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Department of & the U.S. National Herbarium

New Series - Vol. 22 - No. 4 October-November 2019 Parasitic : Important components of biodiversity By Marcos A. Caraballo-Ortiz

arasitic organisms are generally viewed in a negative way itats. Only a few parasitic plants yield economically impor- because of their ability to “steal” resources. However, tant products such as the , obtained from the Pthey are biologically interesting because their depend- tropical (order ). Other pro- ency on hosts for survival have influenced their behavior, mor- ducts are local and include traditional medicines, food, and phology, and genomes. Parasites vary in their degree of crafts like “wood roses”. Many parasites are also considered necessity from a , ranging from being partially independent agricultural pests as they can impact crops and timber plan- (hemiparasitic) to being complete dependent (holoparasitic). tations. Some parasites can live independently, but if they find potential It is difficult to describe a typical because hosts, they can use them to supplement their nutritional needs they possess a wide diversity of growth habits such as , (facultative ). terrestrial or aerial , , and herbs. The largest Parasitism is not a phenomenon unique to animals, as there Continued on page 2 are plants parasitic to other plants. Current biodiversity esti- mates indicate that approximately 4,700 of flowering Tropical are very plants are parasitic, which account for about 1.2% of the total inferred number of plant species in the world. About half of the diverse but still poorly known. known species of parasitic plants belong to a single order, San- Herbaria house many unidentified talales, which is diverse and mainly composed of hemiparasites. However, parasitism has evolved independently in 11 lineages and misidentified specimens. of angiosperms comprising 27 families, some of them small and consisting of only one species. Parasitic plants have been able to Marcos A. Caraballo-Ortiz, colonize almost every corner of the world (except the polar re- Smithsonian Botanist gions), and many are common in lowlands and disturbed hab-

Department of Botany & the U.S. National Herbarium Mistletoes Orders and families containing parasitic flowering plants, with estimated numbers Continued from page 1 of genera and species. Names within quotes include taxa not properly recognized yet by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group IV (APG Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 181:1–20; 2016). known parasitic plant is the Okoubaka Estimates obtained and adapted from “The Parasitic Plant Connection” website by aubrevielli (order Santalales) from tropical Daniel Nickrent (2019; https://parasiticplants.siu.edu). Africa, which can reach up to 40 m tall and parasitize many species of trees, ap- Order Families Parasitic Genera Parasitic Species parently killing the closest neighbors to minimize competition for light. The small- Boraginales Lennoaceae 2 4 est parasite is likely the miniature mistle- toe minimum (also in order Cucurbitales Apodanthaceae 2 10 Santalales), whose tiny stems and inflores- cences measure up to 3 mm long and in Mitrastemonaceae 1 () 2 nature, only grows on two species of spurges ( horrida and E. polyg- 100 2,100 ona, ) from South Africa. It is notable that the largest in the 1 () 20 world, the corpse lily ( arnoldii, ), is a parasite that grows -em Rafflesiaceae 3 35 bedded into the stems of a woody Malvales Cytinaceae 2 12 (Tetrastigma spp., Vitaceae) in the rainfor- ests of Sumatra. Many other parasitic Piperales “Hydnoraceae” 2 12 plants grow as vines such as dodders (Cus- cuta spp., ) and the laurel Santalales 16 “Families” 166 2,284 dodder (Cassytha spp., Lauraceae), which form dense masses of twining yellowish Saxifragales Cynomoriaceae 1 (Cynomorium) 1 stems wrapping their hosts. Terrestrial par- asites like broomrapes ( spp., Oro- Solanales Convolvulaceae 1 () 215 banchaceae) are known for their capacity to affect or even destroy agricultural crops Zygophyllales Krameriaceae 1 (Krameria) 23 such as rice, , sugarcane, and sorg- hum. Some parasitic herbs are not aggres- Total Number of 27 282 4,718 sive and are used as ornamentals in Parasitic Plants gardens such as the Indian paintbrush ( coccinea, Orobanchaceae) and some species of louseworts (Pedicularis they are also considered obligate parasites. spp., Orobanchaceae). The relationships between mistletoes and The most recognized parasitic plants hosts is complex and involves compatibil- are probably mistletoes which are aerial ity at the physical, physiological, and most hemiparasitic shrubs. Mistletoes are part likely genetic levels. Mistletoes, as well as of the folklore from many countries and other parasitic plants, can have unusual are still included in modern traditions chloroplast genomes with major alteration such as the Christmas custom of kissing or losses of genes and rearrangements of under the for enduring love. The their genomes due to their dependence on Christmas mistletoe involves two species: hosts. the European and its Amer- Most mistletoes also have intimate in- ican counterpart leucarpum. teractions with birds, depending on them However, mistletoes are a diverse group for dispersal and sometimes pollina- comprising about 1,663 species in 90 gen- tion services. In fact, studies have shown era distributed around the globe, especially that there are lineages of birds and mistle- in the tropics. All mistletoes belong to toes that have coevolved, where birds spe- order Santalales where they are classified cialize in feeding on mistletoe and in five families: “Amphorogynaceae”, Lo- track them across the landscape. In a simi- ranthaceae, Misodendraceae, , lar way, some mistletoes have evolved spe- and “Viscaceae”. cialization to grow only in one or a few Aerial shrubby of a mistletoe All mistletoes have the capacity to species of trees. For example, the dwarf (Dendropemon purpureus, ) create their own food through photosyn- mistletoe (, Viscaceae) para- on the branches of a calabash tree thesis, hence the term “hemiparasites”. Ho- sitizes pines (Pinaceae), junipers and cy- (Crescentia cujete) in Gonave Island, Haiti. wever, since mistletoes depend on hosts to presses (Cupressaceae) exclusively. In spite (photo by M. Caraballo) obtain water and some mineral nutrients, of being parasites, mistletoes are important Page 2 showcase for the study of biogeography and diversification in the region. During an integrative taxonomic revi- sion in preparation, I have discovered sev- eral new species of Dendropemon and a series of nomenclatural and taxonomic changes in the genus, highlighting the im- portance of combining herbarium spe- cimens, fieldwork, and modern molecular techniques to revise the of this poorly known and diverse group. My work also incorporates the conservation of en- dangered parasitic plants, especially when they are island-endemic and depend on rare host trees for their survival. In summary, parasitic plants such as mistletoes offer an excellent opportunity to study the evolution of interactions be- tween plants from the genomic and eco- logical perspectives. My research emphasizes the need to conduct integrative taxonomic studies of poorly known groups of organisms using traditional herbarium studies and modern molecular techniques to assess their global diversity.

The Plant Press

New Series - Vol. 22 - No. 4 Inflorescence of the American cancer- (, Orobanchaceae) Chair of Botany parasitizing the of a red oak tree (Quercus rubra, ) at the Shenandoah Eric Schuettpelz National Park, Virginia. Note the yellowish color of the plant which reflects its ([email protected]) holoparasitic nature. (photo by M. Caraballo) EDITORIAL STAFF components of ecosystems and are even harbor a rich endemic flora, and the Ca- Editor considered keystone species because of ribbean Islands are not an exception. The Gary Krupnick their capacity to attract and maintain bio- island archipelago is one of the ([email protected]) diversity. world’s top five hotspots of biodiversity, Copy Editors My current research project at the Na- containing one the highest concentrations Robin Everly, Bernadette Gibbons, and tional Museum of Natural History is fo- of endemic plant and animal species on Rose Gulledge cused on the genetics and taxonomy of the planet, but much of the endemic diver- The Plant Press is a quarterly publication provided mistletoes from tropical America. With a sity remains little studied. An outstanding free of charge. To receive notification of when new concentration on the Loranthaceous mis- component of these island-endemic floras pdf issues are posted to the web, please subscribe tletoes, I am exploring the structure of are mistletoes in the genus Dendropemon to the listserve by sending a message to their chloroplast genomes and building a (Loranthaceae), which is one of the most [email protected] containing only the following in the body of the text: SUBSCRIBE phylogeny that will include almost all species-rich of the 180 island-endemic PLANTPRESS-NEWS Firstname Lastname. known Neotropical genera. The results plant genera of the Caribbean. Replace “Firstname Lastname” with your name. from this work will help clarify the generic Dendropemon and its close relatives delimitations of mistletoes and I will pro- form an ancestral clade of small-flowered If you would like to be added to the hard-copy mailing list, please contact Dr. Gary Krupnick at: pose taxonomic changes if needed. As mistletoes, and is among the seven most Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, tropical mistletoes are very diverse but still diverse genera (out of 76) of Loranthaceae PO Box 37012, NMNH MRC-166, Washington, poorly known, and herbaria often house worldwide. The ofDendropemon DC 20013-7012, or by E-mail: [email protected]. many unidentified or misidentified spe- are among the smallest in the family and Web site: cimens, my contribution of updated mis- are easily distinguished by an extreme di- https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/botany tletoe identification keys will assist in the morphism of stamens, by the presence of curation of herbarium specimens. staminodia, and by monads in the inflores- On the cover: Laurel dodder (, Another aspect of my research project cences. Dendropemon is also the most Lauraceae) twining around the stems of its host (Croton sp., Euphorbiaceae) on Providenciales is the study of mistletoes from island sys- widely distributed island-endemic plant Island, Turks and Caicos. (photo by M. Caraballo) tems. Many tropical islands worldwide genus in the Caribbean, and presents a

