2006 Vol. 9, Issue 3

Special Symposium Issue - Special Symposium Issue - see page 8 Department of Botany & the U.S. Nat Herbarium TheThe PlantPlant PressPress see page 9 New Series - Vol. 9 - No. 3 July-September 2006 Botany Profile Islands in the Stream of Evolution By Gary A. Krupnick n 21-22 April, more than 125 awarding of the sixth José Cuatrecasas arose in many adaptive radiations, but participants gathered at the Medal for Excellence in Tropical Botany, that the islands are a source area for ONational Museum of Natural which was awarded to Sherwin Carlquist colonization to other oceanic islands History to attend the Sixth Annual Smith- (see related article, page 8). A leader in leading to new adaptive radiations. sonian Botanical Symposium, “Island the study of phylogeny, biogeography, and Bruce G. Baldwin, Professor of Archipelagos: Cauldrons of Evolution.” anatomy of island plants, Carlquist was Integrative Biology and Curator of the The Symposium explored the role that highly appreciative of the award and spoke Jepson Herbarium at the University of island archipelagos have played in our about how the award will encourage him California, Berkeley, next spoke on understanding of ecological and evolu- to continue to do better work. “The award “Pacific Dispersals and Radiations of tionary processes as well as the future is not closure, but a Western North conservation of these unique ecosys- vote of confidence,” American Origin: An tems. Six invited speakers presented he said. Carlquist Emergent Pattern.” talks that described different island sys- received accolades In describing the tems, each containing unique biotas that throughout the day adaptive radiations experience selective pressures different as each of the speakers began their talks from the west coast of North America from those that dominate mainland by paying tribute to their highly respected to Hawaii, Baldwin presented case ecosystems. colleague. studies from the Hawaiian silversword An opening reception at the United alliance (Asteraceae), Hawaiian sanicles States Botanic Garden, a co-sponsor of he first invited speaker was Warren (Sanicula: Apiaceae), Hawaiian violets the symposium, kicked-off the confer- Wagner, Curator of Pacific Botany (Viola), Hawaiian mints (Haplo- ence on the evening of 21 April. Gather- Tin the Department of Botany at the stachys), and Hawaiian Schiedea (Cary- ing in the Garden’s atrium, an enthusias- Smithsonian Institution, who presented ophyllaceae). He described how five tic crowd enjoyed food, conversation, “Out of Hawaii: A Remote Archipelago as western North American lineages and tours of the amazing collection of a Source Area.” Oceanic islands, ex- account for more than 12 percent of plants. The latest Garden exhibit featured plained Wagner, are natural laboratories Hawaiian angiosperms. Baldwin also plant species that were collected during for examining evolutionary diversifica- described how shrubby tarweeds from the U.S. Exploring Expedition (1838- tion. He described (1) what plant diversity the islands off the coast of California 1842). exists in the Hawaiian Islands; (2) how paralleled the adaptive radiation of the W. John Kress, symposium convener, independently derived groups exhibit Hawaiian silversword alliance. welcomed the audience at the morning similar patterns of colonization and diver- Moving from the Pacific Ocean to session on 22 April. Kress described the sification; (3) which groups radiated more the Atlantic Ocean, Javier Francisco- “what” and “where” of archipelagos, and than others; and (4) if colonization to Ortega, Head of the Plant Molecular explained how archipelagos make won- isolated archipelagos was one-way. Using Systematics and Conservation Biology derful systems that can provide to us diverse images of the Hawaiian flora, Laboratory jointly operated by Florida unique insights about ecology and Wagner gave a brief tour of the most International University and Fairchild evolution. He also gave a brief history of species-rich lineages: Campanulaceae, Tropical Botanic Garden, ushered in the how islands have shaped the study of Gesneriaceae, Lamiaceae, Rutaceae, afternoon session with his presentation evolution, natural selection, and bioge- Caryophyllaceae, Asteraceae, Arecaceae, of “New and Old Paradigms for the ography. Rubiaceae, and Myrsinaceae. He demon- Macaronesian Flora: Molecular Phylo- The morning session began with the strated that the Hawaiian Islands are not only a place where divergent species Continued on page 11 Travel Pedro Acevedo traveled to Santo Linda Hollenberg and Jamie with colleagues from the universities of Domingo, Dominican Republic, and San Whitacre traveled to Albuquerque, New Istanbul, Ankara, and Cyprus. Juan, Puerto Rico (6/17 – 7/2) to present Mexico (5/22 – 5/27) to present a poster Warren