance scientific and technical capabilities Management; Sonny Ramaswamy, National with respect to botany. Institute of Food and Agriculture; Gary Solomon, On the horizon is a possible MOU between the Federal Highway Administration; Stephen Ayers, Smithsonian’s Department of Botany and Jardín Architect of the Capitol; Leslie Weldon, Forest Botánico de Bogotá, Colombia, and another MOU Service; and Jason Weller, Natural Resources with Museo de Historia Natural at Universidad Conservation Service. Bureau of Indian Affairs Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Lima, Peru. Director Michael Black, not pictured, signed the MOU but was not present at the conference. (photo by Tami Heilemann, DOI)

Page 3 Visiting the Past: Staff Bull Run Mountains Research & Conservancy Board Activities of Directors Visits In April Ashley Egan presented a light- the United States ning talk on the evolutionary history of kudzu at the National Museum of Natural National Herbarium History. In June Elizabeth Zimmer pre- By Meghann Toner and Rusty Russell sented a lightning talk on allopolyploids Isoëtes riparia entitled “Whose DNA is In early June, the U.S. National Her- it?” Sponsored by the Smithsonian’s Sen- barium hosted the Board of Directors of ate of Scientists, the lightning talk series, the Bull Run Mountains Conservancy, Inc. “6 Minute Science,” features scientists for presenting the depth and breadth of their their annual outing. The goal of this orga- research in six minutes followed by a short nization is to preserve the Bull Run Moun- Q&A session. tains through a strong program of educa- tion and research. The purpose of their On 16 May Gary Krupnick participated visit was to connect with past research in the Endangered Species Day Fair at in the Bull Run Mountains by seeing US 1813929 is the isotype of Stachys the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG). The firsthand the vouchers collected through eplingii J.B. Nelson collected by Harry event, hosted by USBG, the U.S. Fish & the floristic work of Harry Ardell Allard A. Allard in 1941 on the western slope Wildlife Service, and the Endangered Spe- (1880-1963), former U.S. Department of of Bull Run Mountains, the most cies Coalition, included tours of USBG’s Agriculture biologist and Smithsonian col- easterly chain in the Piedmont in endangered and native plants, visits with laborator. Allard’s collections are included Virginia. exhibitors from federal agencies and with many others that document the conservation organizations, and demon- diversity of the Washington DC-­Baltimore on The Field Book Project blog . booth displaying specimens from the U.S. Vicinity Herbarium segregated within our National Herbarium of rare and endan- main collection. On the day of the visit gered species from the U.S. and abroad. Mark Strong and Meghann Toner gave a Alice Tangerini visited Capitol Hill Day tour of the herbarium and Floyd Shockley School in Washington, DC, to teach a 3rd provided a behind the scenes tour of the grade class about botanical illustration. Department of Entomology. The class was learning about the Lewis The area of most interest to our first and Clark expedition. Tangerini brought time visitors was the Allard collec- samples of her work and some of the Fred- tion. Allard, born in 1880, was a plant erick A. Walpole illustrations of the Lewis pathologist who found special pleasure and Clark collections. She also gave a in the plant diversity he saw on day trips demonstration of drawing techniques and through our region, especially the Bull had the class do a stippling project with Run Mountains. In 1943, he and E.C. Nautilocalyx chimantensis as the subject. Leonard coauthored “Vegetation and Floristics of Bull Run Mountains, Vir- Visitors In May Alain Touwaide and Emanuela ginia” (Castanea 8: 1-64; http://www.jstor. Appetiti attended the 2014 Dumbarton org/stable/4031081). More than a dozen Carlos García-Robledo, Smithsonian Oaks Symposium in Garden and Land- of Allard’s 240 scientific publications Fellow; Plant-herbivore interaction scape Studies in Washington, DC, devoted focused on the Bull Run Mountains. The (7/20/10-7/17/14). to “Sound and Scent in the Garden.” At Board of Directors examined 15 Allard Ning Zhang, Pennsylvania State Univer- the symposium Touwaide presented a collections selected by Toner, as well as 2 sity; Vitaceae (1/7/13-6/30/15). paper entitled “Bottled Gardens. Captur- of 34 types based on his collecting efforts. ing Scents for Health.” Each of these represents a snapshot in time Yongli Fan, Xishuangbana Tropical and provides a tangible link to the past. Botanical Garden, China; Pollination stud- Allard is also well known for his stud- ies (1/13/14-1/12/15). ies in photoperiodism, not only of plants, Nancai Pei, Research Institute of Tropical but of birds and insects. A fascinating Forestry, China; Plant reproductive traits account of his life and work can be read (3/1-9/1). Page 4 Sarah Anderson, Washington State Uni- Ocotea (Lauraceace) (5/14-6/13). Charles University, Czech Republic; Zin- versity; Lichens (4/7-4/15). giberales (6/5-6/13). Alejandro Zuluaga, University of Thais Vasconcelos, Royal Botanic Gar- Wisconsin, Madison; Monsteroideae Michael Windham, Duke University; dens, Kew; Melastomataceae and Myrta- (Araceae) (5/14-6/4). Ferns (6/5-6/6). ceae (4/9-4/15). Alexander Krings, North Carolina State George Yatskievych, Missouri Botanical Raquel Monteiro, Jardim Botânico deo University; Asclepiadaceae (5/19-5/20). Garden; Ferns (6/5). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; South American Bromeliaceae (4/11-4/18). Alexey Shipunov, Minot State University; Karen Yu, Smith College; Plant DNA North American Plantaginaceae (5/19- barcode project internship (6/9-8/15). Young Eun Chang, Queen’s University, 5/23). Canada; Compositae (4/14-4/25). Max Aleman, Billy Cappuccio, and Caroline Hannaway, American Associa- Jorge Mena-Ali, Franklin and Marshall Chris Frye, Maryland Department of tion for the History of Medicine (AAHM) College; Microbotryum (Microbotryaceae) Natural Resources; Bromus (Poaceae), and John Parascandola, University of infecting Portulacaceae (6/12). Dryopteris (Dryopteridaceae), and Pyc- Maryland, College Park; Medieval medi- nanthemum (Lamiaceae) (4/14). cine (5/22). Shelley James, Bishop Museum; New Guinean collections (6/16-6/20). Tim Gregory, University of California Sean Bradley, Bastyr University; Ancient Botanical Garden at Berkeley; Dioon Chinese medicine (5/23-5/27). Tyler Kartzinel, Princeton University; (Cycadaceae) (4/14). Plant DNA barcode project (6/16-6/17). Jim Folsom, Huntington Botanical Joelq Cohen, Rockville, Maryland; Cua- Gardens; Mediterranean medicinal plants Katharine Wilson, Smith College; Plant trecasas collections (4/14-4/18). (5/23). DNA barcode project internship (6/16- 8/22). Mohammad Vatanparast, Chiba Univer- Hope Watson, Temple University; sity, Japan; Dalbergia (Fabaceae) (4/14- Medicinal plants of antiquity internship Eric Yarnell, Bastyr University; Medici- 4/19). (5/24-8/8). nal plant uses in antiquity (6/16-6/19). Marcos Carballo, Pennsylvania State Angela Bartolomeo, University of Mary- Julian Campbell, Bluegrass Woodland University; Viscaceae (4/22-4/26). land, Baltimore County; Medicinal plants Restoration Center, Kentucky; Asteraceae of antiquity (5/27). and Kentucky flora (6/18-6/19). Orlando Muñoz, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia; Begonia (Begoniaceae) Sterling Herron, Milligan College; Vitis Jerry Perry, University of Colorado (4/22-5/3). internship (5/27-8/2). Denver; Mediterranean history of botany (6/24). Caroline Pannell, University of Oxford; Philip Waisen, University of Hawaii at Brazilian Luehea (Tiliaceae) (4/22-4/29). Manoa; Agricultural plants (5/27-6/28). Joe Miller, National Science Foundation, and Dan Murphy, Royal Botanic Garden Julián Aguirre-Santoro, New York Dennis Zhu, University of Missouri; Melbourne, Australia; Fabaceae (6/26- Botanical Garden; Hohenbergia and Ron- Kudzu internship (5/27-8/2). 