Page 3 Linnean Medal awarded to Vicki Funk Vicki Funk was awarded the Linnean Funk was highly deserving of this ca- cladistics and biogeography, in addition to Medal at the annual meeting of The Lin- reer award which recognized her prodi- significance of field work, use of her- nean Society in May 2019. It is bestowed gious contributions as an indefatigable and barium collections, and a lifelong interest annually to one or two biologists (in any innovative evolutionary biologist, a field with many significant contribution to the field), as an expression of the Society’s es- and herbarium botanist, a pure taxono- evolution of the largest angiosperm family, teemed appreciation for service to science. mist, and an enthusiastic mentor of many the Compositae. Although Funk was unable to attend the students and early career scientists which Lamentably, Funk passed away on 22 May meeting in London the current Pres- included a special emphasis on women in October 2019. She will be greatly missed, ident of the Society, Sandy Knapp, brought science. Her career hallmarks included but an enduring legacy of unwaver- the medal to Washington DC, and pre- prolific and transformative research, inno- ing research and mentorship. The Plant sented it to Funk on 2 October with many vations to the ways we do systematic bot- Press will feature an expanded article on colleagues from the National Museum of any, including early emphasis on the use of her life and contributions in the next issue. Natural History in attendance.

Sandy Knapp, president of the Linnean Society of London, presents Vicki Funk with the Linnean Medal, awarded to a botanist for their service to science. (photo by Ken Wurdack)

Page 4 The Global Genome Initiative for Gardens at 5 years: Intern retrospectives By Morgan R. Gostel, Farahnoz Khojayori, Farahnoz Khojayori Jacob Suissa, Kadiera Ingram, Maryam Se- A summer among wildflowers under daghatpour, Monica Marcelli, Seth Hamby, shadows of ancient trees, and filled with and Vicki A. Funk the trickling sounds of life is the gift of a This year marksfive years since the GGI-Gardens fellowship. During the start of the Global Genome Initiative for course of three months, Morgan Gostel, Gardens (GGI-Gardens) program and it Seth Hamby, and I travelled across seven seems an appropriate time to reflect upon of the ten ecoregions of Texas. In our the program’s accomplishments. In this mission to collect genome quality tissues time, we have partnered with more than 25 of the flora of Texas, we made over 250 botanic gardens across four continents; collections at the genus level, represent- moved our headquarters to the Botanical ing 84 plant families from the tree of life. Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) in Fort Our adventures this summer took us Worth, Texas; collected over 3,000 from BRIT into 13 different botanical vouchers; funded four GGI-Gardens part- sites. Each excursion was a snapshot of ner awards; sequenced more than 5,000 the botanical field including: species con- plant DNA barcode loci; and are making servation, horticulture of rare species, botanical education, discovery of new Morgan Gostel and Farahnoz Khojayori col- genome-quality tissue and DNA sequences lecting Arnoglossum plantagineum at the available for researchers through the phenomena, and cultivation of a botani- cal culture. The most profound part of Fort Worth Nature Center. (photo courtesy Global Genome Biodiversity Network of Bob O’Kennon) (GGBN). the experience, aside from meeting some At the core of GGI-Gardens is building of the most amazing human beings in the arrangements of floral structures and capacity for the next generation of botany, world, was witnessing the awe-striking their transitions to paradoxical whether by mobilizing a worldwide morphological diversity of plants. I was structures. I feel profoundly inspired by voucher program through partnerships mesmerized by the intricate struc- this indelible experience and am enthusi- with botanic gardens or by training and tures of ferns, the curious delicacy of epi- astic for a life in the study and apprecia- supporting the next generation of bota- phytic orchids, and the complex tion of botanical wonders. nists through internships and fellowships. More than 10 interns and fellows have been trained through the GGI-Gardens Jacob Suissa and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard program and over half of them are still in- Working with Vicki Funk and Mor- University. As a GGI-Gardens intern I volved in botany! This summer a couple of gan Gostel as one of the GGI-Gardens in- was able to enhance my skills in plant GGI-Gardens alumni, Maryam Sedaghat- terns in 2017 was an opportunity that identification and specimen curation, pour and Jacob Suissa, presented at the an- prepared me well as a current doctoral both of which are insurmountable in my nual Botany Conference in Tucson, student in the Department of Organismic current work. My dissertation project as a Arizona and we wanted to highlight their doctoral student in the Friedman lab (and other GGI-Gardens alumni) accom- centers around untangling the 200 years plishments. We asked a few past interns to of study on vascular arrangement in fern share reflections and updates. rhizomes to understand its evolution and functional implication. By taking both a Are you interested in getting involved broad scale macroevolutionary and a with GGI-Gardens? Your garden can join small-scale organismal approach, I bring our partnership by signing our Memoran- a new arsenal of tools to answering these dum of Cooperation (http://ggi.si.edu/ggi- old botanical questions. gardens). As I progress through my Ph.D., one thing that I value are the connections I made with my scientific mentors as an intern at the NMNH and as an under- graduate. I still keep in contact with many of the people I worked with, and it Jacob Suissa visiting Chapada Diamantina is rewarding to have impactful scientific National Park, Brazil as a Teaching Assistant collaborations developing from our rela- for Harvard University’s Plant Systematics tionships. course. Continued on page 6

Page 5 GGI-Gardens Continued from page 5

Kadiera Ingram When I started my internship with turned out to be immensely helpful in my GGI-Gardens I had a knack for deci- next role as a field biologist for the US phering which family or even genus a Geological Survey studying the aquatic lo- plant might belong to, but lacked the ap- cally invasive genus Trapa (Lythraceae). propriate terminology to support this One of my roles as a technician is to help “hunch” or “feeling”. GGI helped me select an index of morphological traits that build my dictionary of morphological will allow us to visually distinguish the fa- characteristics and become more com- miliar and well-known Trapa natans from fortable using these terms in the field. a genetically distinct, unknown Trapa re- The program also taught me how to cently discovered in the Potomac water- properly preserve plant tissue for future shed. Field photography, detailed note laboratory analysis, and how to take taking, careful record keeping and preser- good photos of field specimens—the vation of plant tissue on silica gel for ge- kind that will allow you to key out and netic analysis are all important functions get a solid second opinion on your con- of the job, and I was able to complete these Kadiera Ingram sampling the aquatic inva- clusions when you get back to the lab or tasks easily and with confidence owing to sive, Trapa natans, for genetic and morpho- herbarium. my experiences with the GGI Gardens logical analysis with the US Geological My experience with GGI-Gardens team. Survey.

Maryam Sedaghatpour In 2016 I was finishing the last year with Morgan Gostel and Vicki Funk. I had tant to a member of the broader re- of my bachelor’s degree at George met Morgan two years prior in Andrea search community. I applied for and Mason University and came across the Weeks’ lab where he was doing final edits was accepted into graduate school opportunity to intern at GGI-Gardens to his dissertation and I had started work while working at NMNH where I had on a population genetics study. When the unwavering support of the GGI Morgan asked if I was interested in inter- team, specifically Morgan and Vicki, ning with GGI I knew it would be a great both of whom continue to be a source step forward for my career. of encouragement and inspiration Our team at GGI worked towards ar- through the ebb and flow of academic chiving genome-quality tissue for all vas- life. cular plant genera in the world. Now, as a In my career I aim to bring to light Ph.D. student at the University of Califor- the unique and diverse flora that exists nia Berkeley, I will lead similar collecting in the Middle East, and to create sub- expeditions for my own dissertation re- stantial conservation impact in the re- search on the phylogenetic investigation of gion. I believe living with intention and the diversity of the Eastern Mediterranean pushing culture forward is largely what flora. In addition to collecting specimens, drives me, but in no small part the in- conducting molecular lab work, and co- fluence of supportive and uplifting Maryam Sedaghatpour pressing plants authoring my first publication, my time at mentors like the GGI community is after a day of collecting from Baniyas, Syria NMNH was a pivotal point in my transi- what has brought me to where I am in July 2018. tion from an undergraduate research assis- today.

