Department of Botany & the U.S. National Herbarium TheThe PlantPlant PressPress
New Series - Vol. 7 - No. 4 October - December 2004 Botany Profile The Rebirth of the Contributions Series By Susan J. Pennington he 2004 Smithsonian Strategic to maintain the herbarium and it was Congress added $10,000 ($210,000 in Plan for Science seeks to sharpen returned to Washington, D.C. While today’s dollars) to the Smithsonian’s Tthe focus of the Institution, waiting for the completion of the Na- allocation. Coville remained with the concentrating limited resources in those tional Museum (the Castle), the Smith- USDA but, like Vasey, also served as areas of research where they can be most sonian turned honorary productive. There is little doubt about the herbarium “The worth and impor- curator of the the importance of the United States over to the National National Herbarium in addressing one of United States tance of the Institution Herbarium, the core themes defined by the plan, Department of are not to be estimated which now “Discovering and Understanding Life’s Agriculture had three full- Diversity.” Scientists have been making (USDA) under by what it accumulates time assistant use of these collections for over 150 the care of its within the walls of its curators. years to answer just such thorny prob- Botanist, building, but by what it From that lems. The Strategic Plan has also Charles C. Parry. time to the adopted the viewpoint of Joseph Henry, In April 1872, sends forth to the world.” present, the the first Secretary of the Smithsonian George Vasey - Smithsonian Secretary collection has Institution, namely that the dissemina- took over the Joseph Henry, 1852 continued to tion of research results, or “getting the role of Botanist expand. Now, message out” as it was phrased, is an at the USDA. at 4.7 million equally important component of the The growing herbarium was also placed in specimens, it is a substantial component strategic plan. Considering this mandate, his charge. In recognition of his strides in of the Smithsonian’s Natural History it seems an appropriate time to examine organizing and enlarging the herbarium, collections. the rebirth of the Contributions from the Smithsonian appointed Vasey honor- the United States National Herbarium ary curator to its Department of Botany in rom its earliest days as a reposi- series and what part it can and should 1889. He held both positions until his tory for important collections, play in the next century of Smithsonian death in 1893, when his assistant, Fsuch as Wilkes, Wright and science. Frederick Vernon Coville, succeeded him. Palmer, the National Herbarium has The birth of the United States With the exception of the grasses, the inspired many seminal studies. Bota- National Herbarium is traditionally dated USDA formerly transferred the speci- nists usually chose one of three venues to 1848. In that year, the botanical mens back to the National Museum in for these publications: scientific collections of the Wilkes expedition to 1894. Coville described it as “having journals, USDA serials or Smithsonian the South Pacific were transferred to the grown beyond a mere consulting her- serials. Both Gray and Torrey published young Smithsonian Institution. Lacking barium to the dimensions of a great descriptions of significant collections both the staff and the facilities to curate governmental repository of botanical from the National Herbarium in the the specimens, the bundles of dried collections, thereby becoming a fit Smithsonian Contributions to Knowl- plants were delivered to John Torrey and charge for the Smithsonian Institution” edge series. During his 20-year tenure Asa Gray. From the 1840s through the (Botanical Gazette 22: 418-420. 1896.) as Botanist and Curator, Vasey published 1860s, the collection was housed at For the next two years, the USDA recent additions to and desiderata for Columbia College under their supervi- continued to provide financial support for the National Herbarium in the annual sion. In 1868, Torrey no longer felt able the Herbarium until July 1896, when report of the USDA. After 1887, he Continued on page 14 Travel
Robert Soreng traveled to several (7/8 – 7/10) to attend a meeting about conduct field research. Chinese herbaria (5/1 – 6/15) to revise DNA bar-coding at the Instituto Nacional Maria Faust traveled to Fort Pierce, Poa for Flora of China (FOC). de Biodiversidad (INBIO); to Miami, Florida (7/26 – 7/31) to collect oceanic Paul Peterson and Stephen Smith Florida (7/10 – 7/15) to attend the Asso- dinoflagellates. traveled to western Canada (6/29 – 7/27) ciation for Tropical Biology and Conser- Warren Wagner traveled to Snow- to collect grasses; Peterson traveled to vation (ATBC) annual meeting; attempted bird, Utah (7/29 – 8/5) to attend the Snowbird, Utah (7/29 – 8/5) to present a to travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico (8/1 – Botany 2004 meeting; and to Los Baños, paper at the Botany 2004 meeting. 8/6) to present a paper at the Heliconia Philippines (9/20 – 9/24) to attend the 6th Dan Nicolson traveled to southern Society International meeting; to Fulton, International Flora Malesiana Sympo- China (7/1 – 7/11) to conduct a workshop Maryland (9/20) to attend a meeting on sium. on botanical nomenclature; and to Manila, Haiti habitat restoration; and to Athens, Mike Bordelon traveled to San Juan, Philippines, and Taipei, Taiwan (9/15 – Georgia (9/29 – 9/30) to attend the Puerto Rico (8/1 – 8/6) to present a paper 10/2) to attend an officers meeting of the dissertation defense of Jeff Lake at the at the Heliconia Society International International Association for Plant Taxon- University of Georgia. meeting. omy, a meeting of Flora Melesiana, and to Laurence Skog (Emeritus) traveled to Mark Strong traveled to Snowbird, present an invited lecture. Smithtown, New York (7/8 – 7/11) to Utah (8/1 – 8/5) to present a paper at the Alice Tangerini traveled to Williams- attend the annual meeting of the American Botany 2004 meetings. burg, Virginia (7/4 – 7/10) to participate Gloxinia and Gesneriad Society; and to James Norris and Robert Sims in the annual meeting of the Guild of Snowbird, Utah (7/30 – 8/5) to attend the traveled to Fort Pierce, Florida (8/23 – 9/ Natural Science Illustrators at the College Botany 2004 conference. 8) to conduct field work at the Smith- of William and Mary. Gary Krupnick traveled to Miami, sonian Marine Station. Vicki Funk traveled to Towson, Mary- Florida (7/10 – 7/15) to attend the Asso- Alain Touwaide traveled to Rome, land (7/6) to give a seminar to the Biol- ciation for Tropical Biology and Conser- Italy (8/31 – 11/8) to conduct research at ogy Department at Towson State Univer- vation (ATBC) annual meeting. the National Library on a project sup- sity; to Panama City, Panama (7/12 – 7/ Pedro Acevedo traveled to Miami, ported by the Earthwatch Institute; and to 21) to present a talk at the Species Plan- Florida (7/12) to present a paper at the Bari and Metaponto, Italy (9/5 – 9/11) to tarum Programme meeting and to give a Association for Tropical Biology and deliver the inaugural lecture at the 39th presentation at STRI; to Snowbird, Utah Conservation (ATBC) annual meeting; to conference of the International Society of (7/31 – 8/7) to present two papers at the Panama (7/16 – 7/17) to represent the History of Medicine. Botany 2004 conference; and to Johan- Botany at the organization meeting for Elizabeth Zimmer traveled to nesburg, South Africa (8/19 – 9/10) to Flora Neotropica held at the Smithsonian Boston, Massachusetts (9/8 – 10/30) to collect Asteraceae in Namaqualand. Tropical Research Institute (STRI); and to conduct research as a Radcliffe Fellow at W. John Kress traveled to Costa Rica Madre de Dios, Peru (8/1 – 8/31) to Harvard University.
