Department of Botany & the U.S. National Herbarium TheThe PlantPlant PressPress New Series - Vol. 9 - No. 1 January-March 2006 Botany Profile Botanist Taps Rubber Relationships By Gary A. Krupnick n September 2005, Kenneth J. Wurdack has a long history associated Ricinus communis) and has notoriety Wurdack joined the Department as with the Department. In addition to for the toxin ricin (Ricinus). Wurdack’s IResearch Scientist and Assistant roaming the halls when he was a child, he original interest in Euphorbiaceae was Curator of Botany. As the second new was a formal volunteer from 1985 to inspired by the late Grady Webster curator hired in 13 years, he joins the 1990. During his final years as a graduate (1927-2005), the preeminent and most Department just a month after Jun Wen student (2000-2002), he worked as the influential euphorb specialist of the past (see Plant Press, vol. 8, no. 4; 2005). Laboratory Manager in the Cullman Prog- century. His research interest is mainly the ram for Molecular Systematic Studies at DNA studies are rewriting Euphor- systematics and evolution of the rubber the New York Botanical Garden. He then biaceae systematics. Molecular data family, Euphorbiaceae, in the broad returned to the Smithsonian Institution have shown that the family is polyphyl- sense (sensu lato), but also the order where he held a postdoctoral fellow etic and contains seven lineages (Cen- Malpighiales (to which euphorbs position in the Department of Botany and troplacus, Euphorbiaceae s.s., Panda- belong), Thymelaeaceae, horizontal gene the Laboratories of Analytical Biology ceae, Paradrypetes, Phyllanthaceae, transfer, and ant-plant interactions. In for a year, and after that, with support Picrodendraceae, Putranjivaceae). These what is perhaps the first occurrence in from the National Science Foundation, lineages are still more or less closely the Department, a curator’s offspring has continued his research at the Smithsonian related within the order Malpighiales been hired as a curator. Wurdack is the as a Visiting Scientist and a Research and Wurdack has broadened his research son of John J. Wurdack (1921-1998), Associate. to span the entire order to more fully Melastomataceae specialist in the understand relationships and evolution- Department for 38 years. he scope of Wurdack’s work spans ary trends of all the euphorbs and their Born locally in Washington, D.C. to a wide range of taxonomic levels sister groups. Presently, in collabora- two botanists (his mother was a plant Tto address questions on the biol- tion with Charles C. Davis (Harvard physiologist by training), Wurdack was ogy, evolution, systematics, and classifi- University), this work includes 165 taxa, immersed in botany from the beginning cation of Euphorbiaceae and to integrate 8 genes and 14,000 bases of aligned but turned to it rather late as a career. He them within a phylogenetic framework. As DNA sequence data. These broad-scale received his B.S. in Biochemistry from broadly and traditionally circumscribed, phylogenies have revealed the relation- the University of Maryland, College the Euphorbiaceae include ca. 336 genera ships of two enigmatic genera, Parad- Park in 1990. He started graduate work and 8,000-9,000 species. They have been rypetes (now a member of the mangrove at the University of North Carolina at subject to a dizzying array of complex family Rhizophoraceae and not a Chapel Hill in the lab of Mark W. Chase classifications and 20 proposed family- primitive Picrodendraceae as previously and received his M.S. in Biology in level segregates. The family has devel- thought) and African Centroplacus 1994. After a two-year hiatus and the oped the reputation of being taxonomi- recently placed in its own family relocation of Chase to the Jodrell Labo- cally “difficult” and consequently until Centroplacaceae. Wurdack presented ratory at the Royal Botanic Gardens, recently has attracted few specialists. The this work in July 2005 as a keynote Kew, Wurdack returned to UNC to con- group is best known as a source of speaker at the International Botanical tinue graduate studies under Clifford R. important economic products including Congress in Vienna, Austria. His work Parks and William Dickison, receiving natural rubber (Hevea brasiliensis), on the systematics of Euphorbiaceae at his Ph.D. in 2002. His doctoral disserta- cassava (Manihot esculenta), poinsettias lower ranks includes the first generic- tion focused on the molecular systemat- (Euphorbia pulcherrima), wax (Euphor- level phylogenies for each of the bia spp.), and oils (i.e., Vernicia spp., ics and evolution of Euphorbiaceae. Continued on page 12 Travel Robert Faden traveled to Tifton, Mark Littler and Diane Littler and to Rome, Italy (11/24 – 12/9) to Georgia (11/28 – 11/30) to present a talk traveled to Ft. Pierce, Florida (12/15 – 2/ conduct research at the National Library at the Tropical Spiderwort Symposium at 16) to conduct on-going research at the of Rome and at the Library of the Botanic the University of Georgia, Tifton. Smithsonian Marine Station and Saba Garden of