Monica Marcelli I had an unforgettable experience supervisor. The team that I worked with Center (SERC). One of these, Melissa working with GGI. For me, it wasn’t was very nice, helpful and knowledgeable. McCormick, is now on my Ph.D. Com- work, it was going to paradise. What can I was fascinated by the hundreds of or- mittee—now that I have begun a Ph.D. be better than collecting plant DNA at chids that are in the SI greenhouses. program at George Mason University the National Arboretum, the U.S. Botanic Through networking at this job, I had the (GMU). Through GGI-Gardens I learned Garden, and Smithsonian Gardens? In opportunity to meet colleagues at the how to collect plant DNA, and curate addition, Morgan Gostel was an amazing Smithsonian Environmental Research Continued on page 7

Page 6 and mount herbarium specimens. Seth Hamby I started my Ph.D. at GMU at the Texas is a state that you can drive beginning of 2019 and am now a Visit- through for 7 hours and still be in Texas; ing Research Scientist at SERC, where I believe me, we did it this summer! Be- am working with Cypripedium. I am cause of its geographic location, geology, also learning lab techniques in molecu- and rainfall gradient, Texas supports tons lar biology to be able to sequence and of different ecoregions, ecotones, and mi- analyze my orchid data. I will attend crohabitats that foster some of the high- two Restriction Amplified DNA est biodiversity in the country, second (RAD) sequencing workshops in New only to California. Coming into the GGI- York that are funded by a grant. My ex- Gardens fellowship I didn’t really know perience at SERC has exceeded all my what to expect. I figured that we would expectations. I have had the privilege devote most of our time to lab work and to do lab and field work with people only get a few chances to go collecting who are as passionate about orchids out in the field. Little did I know that we and molecular biology as I am and also would travel thousands of miles, spend nice, friendly, smart, helpful and countless hours in the field, collect amaz- knowledgeable. I am also very lucky to ing botanical wonders, and meet some of have Melissa as a wonderful adviser the coolest plant nerds on the planet. I and committee member. can say with confidence that this summer has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. Not only did I gain valuable botanical and field experience, but there’s Seth Hamby stands in front of a large Texas nothing like spending a week in a car to madrone ( xalapensis) at the Nature discover who you really are as a person. Conservancy’s Davis Mountains Preserve in We ended our summer with the Fort Davis, Texas. mother of adventures to the rugged and gorgeous Trans-Pecos region. My only quote by Henry Miller that says, “the experience in the area was from driving moment one gives close attention to any- through twice, both times at night, so I thing, even a blade of grass, it becomes a was really taken aback by the stunning mysterious, awesome, indescribably and seemingly impossible beauty. Super- magnificent world in itself.” During our ficially it seems as if the landscape is trip to the Trans-Pecos, I accepted a posi- rather desolate with pockets of life few tion as Head Gardener at the Chihua- and far between. But upon further inves- huan Desert Research Institute. I am Monica Marcelli with SERC interns, tigation you realize that the area is a rich forever grateful for my experiences this Simone Evans and Thomas Chapin, hand biodiversity hotspot. I am reminded of a summer as a Fellow with GGI-Gardens. pollinating Platanthera in the field.

Congressional Night at the Museum The 2019 Smithsonian Congressional Gary Krupnick and Liz Zimmer repre- largest in the plant kingdom; and Night was held at the National Museum of sented the Department of Botany who goldenrod in which its pollen grains have Natural History (NMNH) on the evening joined 90 other members of the NMNH been shown to exhibit a decrease in pro- of July 17. NMNH partnered with the community to share their research and tein content as atmospheric carbon diox- Smithsonian’s Office of Government Rela- volunteer their time to help the event run ide has increased over time. tions to host the event which attracted smoothly. Zimmer talked about her re- 2,100 guests and 29 Members of Congress. search in the molecular evolution of quill- The event encouraged Congressional staff worts and the Vitaceae. She displayed to meet members of the museum’s research specimens of Isoetes and ginseng roots. staff, engage in educational activities, and Krupnick spoke about how herbarium spe- visit the museum’s exhibit halls. NMNH cimens are used in conservation biology last hosted the event in 2013. research. He displayed specimens of Xy- The success of Congressional Night was losma serrata, a critically endangered and in part due to broad participation from ac- possibly extinct species from Montserrat; ross the museum’s research departments. coco de mer, a plant that produces the

Page 7 A splitting headache: a herbarium specimen conservation project

By Erika Gardner past summer, volunteer Shannon Hicks different species on the sheet using letters Mixed sheets were created either “de- worked on a pilot project to dismantle, or numbers next to the specimen and liberately as past practice or accidentally split, and remount about 90 mixed sheets. then attach a corresponding annotation because they have not previously been rec- This project helped us learn about the pro- label. Citing these specimens also poses ognized as a mixture” (Forman & Bridson cess, challenges, and time needed to com- interesting challenges because two or 1989. The Herbarium Handbook. Royal plete this conservation project. more specimens can correspond to one Botanic Gardens, Kew). Over a century There are many reasons why splitting sheet number, which can be confusing if ago, access to herbarium supplies were not mixed sheets is desirable. Although it is not mentioned in the publication. In ad- readily available and very costly. Many much easier to place multiple sheet dition, when researchers use the spe- botanists and institutions did not have numbers and barcodes on a mixed sheet, cimens it is sometimes difficult to keep funding to mount every specimen onto its for curatorial reasons it is much better for track of which specimen corresponds to own herbarium sheet. Compromises had these specimens to be mounted on their which annotation. to be made and multiple specimens were own herbarium sheet. These specimens Before making the decision to split mounted onto one sheet to reduce cost and create a number of curatorial problems for specimens, it is useful to ask the following space. This was especially true in the 1930s staff and researchers: questions: during the great depression. The other sce- 1. Filing a mixed sheet with different • Are there types on the sheet? De- nario involves the collector unknowingly species is difficult. Staff have to decide pending upon each collection’s stan- collecting different species from the same which name to file the specimen under. dards and operating procedures, mixed collection event and classifying it under If the specimen is refiled it could poten- sheets with types require special cura- one collection number. These mixed sheets tially be filed under the other specimen tion by a higher-level staff member. are usually found when a researcher anno- name. If this occurs, the filed under • Are the species the same, but the tates specimens many years later. name might not be updated in the data- labels from different collecting events Mixed sheets are often found filed away base. (ex. date and collection number in cabinets of the US National Herbarium. 2. Data entry staff need to create two or different)? It is unknown how many exist in the col- more records for one sheet and then add • Are the species the same and col- lection, but possibly hundreds of thou- cross-reference information in the notes lected from the same country or state? sands. After wecompletely image and field. When these specimens are imaged, Depending upon the time and re- digitize the collection, we will have a better one image is associated with two records. sources available, these might not need understanding for just how many we have. However, mixed sheets are often over- to be split because they will eventually Usually the collection management staff looked if they only have one label. be filed together. It is up to the discre- are informed about these specimens when 3. Researchers annotating specimens tion of the Collection Manager or they are returned from being on loan. This have to determine how to designate the

Left: A mixed herbarium sheet before the splitting process. Right:Two specimen sheets are the result of splitting a mixed sheet.

