Book Reviews

Acta Bat. Neerl. June 233-235 46(2), 1997, p.

Book Reviews

Fifteenth International Seaweed by Frederick et al. on molecular phylogeny of red

algae, and Bolton’s on the possible role of ‘El Symposium; Developments in paper Nino’ in reducing species richness on the coasts of Hydrobiology 116 Chile and SW Africa. S.C. Lindstrom and D.J. Chapman. In group 5, ‘Population studies’, 16 papers report Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 1996, on population biology of larger seaweeds from vari- 576 Dfl. 530.0. ISBN 0-7923-3977-0. pp. Hardback, ousparts ofthe world. Seven of these have anapplied

because relate This book constitutes the proceedings of the Fif- aspect they to commercially important

Two in teenth International Seaweed Symposium, held in species. papers have, my opinion, a more

than because novel Valdivia, Chile, in January 1995. About 420 del- average interest, they present

39 approaches: Brenchley et al.’s paper ‘A comparison egates from countries participated in the sympo- of allocation and effort sium. The refereed all ofthem reproductive reproductive 76 papers, reprinted between semelparous and iteroparous fucoids’, and from Hydrobiohgia (vols 326/327, 1996) cover a Santos & Duarte’s ‘Fecundity, recruit- kaleidoscopic array ofsubjects. Useful additions are paper spore ment and size in Gelidium sesquipedale'. 6 the list ofparticipants, the subject index, the chemical Group

(‘Community studies’) contains one on components index, the taxonomic index, and the paper microbenthic in and is of author index. Since its initiation in the late 1940s, the growth a mesocosm, out

(is a diatom a 7 (‘Pollution’) series of seaweed symposia has been strongly orien- place seaweed?). Group

contains six of local interest on the relation- tated towards applied research (with, however, a papers ships between pollution and algae, varying from the strong admixture of ‘pure’ research), and this aspect

39 76 use of one species to monitor complex adverse cir- is still prominent in the 16th ISS: ofthe papers

cumstances to the of the of are application-orientated. description recovery

species richness after having put an end to pollution. The 76 papers have been arranged in 11 groups.

8 assembles six Group 1 contains the five Plenary Lectures, of which Group (‘Cultivation’) papers report-

ing on the successful experimental cultivation, in two applied lectures are most informative. B.

tanks or of commercial seaweeds from Santelices’ paper (‘Seaweed research and utilization ponds,

various parts of the world. in Chile: moving into a new phase’) reports on the recent commercial cultivation (beside gathering), and One would have expected that section

the recent introduction of industrial processing of 9 —‘Economics’ —would have contained more than

‘Recent the two in view of the stress on seaweeds in Chile. H.J. Bixler, in his paper papers presented,

applied These two are, however, inter- developments in manufacturing and marketing car- aspects. papers

useful of this and informative Norambuena: ‘Recent rageenan’, presents a account area. esting (R.

In group 2 (Special topic: ‘Integratedaquaculture’) trends in seaweed production in Chile’; J.A. Zertuch-

five various efforts Gonzalez; ‘Feasibilityforestablishing a carragheenan papers report on to use waste products of marine fish farms for the simultaneous industry in Mexico’). Group 10, ‘Physiology, bio-

and cell unites 12 cultivation ofseaweeds. In general, experimental and chemistry, biology’, papers on very

diverse does not allow mention of them theoretical set-ups do work but, as so often, commer- topics; space

cial is the This section is all in this review. and scaling-up big problem. very Finally, group 11, ‘Chemistry

chemical much worth reading. composition’, assembles seven reports on

details of and oneon sterols (in Group 3 is also devoted to a special topic: ‘Dis- algal polysacharides

Delesseria These are in general informative, eases in seaweed’. This is a novel, so far utterly ). papers

in seaweed research. The six in and fit well into the long-standing tradition of the neglected topic papers

International Seaweed this section clearly demonstrate that marine algal Symposia to present progress

is still much in its in the elucidation of algal phytopathology very incipient polysacharides.

stage, and far behind the present achievements in Purchase of this well-produced, but extremely ex- phytopathology (which should be more a source of pensive volume can perhaps be recommended to

inspiration for seaweed phytopathological research). some specialized institution libraries, which do not

in this section is the Klebl Most interesting paper by have Hydrobiologia. I cannot recommend it to indi-

et al. (‘Molecular and biochemical studies of virus viduals, as it does not give an overview of recent

infections in two filamentous brown algae’): the virus developments in applied seaweed research (this apart

could be detected in symptom-free algae by the from the prohibitiveprice). Most researchers will be

detection of virus-specific sequences. interested in only a small portion of the articles

Section 4, on ‘Floristics and systematics’, seems to contained in it, and they can better consult these in

be a little out of place in the context of this volume, Hydrobiologia through the library systems.

it contains Chris Hoek although some interesting papers, e.g. two van den

Juncaceae The systematic treatment includes an indented key

the The Patosia Henrik Balslev. to genera. genera Distichia. Oxychloe,

and Rostkovia differ from the Juncus and Organization for Flora Neotropica/The New York genera