The Plant Press Visitors
New Series - Vol. 7 - No. 4 Reiko Igawa, Independent researcher; Jerrold Davis, Cornell University; Volunteer interview (7/2). Poaceae (7/20-7/21). Chair of Botany W. John Kress Araceli Segura-Suarez, Independent David Pivorunas, U.S. Forest Service; ([email protected]) researcher; volunteer interview (7/2). Consultation of plant collecting (7/20).
EDITORIAL STAFF Peter Hoch, Missouri Botanical Garden; Ahmed Huq, National Institutes of Onagraceae (7/12-7/16). Health - National Cancer Institute; Editor Cambodian NCI collections (7/29-7/30). Gary Krupnick Alberto Vasquez, Independent re- ([email protected]) searcher; Epipactis (Orchidaceae) (7/13). Marina Olonova, Tomsk State Univer- sity, Russia; Poa (Poaceae) Flora of Elizabeth Shores, Mississippi State Uni- News Contacts China (8/1-10/15). MaryAnn Apicelli, Robert Faden, Ellen versity; Biography of R.M. Harper (7/14). Farr, George Russell, Alice Tangerini, and Tracey Parker, Independent researcher; Joe Miller, University of Iowa; Fabaceae Elizabeth Zimmer Central American plants (8/3-8/13). mimosoids (7/15-7/16). The Plant Press is a quarterly publication provided Steve Selva, University of Maine at Ft. Phillip DaSilva, Faculty of Natural free of charge. If you would like to be added to the Kent; Calicoid lichens, fungi from New mailing list, please contact Gary Krupnick at: Science, University of Guyana; Guyanese England and maritime Canada (8/9-8/11). Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, PO Mangrove conservation (7/15-7/29). Box 37012, NMNH MRC-166, Washington, DC Gaurav Agaarwal, University of 20013-7012, or by E-mail: [email protected]. Elizabeth Zacharias, University of Maryland; NSF electronic field guide California, Berkeley; Atriplex (Chenopo- Web site: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/botany project (8/16; 8/19). diaceae) (7/16).
Page 2 st Beyond Paradise: Saving Tropical Forests in the 21 Century Chair s we plunge into the new century the world’s with the implementation of local and national Chair tropical rain forests continue their decline. environmental policy. New perspectives on research AThe human forces responsible for the substan- in tropical habitats and communities must be tial degradation of tropical habitats across the globe advanced if we are to successfully conserve natural With over the last 100 years have not subsided. Since 1980 forests, savannas, and wet lands in the tropics. twenty-one percent of the tropical forests existing at Tropical scientists, following these new perspec- that time have been destroyed while human popula- tives and principals through a lengthy process of tions and the rate of forest conversion to degraded discussion and debate, have agreed upon a set of A habitats continue to increase in tropical countries. recommendations fundamental to advancing the With the expected doubling of the population in biological and social sciences in the tropics. These developing countries by 2050 tropical habitats will be priorities are 1) to complete the inventory and clas- View subjected to an unprecedented level of ecological sification of life in the tropics using both traditional stress. If these rates are not reduced, the latest methods and advanced information technologies, 2) estimates suggest that up to half of the species of to create a mega-network of scientists working in the plants, animals, and micro-organisms, especially in tropics through an expanded system of field stations, biodiversity hotspots, will be threatened with extinc- 3) to strengthen research and educational institutions W. tion by mid-century. Biologists and conservationists in the tropics to firmly root tropical biology in local who have traveled and worked in numerous tropical countries and communities, and, finally, 4) to John countries on all continents have not yet found a habitat increase interdisciplinary interactions for informa- Kress that is untouched by human activity. The state of global tion exchange among parties concerned with tropical environmental affairs remains bleak. habitats. By advancing these four recommendations, Yet at a recent meeting of tropical biologists in we believe that the understanding and conservation of Miami, Florida, the outlook was not entirely pessimis- all tropical environments will be significantly tic. Scientists from both developing and developed expanded. countries working in the tropics have banded together The overwhelming impact of humans on tropical to launch a new effort to understand and conserve ecosystems now compels biologists, conservation- threatened species and natural habitats. In a newly ists, and social scientists to act jointly for a more published report entitled “Beyond Paradise: Meeting socially and economically relevant scientific the Challenges in Tropical Biology in the 21st Cen- research agenda. This undertaking by scientists from tury” produced by the Association for Tropical multiple countries around the globe will strive to Biology and Conservation, we have reassessed our amplify the influence of tropical researchers on role in saving the world’s terrestrial environments that environmental policy and conservation. Our common lie between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. As resolve to work toward this agenda will be instru- scientists we no longer have the luxury of focusing mental in comprehending, conserving, restoring, and myopically our efforts on pristine tropical habitats enhancing tropical forests for the perpetual benefit hypothetically untouched by civilization. Many of nature and humanity. tropical biologists now believe that even the most pristine tropical habitats have been influenced in some way by humans over the last thousand years. It is now clear human-impacted natural ecosystems deserve our immediate scientific attention as well. Equally imperative is the integration of social scientists with Note: This essay was prepared with Thomas E. Lovejoy, biologists, ecologists, and conservationists in the President of The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, tropics. Finally, tropical science must be firmly linked Economics and the Environment.