Page 8 Curator to decide as these are consid- work together on this project. One person which specimen will retain the original ered a lower priority. dismantles and remounts specimens leav- number and which specimen will receive a • How many mixed specimens are in ing room on the sheet for the labels, while new sheet number. If there was only one the collection? Do I have the time the other scans and cuts labels and then re- specimen label, print a duplicate of the and/or personnel to do this? mounts the labels to the sheets. label for the other specimen. Before As Hicks was working though the bun- In total, Hicks remounted 180 sheets mounting, configure specimens to show dle of mixed sheets we encountered some and committed an entire month working the best characters. Attach newly printed of the following issues and documented on this project. Since our collection holds a labels, annotations and notes to appropri- the various challenges. The following are considerable number of mixed sheets, we ate sheets. Keep the original label and an- things to note and should be taken into decided to prioritize which mixed sheets notations with one of the specimens in a consideration when working with mixed are the highest priority to split. Mixed separate packet. All sheets should be given sheets: sheets returned from being out on loan are a cross-reference annotation label men- • If there is only one fragment packet given the highest priority since they most tioning specimen was previously part of a on the sheet for multiple species and the likely have not been imaged. Specimens mixed sheet. Cross-reference the other researcher did not indicate which spe- pulled from the collection are evaluated, sheet number on the new annotation label. cimen corresponds to the fragments: but we are cautious about the time these • Solution 1: get an expert opinion. specimens require to be remounted. Over- • Solution 2: place the fragments in a all, it is a worthwhile project but requires a separate packet on one sheet and indi- lot of attention to detail to fulfill the pro- cate on the packet that it is not clear cess from beginning to end. which specimen it belongs. Cross-refer- The Splitting process: ence the other sheet and species name 1. Identify the specimens that need to on the packet. be separated. Use numbers (ex. 1, 2, & 3) • If the annotation designates multiple to indicate the different species, then use a species but the plant material is not pencil to draw an outline around each clearly designated which species is which: species. There is only one specimen label • Solution: ask an expert to help and one sheet number on the sheet for identify the specimens. multiple species. • Data entry technicians need to enter 2. Detach the specimens from the cross-reference annotations in a notes sheet. Tools: Scissors, tweezers, probe field. and flimsies. Straps and threads are cut off • Severely discolored labels not scan- with tweezers or probes. US does not prac- ning to quality standards: tice gluing specimens to sheets. If spe- • Solution: specimen labels should be cimens are glued to the sheet, use scissors transcribed and hand typed. to trim around the specimen. Try to do as little damage as possible to the specimen. This procedure is a major time com- 3. Place specimens in individual Lorraine Eyde mitment. Keep in mind that dismantling flimsy/newspaper sheet. Keep all annota- specimens takes just as much time as tions, notes, and labels with the appropri- (1932-2019) mounting, and that one specimen is being ate specimen. Nest flimsies together to split into two or more specimens. Each keep track of which specimens were pre- Dr. Lorraine Sylvia Eyde (née Dittrich) specimen takes time to mount. The work is viously mounted together. Tip: write the passed away on July 10, 2019 at the age of actually tripled or more. Follow through original sheet number on each flimsy in 87. She was the widow of Botany curator with the entire process from beginning to case they are separated. Richard Husted Eyde (1928-1990), whom end. Do not dismantle specimens and 4. Fujitsu ScanSnap ix500 scanner. she married in 1957. While Dick was com- leave them for someone in the future. Also, Configure ScanSnap settings to scan labels pleting his Ph.D., the couple lived in split and remount only a few specimens at and annotations, especially those with (1960-1961) where Dick had a Fulbright a time. Take into consideration how much paper damage or acid discoloration. Using scholarship. Subsequently, they moved to time is needed if you are splitting 10 spe- the ScanSnap plastic sleeve, arrange the la- D.C. so that Dick could work at the Smith- cimens, which will eventually be 20 or bels on a piece of paper (Tip: to scan mul- sonian. A strong proponent of women in more specimens. The process of scanning, tiple labels at once and to keep labels from the workforce, Laurie pursued her own in- cutting and matching labels requires a lot sliding during the scanning process, place dependent career as a psychologist with of concentration. Write on the back of the a tiny dab of glue on each label and adhere the Office of Personnel Management. She labels the sheet number that corresponds to blank piece of paper). Print on acid-free continued to maintain an interest in Bot- with each label in order to keep the labels paper. any in retirement and served for many from getting swapped or lost. It is much 5. Remount specimens on separate years as the Secretary of the Botanical So- easier to get a fair amount of these spe- sheets with unique sheet numbers. If ciety of Washington. A son and a grand- cimens completely conserved if two people there was only one sheet number, decide child survive her.

Page 9 A review of field guides to grasses of the western United States By Robert J. Soreng Over the last 12 (to 26) years several Grasses up to date on Tropicos.org), but as parts, and a full dot range map for Oregon field guides to grasses of western United accurate field guides to species identifica- and Washington on nice topographically States were published. See the list of cited tion go, these guides are great. Some tax- colored base maps. The vouchers for these field guides below with notes on each of onomic updates: Vulpia belongs in Festuca dots are all on-line via the Oregon Flora them. s.s., Schedonorus belongs in Lolium, Scrib- Project and/or the Consortium of Pacific Of these guides, those for Alaska neria belongs in Deschampsia s.s., Crypsis Northwest Herbaria websites, and were (Skinner et al., 2012), Nevada (Perryman and Spartina belong in Sporobolus, Pen- carefully vetted, although the Crater Lake & Skinner, 2007), Oregon & Washington nisetum belongs in Cenchrus, etc. (for a and a few other dots on the map below be- (Roché et al., 2019), Texas (for the most 2017 classification of grasses seehttps://dx. long to Poa cusickii subsp. purpurascens. part) (Shaw, 2012), and Wyoming doi.org/10.1111/jse.12262). More recently, The diagnostic characters for each species (Skinner, 2010) are fully illustrated with Achnatherum of North America mostly be- are photographed on a black background photographs of habits and diagnostic longs in Eriocoma while a few others be- to highlight coloration, textures, prickles parts, sometimes supplemented by line long in Barkworthia, Pseudoeriocoma, and hairs, and shapes. All the photos were drawings. One additional guide listed Thorneochloa (https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/ carefully edited and are sharp. These are a below, for Wisconsin (Judziewicz et al., phytokeys.126.34096). delight to scan through. Scale bars are in- 2014), covers many of north central prairie Three guides were sole authored, first cluded for parts, along with labeled parts grasses, and is very thorough and excel- authored or coauthored by Quentin and pointers to diagnostic traits. Cindy lently done. Skinner (Alaska, Nevada, Wyoming) who Roché was one of the main illustrators of Four other western guides are amply il- taught Agrostology at University of Wyo- grasses for FNA vol. 24 & 25, which shows lustrated with line drawings (with or with- ming. These are fully illustrated by color through in attention to key characteristics out a few photos): California (Smith, photos with comprehensive species cover- in the photos. Such high-quality photos 2014), Colorado (Shaw, 2008), New Mex- age. All these “Skinner” guides have excel- help to capture the feel for each grass ico (Allred, 1993), and the Intermountain lent photos with field Region (Anderton et al., 2009). You may habit shots and close ups also find two recent illustrated contrib- of diagnostic parts, de- utions from Chihuahua (Herrera Arrieta & scriptions, keys to genera Peterson, 2018), and Coahuila (Valdés- and species, and detailed Reyna, 2015) useful for our southern bor- specimen dot maps on der regions. Excellent illustrations in these county base maps, or guides are mainly reproduced from the color base maps (Alaska). Flora of North America (FNA; Barkworth These guides set a high et al., vol. 25, 2003 & vol. 24, 2007), Vascu- standard for photography lar Plants of the Pacific Northwest (Hitch- for field guides to grasses. cock et al., 1969), or Manual of Grasses of I highly recommend the United States (Hitchcock {Chase ed.}, them. 1951). I also recommend the 2nd edition of The newest contrib- the Flora of the Pacific Northwest(Hitch - ution is a Field Guide to cock et al., 2018), which has been exten- the Grasses of Oregon and sively updated for taxa and taxonomy, and Washington, by Roché et still has great illustrated keys. Grass species al. (2019). After some 15 are still difficult to key out, and having years in preparation it is good photos to aid identifications makes a finally published, and I world of difference! am happy to see it. The All treatments in all the grass guides book is well laid out with listed, except the New Mexico volume, keys to genera, genera de- were completed after publication of FNA, scriptions and keys to and most follow the genera and species as species, followed by presented there, and are comprehensive for species accounts. All gen- species coverage in their states, except the era and species are ar- California guide (Smith, 2014). Keeping ranged alphabetically. up with changing classifications, genus cir- Limited classification in- cumscriptions, new species, and exotic in- formation is buried in troductions is a chore, and most of these keys to genera. Each accounts are inevitably a bit dated (I can’t species has a description, A page plate featuring Poa chambersii Soreng from the Field even keep the Catalogue of New World color photos of habits and Guide to the Grasses of Oregon and Washington.