6/27). nbergia (Bromeliaceae) (4/23-4/26). Elizabeth Mauer, Boston University; Rebecca Jacobs, Indiana University- Scott Mori, New York Botanical Garden; Cedar of Lebanon in ancient times (5/28). Purdue University Fort Wayne; Medicinal Lecythidaceae (4/23-4/25). plants of antiquity internship (6/30-8/15). Marcia Sprules, Council on Foreign Nelson Salinas, New York Botanical Gar- Relations, New York; Medieval and den; Orthaea (Ericaceae) (4/23-4/25). Renaissance herbals (5/29). Aliki Heinrich and Lumi Hilchey, Arena Christina Flann, Wageningen University, Destination Marketing, New York; History Netherlands; Asteraceae (5/31-6/5). of medicine (5/5). Lola Ramirez, Corcoran College of Tom Lovejoy and 16 students, George Art+Design; Botany exhibit internship Mason University; Herbarium tour and (6/2-8/29). plant conservation (5/5). Ann Alerding, Virginia Military Institute; Ramya Prasad, Georgetown University; Plant mounting, herbarium curation (6/3). Medicinal uses of plants in Ayurveda (5/5- 7/18). Michael Kieffer and five members of the Board of Directors, Bull Run Mountains Sotiris Bafitis, Verity Wine, Washington, Conservancy, Inc., Virginia; Herbarium DC; Traditional Greek food (5/13). tour (6/4). Kellie Kuhn, University of Connecticut; Tomas Fer and Monika Pospíailová,

Page 5 Pollinator Week is table in the Butterfly Pavilion, displaying Stalking the Wild a selection of plant specimens and talking Abuzz at Museum about why endangered plants need their Hesperomannia pollinators. A Pollination Party was held at The week of June 16-22, 2014, was NMNH’s Butterfly Habitat Garden where By Jason Cantley (as told to Vicki Funk) designated as Pollinator Week to mark Smithsonian Gardens staff and students a necessary step toward addressing May 23, 2014, was as typical a Hawai- from the University of Maryland Polli- ian morning as any other. The sun was the urgent issue of declining pollinator naTerps had fun family-friendly activities and plant populations. As a member of brightly shining and there were a few rain staged throughout the garden. clouds resting against the mountains. The the North American Pollinator Protec- NMNH raised awareness of pollination tion Campaign (NAPPC), the National locals were already starting their daily biology through social media and its use of commute to the big city of Honolulu to Museum of Natural History (NMNH) had images, blog posts, videos, live-tweeting a series of events at the Smithsonian to finish out the workweek. But this day was presentations, and news stories. The most not an ordinary day for five botanists on mark Pollinator Week. popular NMNH Facebook post during the This year NAPPC teamed up with the island O‘ahu. This morning the bota- week was a link to a Smithsonian Science nists were going on a hike to find one of Smithsonian’s North American Orchid story about nectar-feeding bats pollinating Conservation Center (NAOCC) to pro- the rarest plants in the world. Agave, an essential ingredient of tequila: Jason Cantley, a newly minted Ph.D. mote Pollinator Week with the production http://smithsonianscience.org/2014/06/ of NAPPC’s annual Pollinator Poster. The from the Botany Department at the love-tequila-toast-pollinating-bats/. University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, orga- 2014 poster features illustrations of seven NMNH reached out to other Smithso- orchid-pollinator interactions. Several nized this special trip many weeks in nian social media units and other museums advance. The plant they were searching public programs at NMNH during the to participate in Pollinator Week. Archives week focused on orchids and their pollina- for, Hesperomannia oahuensis (Hillebr.) of American Art, Freer and Sackler, the O.Deg. (Compositae: Vernonieae), was at tors. Hirshhorn Museum, the National Portrait Public programs included talks in the the top of his ‘botany bucket list’ of plants Gallery, and the Phillips Collection joined to see flowering in the wild. In fact,H. Q?rius Theater by Jonathan Mawdsley in on the conversation with a unique (Smithsonian Entomologist) speaking on oahuensis is so exceedingly rare that only take on pollinator content. For instance, two plants (of less than a handful total) beetle pollinators of South Africa’s Kruger the National Portrait Gallery tweeted National Park, Tom Mirenda (Smithsonian developed flowers this year in the wild and a photograph of Walt Whitman hold- unfortunately, one of these wasn’t able to Orchid Specialist) discussing the mys- ing a butterfly: https://twitter.com/NPG/ teries of orchid pollination, and Dennis fully flower because an invasive rat badly status/479653647417352192. damaged its stem before its flowers were Whigham (Smithsonian Ecologist) talking The NMNH #SIpollinator twitter chat, about conservation of native orchids. able to fully develop. This meant that there an online conversation about pollina- was only one solitary flowering individual Gary Krupnick (Smithsonian Conserva- tion biology and how pollinators affect tion Biologist) hosted a “Scientist is In” of H. oahuensis in the wild this year and our daily lives, resulted in 733 tweets. Jason was determined to see it. The chat was moderated by Krupnick, and featured a panel consisting of Laurie Adams (Executive Director of Pollinator Partnership), Sam Droege (USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Program), and Floyd Shockley (Assistant Collec- tions Manager, NMNH Department of Entomology). Droege’s image of Osmia atriventris, a pollinator of blueberry, was the most retweeted image during the chat: https://twitter.com/NMNH/ status/479636784280649728/photo/1. The NMNH twitter chat premiered just after the White House issued Presi- dent Obama’s memorandum on pollinator protection. The President’s memorandum directs federal agencies to focus efforts on research, prevention, and recovery from Gary Krupnick is the “Scientist is In” pollinator losses, including efforts on during Pollinator Week at the National public education. The Smithsonian Institu- Museum of Natural History, engaging tion will use this opportunity to partner Jason Cantley (second from left) leads the public with specimens from the U.S. with a number of agencies on pollination a quest for Hesperomannia oahuensis, National Herbarium. (photo by Hilary- research and education. with (left to right) Marian Chau, Morgan Watt, Smithsonian Institution) Sterling Keeley, and Susan Ching. Page 6 The Third Time’s the Charm By L.J. Dorr Puya raimondii Harms (Bromeliaceae) is now in flower in the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley (http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/ whatsnew/Puya2014/index.shtml). This is only the third flowering event for this species in cultivation—all three events occurring in California. It flowered before in Berkeley in 1986 and there was a “smaller” flowering event at the San Francisco Botanical Garden inside Golden Gate Park in 2006. What connects the current flowering event to our department is the fact that I was one of the collectors of the seed that produced the plant that is Hesperomannia