Visitors University; GIS projects (8/26). (9/1-3/1). Continued from page 2 Elizabeth Braker, Occidental College; J. Francisco Morales, Instituto Nacio- Michael Park, University of California, Chilean Puya (Bromeliaceae) (8/26). nal de Biodiversidad (INBio); Neotropical Apocynaceae (9/7-9/8; 9/15). Berkeley; Eryngium (Brassicaceae) (8/ Allan Falconer, George Mason Univer- 20). sity; GIS projects (8/26). Abena Disroe, Independent researcher; Memorial for Robert DeFilipps (9/8). Amanda Parks, East Tennessee State Barry Haack, George Mason University; University Herbarium; Guianese Morinda GIS projects (8/26). Vesna Karaman, Louisiana State Univer- (Rubiaceae) (8/23-8/27). sity; Asteraceae (subtribe Hinterhuber- Vivian Negron-Ortiz, Miami University; inae) (9/13-9/16). Sergei Andronikov, George Mason Caribbean Rubiaceae and Cactaceae
Page 3 of the International Association for Plant On 22 September, Shetler began a fifth Staff Taxonomy (IAPT) (Nicolson is Past season of teaching the 8-week course on President and Warren Wagner is Adminis- Fall Woody Plant Identification in the Research & trator of Finances). The council is Natural History Field Studies Program of Activities preparing for elections to be held before the Graduate School of the U.S. Depart- the Vienna Congress in July 2005. ment of Agriculture. Nicolson also attended a series of From May to early July, Robert Soreng During the month of August, Pedro presentations at the 6th Flora Malesiana traveled to several Chinese herbaria to Acevedo conducted field work at Los Symposium held at Los Baños. Finally, revise Poa for Flora of China (FOC): Amigos Biological station in the Depart- Nicolson spoke on the importance of the Beijing (PE), Nanjing (N, NAS), and ment Madre de Dios, Peru. The purpose U.S. National Herbarium in neotypifying Kunming (KUN, YUKU). His travel was of the work was to collect specimens and names of Philippine plants published by supported by the FOC project. Co-author data on the Sapindaceae and lianas of the Blanco (1778-1845) on materials Marina Olonova, of Tomsk, Russia, region. While there, Acevedo presented a distributed by E. D. Merrill. This was visited PE for two months last fall, and, talk about vines, lianas and other climbing Nicolson’s first visit to Los Baños since with support from the Walcott fund, is plants. 1960 where he visited for four months to begin collecting Malesian Araceae and currently visiting the U.S. National Dan Nicolson visited southern China on where his first child, John, was born. Herbarium for 2.5 months to review 3 – 11 July. Nicolson and three other In Taipei, Taiwan, Nicolson spoke at a collections at US and on loan from K, members of the Editorial Committee of symposium on plant diversity, mostly BM, L, the above herbaria, and MB (G. & the 2000 International Code of Botanical composed of IAPT council members. He S. Miehe vegetation surveys of the Nomenclature were invited by the South spoke on “Critical Botanical Works.” T. C. Tibetan Plateau region), and to work on China Botanical Garden in Guangzhou and Huang, editor of the Flora of Taiwan, was the revision. In collaboration with the Missouri Botanical Garden to lecture awarded the Engler Medal in Silver. Guang-Hua Zhu, they hope to have a on the Code as part of the on-going Ching-I Peng was the host and arranged revised account of the 231 taxa reported English translation of the Flora of China. for Nicolson and other guests to visit in Flora Reipubicae Popularis Sinicae (9: The three other invitees were John several herbaria and museums in Taipei 91-227. 2003), completed by December McNeill from Edinburgh (the current and Taichung where he annotated Araceae. 2004. Rapporteur-Général and editor of nomen- Alice Tangerini attended and partici- clature for Taxon), Fred Barrie from On 29 June to 27 July, Paul Peterson, pated in the Guild of Natural Science Chicago (the current Secretary of the Stephen Smith, and Jeffery M. Saarela, a Illustrators (GNSI) national annual General Committee), and Nick Turland Ph.D. student at the University of British meeting held 4 July through 10 July, at (from St. Louis). Ten lectures were Columbia, Vancouver and former Smith- the College of William and Mary in presented covering the entire Code. sonian Research Training Program intern, Williamsburg, Virginia. Tangerini and Nicolson presented two lectures: one on traveled in western Canada through Mary Parrish, illustrator for the Depart- standard botanical references and the Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British ment of Paleobiology, presented a joint other on conservation and rejection of Columbia, Yukon Territory, and Northwest talk on “Reconstructing Plants: Ancient names. All lectures were simultaneously Territories collecting grasses. Four- and Modern,” as part of a day long translated into Chinese during the presen- hundred twenty-four numbers of grasses session on paleobiology talks organized tation by colleagues such as Guanghua were gathered with over half of these by Parrish. Tangerini and Parrish’s talks Zhu (who published a translation of the St. placed in silica for later molecular focused on techniques they used in the Louis Code into Chinese). After the analyses. Saarela and Peterson are reconstruction process to make flattened lectures, the guests were treated to visits collaborating on a new project investigat- specimens look three dimensional. In to Mt. Dinghu National Park, the headwa- ing the systematics of Calamagrostis in addition to lectures and digital presenta- ters of Shing Mun Reservoir, and a stay at addition to their study of the molecular tions the meeting featured several the impressive Fairy Lake Botanical phylogenetics of Bromus and the workshops on digital media. Tangerini Garden at Shenzhen, which is adjacent to Bromeae. The team drove along the took a class on Corel Painter which was Hong Kong. Dempster Highway to the end of the road unfortunately interrupted by a severe In August, Nicolson spent two weeks at Inuvik (68º 22’ N), Northwest Territo- thunderstorm and a general power outage in the Philippines and Taiwan. In the ries, the furthest north you can travel by over the campus. The instructor thought Philippines, he attended council meetings car in Canada. In Beaver Creek, Yukon Territory, the team visited an area selected enough to have his battery powered laptop by the White River First Nation. computer along and the class gathered around him to view the lesson. The On 20 September, Stanwyn Shetler gave situation was much like that of ancient his annual lecture about local biodiversity man huddled around the campfire. to a class in the graduate course of Johns Tangerini had two pieces of her work Hopkins University (D.C. campus) on (Anthurium ramoncaracasii and Biodiversity and Wildlife Management. Asteraceae achenes) in the GNSI Exhibit.
