Department of Systematic Biology - Botany & the U.S. National Herbarium The Plant Press
New Series - Vol. 4 - No. 3 July-September 2001
Botany Profile clarified by Lellinger in a major work Pinnae for Your Thoughts entitled A Modern Multilingual Glos- By Robert DeFilipps herbarium aide in 1960, has been a full sary for Taxonomic Pteridology which erns and their entourage of “allies” curator since 1987. Morton and Lellinger covers approximately 1,100 terms and have been on the earth for ages. were co-authoring South American fern synonyms in English, Spanish, French, FRelated by similarities of their articles as early as 1966. and Portuguese. It will be published this structure and life history as spore-bearing Lellinger was born in Chicago, Illinois, year by the American Fern Society in vascular cryptogams, the ancestors of in 1937, and attended the University of Pteridologia, a leading journal of which today’s ferns, horsetails (Equisetum), Illinois at Urbana (A.B. with Highest Lellinger is currently editor and business club-mosses (Lycopodium), and spike- Distinction in Botany, 1958) before manager. mosses (Selaginella) once freely proceeding to graduate studies at the One of Lellinger’s abiding interests cohabited in communities exemplified by University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (M.S. has been the pteridophyte flora of the now-extinct ferns (such as Psaronius), 1960; Ph.D. 1965). His botanical beginning region comprising Costa Rica, Panama, horsetails (Annularia, Sphenophyllum), was inspired by a chance meeting with and the Chocó in Colombia, where he and giant club-mosses (Lepidodendron) Albert Fuller (Milwaukee Public Museum), conducted fieldwork in various years in the swamp forests of the Carboniferous eventually resulting in an from 1967 to 1987. In Age, approximately 300 million years ago. undergraduate thesis on southeastern Panama- On display in the National Museum of the flora of what is now northwestern Colombia Natural History are fossil impressions of called Tofts Point Natural Fern collections this area embraces the their leaves and stems, preserved in Area, Wisconsin, after are still yielding notorious Darién Gap, rounded structures known to paleo- which G. Neville Jones at a nearly roadless botanists as “coal balls,” while untold Urbana pointed Lellinger many interesting isthmian configuration millions of tons of their pressurized in the direction of novelties of mountains and remains are burned as coal. Michigan’s Herb Wagner, swamps. The Panama- Segments of those plant lineages that who became his major nian portion is home to evolved and survived through the professor. the Emberá, Wounaan, geological ages, and have come down to The structures of ferns require a unique and Kuna Indians, and the vantage point us as the living ferns and fern-allies of the descriptive terminology, the use of which from which the Spanish explorer Vasco New World tropics, are the major research is strongly championed by Lellinger, since Núñez de Balboa was, in 1513, the first interest of David B. Lellinger, curator of the fern “frond,” which unrolls from a European to see the Pacific Ocean. pteridophytes in Botany. Under “crozier” or “fiddlehead,” is morphogeneti- In Part 1 (Pteridologia 2A. 1989) of Lellinger’s meticulous supervision at the cally different in its mode of development his account, Lellinger reported 562 U.S. National Herbarium is the largest and from marginal meristems, from that of the species of ferns and fern-allies from the most diverse fern collection in the angiosperm “leaf.” Often delicately com- area of Costa Rica through the Chocó. Western Hemisphere, in excess of 250,000 pound into divisions known as “pinnae,” His fern collections furnished material for specimens, including six full-size cases of “pinnules,” and “pinnulets,” the frond has many taxonomic studies by various precious type material. His predecessors a “stipe” corresponding to a “petiole,” investigators, while examination of in a century of continuous fern curation while spore-cases known as “sori” are gatherings of other plant groups resulted were William R. Maxon who started in formed on the underside or on separate in three new species of Colombian 1899, followed by Conrad V. Morton who fertile fronds. angiosperms named for him: Guzmania was employed at the Smithsonian from The special terminology and concepts lellingeri L.B. Smith & R.W. Read 1926 to1972. Lellinger, who started as a relating to ferns have recently been Continued on page 7 Visitors