Luzula flowers and Botanical Garden, New York, 1968, issued 24 June by having solitary by mucronate

anthers. Three of the of the first 1996, 167 pp. US $29,50 (hardback). genera group Distichia (. Oxychloe and Patosia) are cushion- ISBN 0-89327-403-8, ,

forming. In Distichia muscoides these cushions may This monograph is by the well-known Danish tax- reach several metres across; in Peru these cushions are onomist Henrik Balslev. He is active in very taxo- cut out and kept near houses, where they are used as nomic research in the Neotropics, particularly in fuel for cooking and heatingby highland Indians. The Ecuador. In taxonomy he is not only involved in above-mentioned three and also all genera, Rostkovia, research of Juncaceae, but also in Palmae. elevations 3500 and occur at very high (between Balslev’s monograph of Juncaceae is the first seri- 4500 m) and they form conspicuous elements of the ous study of the family since Buchenau’s (1906) paramo and puna vegetation, where they are some- treatment of the family for Engler’s Pflanzenreich. times dominant in wet places. Luzula is generally Balslev’s monograph has been based on a study of found at lower elevations, whereas Juncus often oc- living material in the field (over 250 Balslev collec- curs in habitats under human influence; some of the in tions are cited the list of exsiccatae) and onstudy species of Juncus, such asJ. bufonius and J. tenuis, are of material from 64 different herbaria. weedy. Juncaceae is a distinct family not to be confused In systematic treatment the six genera are treated, with any other neotropical plant family. It is easily keys are indented. For each species the synonymy has recognizable by its grass-like habit and by its gluma- been fully assessed, except for some of the cosmo- ceous, trimerous flowers. In current classifications politan species of Juncus, many based on types from (a.o. Dahlgren el al. 1985) it has been placed in Europe or the United States.

the order of Juncales close to Thumiaceae, a small All 55 species treated are well described, and for neotropical family represented by one genus most species excellent drawings, often including de- (Thurnia) with three species. tails of flowers and fruit, are given. Each description Balslev’s includes monograph a well-prepared is followed by ‘Distribution’ with remarks on distri- chapter on morphology and anatomy, with detailed bution and ecology. For each species a distribution studies of a.o. habit, stems, leaves, flower and fruits the excellent Flora map (using Neotropica base map) and seeds. The author investigated the seed structure has been made. All herbarium material studied by of all species with SEM (pp, 18-29); in this chapter the author is indicated under ‘Specimens examined’ he described and illustrated almost half of all species. or ‘Representative specimens’. The last case indicates From this study it is clear that seed structure is of that of a large amount specimens are seen, and that great importance for specific delimitation. Other only the most important ones are cited. subjects treated in the monograph are karyology, ends The author his revision with a large literature palynology, chemotaxonomy, floral biology, ecol- list (including more than 250 titles). The numerical list distribution and ogy, uses. of taxa includes all 55 species treated. It can be seen Junaceae in the Neotropics are represented by six that from all 55 species ofneotropical Juncaceae no less genera, namely Distichia, Juncus, Luzula, Oxychloe, than nine have been recently described by the author Patosia and Rostkovia, totalling 55 species. The himself. A complete list of exsiccatae is given (very Patosia genera Oxychloe, and Rostkovia are repre- useful to the various herbarium curators), and indices sented by one species in the Neotropics, Distichia to vernacular and scientific names are also given. includes three species, Luzula eight species, whereas This monograph is excellent, scientifically of high the genus Juncus is by far the largest species with a standard and user-friendly, with its good keys and total of 41 species. illustrations.

Neotropical Juncaceae are almost all restricted to P.J.M. Maas

higher elevations from 1000-4500 m, except for the

northern and southern limit of the distribution area Chemisch-ecologische flora van Nederland where a few species are found at low elevations. In en België the lowlands of the Amazon Region and in the H. L.M. A. van Genderen, Schoonhoven and Fuchs. Guianas, however, the family is completely absent.

Stichting Uitgeverij van de Koninklijke Nederlandse The Juncus and Luzula north genera are mainly Natuurhistorische Vereniging, Utrecht, 1996, 299 pp temperate. Within these two genera the following /69.50, voor KNNV-leden/59.50. three phytogeographic elements occur; (1) north tem- ISBN 90-5011-087-8 perate (c. 1/3 of the species); (2) south temperate

(c. 1/3 of the species); and (3) neotropical (c. 1/3 of This very interesting book deals with the topic of

the species). the so-called secondary compounds in higherplants.

In this perspective chemical structure, toxicity an understanding of the functioning and ecology of

and in possible use pharmaceutical practice are many of our wild species.

discussed. Even is the fact more interesting that On one hand it is a pity that such anoriginal book

data are presented within an ecological context; is written in Dutch, since it would be of interest to

the significance of the specific compound in many botanists not acquainted with the Dutch lan-

interactions between plants and other organisms, On the other botanists guage. hand, laymen may

as have easier the information protection against grazing by animals, pro- access to presented in

tection against pathogens, recognition of the this book. flowers insects, which function in In the of this book by pollination, my opinion, value could etc. be further increased if a few available and reliable

not all plant Understandably, species of the flora data on macrofungi could be included. The toxic and

of Belgium and The Netherlands are discussed. The hallucinogenic compounds found in several mush- authors have selected series of well-documented a rooms as well as aspects of heavy metal complexes

on the chemical of with reports ecology secondary com- organic compounds by fungi could present pounds available for the flora of the two countries, an interesting topic, when presented within an together with references for further literature studies. ecological context.

With this book they have added a new dimension for P.J.C. Kuiper