Page 4 The exhibit was on display in the Virginia families, and inventory and image many of historical data on the authors and their Living Museum in Newport News and the specimens. Russell has also recently works. These secondary databases will be received good reviews in the local negotiated an interagency transfer of cross-linked to the primary database newspaper. funds from USDA to continue the task of enabling users to have access to all of the digitizing color slides for the plant image information simultaneously for a better Alain Touwaide has been invited to be a collection. understanding of ancient texts. member of the editorial board of the new journal African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medi- Ethnobotany of cines (AJTCAM). Classical Antiquity Receives Funding Wagner Joins NTBG Warren Wagner has been appointed Support from NIH as the McBryde Chair for Hawaiian Plant The Department has been awarded Studies at the National Tropical Botanical $1,180,000 in a four-year grant (2004- Garden (NTBG). “The NTBG is a remark- 2008) from the National Center for able place,” acknowledged Chipper Complementary and Alternative Medi- Wichman, Acting Director of NTBG. “It is cines (NCCAM) of the National Institutes a place that attracts some of the most of Health (NIH). Alain Touwaide, gifted research scientists in our Research Associate since 2002, is the nation. Dr. Wagner is an internationally Principal Investigator and submitted the recognized leader in his field and will proposal in collaboration with Co-PI W. greatly enhance our programs. Our John Kress. Touwaide will lead the efforts to preserve the vanishing Hawaiian project, entitled “Medicinal Plants of flora will certainly be strengthened by the Antiquity: A Computerized Database,” addition of this talented individual.” which will also include Dan Moerman, an Wagner occupies the McBryde Chair Awards & anthropologist and ethnobotanist of the for Hawaiian Plant Studies for 2004- University of Michigan at Dearborn and 2006 while on sabbatical. The McBryde Grants author of Native American Ethnobotany, Chair, established in 1995 through an and Christopher Meacham, a Research endowment, brings distinguished, senior Dan Nicolson had a new plant species Associate of the University of California level botanists to Garden headquarters to named in his honor. The South American in Berkeley and the co-author of the enhance conservation and research plant species Chlorospatha nicolsonii Synthesis database. The project aims to efforts with Hawaii’s native plant species. Croat & Hannon (Aroideana 27: 34. recover the therapeutic uses of plants in Occupants of this post are prominent 2004) was named “for Dan Nicolson of classical antiquity (from the fifth century research scientists with outstanding the Smithsonian Institution, noted B.C. to the second century A.D.) for academic and scholarly credentials; authority on the Araceae of Asia and first integration into contemporary research on devoted teachers and mentors; and have winner [in 1999] of the H. W. Schott natural medicines. The resulting compre- dedicated their lives to the advancement award for excellence in Araceae re- hensive computerized database, the first of tropical botany and conservation. search.” on this topic, will be made available to “I am excited and honored to have been given the opportunity to occupy the James Norris received a grant for scientists and scholars worldwide. McBryde Chair, especially at this time $4,704 from the University of Louisiana Research will deal with the three under the new leadership of Chipper at Lafayette. The title of his grant is major ancient extant works (or groups of Wichman,” said Wagner. “The primary “Monographic Research and Phylogenetic works) on pharmaceutical therapy and focus of work will be to complete, in Investigations of the Ceramiales medicinal plants of classical antiquity, collaboration with NTBG Senior Re- (Rhodophyla).” those by (or attributed to) Hippocrates (the fifth to fourth centuries B.C.), search Botanist David Lorence, a decade- Rusty Russell has received a grant from Dioscorides (the first century A.D.), and long project on plants of the Marquesas the Smithsonian Institution Latino Galen (the second century A.D.). Texts Islands, which will be developed as an Initiatives Program for a project entitled will be read in the original Greek lan- online internet resource and eventually as “Ethnobotanical Diversity in the Border guage; relevant data will be extracted and a two-volume book.” Regions of U.S. and Mexico.” This translated into English, and both the Wagner’s first action as McBryde project will focus on the botanical Greek and English versions will be stored Chair was to develop an initiative to collections of Edward Palmer. It will in the primary database and indexed for advance the NTBG’s Conservation allow the Department of Botany to bring retrieval. A series of secondary databases Program by bringing together specialists in specialists to significantly improve the will be created to store identifications of to participate in a workshop entitled locality data for these collections, bring the plants and diseases mentioned in the “Strategic Directions for the 21st Century in Mexican botanists to work on certain texts when possible, in addition to the Continued on page 6
Page 5 Robert A. DeFilipps (1939-2004) Robert A. DeFilipps, 65, died of plants (Dominica and the Guianas). heart disease 4 July at Washington DeFilipps was also an important compo- Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. nent of the Department’s Editorial Center DeFilipps was a museum specialist, for the Flora of China project, sponsored taxonomist and conservation biologist in by the Missouri Botanical Garden and the the Department. Institute of Botany in Beijing. DeFilipps was born on 4 March 1939, DeFilipps published 50 technical in Chicago, Illinois. He received a B.S. in papers (including six books and 26 1960, from the University of Illinois at scientific papers) and described 14 Urbana-Champaign; and an M.S. in 1962 species of flowering plants. Among his Endangered (Master’s Thesis: “A Taxonomic Study of most noteworthy books is what can be found in his curriculum vitae: and Threatened Plants of the United Juncus in Illinois”) and Ph.D. in 1968 his quick wit, his love for tropical fish, States (Doctoral Dissertation: “A Revision of (Ayensu & DeFilipps, 1978), in and his ability to get lost while hiking in Ximenia (Olacaceae)”), both in Botany which he played a significant role in Dominica. from the Southern Illinois University at developing the endangered plant species Carbondale. His research interests list for the United States. The Endangered included the flora of the Guianas, China, Species Act of 1973 directed the Smith- Myanmar and Haiti; medicinal, ornamen- sonian to prepare a report on endangered tal and other economic plants of the and threatened plant species of the United Guianas, Dominica, Haiti and Myanmar; States. This report was transmitted to the and plant conservation. Congress in 1975 and published in a Soon after completing his doctorate, revised form by the Smithsonian in 1978. DeFilipps came to the Smithsonian Other significant publications include Wagner Institution to collaborate with Dan Nicol- Our Green and Living World: The Wis- Continued from page 5 son on the Flora of Dominica Project in dom to Savie It (Ayensu, Heywood, Lucas the Department of Botany, National & DeFilipps, 1984); Ornamental Garden – Envisioning the Potential of the Museum of Natural History. After a year Plants of the Guianas: An Historical National Tropical Botanical Garden.” of research in Washington, D.C., he Perspective of Selected Garden Plants Wagner assisted Wichman, together with moved to England for 5 years, serving as a from Guyana, Surinam and French David Burney, NTBG’s Director of research associate on the Flora Europaea Guiana. (1992); Useful Plants of the Conservation, in hosting this three-day Project under the supervision of Profes- Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies conservation summit at NTBG headquar- sor Vernon H. Heywood at the University (1998); Medicinal Plants of India. Vol. 1 ters in April of this year. The summit was of Reading. In 1974, DeFilipps returned (Jain & DeFilipps, 1991); and A Checklist attended by 18 participants representing to the Smithsonian Institution, where he of the Trees, Shrubs, Herbs, and Climb- State and Federal agencies, non-profit worked in the Department of Botany for ers of Myanmar (Kress, DeFilipps, Farr organizations, botanical garden directors, nearly 30 years. In his position as & Daw Yin Yin Kyi, 2003) and research scientists. The goal of the Museum Specialist, he worked with the During his spare time, DeFilipps’ summit was to examine the role of Endangered Flora Project (1974-1987); hobbies included the creation of tropical conservation at the NTBG and make the Office of Biological Conservation ornamental plant gardens in Dominica, recommendations concerning present (1978-1983); the Plant Conservation Unit Fiji, India and Haiti. At the time of his challenges and future priorities. (1983-1994); and the Floristics Office death, he was compiling a dictionary of The National Tropical Botanical (1994-2003). During his final year, he the plants of Haiti, a work that had already Garden is a not-for-profit corporation, again worked for the Plant Conservation reached nearly one thousand pages. He funded primarily by donations from Unit. previously wrote and published a mono- individuals and grants from foundations DeFilipps’ most recent duties in- graph on the plants of Haitian Voudou in and agencies. The NTBG is dedicated to cluded: Editorial Assistant and Regional conjunction with the famous Voudun, protecting, conserving, and studying the Advisor for Myanmar (Burma) as repre- Hougan Max Beauvoir. world’s tropical plants, with an emphasis sentative of the Smithsonian Editorial A memorial for DeFilipps was held at on threatened and endangered species, and Center for the Flora of China Project; the U.S. National Herbarium on 8 sharing the knowledge gathered with editor and database maintenance for the September. Over 60 people paid their professionals, students, and the general Revised Checklist of the Plants of respects, while listening to eulogies from public. NTBG’s national administrative Myanmar (Burma); preparation of W. John Kress, Gary Krupnick, and and program headquarters is located on taxonomic treatments of 46 families for DeFilipps’ brother Willard DeFilipps. Kauai, Hawaii. It has three gardens and Flora of the Guianas; co-editor of the Other guests, such as Abena Disroe, one preserve on Kauai, Hawaii; a garden Plant Press; and the preparation of books goddaughter of Beauvoir, spoke about his on Maui, Hawaii; two preserves on the on medicinal (Brazil, the Guianas, Haiti, life and extensive work, and learned about Big Island of Hawaii, and a garden in India, and Myanmar) and ornamental other facets of DeFilipps that go beyond southeast Florida.