Isidro Sanchez-Vega, Universidad Alicia Massa, Utah State University; Alexander Krings, North Carolina State Nacional de Cajamarca, Peru; Eragrostis Bromus (Poaceae) (5/21-5/25). University; Herbarium research (6/28). (Poaceae) (4/30-6/4). Terry O’Brien, Rowan University; Mary Stensvold, U.S. Forest Service; Dorothy Brazis, National Park Service; Mosses (5/29). Botrychium ferns (6/29). Endangered species at Monocacy (5/1). Rosaura Grether G., Univ. Autonoma Eric Christenson, Selby Botanic Gardens, Larry Fowler, USDA, APHIS, PPQ; Metropolitana Izatapalapa; Mimosaceae Florida; Orchidaceae (6/30-7/2). Echinochloa pyramidalis (Poaceae) (5/8). (5/31-6/5). David Mabberley, Royal Botanic Gardens, Saul Hahn, Organization of American Alejandra Correa, Univ. Nacional de Sydney, Australia; IAPT (7/8-7/9). States, OST; Herbarium information (5/8). Colombia; Asteraceae (6/5-6/15). Elizabeth Rollins, Scientific American Ronald Ochoa, USDA; Cirsium mites (5/ Susan Nasr, USDA, Mycology Labora- Magazine; Educational film programs (7/ 17). tory; Vaccinium (Ericaceae) (6/7). 10). John Lydon, USDA; Cirsium mites (5/17). John Janovec, New York Botanical Garden Darin Pennys, University of Florida, Nobuyuki Tanaka, Kochi Prefectural (NY); Myristicaceae (6/11-6/12). Gainesville; Melastomataceae of Guianas Makino Botanical Garden; Cannaceae (5/ Polly Lehtonen, USDA; Mexican weeds (6/ (7/10-7/13). 18-5/19). 11). Amanda Neill, New York Botanical Garden Benjamin Torke, Missouri Botanical Mac Alford, Bailey Hortorium, Cornell (NY); Cucurbitaceae (7/11-7/12). Garden (MO); Swartzia (Fabaceae) (5/21-5/ University; Flacourtiaceae (6/20-6/27). Tania Wendt, Federal University; 22). Cathryn Meegan, Arizona State Univer- Bromeliaceae (7/15-7/25). Steven Clemants, Brooklyn Botanic sity; Syria and Turkey plants (6/25). Gery Allan, Arcadia University; Fabaceae, Garden; North American Chenopodium (5/ John Nelson, University of South Caro- Rutaceae (7/16-7/30). 21-5/22). lina; Stachys (Lamiaceae) (6/26). Petr Sklenar, New York Botanical Garden Lynn Clark, Iowa State University; (NY); Paramo vegetation (7/16-7/20). Poaceae (6/26-6/27). Michael Nee, New York Botanical Garden (NY); Solanaceae (7/23). The Plant Press New Series - Vol. 4 - No. 3 Travel Head of Botany W. John Kress Paula DePriest (5/28-6/15) traveled to ([email protected]) Vicki Funk traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana (4/5-4/9) to attend a meeting of Brisbane and Canberra, Australia to collect EDITORIAL STAFF the Association of Southeastern Biolo- lichens for the PEET Project, with graduate gists, where she gave a talk on the herbaria students Rebecca Yahr and Niki Hoffman, Co-Editors of Southeast US; Durham, North Carolina and Sam Hammer (Boston University) and Gary Krupnick (5/9-5/21) to meet with a graduate student his four undergraduate interns. ([email protected]) at Duke University; and Montreal, Canada Robert DeFilipps Mark Littler, Diane Littler, and Barrett (6/10-6/17) to conduct research at McGill ([email protected]) Brooks (6/5-7/31) traveled to Fort Pierce, University. Circulation Manager Florida to continue ongoing research on Shirley Maina W. John Kress traveled to London, the Marine Flora of the Indian River ([email protected]) England (5/15-5/19) to attend an Informal Lagoon, Florida. Consultation held at the Royal Society on Laurence Dorr (6/9-6/21) traveled to News Contacts a Global Strategy for Plant Conservation to Robert Faden, Ellen Farr, George Venezuela (see extended report in this be presented to the Convention on Russell, Alice Tangerini, and Elizabeth issue, page 5). Zimmer Biological Diveristy; Myanmar (6/4-6/23) to collect gingers and work on the check- Pedro Acevedo (6/20-8/22) traveled to The Plant Press is a quarterly publication list of plants of that country; Kunming, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic to provided free of charge. If you would like to be China (6/23-6/26) to sit on the Ph.D. added to the mailing list, contact Shirley Maina attend a meeting of the “Flora of the at: Department of Systematic Biology - dissertation defense of Ai-Zhong Liu at Greater Antilles” project. Botany, MRC-166, National Museum of the Kunming Institute of Botany; and Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Bangalore, India (7/13-7/24) to attend a Walter Adey (7/12-9/7) traveled to Bangor, Washington, DC 20560-0166, or by e-mail: meeting as Executive Director of the Maine; Gandor, Newfoundland, Canada [email protected]. Association for Tropical Biology. and Quebec, Canada to continue ongoing research. Web site: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/botany
Page 2 Basic Research in the Century of the Environment Chair any biologists are now calling the next one sequel is not an enlightening thought. As biologists hundred years the “Century of the Environ- in the 21st century we must at least frame our studies Mment.” But has this epithet been applied and investigations within the context of biodiversity With because the next hundred years will be our last chance conservation. But are we obliged to pursue only to preserve the remaining large tracts of undisturbed research that has conservation implications? I believe natural habitats on the planet? Or is it because we only we are not. have 100 years to discover the remaining organic The recent meeting of the Association for A diversity on the planet, document where it is distrib- Tropical Biology (ATB), convened in Bangalore, uted, and understand how it has evolved before the India, in affiliation with the Ashoka