oahuensis in flower. (photo by Jason Cantley) now in flower. The collection was made It was a rare confluence of botanists The team hadn’t assembled just to see almost a quarter of a century ago near that joined him for the trek: Susan Ching the flowers of H. oahuensis in the wild but Comanche, 80 km southwest of La Paz, (O‘ahu Coordinator of the Plant Extinc- also to try and help save the species from Bolivia. tion Prevention Program), Marian Chau extinction. Earlier in the week, Susan had The voucher for the plant flowering in (Lyon Arboretum Seed Conservation collected pollen from a mature greenhouse Berkeley is Luteyn, Dorr, Smith & Bud- Lab Manager), Maggie Sporck (Hawai‘i individual and planned to cross it with the densick [sic] 11490 (LPB, MO, NY, US) State Botanist, Department of Land and wild plant they had just hiked to. It was and the specimens were gathered on 29 Natural Resources), and Sterling Kee- a delicate process. She unfolded the wax May 1990. When we collected this plant, ley (Professor, University of Hawai‘i at paper containing the pollen, which was Jim Luteyn was a curator at the New York Mānoa). They met at the Kunia Park & then dusted onto an artist’s paintbrush Botanical Garden and I was working for Ride and then traveled deep into a valley connected to the end of a hiking pole. him on a grant to conduct floristic inven- of the northern Waianae Mountains on the Susan proceeded to touch the pollen onto tories in Andean countries. David Smith island of O‘ahu. After reaching the trail- the (hopefully) receptive stigmas of the was employed by the Missouri Botanical head, they trekked uphill on foot quickly flowering heads, all in hope of getting suc- Garden as their resident plant collector in through the forest to a dividing valley cessful fertilization and seed set. It would Continued on page 8 ridge, which they promptly crossed and be a waiting game to find out if seeds were then dropped down into a patch of native indeed produced. If their efforts were suc- forest. cessful the seeds would be collected and The forest was quiet except for the used to help prevent the elimination this patter of raindrops on leaves from a small plant from our planet. cloud above and the occasional wing After a short solemn lunch break in the beats of ʻapapane (Himatione sanguinea), rain, the team packed up and started the Hawai‘i’s most common native bird. muddy hike back to the trailhead. On the The group had grown quiet, perhaps in way out, Jason contemplated how it was anticipation that a true Hawaiian gem was such an amazing experience for him to see very close. And it was. Jason recalls the H. oahuensis flowering in the wild for the first moments seeing the beautiful yellow first time, but sadly also that it was likely to orange-red and pink flowers through his last. For a plant that is so close to the the forest leaves as so powerful it gave brink of extinction, it is amazing to know him ‘chicken skin,’ or what we mainland- that there are people dedicated to provid- ers would call goose bumps. The plant ing even a small chance of survival in the was healthy, nearly seven or eight feet in wild of such a beautiful and rare plant. height with large cordate shaped leaves. It was clear they timed the trip correctly Jason Cantley, from the University of because there were two large flower- Hawai‘i at Mānoa, was Vicki Funk’s grad- ing heads with colors that recall brilliant uate student. His dissertation research Puya raimondii Harms with Marianne Hawaiian sunsets. includes the development of a robust phy- Buddensieck (left) & David Smith logeny for Coprosma (Rubiaceae). (right) for scale. (photo by L.J. Dorr) Page 7 Aster or Dysaster: Trying to Infer Phylogeny By V.A. Funk In April 2014, Harold Robinson and Vicki Funk published an article in Phy- tokeys (36: 35-40) describing a new genus, Dysaster, and a new species, D. cajama- rcensis H. Rob. & V.A. Funk. Robinson had suggested naming it Dysaster because it was so difficult to place. In fact, the article starts off by saying: “There is something very unsatisfying about a plant, sent for identification, that has no strikingly distinctive feature, but has a combination of characteristics that excludes it from any already known genus. It is particularly unsatisfying when the plant involved is a member of a tribe such Queen of the Andes, Puya raimondii, in flower on July 8, 2014, at the University of as the Astereae in which phyletic studies California Botanical Garden at Berkeley. (photo by Paul Licht) using DNA… are not yet adequately cor- related with morphological and anatomical Puya specimens that were distributed, which studies. Nevertheless, such a plant has Continued from page 7 suggests that we were aware from the been collected in northern Peru.” beginning of the potential to propagate While the authors enjoyed the small Bolivia and Marianne Buddensieck was Puya raimondii, but I do not remember joke concerning the name they had no idea his wife. Neither Luteyn nor I had seen now whether or not this was discussed that it had deeper meaning. Shortly after this spectacular Puya that attains 10-15 m nor do I remember reflecting on the age it was published, their colleague Jan-Frits in height and we were thrilled to be able of the plants we saw in the quarries above Veldkamp (Nationaal Herbarium Neder- to make the short excursion across the Comanche. Details as to which gardens land) wrote to Funk with some interesting Altiplano from La Paz to Comanche to received our seed collections are for the information which is paraphrased below: see it in the wild. We were not thinking most part either long forgotten or lost. We Just saw your paper on Dysaster. about collecting and when we did see the do know, however, that the Berkeley plant Fortunately, it is not a later homonym of plants in flower and fruit we succumbed was grown from seed that Luteyn gave Disaster Gilli, Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien to the temptation to try to make several to Frank Almeda at the California Acad- 83: 454 (1979 publ. 1980) from New herbarium specimens. Lacking ladders or emy of Sciences in San Francisco, who in Guinea (Rhamnaceae) because the orthog- pole pruners we managed to dislodge parts turn passed it on to the botanic garden at raphy, derivation, and distribution are of an infructescence by throwing rocks Berkeley. unlikely to be confused (except perhaps in at the fruiting stalk. We all took part and After spending a career collecting universal databases!). Gilli was a school- while I do not remember now who had the specimens it is not always easy for me teacher in Vienna and after his retirement best arm it does not matter since somehow to remember every detail of a particular went to visit his former students in far- we succeeded. collecting event. I do remember clearly away countries where he made collections. Several sets of herbarium specimens our brief day-long excursion to Comanche Apparently what he could not identify were distributed from the Bronx. The because of these spectacular plants and with the means available in W (Herbarium U.S. National Herbarium received one the unorthodox collecting strategy we of the Natural History Museum in Vienna) set because Lyman B. Smith was then were forced to adopt. The photograph that he described as new. One place he visited the world’s expert on the taxonomy of accompanies this note, which has been on was Papua New Guinea where he col- Bromeliaceae. He had happily named a bulletin board above my desk for years, lected on Mt. Wilhelm, the best known material Luteyn and I sent him for iden- continues to remind me of the day we and explored area of the island. Here tification from our many collecting trips spent pitching rocks at the “Queen of the he, among a number of other novelties, throughout the Andes, and he had built the Andes.” “discovered” a new genus of Rhamnaceae U.S. National Herbarium into one of the with flowers that resembled two overlap- world’s most important scientific collec- ping stars. Hence the name “Disaster”. tions for the study of Bromeliaceae. Professor C.G.G. J. van Steenis became The word “seed” is featured promi- very upset with all the new taxa and asked nently on the labels of the herbarium for a loan of the type material. Thus it