Page 6 Type Specimen of turn up in the general herbarium, but it Natural History was well-represented at seemed odd that a type specimen of such the annual meeting of the Association for a “Living Fossil” a famous species could go for so long Tropical Biology and Conservation without being recognized. Even more (ATBC) which convened in Miami, Discovered confusing, according to the Missouri Florida, on 12 – 16 July. Cristián By John Boggan Botanical Garden’s Tropicos Web site, the Samper, Director of NMNH, opened the A new gem—or rather, an old gem that type collection is C.Y. Hsueh 5, collected scientific program with the plenary went unrecognized for half a century— 20 February 1946, with the holotype address, “Forests in the Clouds: Ecology has been discovered in the U.S. National deposited in the herbarium of the Arnold and Conservation of Andean Ecosystems.” Herbarium: a type specimen of the Arboretum. According to the Harvard W. John Kress, Botany Chair and famous “living fossil” Metasequoia University Herbaria Web site, all speci- Executive Director of ATBC, presented glyptostroboides. This species, described mens at the Arnold Arboretum are the inauguration of the report, “Beyond by Chinese botanists H.H. Hu and W.C. syntypes. Paradise: Meeting the Challenges in Cheng in 1948, caused an international Because of the discrepancy between Tropical Biology in the 21st Century.” sensation in the 1940s when it was Ma’s annotation and Tropicos, it seemed This new white paper defines research and identified as a living representative of a worth checking the original description of funding priorities in tropical biology and genus previously known only from fossils the species to confirm it one way or the serves as an update of the 1980 report (Science 107: 140. 1948; Arnoldia 8: other. Sure enough, among several “Research Priorities in Tropical Biology.” 1-8. 1948). collections cited in Hu and Cheng’s The current initiative is the result of an In October 2004 the Department’s original description (Bulletin of the Fan international effort begun in 2000 to Type Specimen Register received a Memorial Institute of Biology 1: 153- review the state of tropical biology and to specimen of Metasequoia glyptostro- 163. 1948), two were explicitly indicated explore opportunities for future advances boides that had recently been annotated as as types: “C.J. Hsueh no. 5, type in in the field. “Beyond Paradise” provides a syntype by visiting Brooklyn Botanic flowers and cones without foliage shoots, guidelines that encourage tropical Garden botanist Jinshuang Ma. The Feb. 20, 1946” and “...same locality, same biologists and funding organizations to specimen, C.T. Hwa 2, collected in China tree, C.T. Hwa no. 2, type in cones with move beyond the current vision of on 12 September 1947, was sent to the foliage shoots, Sept. 12, 1947.” The US protecting undisturbed lands to a perspec- National Herbarium from the Arnold collection clearly matches the second tive that integrates social realities. The Arboretum sometime in the 1940s. specimen cited as “type.” Since two report is available at
Page 7 Summer Airport only Bordelon was able to get to every winter in the northeast. Rarely, if Continued from page 7 the meeting. He gave a presentation on ever, does ice scour occur in the south- the family Zingiberaceae, titled “A west. This would provide a test of the Richardson, and S. Ferrier). Carol Photographic Survey of the Gingers” and hypothesis that it is primarily summer Kelloff presented “Phytogeography of provided a last-minute substitute for temperature in the western Atlantic, and Kaieteur Falls, Potaro Plateau, Guyana: Kress by presenting his paper on “The not ice scour, that determines rocky shore Floral Distributions and Affinities” Classification of the Ginger Family.” community structure. (Kelloff, C. L. and V. Funk). Paul Peter- Kress gave his second presentation, In Newfoundland and Labrador, the son presented his paper “A Phylogeny of “From Cancer to Capricorn—the Tropical Chordaria complex (typically Chordaria the Muhlenbergiinae (Poaceae: Chlorido- Zingiberales of the World,” over speaker flagelliformis with lesser amounts of ideae: Cynodonteae) Based on ITS and phone from the Chair’s office in Wash- Scytosiphon lomentaria, Petalonia trnL-F Sequences” (Peterson, P.M., J.T. ington, D.C., while Bordelon presented fascia, Pilayella littoralis and Devalera- Columbus, N.F. Refulio Rodriguez, R. the Power Point graphics. ea ramentacea) makes up 53 percent of Cerros Tlatilpa, and M.S. Kinney). Mark the infralittoral biomass and Fucus dis- Strong gave the talk “Micromorphologi- tichus 46 percent. Although Chondrus cal Achene Features of Rhynchospora crispus can sometimes be found after a (Cyperaceae) in the Guianas, South long search, it did not appear in a single America Bearing on the Delimitation of quadrat at 10 stations. In Maine, on the Species and Sections.” Warren Wagner other hand, the Chordaria complex attended the American Society of Plant shows as a trace with the Chondrus com- Taxonomists (ASPT) council meeting as Cruising the North plex (Chondrus crispus with generally chair of the finance committee. Atlantic Coast lesser amounts of Mastophora stellata, Laurence Skog also attended the Corallina officinalis and Palmaria conference. Walter Adey and wife Karen returned palmata) at 86 percent and F. distichus 4 The Heliconia Society International in late September from a three and a half percent (numerous “Boreal” species make meeting was held in San Juan, Puerto month cruise on the Alca i, occupying up the remainder of the biomass). Rico, from 1 - 6 August. W. John Kress, benthic stations along the entire Atlantic The Atlantic Nova Scotia Coast is Research Asssitant Ida Lopez, Green- Coast of Nova Scotia and extending into typically a few degrees Celsius warmer house Manager Mike Bordelon and the Gulf of Maine. During the cruise, it than the Maine Coast in late summer and graduate student Vinita Gowda (George was possible to complete a series of 6 to 10 degrees warmer than the northeast Washington University) were slated to quantitative infralittoral and uppermost Newfoundland and the southern Labrador attend and conduct field work on sublittoral biomass stations in the most Coasts. In the southwestern half of the Heliconia and hummingbirds after the difficult to collect of the benthic algal Nova Scotia Coast, the Chondrus com- conference. Unfortunately due to airline zones. plex was found to make up 97 percent of complications at Dulles International Recent reviews of western Atlantic the biomass in the infralittoral – both the rocky shore community structure have Chordaria complex and F. distichus concluded that the area from Cape Cod to showed as only a trace. On the ice- southern Labrador represents a single scoured, northeast Nova Scotia coast, the ecosystem. Yet, based on intensive, Chondrus complex was down to 83 biomass-based field studies undertaken by percent (not significantly different from the Adeys from 2000 to 2003, and Maine), the Chordaria complex occurred supported by the Adey/Steneck theoreti- at 10 percent, and F. distichus at 3 per- cal biogeographic