Trust for Re- current mass extinction is complete? As natural history search in Ecology and the Environment, was entitled biologists we must decide how we are going to expend “Tropical Ecosystems: Structure, Diversity and View our research energies over the next decades. Human Welfare.” With over 400 attendees, the papers Like many systematic biologists, I began my career and posters covered a range of topics on tropical with an intense fascination for the natural world and a biology. However, there was a clear predominance of passion for botanical exploration and discovery. My presentations on human interactions with the W. occupations throughout undergraduate and graduate environment. It seemed that the “cool stories” about school focused on learning everything I could about the evolution and ecology of tropical organisms took John systematics, evolution, and ecology as well as traveling a back seat to documentation of the human threats to to as many faraway tropical lands as a graduate student the environment. Here, too, was evident the change Kress could afford. I have continued this trajectory through from an emphasis on basic tropical biology, which is a post-docs, first jobs, and my curatorial work at the hallmark of ATB, to the environmental sciences. Smithsonian. So what has happened to “the increase and A not so subtle transition occurred in both the field diffusion of knowledge?” Have our efforts to increase of biology and my career perspective during the 1980s knowledge now been displaced by our zeal for as the pristine tropical forests became more and more salvaging the natural world as it is being savaged by difficult to find and the forests that I had already human populations? If, as believed by some, the explored were being degraded in a rapid and irreversible environmental battle has already been lost, are our fashion. Not so suddenly I awoke to realize that the efforts to save biodiversity in vain? Should we not be message on environmental crisis that Peter Raven had more concerned with documenting what remains of been preaching for years was indeed true, was global in the natural world than expending our time and efforts scope, and was directly transforming the way I worked in attempts to conserve it? If by chance we do as a scientist. Not only was it a crisis of nature and preserve the remaining intact natural habitats over society, but, selfishly, it was a personal crisis that the next hundred years, how will we manage pristine affected the way I was able to practice tropical botany but poorly understood habitats? These questions are and systematics. My idealized quest for understanding difficult to answer. the natural world was being brought to a halt by the As biologists trained in the natural history disappearance of the very natural environments I sciences, we must balance our efforts between basic wanted to study. Moreover, I was been forced to research and conservation activities and not wait to abandon basic research in exchange for a more proac- see if we win the environmental battle. Time and tive conservation program. It was paradoxical as well as resources are too short to do anything less. Knowing disturbing. what plants, animals, and microorganisms are out Since that realization I have spent at least one-third, there, where they occur, and how they work regard- if not more, of my time and energy on environmental less of their “value” to humankind must still be our and conservation issues. This effort included conserva- priority. The information we collect on the natural tion research as well as outreach and public relations world will be a permanent record of our planet for activities to promote the conservation of tropical centuries to come whether or not the remaining biodiversity. I am certainly not alone among my natural habitats are maintained for future generations colleagues in the redirection of my professional efforts to experience, to use, and to appreciate. In the from scientific research to conservation advocacy. Century of the Environment nothing makes sense in What else can we do? biology except in the light of understanding the I recently heard Dobzhansky’s classic statement on natural world and preserving our knowledge of it. the relationship of biology and evolution rephrased as “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of conservation.” Alas, it may be true, but unlike Dobzhansky’s original version of that statement, the