Page 10 organization of genera is as chaotic (par- 1-650, fully illustrated with line drawings ticularly so in tribe Poeae) as in FNA, and from Vascular Plants of the Pacific North- species are arranged in infrageneric west, pt. 1 (C.L. Hitchcock et al., 1969), groups, not very helpful for a field guide, and FNA vol. 24 & 25, (M.E. Barkworth et the illustrations are all in the back in the al., eds.), county maps, keys, comprehen- same order. ISBN 978-0-87421-7773, Spi- sive. ISBN 987-0-87081-883-7, hardcover. ral bound. Shaw, R.B. 2012. Guide to Texas Grasses, Herrera Arrieta, Y. and P.M. Peterson. Texas A&M University Press, College Sta- 2018. Grasses of Chihuahua, Mexico. tion. Notes: xi, 1-1080, keys, mixture of Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 107: i–ix, 1–380. line drawings (mostly from FNA) and Notes: specimens cited (no maps), keys to photos (for most), county dot maps, hab- genera and species, comprehensive, many itat maps and discussions, genera and species illustrated by line drawings (mainly species alphabetical (tribes noted), com- from FNA vol. 24 & 25, M.E. Barkworth et prehensive. ISBN 13: 978-1-60344-186-5, al., eds.), pdf open access (https://dx.doi. Softbound (flexibound), 6.5 lbs., and ISBN org/10.5479/si.1938-2812.107), paperback. 978-1-60344-674-7, e-book version. Hitchcock, C.L. and A.J. Cronquist. 2018. Skinner, Q.D. 2010. A Field Guide to Wyo- Flora of the Pacific Northwest, 2nd ed. ming Grasses. Education Resources Pub- Burke Museum Herbarium & University of lishing, Cumming, Georgia. Notes: xii + Washington Press, Seattle. Notes: 2nd 1-596, full dot maps, fully illustrated with edition. D.E. Giblin, B.S. Legler, P.F. Zika, photos, keys, comprehensive, genera ar- Field Guide to the Grasses of Oregon and R.G. Olmstead (eds.). Illustrated originally ranged by tribes, dated. ISBN 978-0-615- Washington (Oregon State University by J.R. Janish, J.H. Rumley, with additions 38762-8, paperback. Press) by C.T. Roché, R.F. Brainerd, B.L. by C. Shin, N. Porcino. Taxonomy and il- Skinner, Q.D., S. Wright, R. Henszey, J. Wilson, N. Otting and R.C. Korfhage lustrated keys updated, comprehensive. Henszey and S.K. Wyman. 2012. A Field (2019). ISBN-13: 978-0-29574-288-5, hardcover. Guide to Alaska Grasses. Education Re- ISBN 10: 978-0-29574-288-7, paperback, species and bring them to life. Photo- sources Publishing, Cumming, Georgia. and electronic Kindle versions. graphing all species in the field took a lot Notes: xix + [1]-380 pp., distributed by of care and time, with many road and trail Judziewicz, E.J., R. Freckmann, L. Clark Alaska Dept. of Natural Resources, Palmer, miles. Photographing grasses is not easy and M. Black. 2014. Field Guide to Wiscon- AK fully illustrated with photos, specimen work, as anyone who’s tried it knows, as I sin Grasses. University of Wisconsin Press, dots on topographically colored map, keys, have for over 40 years with variable suc- Madison. Notes: ix + [1]-346, county genera arranged by current tribes (easy for cess. I highly recommend this guide for maps, lists of species by habitats, fully il- Alaska), comprehensive. ISBN 978-0-615- learning and identifying grasses in the lustrated by line drawings and photos, il- 64886-6, paperback. Pacific Northwest. lustrated key to genera and keys to species, Smith, Jr., J.P. 2014. Field Guide to Grasses comprehensive. ISBN 978-0-299-30134-7, of California. University of California List of Cited Field Guides paperback, and ISBN 978-0-299-30133-0, Press, Oakland. Notes: x + 1-438 pp., K. Allred, K.W. 1993. A Field Guide to the e-book. Simpson (illustrator for introduction), Grasses of New Mexico. Department of Ag- Perryman, B.L. and Q.D. Skinner. 2007. A photos (of mixed quality) of selected gen- ricultural Communications, New Mexico Field Guide to Nevada Grasses. Indigenous era and species, keys to genera and to se- State University, Las Cruces. Notes: 1-259 Rangeland Management Press, Lander, lected species, and generic concepts pp. keys, and illustrations (genera and WY. Notes: 256 pp., fully illustrated with variously outdated. ISBN 13: 978-0-520- some species) line drawings mostly from photos. ISBN 0-940936-99-2, paperback. 27567-6, hardcover, ISBN 10: 978-0-520- Manual of Grasses of the United States, and 27568-3, paperback and electronic Kindle county dot maps, comprehensive. No Roché, C.T., R.F. Brainerd, B.L. Wilson, N. version. ISBN, Spiral bound. Otting and R.C. Korfhage. 2019. Field Guide to the Grasses of Oregon and Wash- Valdés-Reyna, J. 2015. Gramineas de Coa- Anderton, L.K. and M.E. Barkworth. 2009. ington. Oregon State University Press, Cor- huila. CONABIO, Talapan, Mexico. Notes: Grasses of the Intermountain Region. Inter- vallis. Notes: ix[x] + 1-460, specimen dots 1–556 pp., specimens dots on municipio mountain Herbarium, Logan, UT. Notes: on topographically colored maps, fully il- maps, keys to genera and species, compre- xi + [1]—559 (and inside covers), fully il- lustrated with photos, keys, comprehen- hensive, fully illustrated by line drawings lustrated with excellent line drawings by sive. ISBN 978-0-87071-959-2, paperback. (mainly from FNA vol. 24 & 25, M.E. C.T. Roché et al. (from FNA vol. 24 & 25), 2.2 lb. Barkworth et al., eds.), ISBN 978-607- all accounts extracted from FNA (refor- 8328-16-1, paperback. matted with abbreviations added), with Shaw, R.B. 2008. Grasses of Colorado. Uni- keys to genera and species, and descrip- versity of Colorado, Boulder. Notes: xi + tions, comprehensive, unfortunately the

Page 11 A look into the Budapest Herbarium On a recent trip Julia Beros, Botany contac- National Herbarium was formed, 1848). tor, accompanied by her sister, visited the The collections, now surpassing 2 million Budapest Herbarium. Inspired by the simi- (with some housed at an offsite extension larities and differences between the her- location), began with a vast deposit from barium in Budapest and the U.S. National renowned botanist Pál Kitaibel. Frequently Herbarium she recounts some of the tour’s referred to as the “Linnaeus of Hungary” highlights. for having been the first official collector in the Carpathian basin, and having more On the corner block of Könyves Kál- than 1,000 names described from his col- mán körút is a massive white stucco castle. lections. A relic of Art Nouveau, the “Fairy Palace” The herbarium is growing rapidly, hav- at one time housed one of the Royal sec- ing received roughly 150,000 new spe- ondary schools of Hungary, and after a cimens within the past 15 years from series of various uses it now safeguards the nearby institutions. Though the building botanical department of the Hungarian underwent renovations in the 1920s it Natural History Museum. Zoltán Barina, lacks an industrial freezer, making the one of four permanent collections staff in challenges of running an herbarium more Budapest, gave us a tour of the collections. pronounced. Often relying on various Curator Zoltan Barina and Julia Beros in The sun radiates in the stillness of the chemicals for fumigation, they are still the Bupadest herbarium. (photo by Kathryn valley, wafting through shallow fields of looking for the best way to manage pests in Beros) grass, reflecting off the architectural ves- a less than ideal situation. As Barina notes, cimens made by Lajos Kossuth. Most rec- tiges of the past, the Baroque facades, the there are burns from fluoridic acid (no Maria-Theresa yellows, deflecting back ognized as a politician, Kossuth had a longer in use) on many older sheets. Like- great fascination in botany and decided in over the hills of Buda. A city divided by its wise at the U.S. National Herbarium many own river, here in Pest the herbarium too his downtime from political life to start older specimens cured with mercury show collecting. Further in is the library where is split, into the Carpathian and General dark stains, and controlling the spread is a collections. The Natural History Museum resides a hand-painted edition of Vera continual chore. One recent acquisition is Csapody’s Iconographia florae hungaricae was created in 1802 and the department of a collection of around 40,000 specimens Botany in 1870 (around the time the U.S. (a copy of which is viewable in the Smith- from Szeged University of never before fu- sonian’s Botany Library). A tome of col- migated miscellanea. ored plates, this paradigm of Hungarian Although some botanical research is dedicated to the foun- sheets show visible dational work of Kitaibel. damage many are un- Within the collections are housed ap- touched, which gave proximately 100,000 lichen and 260,000 researchers a unique Bryophytes, comprising around 20% of the opportunity to study collections (whereas the U.S. National Her- natural pest resist- barium bryological collections, currently ance in certain undergoing a mass reorganization, only species (or learn comprise about 125,000 of the 5 million which are the tastiest total specimens). Ádám Boros and László treat for an her- Vajda were prominent bryologists in the barium stowaway). region, their notetaking so supremely de- The hallways are tailed they can still be followed step by step lined with windows to reach the exact stone from which they reaching up to the had plucked a moss. great height of the Currently unimaged these historic col- ceiling, and each sill lections are only viewable in person, festooned with live though barcoding is underway to database plants, vibrantly all the material. As bryologist Beáta Papp thriving in the ar- elaborates, they are also quite active within chives of their rel- Europe exchanging material and inviting atives, their foliage research exchange. The “Synthesys” pro- shrouding a towering gram, commissioned by the EU, allows re- Two quasi-books, known as Holz Bücher, camouflaged by their red cabinet. Remov- binding made of tree material, act as plant records for various searchers to request funds to go on ing a drawer Barina exchange to other institutions, encourag- tree collections. Ranging in age some are 130 years old. (photo reveals a stack of spe- by Julia Beros) ing multi-national collaboration and active