model published in cent. As in the Gulf of Maine, a number of 2001, the rocky shore of northern New- Boreal species occur at modest levels. foundland and southern Labrador provides It is tentatively concluded that ice a subarctic core very different in commu- scour may have some minimal effect in nity structure from that of the Maine providing more bare rock surface for the Coast. Since one could argue that this is Chordaria complex in northeastern Nova primarily the direct result of sea ice Scotia and therefore a slightly greater scour in the north, the 2004 cruise was presence for this group on this subset of undertaken to examine the infralittoral coast. In crevices, boulder fields and po- and uppermost sublittoral zones, those lynya, where ice removal is not complete most affected by ice scour, on the and algal biomass build-up is significant, Atlantic Coast of Nova Scotia. Here the the Chondrus complex remains by far the summer temperatures are generally dominant element, as it is in southwestern The report, “Beyond Paradise: Meet- slightly warmer than those in the Gulf of Nova Scotia and in the Gulf of Maine. ing the Challenges in Tropical Biology Maine, and yet, because of late winter and This is not the case in northern New- in the 21st Century,” was presented at spring outflow from the Gulf of St. foundland and Labrador where the the annual ATBC meeting. Lawrence, sea ice scour occurs virtually Chordaria complex and Fucus distichus
Page 8 highly dominate in the locally-protected because the wasp necessary for pollina- National History, and the Museum of infralittoral and Chondrus and its tion (Ceratosolen abnormis) has not Mongolian Natural History) will associates are rare. A thorough analysis of been introduced here. strengthen ties between Smithsonian and the data will be undertaken this winter. It The dinner-plate fig belongs to a genus Mongolian scientists, scholars, institu- appears clear, however, that the Adey/ of over 600 species of mainly evergreen tions, and museums through collaborative Steneck model, based on Pleistocene- trees of varied habitat in tropical and research, scholarly exchanges, collec- scale temperature patterns and supported subtropical parts of both hemispheres, tions developments, and new exhibits. by quantitative field data, remains a better and occasionally in warm temperate areas. This Memorandum grew out of a predictor of biogeographic patterns than Flowers are produced on the inner multi-faceted research program, the Deer either presence/absence species data or surfaces of a green, pear-shaped recep- Stone Project, which was initiated in sea ice scour, even in the critical tacle with a small opening at the top. Gall 2000 by the National Museum of Natural infralittoral zone. wasps gain entry through this opening to History. The project, including Smith- lay their eggs. After hatching and mating sonian scientists William Fitzhugh, Paula Mystery Specimen in the receptacle, the young wasps, DePriest, Dan Rogers and Bruno covered in pollen from the flowers, Frohlich, fellow William Honeychurch, Identified After emerge and fly off to other fig trees of and their Mongolian counterparts, has the same species. There they lay their studied the biological diversity of Stumping Curators eggs, and in the process, fertilize other northern Mongolia and its cultural for Four Days flowers. Each species of fig has its own diversity from the Neolithic to Medieval By Elaine Haug special gall wasp. periods. In June 2004, the Deer Stone Project While visiting my son in Carpenteria, sponsored a symposia and workshops in California, in January, a neighbor asked Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia. The symposium me to identify a neighborhood tree. I included a two-day program of profes- photographed it and took a couple of sional and public talks, and a series of specimens of the flower and a leaf to workshops on museum object conserva- bring back for the Department staff for tion, collection management, and GIS quick identification. mapping. Participants in the workshops Aaron Goldberg, Pedro Acevedo included Deborah Bell, David Hunt, and Dan Nicholson were all stumped at Gregory McKee, and Paul Rhymer, from first. Acevedo and I did a cross section of NMNH, Harriet Beaubien, from SCMRE, the softball-size fruit to discover that it and Carolyn Thome, from the Office of was an inflorescence with both male and Exhibits Central. Bell and McKee female flowers. Acevedo surmised it was presented information on pest manage- a fig, but the leaves were so large that it Smithsonian ment, specimen curation, and collection did not look like other well-known figs. Welcomes the management to the staff of a number of Nicholson waded through fig family Mongolian herbaria. material for four days, when finally he President of In addition, the National Zoological came upon Ficus dammaropsis, the Mongolia Park has been involved in the conserva- dinner plate fig. The US National Her- tion of Mongolian animals. Peter Leim- barium has a couple of specimens On July 14, the President of Mon- gruber has studied the migration of originating from the native country of golia, Bagabandi, visited the Smithsonian Mongolian gazelles, and Steve Monfort is New Guinea and another from a foreign Institution to witness signing of a Memo- the coordinator for the Przewalskis botanical garden, but none collected in randum of Understanding by the Under Horse, takhi, survival plan. Smithsonian’s the U.S. Secretary for Science David L. Evans and Front Royal Center is home to 17 of The plant grows on the grounds of Sea the Mongolian Ambassador Bold. The these wild horses. World in San Diego, California. Ficus signing ceremony included the Mongolian Under Secretary Evans presented two dammaropsis, formerly known as Dam- Minister of Foreign Affairs Erdenechu- gifts to the President of Mongolia in maropsis kingiana, is the most striking luun, the U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia honor of this occasion: a framed print of and popular plant in the amusement park. Pamela Slutz, the Head of the Mongolian Przewalskis Horses from the Zoo’s The leaves can measure 24 inches wide Buddhists Choijamts, the Directors of the Smithsonian Endangered Species and 36 inches long, ranking them among Smithsonian’s National Museum of Collection, and the mineral Smithsonite, the largest among the dicotyledons. The Natural History Cristián Samper, and zinc carbonite, named after the founder of leaves of this spectacular small tree are Freerer/Sackler Gallery Julian Raby, and the Smithsonian Institution, James Smith- used by the indigenous people of New other Smithsonian and Mongolian guests. son. The President presented an original Guinea for wrapping pork and for lining The Memorandum between the Smith- landscape painting to the Smithsonian. their cooking ovens. The bark is used in sonian Institution and three Mongolian The President of Mongolia was making string and head coverings. The Institutions (the Mongolian Academy of visiting Washington to meet with the fruits do not develop in California Science, the Museum of Mongolian President of the United States.