Page 3 military reservation, the surprised partici- recently graduated from the University of Staff pants found that a large area had been Manitoba, and wrote an honors disserta- burned just a few days earlier, the fire set tion on the taxonomy of the Carex backii Research by an exploding practice bomb. Shetler and species complex. He is working with Paul Joan Nowicke were among 70 persons Peterson on the taxonomy of Brachyely- who took part in the annual Northeastern trum erectum (Poaceae) in North America. Joint Botanical Field Meetings on 24-27 Paul Peterson traveled to Rancho Santa Also in the Research Training Program is Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont, Califor- June, held this year on the Eastern Shore around Dover, Delaware. Katarina Topalov ([email protected]), from nia, (6-12 May) to work with Travis Colum- Novi Sad, Serbia. She is currently a third bus, Rosa Cerros Tlatilpa, and Michael Dan Nicolson has returned to the Commit- year undergraduate at the University of Kinney on the phylogeny of the Muhlen- tee for Spermatophyta of the International Novi Sad, and is particularly interested in bergiinae (Poaceae). Preliminary results Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT), forest ecosystems and vegetation of the based on ITS DNA sequences suggest having resigned in 1987 to become Fruska Gora Mountain near Novi Sad. Her that nine genera (Aegopogon, Bealia, secretary of the General Committee. He research project is an evaluation of plant Blepharoneuron, Chaboissaea, Lycurus, replaces William R. Anderson, who diversity on the Guiana Shield, under the Pereilema, Redfieldia, Shaffnerella, and replaced Nicolson in 1987. guidance of Vicki Funk. Schedonnardus) are nested within a paraphyletic Muhlenbergia clade. These Professor V. H. Heywood, president of the results will be reported at the upcoming International Council on Medicinal and Departures Botany 2001 meeting in Albuquerque, New Aromatic Plants (ICMAP), has appointed Mexico. At Claremont, Peterson also Robert DeFilipps to be Reviews Editor of Amanda Boone, former secretary in presented a seminar titled “A New Look at ICMAP News. Botany, has accepted a position with the the Muhlenbergiinae.” Environmental Protection Agency, Wash- ington, D.C. Gene Rosenberg visited Colombia on 12- New Faces 17 May and the Azores Islands of Portugal Jing-Ping Liao has returned to the South on 16-26 June. The trip to Colombia, with David Erickson, NSF-funded postdoctoral China Institute of Botany, Guangzhou, Lisa Palmer of the Division of Fishes fellow working with Elizabeth Zimmer at after conducting an SEM study of the (NMNH) and Fernando Bretos of the the Laboratory of Molecular Systematics pollen of Zingiberales. Center for Marine Conservation (Washing- (LMS) and Charles Fenster at the Univer- Postdoctoral fellow Molly Nepokroeff has ton, D.C.), covered the Caribbean coast sity of Maryland, is investigating QTL accepted an assistant professor position in from Cartagena to Santa Marta. In Santa mapping in the legume Chamaecrista the Biology Department at the University Marta, the team carried out a preservation fasciculata. He hopes to use an experimen- of South Dakota, Vermillion, effective in assessment of the collections of marine tal crossing design to elucidate the number August. organisms at the Institute for Marine and and relative effects of genes that promote Coastal Research (INVEMAR). The trip to adaptation to different habitats. Postdoctoral fellow Linda Prince has left the Azores, with Rick Wunderman and to take up a postdoctoral fellowship at Rachel A. Levin, a postdoctoral fellow Tom Simkin of the Department of Mineral Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Clare- working with Warren Wagner, Elizabeth Sciences (NMNH), included the islands of mont, California. São Miguel and Terceira, a site of recent Zimmer and Mellon fellows Peter Hoch, underwater volcanism. With colleagues Jorge Crisci, and Ken Sytsma, is interested Eric Roalson will be concluding his post- from the University of the Azores and the in using phylogenetic techniques to doctoral fellowship research in molecular University of Lisbon, the Smithsonian address questions about character evolu- evolution on 19 August, to begin an scientists participated in a workshop to tion in plants, especially fragrance evolu- assistant professor position in the School plan for a visit of the U.S. Navy research tion. Levin plans to study phylogenetic of Biological Sciences, Washington State submersible NR-1 during the summer of relationships within Nyctaginaceae. She University, Pullman. 2002. The use of NR-1 will offer new received her Ph.D. from the University of capabilities for in situ underwater sampling Arizona, Tucson, with Lucinda McDade as in this geologically and biologically her advisor. Her dissertation research fascinating archipelago. focused on the phylogenetic relationships among Southwestern species in the family Nyctaginaceae and the evolution of Staff Activities fragrance within this group of mainly hawkmoth-pollinated taxa. Stanwyn Shetler led the annual trip to the New Jersey Pine Barrens for the Audubon There are two Botany participants in the Naturalist Society on 16 June. In the East Research Training Program this summer. Plains of the pygmy forest, which is a Jeffery Saarela (jeff_saarela@hotmail .com) is from Manitou, Canada. He