Page 12 use of natural history collections. Conveyor belt project hits 2.5 million images Returning home and returning to work at the Smithsonian, I resumed my duties in In coincidence with its four-year anni- and monocots of pressed specimens, with the digitization team. We have imaged versary, the Department of Botany digi- the exception of the Poaceae (grasses). over 2.5 million specimens to this day, and tization belt project has hit 2.5 million With available funding, Poaceae will be I still ruminate on the beautiful collections images, a huge milestone for the depart- next on our agenda. See https://collections. of Budapest. For such diverse collections ment. The number of catalog records in nmnh.si.edu/search/botany/ for all records in different cultures and societies, I see the US Herbarium has reached 3.5 million in our catalog, and enjoy the high-res- many of the same challenges that Barina and is growing quickly. Soon we will see a olution images created with care by the was pointing out in Budapest. Constantly digital record for almost all of the dicots botany digitization team. lacking enough space, enough funding, enough staffing and general resources to keep up with the ever changing and mod- Q?rius botany class: Summer 2019 ernizing standards underpins the impor- tance for natural history institutions to On July 24 and 31, a cohort of scientists cussed what the “officinalis” species epithet find support amongst each other; as an in- from the National Museum of Natural His- means in the context of classical medicine, ternational community we must continue tory, Liz Zimmer, W. Carl Taylor, Steven and students could compare their spe- to encourage partnerships and exchange in Canty, Julia Steier, Erika Gardner, Shruti cimens with renderings printed in herbals the effort to preserve our diverse natural Dube, and Gabriel Johnson led classes of by William Turner and Leonhart Fuchs history and as a means to inform our pres- local high school students who were work- and an Anglo-Saxon codex. The student ent. ing at the museum this summer as Q?rius groups were then given sets of numbered I would like to thank Zoltán Barina and teen ambassadors and YES! interns. Here, vials containing essential oils from these his colleagues for so warmly guiding me groups of 2 or 3 students were paired with plants and they were asked to assign the through their collections, and hope our in- a botanist-mentor and then visited the correct name to the different oils based on stitutions have the chance for collaboration museum’s pollinator and bird gardens to their smell. soon. learn to properly collect voucher spe- Many of these students will continue to cimens, log their observations in a field volunteer as members of the Q-Crew and notebook, and use a dichotomous key to serve as teen ambassadors to museum vis- determine species identification. Each stu- itors. It is our hope that this brief introduc- ForestGEO awards dent was tasked with collecting a different tion to botany will enable them to better research grants to 7 species in the Lamiaceae. Once they re- orient visitors exploring the various her- turned to the Q?rius lab, the students barium sheets and plant curiosities on dis- forest scientists pressed their collected materials and then play in Q?rius. mounted pre-pressed specimens on her- Since 2002, ForestGEO has supported barium sheets and completed a herbarium the work of forest researchers through its sheet label. annual Research Grants Program. Propo- The students made observations of sals were required to use data from at least glandular trichomes and floral organs one of ForestGEO’s 67 long-term, large- under the dissecting microscopes and scale research sites and could be put to- compared them to SEM images prepared wards a research project ranging from 3 for the same plants by microscopy edu- months to 2 years. A panel of reviewers cator Juan Pablo Hurtado Padilla (Note, met to assess the merit of 30 proposals in these SEM specimens were prepared using early September and granted over $60,000 the methanol fixation method described among seven researchers. These scholars by Talbot & White (2013) Plant Methods come from five countries and will cumu- 9(36): 1-7 and it is highly recommended). latively work in up to 14 ForestGEO re- By comparing trichome and pollen ultra- search sites. structure, they could begin to understand The grant funds will facilitate research the range of morphological variation in the in a host of topics pertaining to forest dy- microanatomy of plants within the same namics, including wood decomposition, family. This concept of taxonomic related- mycorrhizal fungi, functional trait diver- ness was explored further by mapping sity, nutrient cycling, and habitat associa- morphological features onto a phyloge- tions. Building global scientific capacity netic tree of the mint family. On this phy- requires support throughout the progres- logeny, the students identified several sion of a scientist’s career, and ForestGEO common herbs in the mint family such as SEM images of Monarda fistulosa (top) and is pleased to have been able to award fund- basil, oregano, sage, thyme, spearmint, sa- Pycnanthemum muticum (Lamiaceae) (bot- ing to four Ph.D. students, two postdocs, vory, rosemary, and lavender. Here we dis- tom) taken by Juan Pablo Hurtado Padilla for and one professor. the summer botany class.

Page 13 Retirements

W. John Kress retired on 31 July 2019 after 31 years of service at the Smithsonian Institution. He joined the Department of Botany at the Smithsonian’s National Mu- seum of Natural History in 1988 first as an Associate Curator and then promoted to Curator. Kress was appointed Chair of Bot- any in 1997, and he served in that role for nearly nine years. In 2010, Kress was named the Director of the Consortium for Understanding and Sustaining a Bio- diverse Planet in the Office of the Under Secretary for Science at the Smithsonian. From 2014 to 2016, he served the Smith- sonian as interim Under Secretary for Science. A major focus of Kress’ research has been on the order Zingiberales. He has ex- amined reproductive biology, allozyme and molecular variation, and phylogenetic relationships in the group and has been especially interested in the classification, evolution, and biology of the Heliconiaceae. Additionally, Kress has pro- duced a significant body of work on or- chids, bromeliads, and other epiphytes. He is the author or co-author on over 300 sci- entific papers, books, and book chapters. Kress’ research has led him to explore the Amazon, the Andes, Costa Rica, the West Indies, Madagascar, the South Paci- fic, tropical , Malaysia, , and Myanmar. He has au- thored or co-authored about 46 plant taxa and proposed about 150 new combina- tions. Kress authored The Weeping Gold- smith: Discoveries in the Secret Land of Myanmar, a first-person narrative of his scientific surveys in Myanmar’s teak for- ests, bamboo thickets, timber plantations, rivers, and mangroves. Kress is also the co- author of A Checklist of Trees, Shrubs, Herbs, and Climbers of Myanmar (Contr. US Natl. Herb. 45: 1-590; 2003), a work that updates four previous editions going back to 1912. W. John Kress. (photo by Smithsonian Institution) During his expeditions abroad, Kress often collected living plants in the field and Department moved the living plant collec- throated carib hummingbirds. With bat brought them back to the Botany Research tion from the east courtyard of NMNH to specialist Ted Fleming, Kress co-wrote the Greenhouses for further study. Over time, the larger, more modern facility at MSC. book, The Ornaments of Life: Coevolution Kress had built one of the finest living col- Kress’ interest in plant-pollinator inter- and Conservation in the Tropics, which fo- lections of gingers and relatives housed in actions resulted in a paper in Nature about cused on tropical pollination and frugi- the greenhouses at the Museum Support a flexible style inAlpinia that encourages vory and probing the influences of Center (MSC) in Suitland, Maryland. outcrossing and a Science cover story about vertebrate pollinators and seed dispersers. Kress played a pivotal role in establishing intricate evolutionary partnerships among His advocacy for conservation and sus- the greenhouses, when in 1994 the Botany Heliconia species and Caribbean purple- tainability can be seen in the co-edited

Page 14 book Plant Conservation – A Natural His- initiated the Jose Cuatrecasas Medal for Award for co-development of Leafsnap. He tory Approach, which addresses the roles Excellence in Tropical Botany, an award is a fellow of the American Association for that museums and botanical gardens can presented at the symposium to a botanist the Advancement of Science and an hon- play in the conservation of plants, and the and scholar of international stature who orary fellow of the Association for Tropical co-edited book Living in the Anthropocene: has contributed significantly to advancing Bi ology and Conservation . Earth in the Age of Humans, a set of essays the field of tropical botany. He developed a As Research Botanist Emeritus, Kress by scientists, humanists, and artists ad- memorandum of mutually beneficial un- will be working on a guide to the common dressing the causes and effects of a chang- derstanding between the National Mu- trees of North America. ing planet. seum of Natural History and the U.S. In the early 2000s, Kress had the vision Botanical Garden in Washington, D.C. He of an electronic field guide in which users also oversaw the completion of one of the could identify plant species simply by tak- first fully imaged herbarium type collec- ing a photograph of an individual plant. In tions with high-resolution digital images. 2011, his idea came to fruition with the re- Kress has served as the Executive Di- lease of Leafsnap, a mobile app that helps rector of the Association for Tropical Bio- scientists and the public identify tree logy and Conservation (ATBC) and as the species in the field by comparing digital Chairman of the Board of the Organiza- photo images of leaves to a database of tion for Tropical Studies (OTS). He has herbarium specimens. been serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the Kress was instrumental in the early de- botanical journal, PhytoKeys, since its in- velopment of DNA barcodes in flowering augural issue in 2010. He has been an Ad- plants (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 102: 8369- junct Professor at George Mason 8374; 2005). DNA barcodes are a practical University, George Washington University, and standardized tool for plant species and Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical identification in biodiversity assessments, Garden, China. life history and ecological studies, and fo- Among his awards and honors, Kress rensic analyses. His team has produced a has received the Parker-Gentry Award for DNA barcode library for plant species on Biodiversity and Conservation from the Panama’s Barro Colorado Island (Proc. Field Museum of Natural History, the Life- Natl. Acad. Sci. 106: 18621-18626; 2009). time Achievement Award from Heliconia His team is currently building a DNA bar- Society International, and the Edward O. code library for all medicinal plant species. Wilson Biodiversity Technology Pioneer Kress’ artistic endeavors include Botanica Magnifica: Portraits of the World’s Most Extraordinary Flowers and Plants, a collaboration with Hasselblad Laureate Award photographer Jonathan Singer. Botanica Magnifica is an elegant art book with 250 stunning photographs of rare and exotic plants and flowers. The original edition of Botanica Magnifica, con- sisting of five lavishly hand- bound volumes, was limited to 10 copies, the first of which was donated to the Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Rare Book Library at the Smith- sonian Institution. As Chair of the Depart- ment of Botany, Kress started the annual Smith- sonian Botanical Symposia as recommended in the Bot- any strategic plan. He also W. John Kress collecting plant specimens in a Costa Rican rainforest. (photo by Smithsonian Institution)