Page 8 became clear that Disaster was not a aschenko, P.M. Peterson, R.J. Soreng, Schuettpelz, E., A. Davila, J. Prado, R.Y. Rhamnaceae, but a Sterculiaceae! Hence F.O. Zuloaga and O. Morrone. 2014. Hirai and G. Yatskievych. 2014. Molecu- Gilli is locally known as Disaster Gilli. Phylogeny of Nassella (Stipeae, Pooideae, lar phylogenetic and morphological Botanical trivial pursuit at its best! Poaceae) based on analyses of chloroplast affinities of Adiantum senae (Pteridaceae). and nuclear ribosomal DNA and morphol- Taxon 63(2): 258-264. http://dx.doi. ogy. Syst. Bot. 39(3): 814-828. http:// org/10.12705/632.7 dx.doi.org/10.1600/036364414X681419 Touwaide, A. 2014. Nicander, Thêriaka, Cochran, A., J. Prado and E. Schuettpelz. and Alexipharmaka: venoms, poisons, and 2014. Tryonia, a new taenitidoid fern literature, pp. 44-51. In P. Wexler. History genus segregated from Jamesonia and of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Eriosorus (Pteridaceae). Phytokeys Toxicology in Antiquity, Vol. 1. Elsevier, 35: 23-43. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/ New York. phytokeys.35.6886 Touwaide, A. 2014. Harmful botanicals, de Carvalho-Sobrinho, J.G., L. Ramella, pp. 60-68. In P. Wexler. History of Toxicol- L.P. de Queiroz and L.J. Dorr. 2014. ogy and Environmental Health, Toxicology Towards a revision of Pseudobombax in Antiquity, Vol. 1. Elsevier, New York. Dugand (Malvaceae-Bombacoideae): typification of names published by E. Touwaide, A. 2014. Botany, pp. 109-114. Hassler and R. Chodat in the related genus In I. Kalin. The Encyclopedia of Islam and Bombax L. Candollea 69(1): 93-99. Philosophy, Science and Technology, Vol. 1. Oxford University Press, Oxford, New Faden, R.B. 2014. The expanding garden. York. Rock Gard. Quart. 72(2): 102-123. Xie, L., Z. Yang, J. Wen, D. Li, and T. Yi. Hayes, A. and A. Touwaide. 2014. The 2014. Biogeographic history of Pistacia US 3628267 is a holotype of Dysaster history of toxicology, pp. 731-745. In: P. (Anacardiaceae), emphasizing the evo- cajamarcensis H. Rob. & V.A. Funk, Wexler. Encyclopedia of Toxicology, Vol. lution of the Madrean-Tethyan and the collected from Contumazá, Peru in 1992 4. Elsevier, Oxford. eastern Asian-Tethyan disjunctions. Mol. by T.F. Stuessy, D.J. Crawford and A. Phylogenet. Evol. 77: 136-146. http:// Peterson, P.M., K. Romaschenko, and Y. Sagastequi. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2014.04.006 Herrera Arrieta. 2014. A molecular phy- logeny and classification of the Cteniinae, Zhang, J., S. Meng, G.A. Allen, J. Wen Farragininae, Gouiniinae, Gymnopogoni- and G. Rao. 2014. Rapid radiation and Publications nae, Perotidinae, and Trichoneurinae dispersal out of the Qinghai-Tibetan Pla- (Poaceae: Chloridoideae: Cynodonteae). teau of an alpine plant lineage Rhodiola Appelhans, M.S., J. Wen and W.L. Taxon 63(2): 275-286. http://dx.doi. (Crassulaceae). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. Wagner. 2014. A molecular phylogeny org/10.12705/632.35 77: 147-158. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. of Acronychia, Euodia, Melicope and ympev.2014.04.013 Robinson, H.E. and V.A. Funk. 2014. relatives (Rutaceae) reveals polyphyletic Gymnanthemum koekemoera (Com- Zhang, J., S. Meng, J. Wen and G. Rao. genera and key innovations for spe- positae, Vernonieae), a new species from 2014. Phylogenetic relationships and char- cies richness. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. South Africa. Phytokeys 36: 59-65. http:// acter evolution of Rhodiola (Crassulaceae) 79: 54-68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.36.7386 based on nuclear ribosomal ITS and ympev.2014.06.014 plastid trnL-F and psbA-trnH sequences. Robinson, H.E. and V.A. Funk. 2014. Arihan, O., S. Karaoz Arihan and A. Tou- Syst. Bot. 39(2): 441-451. http://dx.doi. Dysaster cajamarcensis, a new shrubby waide. 2014. The case against Socrates org/10.1600/036364414X680753 genus and species of Astereae (Asteraceae) and his execution, pp. 69-80. In P. Wexler. from Peru. Phytokeys 36: 35-40. http:// History of Toxicology and Environmental dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.36.7393 Health, Toxicology in Antiquity, Vol. 1. Elsevier, New York. Robinson, H.E., and J.J. Skvarla. 2014. Pantoporate pollen in the Asteraceae Christensen, K.I., M. Zarrei, M. Kuzmina, (Vernonieae). Phytokeys 38: 1-13. http:// N. Talent, C. Lin and T.A. Dickinson. dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.38.7495 2014. Crataegus × ninae-celottiae and C. × cogswellii (Rosaceae, Maleae), two Rojas-Sandoval, J. and P. Acevedo- spontaneously formed intersectional Rodríguez. 2014. Naturalization and nothospecies. Phytokeys 36: 1-26. http:// invasion of alien plants in Puerto Rico and dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.36.6784 the Virgin Islands. Biol. Invasions http:// dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10530-014-0712-3 Cialdella, A.M., S.M. Sede, K. Rom-

Page 9 Linder Receives 12th Cuatrecasas Medal The Department of Botany and the Highlights from past presentations to the research led to a generic re-classification, United States National Herbarium present recipients are available at . biogeography, and papers on radiation pat- international stature who has contributed H. Peter Linder is the 12th recipient of terns. A monograph is in preparation and if significantly to advancing the field of the José Cuatrecasas Medal for Excellence he can find six months somewhere he will tropical botany. The José Cuatrecasas in Tropical Botany. Linder is noted for his complete it. Medal for Excellence in Tropical Botany contributions to the systematics, bioge- In short, Linder’s work by and large is named in honor of Dr. José Cuatrecasas, ography, and evolution of Orchidaceae, has been on the African flora, with a series a pioneering botanist and taxonomist, who Restionaceae, and Poaceae. He is also of papers on the regionalization of this spent nearly a half-century working in the recognized for his valuable contributions flora, and an interest in Africa as a whole. Smithsonian Institution’s Department of to identifying biogeographical patterns in He also has worked in Australia and New Botany. Dr. Cuatrecasas devoted his career the Southern Hemisphere and especially in Zealand, but hardly has been to the Ameri- to plant exploration in tropical South Africa. cas. This last gap in his travel experience America and this award serves to keep Linder, a Professor in the Institute of will be closed eventually. Linder was vibrant the accomplishments and memory Systematic Botany of Zurich University in unable to attend this year’s Smithsonian of this outstanding scientist. Switzerland, received his B.Sc. from the Botanical Symposium. He plans, however, The winner of this prestigious award is University of Cape Town in South