Department of Botany & the U.S. National Herbarium TheThe PlantPlant PressPress New Series - Vol. 10 - No. 1 January-March 2007 Botany Profile Taking Aim at the GSPC Targets By Gary A. Krupnick and W. John Kress n 2002, the Convention on Biologi- are the contributions that the Department The data and images of more than cal Diversity (CBD), a global treaty has made towards achieving the 16 targets 95,000 type specimens of algae, Isigned by 188 countries addressing since the Strategy’s inception in 2002. lichens, bryophytes, ferns, gymno- the conservation and sustainable use of sperms and angiosperms are available on biological diversity, adopted the Global Understanding and Documenting Plant USNH’s Type Specimen Register at Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), Diversity <http://ravenel.si.edu/botany/types/>. A the first CBD document that defines Target 1: A widely accessible working multi-DVD set containing images of specific targets for conserving plant list of known plant species, as a step 89,000 vascular type specimens from diversity. The 16 targets are grouped towards a complete world flora USNH has been produced and distrib- under five major headings: (a) under- uted to institutions around the world. In standing and documenting plant diversity; One of the Department’s core mis- addition, data from 778,054 specimen (b) conserving plant diversity; (c) using sions is to discover and describe plant life records have been inventoried in the plant diversity sustainably; (d) promoting in marine and terrestrial environments. EMu catalogue software. education and awareness about plant Thus, one primary objective is to conduct In addition, USNH is a partner in diversity; and (e) building capacity for field work in poorly known areas of high producing the Global Working Check- the conservation of plant diversity. species diversity. As a result our scien- list of Compositae. This collaborative The National Museum of Natural tists publish articles that describe new project will produce a working checklist History is a member of the Global Part- species, produce checklists and mono- of the approximately 25,000 species nership for Plant Conservation, which graphs, and contribute to floras. Each of and 75,000 synonyms of the Composi- brings together international groups to these actions advances the creation of a tae by 2010. A grant from the Global contribute to the implementation of the working list of the world’s flora. Biodiversity Information Facility GSPC. A leader in plant taxonomy and Since the inception of the GSPC in (GBIF) to Landcare Research in evolution, NMNH’s Department of 2002, the Department has described 240 Lincoln, New Zealand, is paying for the Botany and the U.S. National Herbarium new taxa, revised 1,988 taxa, included first 18 months of this international (USNH) together have made great 23,939 species in checklists and floras, project. strides in contributing and addressing and published 5,721 pages of information many of the GSPC targets. These that document plant diversity. Further, the Target 2: A preliminary assessment contributions take the form of scientific Department is actively involved with and of the conservation status of all papers and books, electronic publica- have contributed to many flora projects known plant species, at national, tions, symposiums and informal lec- from around the world, including the regional and international levels tures, new species descriptions, speci- Flore Analytique du Bénin, Flora of the At a series of recent international men collections, and making many Caribbean, Flora of China, Flora of biodiversity conferences it has been specimens of the USNH collections Ecuador, Flora of the Guianas, Flora of emphasized that the world’s herbaria accessible over the internet. the Hawaiian Islands, Flora of the Mar- have the opportunity to contribute quesas Islands, Flora of Myanmar, Flora he Plant Conservation Unit at significantly to meeting Target 2 Neotropica, Flora of North America through the vast information contained NMNH has been tracking the North of Mexico, Flora of Puerto Rico progress that the Department has in their plant specimens. Gary Krupnick T and the Virgin Islands, Flora of Somalia, and W. John Kress have created an made in contributing to the implementa- Flora of Venezuela, and Flora of the tion of the GSPC targets. Listed below Washington-Baltimore Area. Continued on page 11 Visitors Wenying Wu, Philipps University, Colombia, Bogota; Colombian palms Heroen Verbruggen, Ghent University, Marburg, Germany; Nolana (Solanaceae) (Arecaceae) (10/15-11/9). Belguim; Green algae (11/21-1/1). (2/28/06-2/27/08). Marcus Lehnert, University of Califor- Meg Ojala, St. Olaf College; C. Geyer Hui Ren, South China Botanical Garden, nia at Berkeley; Neotropical ferns (Cy- 1838 Minnesota and Iowa collection (11/ Guangzhou; Vitaceae (5/7/06-4/1/07). atheaceae) (10/16-10/20). 