Page 9 The Conservation Column
Scientists Meet at Smithsonian to Protect Pollinators The National Museum of Natural tors; ways to work with the Environmental Garden Terrace, is comprised of twelve History often works in collaboration with Protection Agency’s Pesticide Environ- pollination gardens, each devoted to a partners throughout the world in efforts mental Stewardship Program (PESP); bee different theme, demonstrating who visits to better understand and thereby protect trafficking and policies needed to protect whom, when, and how. Individual gardens the world’s natural flora and fauna. existing pollinating species in any given feature plants that attract bats, bees, Because of the critical role that pol- area; increasing participation in NAPPC butterflies, and other pollinator groups. It linators play in nature, over 80 interna- by government agencies and industry in is designed to help the viewer understand tional scientists, educators, and business Canada and Mexico; and designing an why the future, the global economy, and leaders met at the Smithsonian Institution experimental restoration project to assess the survival of fine dining depend on on 20-21 September 2004 to develop the impact of restored pollinator habitat pollinators. Inside the West Orangerie is strategies aimed at protecting pollinating on crop productivity. Dynamic Duos: Plants and Pollinators, species. Collectively known at the North On the evening of 20 September, a photographic journey that invites the American Pollinator Protection Cam- NAPPC participants and other distin- public to examine closely the subtle paign (NAPPC), this year the consortium guished guests enjoyed guided tours of magic that occurs when pollinator meets assembled to create action agendas to the “The Great Pollinator Partnership” plant. Created from over 400 entries promote and protect pollinators, to exhibit and a sumptuous array of pollina- submitted by world-renowned photogra- review NAPPC committee implementa- tor-assisted foods and beverages at the phers, these images are a tribute to the tion priorities, and to deploy task forces United States Botanic Garden. The past bees, butterflies, beetles, birds, bats, to undertake and complete short-term successes of NAPPC were evident at the flies, wasps, and other species that activities. The mission of NAPPC, a tri- Garden, as two exhibits currently on perform the prodigious and vital work of national (United States, Canada, Mexico) display were the products of task forces transferring pollen. public and private partnership of over 50 from last year’s 2003 NAPPC conference organizations and agencies, is to promote held at the University of Maryland pollinator awareness, policies, educa- College Park. Dancing with Flowers: tional outreach, research and conserva- The Pollination Connection, on the tion. Scientists representing the Smithsoni- an Institution included Gary Krupnick (Botany), E. Eric Grissell (Entomol- ogy), Michael Ruggiero (National Biological Information Infrastructure), and Alan Peters (National Zoological Park). Both Krupnick and Ruggiero are members of the NAPPC Steering Com- mittee. The conference was interactive as attendees participated in one of five committees: Education and Awareness, Conservation and Restoration, Policy and Practice, Research, and Special Partner- ships. The goal of the committees is to work on comprehensive long-range approaches to the pollinator issue from distinct categorical perspectives that continue over time. Attendees participated in Task Forces on the second day of the conference. The goal of the Task Forces is to accomplish a single task in a cross-discipline, short- term, project-oriented grouping. This year’s Task Forces focused on building Artist Paul Mirocha designed a stunning educational poster for NAPPC depict- support for a U.S./Canadian/Mexican ing an array of pollinators and plants to promote the “Great Pollinator Partner- commemorative stamp series on pollina- ship” exhibit at the United States Botanic Garden.
Page 10 work they were doing that morning. experiences with them. The second group Any Tuesday These are special people. Many have is those looking for paying jobs. They are By Heijia L. Wheeler, Volunteer retired from high level jobs in a variety of often new to the area and while job On almost any Tuesday during the fields. Most are not botanists but they are hunting, they volunteer their talents. They summer of 2004, if you had looked in intelligent, successful, with many years of may be here for a relatively short time, room W516 of the West Wing of the work and life experiences. The investment but are exceptionally productive while National Museum of Natural History, you of time in training is really quite small here. The third is the students who are would have seen three or four people when you see the work these people give looking for something to do for the sitting by computers, all busily entering back. The main problem with many of summer. Again they are around for only data or digitizing images. Several others these projects is the mind numbing two to three months, but they bring would come in to stash their lunches and repetitiveness, while requiring a person to youthful energy and enthusiasm to the backpacks then head down to the fourth be accurate, and make critical decisions. place. floor to work on the voucher collections, There were nearly 20 volunteers that fit When I began as a volunteer in January the historic maps, or the loan data base. this job description perfectly. So how do 2004, I had just moved back to the D.C. These are all volunteers in the Depart- you convince such well educated, bright, area from Florida where I spent 34 years ment. They have all come to help with hard working people to do this work for in the state’s higher education system. My more than half dozen projects overseen free? husband and I always planned to retire by Rusty Russell. Although these They are initially given the scope and here. We both grew up here, went to volunteers come in throughout the week, purpose of the project, the goals and the George Washington University, and I almost all of them were there on Tues- significance of the work to the mission of majored in Botany. As an undergraduate, days. the Department. This initial investment of Walter Shropshire gave me a part time job At about noon, someone realizes that time makes the work much more mean- at the Radiation Biology Lab which was they need lunch, and the volunteers look ingful for the volunteers. In some cases, it housed in the basement of the Smith- up from their work and drift upstairs to is the volunteer who develops the meth- sonian Castle and I took several courses W516. At the center table, under the blast ods and procedures for the project. They with Kitty Parker. of arctic air from the ceiling air condi- are given the freedom to use their I find that retirement requires huge tioning vent, they enjoy lunch and each creativity, experience and talents to solve adjustments. Going from a job as the other. Their ages range from 17 to over the problems. The result is that the work academic vice president, when I had no 60. Around the table eating their lunches, becomes much more gratifying for them. personal time, to retirement, when the they share recent travels, movies that they Volunteers fall into three broad entire day was mine to structure, was a have seen, and the work they are doing categories. The first are the retirees who huge leap. So my husband and I agreed to that day. There is a lot of laughter and have had productive careers as engineers, edit a journal for the American Chemical people walking by the door peer in scientists and administrators. They are Society, he edited a book, and I have done looking for the source of mirth. After looking for ways to make a contribution peer reviews for the National Science lunch, the volunteers all go back to the and they bring a vast array of talents and Foundation (NSF). I also wanted to reconnect with my past and wandered into the Smithsonian to volunteer. My first assignment was to comb the entire herbarium to find vouchers for the San Jacinto Project. This project is a cooperative venture of the Smithsonian, State of California and private organiza- tions to develop place-based land manage- ment and education tools. The site chosen for this project is the San Jacinto Moun- tains in Southern California, near Palm Springs. The Smithsonian’s contribution to this project is to document the specimens collected in Santa Rosa County, San Jacinto Mountains National Monument and adjacent areas that are on file at the Smithsonian. This required the search of the entire herbarium for mounted vouch- ers, some of which were collected in the The type specimen of Eriogonum diclinum Reveal, J.L., collected by Louis Cutter early to mid 1800s. Wheeler in the Siskiyou Mountains, California, in 1934. Inset: Heijia Wheeler, This project gave me a chance to niece of Louis Cutter Wheeler, and Department volunteer. Continued on page 12