Africa to visit in the fall and will present a lecture selected by a committee made up of four and his Ph.D. while working at the Bolus at NMNH on 2 October 2014. During his botanists on the staff of the Department Herbarium under the supervision of E.A. visit he will receive the Cuatrecasas Medal in consultation with other plant scientists Schelpe. His dissertation focused on the in person. outside of the Smithsonian Institution. orchid genus Disa and its allies. This study The past recipients of the Cuatrecasas Nominations for the Medal are accepted led to numerous scientific papers and a Medal are Rogers McVaugh of the Uni- from all scientists in the Botany Depart- book written in collaboration with H. versity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ment. The award consists of a bronze Kurzweil entitled The Orchids of Southern (2001); P. Barry Tomlinson of Harvard medal bearing an image of José Cuatreca- Africa (1999). The book originally was University (2002); John Beaman of the sas on the front with the recipient’s name intended to be a contribution to the Flora Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (2003); and date of presentation on the back. of Southern Africa, but the flora project David Mabberley of the University of was discontinued. Leiden, The Netherlands, and the Royal Not content to become an expert on Botanic Gardens, Sydney (2004); Jerzy orchids alone, Linder then started working Rzedowski and Graciela Calderón de Rze- on the African Restionaceae. Originally dowski of Instituto de Ecología del Bajío, this work, too, was supposed to be for Michoacán, Mexico (2005); Sherwin the Flora of Southern Africa. The result Carlquist of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic has been two major re-orientations of the Garden and Pomona College (2006); generic classification (the first based on Mireya D. Correa A. of the University cladistics of morphology, the second on of Panama and Smithsonian Tropical molecular insights), and a major set of Research Institute (2008); Norris H. Wil- papers using Restionaceae to get at bioge- liams of the Florida Museum of Natural ography, key innovations, niche evolution, History and the University of Florida, and palaeoclimates. This work is still Gainesville (2009); Beryl B. Simpson of ongoing. The revision of the taxonomy the University of Texas at Austin (2010); was published online in Delta / Intkey Walter S. Judd of the University of Florida format (2001). at Gainesville (2012); and Ana Maria Giu- In 1988, Linder started working on the lietti Harley of the Universidade Estadual grass genus Pentaschistis, which expanded de Feira de Santana, Brazil (2013). H. Peter Linder into a study of danthonioid grasses. This Page 10 Abstracts from the Speakers at the Smithsonian ­Botanical Symposium The 12th Smithsonian Botanical Sym- posium, “Location, Location, Location... New Advances in the Science of Bioge- ography,” was held 24-25 April 2014. The invited speakers covered a wide range of organisms and topics to illuminate modern methods and approaches in the field of biogeography. Below are the speakers’ abstracts from the papers that were pre- sented.

Brian W. Bowen Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology

“Origins of Tropical Marine Biodiver- Symposium convener Vicki Funk (fourth from left), Botany Chair Warren Wagner sity” (fifth from left), and U.S. Botanic Garden Acting Executive Director Ari Novy Understanding the process of specia- (second from right) join speakers Ben Winger, Susanne Renner, Rachel Warnock, tion in the sea is a significant challenge in Brian Bowen, Mauricio Diazgranados, Jonathan Price, and Erica Goss at the 2014 evolutionary biology. Central to this issue Smithsonian Botanical Symposium at the National Museum of Natural History. is whether biodiversity hotspots such as (photo by Ken Wurdack) the Coral Triangle (between the Philip- they may evolve novel functions under there is still little research documenting pines, New Guinea, and Indonesia) are the “ecological opportunity” proposed by and predicting these changes, and several producing and exporting new species, or G.G. Simpson. In this reconciliation of caveats in the analyses persist. Evolution accumulating species that arose elsewhere. “center of speciation” and “center of accu- and biogeography are important aspects Phylogeographic studies yield conflict- mulation”, both hotspots and peripheral when modeling the impacts of climate ing results on this issue, but have rejected ecosystems benefit from this exchange in a change on future species distributions. three paradigms about marine biodiver- process named biodiversity feedback. An example will be explored using three sity: 1) Speciation is primarily driven clades of Compositae (the subtribe Espe- by physical isolation. In contrast, many letiinae, the Werneria s.l. complex and the closely-related species occupy the same Mauricio Diazgranados Chiliotrichum group) that span the high or adjacent habitats, reducing the role of National Museum of Natural History elevation Andean ecosystems from Ven- physical isolation (allopatry) for specia- “Biogeography and Climate Change in ezuela to Patagonia. Of particular impor- tion in the sea. 2) Peripheral habitats such the Andes” tance are: 1) number of occurrences per as oceanic archipelagos are evolutionary The Andes are the most topographi- species: how well we know their diversity; dead-ends that contribute little to over- cally and climatically complex orographic 2) resolution: the problem of scale; 3) all biodiversity. In contrast, new studies system in the world. With the driest places accuracy of predictors: how well we know show that oceanic archipelagos can export and some of the wettest localities on Earth, the ecosystems; 4) uncertainty in future biodiversity to other regions. 3) Specia- and elevations from sea level to almost climate predictions; 5) the dilemma of the tion in the sea follows the same rules 7000 m, the Andes have a striking diver- narrowly distributed species; 6) computing as in terrestrial systems. Evolutionary sity. The tropical Andes, holding about limitations; and 7) measuring the possible pathways above and below the waterline 45,000 plant species, with 45% of ende- species responses to climate change. follow markedly different trajectories due mism, are considered a global hotspot and to the higher dispersal capability of marine epicenter of biodiversity. Unfortunately, organisms. The realignment of these Erica M. Goss massive extinctions are predicted to occur University of Florida principles allows for a new understand- in the Andean high-elevation ecosystems ing of biodiversity production in the sea. as a result of climate change: studies have “Untangling the Origin and Global Biodiversity hotspots produce and export predicted that between 10 and 60 percent Movement of Notorious Phytophthora species, but can also accumulate spe- of the species will be extinct by the end Plant Pathogens” cies produced in peripheral habitat. New of the century. In fact, climate change The pathogen that caused the Irish species forged by intense competition at can push entire lineages to the verge of potato famine, Phytophthora infestans, biodiversity hotspots can radiate out to extinction, with irreversible gene pool had an enormous impact on human history depauperate peripheral habitats, where losses, unique to those lineages. However, and culture. Phytophthora infestans is

