Newsletter No. 144–5 September–December 2010 Price: $5.00 Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 144–5 (September–December 2010) AUSTRALIAN SYSTEMATIC BOTANY SOCIETY INCORPORATED Council President Vice President Peter Weston Dale Dixon National Herbarium of New South Wales Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Mrs Macquaries Road Mrs Macquaries Road Sydney, NSW 2000 Sydney, NSW 2000 Tel: (02) 9231 8171 Tel: (02) 9231 8111 Fax: (02) 9241 2797 Fax: (02) 9251 7231 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Treasurer Secretary Frank Zich Gillian Brown Australian Tropical Herbarium School of Botany E2 building, J.C.U. Cairns Campus The University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010 PO Box 6811 Tel: (03) 8344 7150 Cairns, Qld 4870 Fax: (03) 9347 5460 Tel: (07) 4059 5014 Email: [email protected] Fax: (07) 4091 8888 Email: [email protected] Councillor Pina Milne Councillor National Herbarium of Victoria Tanya Scharaschkin Royal Botanic Gardens School of Natural Resource Sciences Birdwood Ave Queensland University of Technology South Yarra VIC 3141 PO Box 2434 AUSTRALIA Brisbane, Qld 4001 Tel: (03) 9252 2309 Tel: (07) 3138 1395 Fax: (03) 9252 2423 Fax: (07) 3138 1535 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Other Constitutional Bodies Public Officer Hansjörg Eichler Research Committee Annette Wilson Bill Barker Australian Biological Resources Study Betsy Jackes Dept of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Greg Leach GPO Box 787 Kristina Lemson Canberra, ACT 2601 Chris Quinn Chair: Dale Dixon, Vice President Affiliate Society Grant applications close: 14 March 2011. Papua New Guinea Botanical Society ASBS Website www.anbg.gov.au/asbs Cover image: Alloxylon flammeum (Proteaceae), Webmaster: Murray Fagg reproduced with the permission of David Mackay (the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research artist) and RBG Sydney. Australian National Herbarium Email: [email protected] Publication dates of previous issue Austral.Syst.Bot.Soc.Newslett. 143 (June 2010 issue) Hardcopy: 24 August 2010; ASBS Website: 17 August 2010 Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 144–5 (September–December 2010) From the President I hope you all had a relaxing summer break AND cast your vote on both special resolutions. and wish you a successful and enjoyable new Discussion at our Armidale conference and year in 2011. It seems like hardly any time has subsequently at our most recent AGM in Lincoln passed since our highly successful conference in suggests that both resolutions are strongly, if Lincoln, New Zealand last November-December. not unanimously supported by our members. In this issue, readers will find the usual reports of However, these resolutions will fail if less than ASBS business resulting from the Annual General 75% of all financial members choose to vote, Meeting that was held during the conference, according to our present rules. as well as a report of the conference itself. You Let me briefly reiterate the arguments in favour of will also find the announcement that Council has these resolutions. The first proposes to change the approved the nomination of John Clarkson, a name of our society from Australian Systematic former President, Vice President, Treasurer and Botany Society to Australasian Systematic Council member, as a Life Member of ASBS. Botany Society. This change is a purely symbolic This is a big deal. Council does not bestow such one because it changes neither the aims of ASBS honours lightly and John is a very deserving nor any of its rules. We hope it will encourage recipient of this award. more New Zealanders, New Caledonians, New A common result of Annual General Meetings is Guineans and Fijians to join and become active a change to the membership of the management members of ASBS. Anyone who participated in committee. While most Council members have our recent Lincoln conference will have seen remained, Mike Bayly has stepped down from impressive evidence of the high calibre of New Council and the Treasurer’s position. We heartily Zealand plant systematists and concluded that thank Mike for the hard and excellent work that such a result would only strengthen our Society. he has put in over the past two years on behalf The second special resolution proposes to change of the Society. Frank Zich, formerly a Councillor, one of the rules governing the way we amend our has stepped into the vacant Treasurer’s position to Society’s rules and in doing so would make our be assisted by Pina Milne, the only new member constitution congruent with the legislation under of Council, who will be filling a new, informally which our Society is incorporated. Specifically, it designated position, Councillor (memberships). would change the rule specifying the vote required Tanya Scharaschkin is still a Councillor but her to carry a special resolution from “it is approved position has now been informally designated as by the vote of at least 75% of those members of the Councillor (assisting the Secretary). Dale Dixon Society who are entitled to vote” to “it is approved remains as Vice President and Gillian Brown as by the vote of at least 75% of those members of Secretary and I am still the President. the Society who, being entitled to vote, vote in Our newest Councillor, Pina Milne, deserves person or by proxy at the meeting”. According a longer introduction. She is the Collections to our rules, filling in the ballot paper that you Manager at MEL and is also a bryologist with have been sent, and returning it to the Secretary, research interests in the phenology and ecology represents a proxy vote. It is very difficult to of rainforest mosses (in particular the genus persuade 75% of the entire membership to vote on Dicranoloma), the documentation of bryophyte anything, especially on uncontroversial questions. species found in soil crusts, and the taxonomy of The existing rule requiring 75% of all members to the family Pottiaceae. approve a change has ossified our constitution and By now all members should have received, we need to change it to give our Society greater either by email or post, a membership renewal flexibility to respond to changing circumstances. form as well as a ballot paper for the vote on I repeat, if you have not already done so, please two special resolutions to change the rules of our renew your membership now AND cast your vote Society. Please renew your membership promptly on both special resolutions. Peter Weston 1 Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 144–5 (September–December 2010) ASBS Inc. Business 2010 Annual General Meeting for longer but due to change in circumstances he does not have the time to commit to the position of the Australian Systematic of Treasurer. Michael thanked all members and Botany Society, Inc. wished council well. AGENDA Interest income was higher than last year on the research fund. 16.00-18.00, Tuesday, 30 November 2010, General fund is in a healthy position; the surplus Stewart lecture room, Stewart Building, Lincoln was down on last year but last year was artificially University, Lincoln, New Zealand inflated by the donation off the PPAA. Income and expenditure on an annual basis are Meeting opened 4.13pm tightly coupled. Present: Peter Weston (President), Dale Dixon Proposed Michael Bayly, seconded by Karen (Vice-President), Michael Bayly (Treasurer), Wilson. Carried. See Attachment 2. Gillian Brown (Secretary), and 32 members, 6. Newsletter Report including ASBS life members Robyn Barker and John Clarkson. Supplied by editors and read out by Peter Weston. Copy will be printed in the ASBS newsletter. See 1. Apologies Attachment 3. Brendan Lepschi, David Mabberley, Tanya 7. Web Page Report Scharaschkin, Frank Zich Supplied by Murray Fagg and read out by Peter 2. Minutes of the 2009 Annual General Weston. Copy will be printed in the ASBS Meeting newsletter. See Attachment 4. Proposed that the minutes of the 31st Annual 8. Eichler Research Fund General Meeting (as published in The Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter Number Dale Dixon thanked the research committee, for 141) be accepted. assessing, and Gillian Brown, for logistics of the two rounds of the Eichler award in 2010. Moved Peter Weston and seconded Gillian Brown. Motion carried. In 2010 there were 11 applications over the two rounds, six in March and five in the September 3. Business arising from minutes round. The successful applications for the March Nil 2010 round were Mark Wallace and Sarah Fayed. The successful applications for the September 4. President’s Report 2010 round were Caroline Puente-Leliève and Presented by Peter Weston, his first President’s James Ingham. Dale thanked all award applicants report. Copy will be printed in the ASBS and congratulated the four successful students for newsletter. See Attachment 1. 2010. Peter thanked the research committee for assessing Kevin Thiele asked if the special resolution to the Eichler application change the name of the society to the Australasian Systematic Botany Society Incorporated is 5. Treasurer’s Report successful, would students from New Zealand Prepared by Michael Bayly and to be printed in the be able to apply? Michael Bayly responded that ASBS newsletter. This was Michael’s last report council were not aware of any hindrance but there as Treasurer. He said he has enjoyed being on may be a few problems and council are looking council and originally expected to be on council into this. 2 Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 144–5 (September–December 2010) 9. Proposals for special resolutions to change “The Australasian Systematic Botany Society the Society’s rules Incorporated” Peter Weston clarified that the vote at this AGM Proposed Peter Weston, carried unanimously. was to vote if the proposals should go to members 2. That Rule 30(5)(b) be changed from and also to vote on the wording of the special resolutions to go to the ballot of all financial “it is approved by the vote of at least 75% of those members.