Page 11 Department Staff “Go Where They Tuesday Continued from page 11 Grow” at USBG become familiar with the entire her- A new exhibit featuring the plant Hispaniola, Paul Peterson in Mexico, barium since the list of species on the San exploration work of Department staff and W. John Kress in Myanmar) and Jacinto Project was huge. I found this botanists opened at the United States including living specimens of plants project personally engaging as well. My Botanic Garden on 22 July. Cosponsored collected during travels to those regions, father-in-law, Willis Hayes Wheeler and by the Department, “Going Where They “Going Where They Grow” gives visitors his brother Louis Cutter Wheeler were Grow: Exploring on the Front Lines of a taste of “roughing it” on long, arduous both botanists, and native Californians. Botany” will be on display in the USBG plant expeditions to remote areas. Also Uncle Louis was a prolific researcher at Conservatory’s Plant Exploration room featured in the exhibit are “tools of the University of Southern California and left through 14 November. trade” that showcases plant-collecting most of his collection to Harvard, his From the Pacific to the Caribbean, equipment and other paraphernalia used alma mater, but many of his vouchers are from Mexico to Southeast Asia, plant by botanists on expedition. More infor- here at the Smithsonian. Dad, was a plant species – even entire plant communities – mation about the exhibit is available on pathologist as well as a very good botanist are vanishing along with the knowledge of the Department Web page
Page 12 The 2005 Smithsonian Botanical Symposium, 15-16 April, to explore the Future of Floras In conjunction with the United States technologies believe that the easier it is (4) electronic field guides, (5) the Botanic Garden, the Department of for end-users to employ good taxonomic prospects of plant DNA barcoding, and Botany is proud to announce the 2005 data for identification (i.e., through (6) the problems associated with plant Smithsonian Botanical Symposium, “The systems such as web-based floras and DNA barcoding. Future of Floras: New Frameworks, rapid DNA The fifth José New Technologies, New Uses,” to be barcoding), the Cuatrecasas Medal in held at the National Museum of Natural more taxono- Tropical Botany will History in Washington, D.C., on 15 – 16 mists will be be awarded at the April 2005. appreciated by symposium. This For centuries botanists have created the scientific prestigious award is regional floras for the purposes of community as well as the lay public for presented annually to an international inventory (to know what taxa are present their skills and knowledge. scholar who has contributed significantly in an area), identification (to know the As the debate continues, floras built to advancing the field of tropical botany. names of the taxa we find or study), on web-based, computer-based, image- The award is named in honor of Dr. José description (to know more about the taxa based, and DNA-based products are taking Cuatrecasas, a pioneering botanist who of a region than we currently do), and on new forms and fulfilling new functions spent many years working in the Depart- classification (to know how taxa are that word-based and paper-based floras ment of Botany at the Smithsonian and related to other taxa within as well as have not been able to attain. All of these devoted his career to plant exploration in outside the focal region). But what will topics focusing on the floras of the future tropical South America. the floras of the future look like and what will be discussed and debated at the For more information about the 2005 will they be able to do that they do not or symposium. Smithsonian Botanical Symposium, visit can not do today? Will there even be a Six invited presentations will explore
Page 13 Profile Continued from page 1 published regularly in both the Proceed- ings of the U. S. National Museum and the newly created Bulletin of the Botani- cal Division (USDA). Over the next ten years, the publications put out by the USDA rapidly multiplied. Each division (of which there were 27 in 1897) issued circulars and special circulars, bulletins and special bulletins, reports, special reports, and annual reports. One critic noted that these miscellanies were “unduly padded, the truly valuable matter which occasionally appears in them being buried among a mass of valueless mate- rial, apparently prepared from a spirit of rivalry between the different bureaus and divisions” (The American Naturalist 31: 971-973. 1897.) Vasey soon realized the importance of having a publication devoted to dissemi- nating the results of research engendered by the ever expanding National Her- barium. He wanted a publication specifi- cally addressed to professional botanists, but still available to anyone who asked for a copy. On 16 June 1890, the USDA issued the first Contributions from the A selection of recent issues of the Contributions to the United States National United States National Herbarium. Herbarium series. Authored by Vasey and J.N. Rose, it was a ing for the volumes and its own identity. Unfortunately, the Smithsonian 28-page pamphlet that listed the 1888 Despite the change in ownership, the Contributions to Botany series suffered collections of Edward Palmer in southern Contributions remained an outlet for setbacks in efficiency and timely publica- California. The series was immediately research involving the National Her- tion that rendered it ineffectual for the hailed as a valuable addition to scientific barium, regardless of the institutional dissemination of scientific research. At botany: affiliation of the author. For example, the same time, Smithsonian botanists had come to rely more and more on large The Department [of Agriculture], as Volume 6 (1901) was dedicated to Plant Life of Alabama databases to hold and organize the results well as the Botanist [Vasey], is to be Charles Mohr’s of their researches. Seeking an appropri- congratulated upon the evident desire and Volume 9 (1905) to W.E. Safford’s Useful Plants of Guam ate venue to publish the often lengthy to cultivate botany for its own sake, . Neither of these results of that accumulated data, the and to use some of its money and authors were directly associated with Contributions from the United States material in rendering service to the either the Smithsonian or the USDA at the National Herbarium was resurrected in botanical world, as well as to purely time. A broad range of topics and special- 2000 by the Department of Botany. Using agricultural interests. Anon. 1892. ties also characterized these early donated labor and significant portions of Botanical Gazette 17: 129. volumes. Collector lists, taxonomic descriptions, nomenclatural puzzles, departmental resources, camera-ready The USDA continued to publish the regional floras, ethnobotany, economic copy was supplied to an outside contrac- Contributions until 1902, when Congress botany, and pharmacological accounts tor. After the volumes were printed, they appropriated monies for the Smithsonian could be found intermixed in one volume. were shipped back to the Smithsonian to Institution to take over the publication, Year after year, critical studies and be mailed out to over 1,200 individuals beginning with Volume 8. The Institution seminal works were published in Contri- and institutions, using donated labor also reissued the first seven volumes, butions, making it one of the most within the Department. which had quickly exhausted their initial important publications in American Four years, thirteen volumes and print runs, demonstrating the rapid rise to botany. The Contributions series was almost 4,000 pages later, the renewed popularity of the series. After 1905, the discontinued in 1972, when it was series has continued more than just the Contributions was published as part of superceded by the Smithsonian Contri- numbering of the old volumes. It is the Bulletin of the National Museum butions to Botany, published by the continuing its spirit as well. The works series, but retained both its own number- Smithsonian Institution Press. continue to be peer-reviewed and are still
Page 14 available free of charge to anyone who nature of scholarly research. A particu- requests a copy. It has also acquired the larly instructive example is provided by Publications role of an exchange publication for the JSTOR
Page 15 Art by Alice Tangerini
Dicliptera palmariensis Wassh. & J.R.I. Wood
Alice Tangerini’s illustra- tions have graced the covers of eight issues of the Contributions from the United States Na- tional Herbarium series since the year 2000. Along with freelance illustrators Cathy Pasquale and Peggy Duke, Tangerini provided many of the illustrations in Dieter C. Wasshausen and J.R.I. Wood’s treat- ment of the Acanthaceae of Bolivia (Vol. 19. 2004). Two new species of Dicliptera, including D. palmariensis, were described and illustrated for the first time. Dicliptera palmariensis is a rare endemic species restricted to tropical forest in the El Palmar area near Villa Tunari, Bolivia.
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