Wagner traveled to Pullman, the keynote address at the 9th Latin at the joint meeting of the Society for the Washington (4/2 – 4/11) to give a lecture American Botanical Congress and to Preservation of Natural History Collec- and to participate in a graduate student attend the meeting of the Organization for tions (SPNHC) and the Natural Science committee meeting at Washington State Flora Neotropica, both in the Dominican Collections Alliance (NSCA). University; to Kauai and Oahu, Hawaii (4/ Republic, and to fundraise in Puerto Rico. W. John Kress traveled to Panama 30 – 5/9) to make a presentation at the Walter Adey traveled to Newfound- City, Panama (5/8 – 5/11) to participate in National Tropical Botanical Garden Board land and Nova Scotia, Canada (6/12 – 8/ a workshop on plant phylogeny, phylo- of Trustees meeting and to conduct re- 12) to conduct research in the Canadian geography, and DNA barcoding; and to search at the Bishop Museum Herbarium; Maritimes. Grenada and Trinidad (5/19 – 6/1) to and to Santo Domingo, Dominican Re- Michael Bordelon traveled to conduct field work on hummingbirds and public (6/17 – 6/20) to attend the council Denver, Colorado (6/12 – 6/14) to give a Heliconia. meeting of the International Association presentation at the Applied Plant Conser- Mark and Diane Littler traveled to for Plant Taxonomy. vation Training Program at the Denver Fort Pierce, Florida (6/4 – 7/5) to con- Anna Weitzman traveled to Edin- Botanic Gardens; and to San Francisco, tinue work on the flora of the Indian River burgh, Scotland, and London, England (5/ California (6/28 – 7/3) to consult on Lagoon in collaboration with M. Dennis 2 – 5/13) to discuss data standards for greenhouse operations and the ginger Hanisak at Harbor Branch Oceanographic. taxonomy and issues related to rearrang- collections at the University of Califor- Dan Nicolson traveled to Richmond, ing herbarium collections at the Royal nia, Berkeley. Virginia (4/4) with Emanuela Appetiti Botanic Garden Edinburgh and at the Maria Faust traveled to Belize City, to consult with the librarian and director Natural History Museum in London. Belize (4/26 – 5/11) to conduct research of the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Jun Wen traveled to New Haven, Con- on red tide-forming, toxic, dinoflagellate Richmond on identification of plant necticut (4/4 – 4/6) to give a lecture at microalgae in the Atlantic Barrier coral species in artwork; and to New York (5/21 Yale University; to Chicago, Illinois (4/27 reef-mangrove habitats. – 5/26) to work on Taxonomic Literature, – 4/30) to work on her collections at the Vicki Funk, Sara Alexander, and Maya F & G Supplement. Field Museum; to Mexico (5/8 – 5/22) to Sthral traveled to Bronx, New York (6/5 – James Norris and Robert Sims present a seminar at Universidad Nacional 6/8) to study specimens from the traveled to Belize City, Belize (5/7 – 5/ Autónoma de México and to conduct field Venezulean Guayana at the New York 25) to collect marine red algae for research on Vitaceae, Araliaceae, and Botanical Garden. studies in Carrie Bow Cay. Prunus; to China (5/28 – 6/11) to teach a Rusty Russell traveled to Cambridge, training course on molecular techniques Massachusetts (6/5 – 6/6) to visit the in ethnobotany organized by Missouri The Plant Press Harvard University Botany Library and Botanical Garden and Kunming Institute Archives to investigate the Wilkes of Botany, and to conduct research on New Series - Vol. 9 - No. 3 collection. Araliaceae and Vitaceae; and to Santo Alain Touwaide and Emanuela Domingo, Dominican Republic (6/17 – 6/ Chair of Botany Appetiti traveled to Tbilisi, Georgia (5/3 20) to attend the council meeting of the W. John Kress ([email protected]) – 5/7) to participate in a conference on International Association for Plant traditional medicine; to Pompeii, Italy (5/ Taxonomy. EDITORIAL STAFF 13 – 5/20) to study biological material Kenneth Wurdack traveled to Bronx, from excavations; to Rome, Italy (5/24 – New York (5/15 – 5/17) to conduct Editor 7/5) to conduct research on Renaissance research at the herbarium and attend the Gary Krupnick printed herbals; to Baku, Azerbaijan (6/10 dedication of the Pfizer Plant Research ([email protected]) – 6/14) to attend a conference on ancient Laboratory at the New York Botanical News Contacts manuscripts and materia medica; and to Garden. MaryAnn Apicelli, Robert Faden, Ellen Istanbul, Turkey (6/15 – 6/16) to work Farr, Shirley Maina, George Russell, Alice Tangerini, and Elizabeth Zimmer Visitors The Plant Press is a quarterly publication provided Ze-Long Nie, Kunming Institute of Robert Leucking, Field Museum; Mason free of charge. If you would like to be added to the mailing list, please contact Dr. Gary Krupnick at: Botany, Chinese Academy

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