Page 15 YES! Interns experience a summer of mistletoes and lichens

This past summer, the Department of Botany hosted four interns through the Youth Engagement through Science (YES!) internship program at the National Mu- seum of Natural History. YES! is a career immersion and science communication program for youths between the ages of 14-19, who are currently enrolled in high school (grades 9-11) in the Washington D.C. region. The YES! program gives in- terns practical experience through a hands-on science internship with Smith- sonian science staff. In addition to con- ducting research, the teens also had access to behind-the-scenes tours and field trips, creative studio workshops, college prepar- atory classes, and the opportunity to create their own TED-type talks. To protect the privacy of these minors, their last names are being withheld in this article. Marcos Caraballo mentored two YES! YES! interns Leah and Nina (left to right) learn laboratory techniques to study the diversity interns, Nina and Leah, on a project ex- of parasitic mistletoes. (photo by Smithsonian Institution) ploring the morphological diversity and genomics of parasitic mistletoes. Both in- to dissect flowers and interpret their inner The interns learned about lichens in gen- terns learned how to perform microscopy structures, taking high quality images eral, especially taxonomic characters and work, DNA extractions, PCR amplifica- using a modern dissecting scope. Both chemical tests, and dove into a focus on tions, and sequence editing, and visited the Nina and Leah presented their summer identifying bacteria and fungi from differ- U.S. Botanic Garden to study the diversity projects at the YES! program community ent lichen cultures. They selected and pho- of plants growing there. Nina focused her day on August 2, where each prepared an tographed cultures, extracted and activities on lab work, including purifica- exhibition and showed mistletoes to mu- sequenced DNA, and generated culture tion of DNA from herbarium specimens, seum visitors. guides for future comparisons. Maria primer design, and visualization and inter- Manuela Dal Forno worked with two and Sarah participated in two outreach pretation of agarose gel images. Leah YES! interns, Sarah and Maria, on the programs at Q?rius, teaching museum vis- delved into plant taxonomy, learning how project “Lichen Diversity in the Tropics.” itors about lichens and their experience in the internship program. Sarah and Maria also worked alongside Julia Adams, a doc- toral student from the University of Cali- fornia at Riverside. Adams was at the museum for 10 weeks conducting research on the systematics of the lichen Acarospora socialis from southwestern United States. During her time here, During her time here, Adams worked on the taxonomy of 32 samples of this species complex housed at the US National Herbarium and per- formed lab work to acquire molecular data on these historical specimens.

YES! interns Maria and Sarah (left to right) learn laboratory techniques to study the diversity of lichens. (photo by Smithsonian Institution)

Page 16 Betsy Collins traveled to Oaxaca and Veracruz, Mexico (8/7 – 8/29) to collect NEW FACES Bursera (Burseraceae). Manuela Dal Forno traveled to Minne- apolis, Minnesota (8/10 – 8/17) to present at the 2019 Mycological Society of Amer- ica meeting. Vicki Funk traveled to Tucson, Ari- zona (7/28 – 8/1) to attend the Botany 2019 meeting. Karen Golinski traveled to Madrid, Spain (7/7 – 7/8) to attend the IUCN Red List Assessor Training Workshop for bry- ologists held in advance of the Inter- national Association of Bryologists meeting; she subsequently joined the IUCN Species Survival Commission Bryo- phyte Specialist Group. Gabriel Johnson traveled to Summer- land Key, Florida (7/2 – 7/9) to attend the Methods in Ecological Genomic Analysis Daniel Zuleta is a postdoctoral fellow (FATES) model and improve predic- workshop at the Elizabeth Moore Inter- working on tropical forest mortality tions of forest response to environmen- national Center for Coral Reef Research with ForestGEO and Next-Generation tal changes. He will use long-term and Restoration. Ecosystem Experiments–Tropics forest dynamics data from ForestGEO Kathryn Picard traveled to Minneapo- (NGEE–Tropics). His research has fo- sites along with annual mortality cen- lis, Minnesota (8/10 – 8/16) to give an in- cused on understanding the spatial suses established by Gabriel Arellano to vited symposium talk on marine fungi at variation in drought-induced tree mor- explore tree death modes and implica- the Mycological Society of America’s an- tality and biomass dynamics, as well as tions on stand carbon dynamics. He nual meeting; and to Duluth, Minnesota assessing the interactions between the will additionally collect data on plant (9/5 – 9/9) to give an invited seminar on species’ drought tolerances and their stress attributes and the response of using long-read sequencing to study mi- spatial distributions in Amazon forests. trees to extreme climatic events to infer crobial communities to the Department of As a postdoctoral fellow, Zuleta aims to the physiological mechanisms of tree Biology at the University of Minnesota understand the mechanisms driving death. Zuleta is based at the ForestGEO Duluth. tropical forest mortality in order to de- headquarters at the Smithsonian Na- W. Carl Taylor traveled to Vancouver, velop mortality models that can be in- tional Museum of Natural History in Canada (8/6 – 8/8), South Lake Tahoe, cluded in the Functionally Assembled Washington, DC. California (8/8), and Reno, Nevada (8/9 – Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator 8/11) to collect field specimens for a col- laborative project with Liz Zimmer. annually to the highest ranked proposals Warren Wagner traveled to Tucson, HONORS & AWARDS received from graduate student members Arizona (7/28 – 8/1) to attend the Botany of the organization. The Vicki A. Funk 2019 meeting. Grant joins the Rogers McVaugh, William Jun Wen traveled to Brunei (6/29 – Vicki Funk has been honored by the R. Anderson, Shirley and Alan Graham, 7/16) to give the opening keynote speech American Society of Plant Taxonomists and W. Hardy Eshbaugh grants in provid- at the 11th Flora Malesiana Symposium on (ASPT). Linda Watson and Lucinda ing up to $1,500, and is intended to help “Plant Systematics: A Century of Progress McDade have spearheaded a fundraising student researchers defray the costs of and Outlook for its Development in SE effort to establish a new endowment to doing research in any area within plant ”; and to Tucson, Arizona (7/28 – 8/1) allow ASPT to make an annual graduate systematics. to attend the Botany 2019 meeting. student research grant award in honor of Liz Zimmer traveled to Tucson, Vicki Funk. Many colleagues have gener- Arizona (7/28 – 8/1) to co-author two ously contributed so that the effort has TRAVEL talks at the Botany 2019 meeting and to been wildly successful and a large endow- serve as a judge of posters presented by the ment has been secured that will allow Barrett Brooks traveled to the Carrie Genetics Section of the Botanical Society ASPT to begin awarding an annual Vicki Bow Cay Field Station, Belize (7/24 – 8/1) of America. Funk Graduate Student Research Grant in to lead a diving activity for annual mon- 2020. This ASPT endowment in support of itoring and data collection for the Smith- graduate student research joins other sonian’s Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystem named endowed grants that ASPT awards Program (CCRE).