Page 4 yield anything that was unexpected. The In the Venezuelan Páramo best collecting of this trip was above El In this essay, Laurence Dorr recounts his to use a small hut near their broadcast Cafenol where we walked through a ‘po- recent adventures in the Venezuelan field. antenna where we could bunk sheltered trero’ along the edge of cloud forest from from the wind, rain, and cold. Both tent and about 1,700 to 2,200 m. A number of these “The first sign was the patch of rabbit hut were greatly appreciated, especially collections, including a narrow-leaved fur, later the scat with animal bones, and since this ‘tropical’ field trip included Piper, were species that neither I nor Basil finally the half-eaten ‘mapache,’ and I was night-time temperatures as low as 3°C. Stergios and Miguel Niño could recall convinced that there were puma roaming “We collected along a transect from the having seen before. Alas, our ‘Catalogue the Páramo de Guaramacal. At least the summit (3,100 m) of the Páramo de Guara- of the Flora of Guaramacal’ is rapidly one (or ones) with whom we kept crossing macal northeast to the Fila Los Recosta- becoming outdated. The last two trips paths was well fed and that lessened the deros, essentially completing a loop that (December-January and June) have anxiety that I might otherwise have felt. earlier had included a hike from El Cafenol produced a total of 21 genera and 51 We also saw ample evidence of the to the Fila. Our little stroll in the páramo species not previously reported from presence of spectacled bear in the páramo. had us drop from 3,100 to 2,400 m and then Guaramacal. When all of the material is The clearest evidence of the latter were the climb back up the 700 m we had lost. While worked up we may well have records of fairly common patches of leaves left after my rain pants, rain jacket, and poncho kept 1,500 species of vascular plants in the the bear had dined on Puya aristeguietae, the rain from making me wet, I nonetheless park. which conveniently for the botanist was in became soaked by the sweat from my “Before returning to Washington, full flower. exertion and thoroughly exhausted by the Stergios took me on a quick day-trip to see “While the presence of these large end of the day. Another transect took us one of the last vestiges of montane mammals added some degree of excite- from the summit of Guaramacal southwest vegetation in Portuguesa state. We drove ment, the purpose of my recent trip was to to the Páramo El Pumar. As with the Fila, northwest of Guanare, forded the Río collect plants in areas of Guaramacal we had also climbed last winter from about Suruguapo, and climbed to the Fila de San National Park that had not been ad- 1,800 m to El Pumar at 2,600 m. We did not José de la Montaña on the border with equately explored before and to collect in find anything that was new on this trip. Lara state. Many of the plants were seasons that had been neglected. We Last winter we collected quite a few plants familiar from Guaramacal, including therefore found ourselves on top of in El Pumar that we had not seen previ- Croizatia brevipetiolata (Euphorbiaceae), Guaramacal in the middle of the rainy ously in the park. a species that was scarcely known a few season. Civil Defense of Trujillo state lent “The páramo collecting, apart from a years ago but is now appearing in almost us a large tent for use as a kitchen and number of parasitic Loranthaceae that all of the cloud forests examined at 1,600 to pressing area, and TeleBoconó allowed us could not be identified in the field, did not 1,800 m.”
Merrills Species Blancoanae Dan Nicolson, whose first child was percent of the time) have field information born in the Philippines while he was doing and early text sometimes differing from doctoral research, has always had an what Merrill published in 1917 in his interest in the Philippine flora. While Dawn “Species Blancoanae” citing his “Species Arculus, formerly in Botany, was working Blancoanae” illustrative specimens as a on new types, she noted that some of our series running from 1-1064. Nicolson specimens of Merrill’s Species Blanco- decided to track down the illustrative anae had become isoneotypes. Nicolson specimens representing new species knew that Blanco had published an early established, and to make information Flora Filipinas in 1837 (two subsequent available on the Botany Website concern- editions), that no Blanco materials were ing these specimens, including which ones extant, and that Merrill had recollected and have field labels. Ultimately Nicolson distributed duplicates, which he, long would like to have these “first stage before the term “neotype,” called “illustra- neotypes” made available on the Web, as tive specimens.” Nicolson was unaware an encouragement to workers dealing with that the first set of these “illustrative spec- these Philippine taxa to chose the US imens” was deposited at US, a fact that sheets as second stage neotypes. A paper was discovered from the original corre- documenting the provenance of the US spondence between Merrill and the head Species Blancoanae, their original labels curator at that time, William R. Maxon. and texts, is expected to be published in The US specimens frequently (about 50 the August 2001 issue of Taxon.