Padua, and to deliver a talk at Maria Faust traveled to Pacific Island. the Institute for the History of Medicine Grove, California (10/2 – 10/8) to Dan Nicolson traveled to Kansas City, of Padua University. present a paper at the 3rd U.S. Harmful Missouri (12/5 – 12/7) to inspect a gift Warren Wagner traveled to St. Louis, Bloom Conference at the Asilomar of books about early botany donated by Missouri (10/7 – 10/14) to attend the conference grounds. Mrs. Stannard of Lawrence, Kansas. Missouri Botanical Garden Systematics Vicki Funk traveled to Panama City, Rusty Russell traveled to Cambridge, Symposium and to conduct Onagraceae Panama (10/20 – 10/23) to present a Massachusetts (10/11; 11/2 – 11/9) to research; and to Bronx, New York (10/27 paper at the plenary meeting of the Bio- attend a memorial for Mike Canoso, to – 10/28) to attend the Science Advisory diversity Science and Education Initiative; meet with the librarian of the Harvard Committee meeting of the New York and to St. Louis, Missouri (12/6 – 12/8) Botany Library about digitizing early Botanical Garden. to work on the Asteraceae in the her- reports of the U.S. Exploring Expedition, Jun Wen traveled to Lima, Peru (11/7 barium at the Missouri Botanical Garden. to present a poster at the 2005 Earthwatch – 12/10) to conduct Nolana field work W. John Kress traveled to Miami, Conference, and to conduct research on throughout the country. Florida (10/10 – 10/12) to attend a the U.S. Ex. Ex. plant collections. Kenneth Wurdack traveled to St. meeting of the IUCN Species Survival Alain Touwaide traveled to Worces- Louis, Missouri (10/3 – 10/6) to conduct Commission; to Dublin, Ireland, and ter, Massachusetts (10/21 – 10/23) to Euphorbiaceae research at the Missouri London, England (10/21 – 10/27) with present a talk at the New England Medi- Botanical Garden. Gary Krupnick to attend the Global eval Conference; to Barcelona, Spain (11/ Elizabeth Zimmer traveled to Cam- Partnership for Plant Conservation Con- 4 – 11/5) to deliver a talk at the Mediter- bridge, Massachusetts (10/17 – 11/5) to ference at the National Botanic Gardens ranean Editors and Translators meeting at conduct collaborative research at Harvard of Ireland, Glasnevin, and to attend a the Istituto Europeo de Estudios Mediter- University. business meeting of Plant Talk magazine raneos; to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (11/ at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew; and to 17) to speak at the annual meeting of the Dominica (12/5 – 12/13) with Michael American Schools of Oriental Research; Bordelon, Vinita Gowda, and Ida Lopez to conduct research on Heliconia and Visitors hummingbirds. Alejandro Quintanar-Sanchez, Real Leigh Johnson, Brigham Young Univer- Jardín Botánico, Spain; subcosmopolitan sity; Navarretia and Collomia (10/20-10/ The Plant Press Koeleria (Poaceae) (9/6-11/24). 21). Akiko Soejima, Osaka Prefecture Uni- Walter Holmes, Baylor University; New Series - Vol. 9 - No. 1 versity, Japan; Vitaceae (9/28-3/25). Central and South American Mikania Chair of Botany (Asteraceae) (10/21-10/28). Francisco Cabezas Fuentes, Real Jardin W. John Kress Vernie Sagun ([email protected]) Botanico de Madrid; Palisota (Commeli- , Illinois Natural History naceae) (10/7-10/24). Survey; Flora Malesiana Acalypha EDITORIAL STAFF (Euphorbiaceae) (10/25-10/27). Ze-Long Nie, Kunming Institute of Editor Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Clara Inez Orozco, Universidad Nacional Gary Krupnick Eastern Himalayan conservation and de Colombia; Brunelliaceae and Solan- ([email protected]) biodiversity, and molecular biogeography aceae (10/26-10/28). of Northern Hemisphere disjunct plants News Contacts Stephen Blackmore, Royal Botanic (10/10-6/9). MaryAnn Apicelli, Robert Faden, Ellen Garden Edinburgh; Compositae pollen Farr, George Russell, Alice Tangerini, and Mauricio Diazgranados, Herbario (11/2-11/6). Elizabeth Zimmer Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, John Skvarla, Oklahoma University; The Plant Press is a quarterly publication provided Colombia; Cuatrecasas specimens and Compositae pollen (11/2-11/6). free of charge. If you would like to be added to the archives (10/17-2/15). mailing list, please contact Dr. Gary Krupnick at: Alexandra Wortley, Royal Botanic Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, PO Isabel Martinez-Ferrando, Independent Garden Edinburgh; Compositae pollen Box 37012, NMNH MRC-166, Washington, DC researcher; volunteer interview (10/17). 20013-7012, or by E-mail: [email protected]. (11/2-11/6). Annette Olsen, United States Geological Web site: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/botany Continued on page 10 Survey; image storage (10/18). Page 2 Science on a Roll Chair ur conclusion today is that it is unconstitu- to the last argument: Is ID science? Chair tional to teach Intelligent Design as an “While ID arguments may be true,” states Judge Oalternative to evolution in a public school Jones, “ID is not science.” It fails to be science on science classroom.” So concludes the Memorandum three levels.