Page 11 Abstracts Jonathan Price Molecular phylogenies, haplotype net- Continued from page 11 University of Hawaii at Hilo works, and molecular clocks have revolu- just one member of a genus of destruc- “Answering Big Questions with Small tionized the science of biogeography. We tive plant pathogens that cause global Landmasses: Evolutionary Biogeography can now (roughly) date divergence events economic losses in the billions of dollars from Atlantic and Pacific Archipelagos” in groups with or without a good fossil annually and have irreversibly changed record and infer the history of popula- Oceanic islands historically have tions from entire single genomes. In this natural ecosystems. These pathogens provided a biogeographic lens through are largely known from agriculture or as talk I will discuss ongoing work on the which major questions in ecology and biogeography of hummingbirds, parasitic emerging forest pathogens. Little is known evolution have been made clearer. They of their native ecology or geographic plants, and the fern Osmunda, as well as are optimally simple systems comprising work by others on Amborella trichopoda, origins, which puts us in a poor position small landmasses with modest diversity to manage emerging diseases and prevent the sister species to all other flower- and definable spatial and temporal con- ing plants. My examples are chosen to future invasions. I will present recent straints. At the same time, their climatic insights into the origin and anthropogenic represent groups with and without a fossil and ecological complexity mimics that of record to illustrate the power of molecular movement of Phytophthora pathogens. continental systems. A mounting wealth We revisited the question of the origin of data, but also the difficulty of inferring the of phylogenetic studies, particularly for past from the few “tips” of the tree of life P. infestans, which some have argued is the Hawaiian and Canary Islands, sets the Mexico and others South America. Our that are currently surviving. New meth- stage for studies of whole floras, support- ods that I will highlight include Pairwise results have implications for the emer- ing a comparatively thorough understand- gence and continued evolution of this Sequential Markovian Coalescence (used ing of the processes by which integrated in Amborella trichopoda) and a calibration damaging pathogen. We are also exploring ecological systems arise. Whereas tradi- the diversity of Phytophthora in mini- approach by Tracy Heath, Tanja Stadler, tionally species-area relationships have and John Huelsenbeck, which makes use mally disturbed tropical forests, which been attributed to ecological processes, has provided novel insights into the native of all of a clade’s fossils, not just the old- phylogenetic diversification can now be est ones (used in our Osmunda work). biology of these species and will con- explicitly quantified and related to the tribute to understanding the evolution of spatial and historical characteristics of Phytophthora pathogens. islands. Pacific and Atlantic archipelagoes Rachel C. M. Warnock exhibit features of triphasic species-area National Museum of Natural History relationships, whereby larger archipela- Philip C. J. Donoghue ­Acknowledgements goes contain much larger numbers of spe- University of Bristol cies (even for comparably-sized islands), “Testing the Molecular Clock using The success of the Symposium was with large, adaptively-radiating lineages Simulated Trees, Fossils and Sequences” due to the significant time and efforts responding the most strongly to increases of the following people: in area. Ecological opportunity is a key The molecular clock provides a power- Organizers driver of diversification, as evidenced by ful means of establishing an evolutionary • Vicki Funk higher rates of speciation within islands timescale. Approaches to calibrating the • Laurence J. Dorr and archipelagoes that are more remote molecular substitution rate vary in their • Nancy Khan and/or physiographically complex. Major assumptions and complexity, differ in their • Gary Krupnick adaptive shifts in continental systems use of geological evidence, and invari- • Sue Lutz happen comparatively rarely, indicating a ably yield different divergence estimates. • Ari Novy prevalence of niche conservatism; how- Surprisingly, competing approaches to • Sylvia Orli ever the comparative frequency of adap- calibration have never been tested because • Eric Schuettpelz tive shifts on islands offers clues to how in reality the true evolutionary timescale • Holly Shimizu major episodes of adaptive evolution have is never known. Consequently, it has not • Warren L. Wagner occurred on continents. Tropical islands been possible to assess the accuracy and • Jun Wen appear to promote the disproportionate precision with which divergence times • Kenneth Wurdack ecological success and adaptive diver- can ever be known. The solution is to use • Elizabeth Zimmer sification of lineages with a temperate simulated data, where the relationship origin, possibly stemming from a greater between times of divergence and fossil Support lability in temperate taxa coupled with evidence is known. We develop simula- • Mary Ann Apicelli the abundance of open niches in island tions that combine realistic models of • Patricia Davis environments. speciation, molecular evolution and fossil • Bernadette Gibbons preservation. We test the accuracy and precision of quantitative and probabilistic Photographer Susanne Renner methods of deriving temporal constraints • Kenneth Wurdack University of Munich from the fossil record. We implement these “Historical Biogeography and Ecologi- And many others who had helped in a as bespoke calibration priors in Bayes- cal Biogeography - Come Together Now” myriad number of ways. ian molecular clock analyses, and assess

Page 12 the accuracy and precision of posterior netic history. We used this model to inves- the first observed fossil of a species and divergence estimates. The results demon- tigate the geography history of seasonal the true time of origin and divergence. strate that paleontological constraints can migration between North America and the Warnock explained that the fossil be accurate but will typically be imprecise. Neotropics in emberizioid passerine birds. record can be used to obtain accurate Accurate molecular divergence estimates constraints on divergence times, but these require both accurate and precise fossil- Symposium will invariably be imprecise. She pointed based constraints. However, the accuracy Continued from page 1 out that the accuracy of molecular clock of posterior estimates is not determined by method to show slow diversification in estimates is determined by the effec- the accuracy of the specified calibrations. royal ferns (Osmundaceae), a family of tive, rather than the specified priors. The Instead, accuracy is determined by the 11-21 extant species and 150 named fossil most reliable and informative results will way the calibrations are effectively imple- species. She explained that the traditional be obtained with accurate and precise mented by contemporary Bayesian models method of molecular clock dating includes constraints. She said that molecular data of divergence time estimation. This means forcing the oldest fossil record to a spe- cannot be used to mitigate the impreci- the majority of studies that have identified cific node in the tree while ignoring the sion associated with fossil calibrations, so a causal link between biotic evolution and other fossils. In the new fossilized birth- priors must be improved. Improving diver- climatic change