Page 17 (Cyperaceae) (8/5-8/9). search Service; Phytochemistry of plant VISITORS specimens (9/26-9/27). Iris Yellum, Harvard University; South In- dian legumes, economically important Sandra Knapp, Natural History Museum, Santos Miguel Nino and Daniela Cane- crops (8/5-8/12). London, United Kingdom; Solanaceae lón Barraez, Universidad Nacional Ex- (9/29-10/3). perimental de los Llanos Ezequiel Zamora, Sarah Elston, Smithsonian’s National Col- Venezuela; Flora of Guaramacal (5/14- lection Program; Herbarium tour (8/9). Carolina Moriani Siniscalchi, University 7/12). of Memphis; Asteraceae (9/30). Piper Boudart, Colorado College; Lichens Issac Marck, University of California (8/12-8/16). Ramhari Thapa, University of Memphis; Berkeley; Heliantheae Alliance (Astera- Asteraceae (9/30). Colin Eagle and Kate Hagsten, Division ceae) (6/3-8/30). of Resource Management Leech Lake Band Vidal Mansano, Rio de Janeiro Botanic of Ojibwe, Minnesota; Herbarium tour Garden, Brazil; Fabaceae (7/1-7/18). (8/14). Leandro Pederneiras, Jardim Botânico do Peiwu Xie, Guangdong Academy of For- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Ficus (Moraceae) estry, China; Herbarium research (7/3-7/12). (8/28/19-8/28/20). PUBLICATIONS Genise Freire, Universidade Federal Rural Joel Calvo, Pontificia Universidad Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Paullinia (Sapin- de Valparaíso, Brazil; Werneria (Astera- Ballantine, D.L., H. Ruíz and J.N. Norris. daceae) (7/8-8/5). ceae) (9/3-9/27). 2019. Notes on the benthic marine algae of Puerto Rico. XII: additions to the flora. Natalia Ruiz-Vargas, University of Illinois Myoughai Kwak, National Institute of Bio- Bot. Mar. 62(4): 337-344. http://dx.doi.org/ at Chicago; Caribbean biogeography, logical Resources, South Korea; Her- 10.1515/bot-2018-0117 Bromeliaceae, and Illicium (Schisandra- barium research (9/3/19-3/3/20). ceae) (7/8-7/12). Barberá, P., R.J. Soreng, P.M. Peterson, K. Cassiano Welker, Universidade Federal de Romaschenko, A. Quintanar and C, Aedo. Jackeline Salazar, Universidad Autónoma Uberlândia, Brazil; Andropogoneae (Poa- 2019. Molecular phylogenetic analysis re- de Santo Domingo, Zona Universitaria, ceae) (9/4-11/4). solves Trisetum (Poaceae: Pooideae: Koele- Dominican Republic; Flora of Dominican Tracey Parker, Independent researcher, riinae) polyphyletic: Evidence for a new Republic and (7/8-8/2). Managua, Nicaragua; Central American genus, Sibirotrisetum and resurrection of Patricia Sperotto, Universidade Federal de plants (9/5-9/6). Acrospelion. J. Syst. Evol. http://dx.doi.org/ Feira de Santana, Brazil; Neotropical vines 10.1111/jse.12523 Fay-Wei Li, Boyce Thompson Institute & and lianas (7/8-8/5). Cornell University; Hornworts (9/9-9/13). Bezerra, L.M.P.A., A.C.S. Oliveira, J.S. Mary McKenna and 10 students, Univer- Silva, W. Vargas, E.S. Cândido, T.C. Mon- Jacquelyn McPeck, Whitworth University; sity of Virginia Blandy Field Station; Plant teiro, M. Vatanparast and A.P. Fortuna Botanical illustration internship (9/9- conservation and herbarium tour (7/12). Perez. 2019. A new species of Rhynchosia 12/13). (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) from Bahia Jonathan Kavalier and 15 plant human- Soina Molino de Miguel, Universidad State, Brazil. Phytotaxa 406(2): 84-90. http: ities fellows, Dumbarton Oaks Research Complutense de Madrid, Spain; Ferns //dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.406.2.1 Library and Collection; Plant conservation (9/9-9/27). and herbarium tour (7/16). Campbell, K.C. St E., P. Acevedo-Rodrí- Christian Feuillet, Oregon State Univer- guez, Z. Acosta, T. Commock, A.R. Lima Aaron Pan, Don Harrington Discovery sity; Passifloraceae and Boraginaceae Lourenço, B. Peguero, K. Samra and E.J. Center; Anthonotha, Berlinia, Engleroden- (9/10-9/27). Lucas. 2019. New combinations and new dron, Gilbertiodendron, Isoberlinia, and names in Myrcia for West Indian species Isomacrolobium (Fabaceae: Detarioideae) Zhang Chunxia and Ding Yulong, Nan- previously included in Calyptranthes (Myr- (7/31). jing Forestry University, China; Bambusoi- taceae). Phytotaxa 406(3): 143-156. http:// deae (Poaceae) (9/16-9/19). Jose Mauricio Bonifacino, Universidad de dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.406.3.1 la Rupublica, Uruguay; Asteraceae (8/1- Josimar Kulkamp, Jardim Botanico, Bra- Cândido, E.S., W. Vargas, L.M.P. Bezerra, 8/8). zil; Euphorbiaceae (9/18-10/18). V. F. Ma n s a n o, M. Vatanparast, G.P. Lewis, Mauricio Diazgranados, Royal Botanic Patrica Barbera, Missouri Botanical Gar- A.M.A. Tozzi and A.P. Fortuna-Perez. Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom; Astera- den; Poaceae (9/23-9/27). 2019. Taxonomic synopsis of Eriosema ceae and Cuatrecasas Project (8/1-8/4). (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae, Phaseo- Lewis Ziska, Columbia University, and leae) in Brazil. Phytotaxa 416(2): 91-137. Philipy Weber, Universidade Federal do Guy Stone and Martha Tomecek, U.S. De- http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa. Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; Rhynchospora partment of Agriculture’s Agricultural Re- 416.2.1

Page 18 Chery, J.G., P. Acevedo-Rodríguez, C.J. Trifida (Crassulaceae) on the Qinghai- and W. Jetz. 2019. Environment- and trait- Rothfels and C.D. Specht. 2019. Phylogeny Tibetan Plateau. Taxon 68(2): 268-279. mediated scaling of tree occupancy in for- of Paullinia L. (Paullinieae: Sapindaceae), a http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/tax.12052 ests worldwide. Glob. Ecol. Biogeogr. 28(8): diverse genus of lianas with dynamic fruit 1155-1167. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/geb. evolution. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 140: Liu, J. and J. Wen. 2019. The complete 12922. 106577. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev. chloroplast genome of Aralia atropurpurea 2019.106577 (Araliaceae, the ginseng family) from the Robinson, H.E. 2019. Notes on 1964 Dan- Sino-Himalayan region, China. Mitochon- iel Norris bryophyte collections from the Choi, B., M.D. Crisp, L.G. Cook, K. drial DNA B 4(2): 2773-2774. http://dx.doi. Dominican Republic. Evansia 36(2): 59-62. Meusemann, R.D. Edwards, A. Toon and org/10.1080/23802359.2019.1643805 C. Külheim. 2019. Identifying genetic Rutishauser, E., S.J. Wright, R. Condit, S.P. markers for a range of phylogenetic utility Marselis, S.M., H. Tang, J. Armston, K. Hubbell, S.J. Davies and H. Muller-Lan- – From species to family level. PloS One Abernethy, A. Alonso, N. Barbier, P. Bis- dau. 2019. Testing for changes in biomass 14(8): e0218995. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/ siengou, K. Jeffery, D. Kenfack, N. La- dynamics in large-scale forest datasets. journal.pone.0218995 brière, S.-K. Lee, S.L. Lewis, H. Memiaghe, Glob. Change Biol. http://dx.doi.org/10. J.R. Poulsen, L. White and R. Dubayah. 1111/gcb.14833 Engone Obiang, N.L., D. Kenfack, N. Pi- 2019. Exploring the relation between re- card, J.A. Lutz, P. Bissiengou, H.R. Memi- motely sensed vertical canopy structure Stallman, J.K., V.A. Funk, J.P. Price and aghe and A. Alonso. 2019. Determinants of and tree species diversity in Gabon. Envi- M.L. Knope. 2019. 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Page 19 ART BY ALICE TANGERINI

Dendrophthora sp. This new species of mistletoe (Dendrophthora sp.; Loranthaceae) is a preliminary sketch from collections made by Larry Dorr (US) and Basil Stergios (formerly PORT) for the Flora of Guaramacal project, which focuses on the vascular plants of a national park in the Venezuelan Andes. Daniela Canelón, Curator of Herbario PORT, is especially interested in parasitic epiphytes and with the assistance of Miguel Niño, Botany Research Collaborator, and Marcos Caraballo, Peter Buck Fellow, they have determined that the material represents a new, as yet undescribed species. The collections provide a challenge to illustrate in that as they dry the plant color darkens to almost black. Rehydration in a wetting solution is required for dissecting and illustrating the tiny flowers and fruits. Caraballo has been generous in lending Tangerini his books and papers on the genus so that typical views by other illustrators can be studied to show how this particular collection differs from similar species.

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