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.