may be invalid, since they death method, the precise relationship of gence time estimation requires considering lack the accuracy and precision to make each fossil is irrelevant and all fossils are preservation and sampling biases. She the temporal correlations that underpin the used in the tree. The four parameters of the ended with suggesting that the integration causal linkages. new model are speciation rate, extinction of molecular and paleontological data is rate, fossil recovery rate, and proportion essential for telling evolutionary time. Ben Winger of sampled extant species. The fossilized Ben Winger, a doctoral student from University of Chicago and the Field birth-death method can thus disentangle the University of Chicago and the Field Museum speciation and extinction. Museum, presented “Resolving the Geographic History of Neotropical Bird “Resolving the Geographic History of Rachel Warnock, a postdoctoral fellow Migration: An Extension of the DEC Neotropical Bird Migration: An Extension in the Department of Paleobiology at the Model.” With collaborator Rick Ree of the of the DEC Model” Smithsonian Institution, presented the talk, “Testing the Molecular Clock using Field Museum, Winger has been develop- Migratory species exhibit seasonal Simulated Trees, Fossils and Sequences.” ing a method to reconstruct the historical variation in their geographic ranges, often The molecular clock establishes an evolu- biogeography of migrating birds, specifi- inhabiting geographically and ecologi- tionary timeline by comparing the genes cally to understand where a lineage arose cally distinct breeding and nonbreeding of living species. Warnock identified two and how it came to be found where it is areas. The complex geography of seasonal caveats of the molecular clock: (1) the today. Migratory species are a complicated migration has long posed a challenge for molecular clock does not tick at a con- evolutionary problem because they exist in inferring the biogeographic histories of stant rate; and (2) calibration of the clock two or more different geographic ranges at migratory species as well as the evolution relies on an incomplete fossil record. She different times of the year. of migration. We developed a phyloge- pointed out that there is a lag time between Continued on page 14 netic model of geographic range evolution to examine the biogeographic origins and histories of migratory species and test hypotheses on the evolution of migration. The model uses a maximum-likelihood framework based on the dispersal-extinc- tion-cladogenesis model to simultaneously examine changes in breeding range and winter range distribution during phyloge- Sponsors of the 12th Smithsonian Botanical Symposium • Cuatrecasas Family Foundation • National Museum of Natural ­History • Department of Botany • Office of the Associate Director for Science • United States Botanic Garden Poster presenters and guests interact at the opening reception of the Smithsonian Botanical Symposium. (photo by Ken Wurdack) Page 13 Symposium Continued from page 13 The dilemma is summarized by two theories. The “Temperate Home” theory suggests that a northern population shifts towards the tropics to avoid a harsh winter. The “Out of the Tropics” theory suggests that a tropical population shifts northward to escape competition for resources in the crowded tropics, and exploit a seasonal flush of resources in the temperate zone. Existing historical biogeographic models are not well suited for understanding the evolution of migration because we cannot consider the breeding range and the win- tering range simultaneously. During his talk Winger introduced an approach to answering this dilemma by using migratory songbirds as a case study. The Emberizoidea or New World nine- primaried oscines is a lineage of about 750 Symposium attendees find an opportunity to chat during the afternoon coffee bird species and composed of five major break. (photo by Ken Wurdack) groups – all New World sparrows, war- elsewhere, while those that speciate distinct Indian and Pacific faunas overlap blers, cardinals and buntings, blackbirds greatly in one archipelago do so in oth- at the border between both oceans (“center and orioles, and tanagers. Ree developed ers. The species radiations are also much of overlap”). the Dispersal-Extinction-Cladogensis larger in larger archipelagoes. Bowen continued to explain that (DEC) model for inferring historical bio- Price spoke about the location where populations do not have to be physically geography. Presenting a series of presence island colonists originate. For the Hawai- isolated to diverge and speciate. For absence matrices, transition matrices, and ian archipelago, most colonists came from example, sexual selection on the basis geographic pathways, Winger concluded the Indo-Pacific. Three-quarters of Hawai- of vocal cues has promoted reproductive that the out of the tropics theories that ian colonists were from tropical regions, isolation among sympatric sister species of invoke a shift of the breeding range out of while one-third were from temperate. the Caribbean and East Pacific reef fishes the tropics are poorly supported, and that Many lineages also colonized other Pacific called grunts (genus Haemulon). the evolution of Neotropical migration in Islands after evolving in Hawaii. He also He then provided examples of phylo- Emberizoids is consistent with the temper- explained that major climatic adaptations geographic support for all three hypoth- ate home theories. are highly conserved, suggesting Hawaiian eses that explain biodiversity hotspots. Jonathan Price, the University of taxa are in habitats related to their area of The evolution of West Pacific wrasses Hawaii at Hilo, brought things down to a origin: low elevation taxa have a tropi- (Halichoeres) supports the hypothesis of smaller scale with his talk, “Answering cal origin, while high elevation taxa are speciation within a center of origin. The Big Questions with Small Landmasses: from temperate regions. He concluded that center of accumulation hypothesis is sup- Evolutionary Biogeography from Atlantic diversification is moderated by both physi- ported by the evolution of four derived and Pacific Archipelagos.” Price explained cal constraints and ecological opportunity, species within the wrasse genus Thalas- that island systems compared to continen- but mostly in key lineages. soma. Center of overlap is supported by tal systems can be rather simple (definable Brian Bowen, the Hawaii Institute of the Indian Ocean lineage and the Pacific temporal and spatial constraints, rela- Marine Biology, switched things up with Ocean lineage of the peacock grouper. tively few species derived from original a marine focus during his talk, “Origins Whereas Hawaii was once thought as an colonists), but can also be quite complex of Tropical Marine Biodiversity.” Bowen evolutionary dead end for marine species, (wide array of climatic habitats, complex explained that the primary marine bio- Bowen provided evidence that indicates ecological interactions), making for an diversity hotspot is the Coral Triangle Hawaii is both a recipient and a source of interesting study system in biogeography. located between the Philippines, Indone- marine biodiversity. Price found similar species-area sia, and New Guinea. Three hypotheses Continuing on the global perspective relationships and similar distributions of explain the existence of this hotspot: (1) theme of biogeography, Erica M. Goss lineages in his comparison of the Marque- intense competition forges new species from the University of Florida spoke sas, Societies, and Hawaii archipelagoes. with high fitness that radiate out (“cen- about the spread of pathogens in the talk, Most lineages have only one species per ter of speciation”); (2) speciation occurs “Untangling the Origin and Global Move- archipelago, while a few lineages are at outer archipelagoes under ecological ment of Notorious Phytophthora Plant very diverse. Those lineages that do not release and accumulate in the center of the Pathogens.” Using population genetic speciate in one archipelago do not speciate range (“center of accumulation”); and (3) data, Goss explained, it is possible to