22). Zhiduan Chen, Institute of Botany, Alejandra Vasco, New York Botanical Laura Mol, Virginia Medical Center; Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing; Garden; Elaphoglossum subsection Mus- Ross Ogden, Cassidy and Pinkard, Parthenocissus (Vitaceae) (9/22-12/20). cosa group (Dryopteridaceae) (10/16-10/ Graduate School, USDA; Michael Wil- 24). pers, Sackler Gallery, S.I.; Fall DC Carol Allen, U.S. Botanic Garden; Tour Woody Plant Identification Class, tour greenhouse and exchange plants (10/3). Raymund Chan, National University of herbarium (11/28). Singapore; Asteraceae (10/23-11/8). Jonathan Deeds, Food and Drug Admin- Jerrold Davis, Cornell University; Poa- istration; Dinoflagellate collection (10/ Richard Rabeler, University of Michi- ceae (11/30). 5). gan; Caryophyllaceae and Scrophularia- ceae (10/24-10/25). David Mindell, University of Michigan; Gustavo Romero, Oakes Ames Orchid Collaborative research (11/30-12/1). Herbarium, Harvard University; Neotropi- Yuen-po Yang, Sun Yat-sen University, cal Orchidaceae (10/5-10/6). Kaohiung, Taiwan; Asian Castanopsis Konstantyn Romaschenko, National (Fagaceae) and Veronicastrum (Scrophu- Academy of Science of Ukranie, Kiev; Mark Suddleson and Patricia Tester, lariaceae) (10/24). Stipeae (Poaceae) (11/30-5/30). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Dinoflagellates (10/5). Renato Goldenberg, Universidad de Oscar Vargas, Universidad de los Andes, Federal do Parana, Curitiba, Brazil; Bogota, Colombia; Diplostephium (As- Manny Burstein, Queens College; Melastomataceae (10/30-11/3). teraceae) (12/9-1/13). Digital imaging project (10/10). Fabian Michelangeli, New York Botani- Steve Manchester, Florida Museum of Carlos M. Ochoa, International Potato cal Garden; Melastomataceae (10/30-11/ Natural History; Aralidium and Rutaceae Center, Peru; Solanaceae and Amaryllida- 3). (12/13-12/16). ceae (10/12-10/13). Kasha Helget, Graduate School, United Rodrigo Bernal, Instituto de Ciencias States Department of Agriculture; Fall DC Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Woody Plant Identification Class, tour herbarium (11/13). The Plant Press Judith Holt, Ann Olsen and Narayan New Series - Vol. 10 - No. 1 Patel, Earthwatch Institute; Medicinal plants of Antiquity (11/13-11/17). Chair of Botany Peter Wieczorowski, DC Woodlands; Warren L. Wagner ([email protected]) Discuss work of “DC Woodlands” (11/ 15). EDITORIAL STAFF Editor Gary Krupnick Travel ([email protected]) Pedro Acevedo traveled to Oxford, Dominica and St. Lucia (12/3 – 12/8) to News Contacts Ohio (11/1 – 11/3) to present two lec- conduct continued research on Heliconia MaryAnn Apicelli, Robert Faden, Ellen tures at Miami University. and hummingbirds. Farr, Shirley Maina, Rusty Russell, Alice Tangerini, and Elizabeth Zimmer Laurence Dorr and Dan Nicolson Diane Littler, Barrett Brooks, Don traveled to Bronx, New York (10/10 – 10/ Hurlbert, Barbara Watanabe and Larry The Plant Press is a quarterly publication provided 13) to conduct research on Taxonomic Gorenflo (Conservation International), free of charge. If you would like to be added to the Literature, F & G Supplement at the New traveled to the island of Bonaire, Nether- mailing list, please contact Dr. Gary Krupnick at: Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, PO York Botanical Garden. lands Antilles (11/1 – 11/14) to evaluate Box 37012, NMNH MRC-166, Washington, DC W. John Kress traveled to St. Louis, the condition and algal flora of the vast 20013-7012, or by E-mail: [email protected]. Missouri (10/13 – 10/16) to attend the reef system. rd Web site: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/botany 53 Annual Systematics Symposium at Rusty Russell traveled to St. Louis, the Missouri Botanical Garden; and to Missouri (10/16 – 10/19) to attend the Page 2 Editor’s Note A Ten Year Mark his issue marks the tenth year of the Plant Press, and my The botanical type specimen collection in the U.S. National first “Editor’s Note.” The Department of Botany has Herbarium is one of the finest collections in the world, and is Tundergone quite a change in those 10 years. We have highlighted in this issue on several fronts. The Type Specimen seen five curators retire, including Dan Nicolson who recently Register <http://ravenel.si.edu/botany/types/> contains images retired last month (page 4 and back page), and two new hires and data for more than 90,000 type specimens of algae, (Jun Wen and Kenneth Wurdack). We also had a change in lichens, bryophytes, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms. The Chairmanship at the end of 2006, with John Kress stepping type collection continues to expand its reach with the release down, and Warren Wagner resuming the Chair he once held 9 of a 4-DVD set (page 7). In addition, the Type Register was a years ago. feature at a recent conference and fair at the Smithsonian, In the newsletter’s 10-year history, I have had the honor to highlighting efforts to digitize the Institution’s vast and varied be a co-editor for 5 years and the sole editor for the past 2 collections (page 10). The Register will continue to grow and years. The Department continues to flourish, and I find it improve as the Andrew W.