Page 14 reconstruct global migration patterns of sion of habitat, contraction of habitat, and Smithsonian Botanical Symposium will plant pathogens, which are moving at an extinction/extirpation. Using the Espeletii- open the conference as a one-day public unprecedented rate due to global trade. nae (Compositae) as a case study, he spoke event, followed by three days of focused Goss spoke about Phytophthora about how the distribution of these high- scientific talks and workshops for pteri- ramorum, a pathogen which was intro- elevation plant species will be impacted dologists and other researchers. Field duced into the western United States three by climate change. His species distribution trips and garden tours will round out the independent times, once from Europe modeling shows that of the 133 species conference. Be sure to check the sympo- and twice from unknown sources. She examined, by the year 2080, 17 will expe- sium website at http://botany.si.edu/sbs for provided a lengthy discussion about the rience extinction and 24 will have severe updates. migratory patterns of the potato late blight, contraction in their range. P. infestans, a pathogen of Solanum spe- Diazgranados discussed limitations Supplementary cies. In the 1840s, it migrated from South that impact these modeling scenarios. The American to Europe. In the early 1900s, first is the limited knowledge of species Symposium Links on there were multiple migrations between diversity: over 48 percent of Espeletiinae the Web the Americas and Europe. The divergence species are represented by fewer than 10 th times of the multiple lineages can be collections. He explained the difficulty in The website to the 12 Smithsonian traced using mtDNA genomes taken from modeling with fewer than 10 collections. Botanical Symposium has Goss explained that a coalescent gene- accurate species are modeled to habitat many links and documents related to the alogy of the RAS locus indicates that the type. Another limitation is the accuracy conference. Included on the website is the center of origin of P. infestans is the Andes of predictors: with over 6,000 reliable full program, abstracts of the talks, links Mountains; yet a multi-locus study shows climate measuring stations worldwide, related to the speaker’s presentations, and support for a Mexico center of origin. She only 129 are in the Andes, leading to a selected images from the various events. further explained that hybridization and deficiency of information. Additional items related to the Symposium introgression most likely play a role in Next he spoke about the uncertainty can be added to the list of links and docu- the evolution of the pathogen resulting in in future climate predictions where spe- ments by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. either global diversification of the genus or cies responses differ between the climate The Symposium archive pages also Emerging pathogens are being discovered species pose another dilemma: 20 percent includes programs, abstracts and images from the past 11 symposia: “Linnaean in both agricultural crops and in the wild. of Espeletiinae species have total areas st Goss concluded with three working of less than 4 km2. The sixth limitation Taxonomy in the 21 Century” (2001); hypotheses for Phytophthora evolution: Diazgranados presented was an issue of “The Convention on Biological Diversity” (1) allopatric speciation with historically computing: the complete run of the 23 (2002); “Botanical Frontiers in South- dispersed limited soil and aquatic types; global climate change models on the 133 east Asia” (2003); “Botanical Progress, (2) sympatric speciation by aerial host- Espeletiinae species over 8 decades takes Horticultural Innovations, and Cultural specific clades; and (3) speciation by 1.9 terabytes of data with approximately Changes” (2004); “The Future of Floras: micro-environment with clades showing a 2 million files and over 24,000 maps. The New Frameworks, New Technologies, mixture of morphological characters. final limitation discussed was measuring New Uses” (2005); “Island Archipelagos: The final talk of the day addressed how the various possible species responses to Cauldrons of Evolution” (2006); “Partners global climate change may impact bio- climate change. in Evolution: Interactions, Adaptations, geography of the future. Mauricio Diaz- Diazgranados concluded his talk with and Speciation” (2008); “Genes, Genom- ics and Genome Evolution in Plants” granados from the Department of Botany four take home messages: we need (1) st at Smithsonian’s National Museum of much higher resolution of predictors; (2) (2009); “Food for Thought: 21 Century Perspectives on Ethnobotany” (2010); Natural History spoke on “Biogeography more accurate information about soils and st and Climate Change in the Andes.” After ecosystems; (3) better computing facili- “Transforming 21 Century Comparative an introduction about the significance of ties; and (4) stronger efforts for geogra- Biology using Evolutionary Trees” (2012); the biodiversity of the Andes, Diazgrana- phers, geologists, climatologists, and soil and “Avoiding Extinction: Contemporary dos gave an overview of global climate scientists to work together. Approaches to Conservation Science” change. Current projections show that the The Symposium concluded with (2013). temperatures in the tropical Andes will an evening reception in the Museum’s increase, while the northern Andes will Rotunda and a chance for this year’s experience increased precipitation and attendees to tour the Fossil Hall before it the southern Andes decreased precipita- closed for a 5-year renovation. tion. The effect on the paramos will be an Next year’s 13th Smithsonian Botanical upslope migration of the biological com- Symposium will take place on Monday, munities. June 1, 2015. It will be part of a larger Diazgranados outlined five possible five-day conference, “Next Generation species responses to climate change: range Pteridology: An International Conference shift, adaptation to altered habitat, expan- on Lycophyte and Fern Research.” The

Page 15 Art by Alice Tangerini

Cyrtandra uapouensis W. L. Wagner & Lorence

At the 2014 Smithsonian Botanical Symposium, Jonathan Price (University of Hawaii at Hilo) spoke about the evolutionary biogeography of Pacific archipelagos. Two conclusions in his talk were that lineages that speciate greatly in one archipelago do so in others and species radiations are much larger in larger archipelagoes. The Cyrtandra (Gesneriaceae) lineage exemplifies these two conclusions (Am. J. Bot. 98: 449-459; 2011). Shown here is Cyrtandra uapouensis, a critically endangered species endemic to the high ridges of Ua Pou in the Marquesas Islands (PhytoKeys 30: 33-64; 2013).

Department of Botany PO Box 37012 NMNH, MRC-166 Washington DC 20013-7012

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