Page 5 give additional search tips and describe has been set aside for rainforest conserva- The Conservation the limitations of the ING database. tion and sustainable development. Exten- Column The new URL for the Web version of sive field work was carried out to make the ING is
Page 6 only 2 cm (less than 1 inch). Other fern Funk, V.A. 2001. SSZ 1970-1989: A view of Lellinger people, who have been long-term visitors the years of conflict. Systematic Biology Continued from page 1 or on fellowships recently in Lellinger’s 50: 153-155. laboratory, include Julie Barcelona of the (Bromeliaceae); Fleischmannia lellingeri Littler, M.M. and D.S. Littler. 2001. Living King & Robinson and Hebeclinium Philippines, and the Brazilians Jefferson Prado who is working on Adiantaceae and stromatolites, built by the cyanobacterium lellingeri King & Robinson, both Astera- Schizothrix gebeleinii, form enduring ceae. He is presently finishing Part 2 of the Paulo Windisch, who is undertaking a fern flora of the sprawling state of Mato modern reef structures. Coral Reefs 19: overall publication, while simultaneously 258. coordinating the preparation of a Warren Grosso. H. Wagner memorial issue of the American Lellinger’s future plans include not Puente, R. and R.B. Faden. 2001. Vascular Fern Journal. only preparation of the second edition of Plants of Arizona: Commelinaceae. J. Occasionally a scientist will be ac- his landmark book, A Field Manual of the Arizona-Nevada Acad. Sci. 33: 19-26. corded the pleasure of being the namesake Ferns & Fern-Allies of the United States Shetler, S.G. and S.S. Orli. 2000. Anno- of a small new genus, but few have been and Canada (Smithsonian Institution tated Checklist of the Vascular Plants of the recipient of a large one. The grammitid Press, 1985), but also a color-illustrated the Washington-Baltimore Area. Part 1. fern genus Lellingeria A.R. Smith & R.C. photographic field guide to the ferns and Ferns, Fern Allies, Gymnosperms and Moran came into being when three genera fern-allies of the northern Netherlands Dicotyledons. Washington, D.C.: Smith- or “grades” were fractionated into seven Antilles (Dutch West Indies), in collabora- sonian Institution. 188 pp. [Duplicated] or eight genera, and Lellingeria was tion with his wife. created to contain approximately 60 Wagner, W.L. and D.H. Lorence. 2001. species occurring in tropical America, Publications Albert Charles Smith (1906-1999): a Africa, Madagascar, and Hawaii. monumental botanist. Allertonia 8: 329- In the past few centuries, different 339. groups of desirable plants were subjected Abu-Asab, M.S., Peterson, P.M., Shetler, to surges of acquisition by obsessed but S.G. and S.S. Orli. 2001. Earlier plant Wagner, W.L., Wood, K.R. and D.H. often well-intentioned fanciers, gardeners, flowering in spring as a response to global Lorence. 2001. A new species of Cyrtan- and speculators in various parts of the warming in the Washington, DC, area. Bio- dra from Kaua‘i, Hawaiian Islands. Novon world. Perhaps the most recent example diversity and Conservation 10: 597-612. 11: 146-152. was the “Cactus Craze” involving endan- Barker, N.P., Faden, R.B., Brink, E. and A.P. gered species, but the most famous were Dold. 2001. Notes on African plants. Com- “Tulipomania” and “Orchidomania.” Our melinaceae. Rediscovery of Triceratella diminutive friends the ferns, however, did drummondii, and comments on its not escape such attention during the relationships and position within the period from 1830 to 1860 in Victorian family. Bothalia 31: 37-39. England, when the verdant countryside was scoured for cristates and other Beltrán, H. and J.F. Pruski. 2000. Tala- mutants destined for incarceration in mancalia y Rolandra (Asteraceae): dos Wardian cases, a pastime soon to become nuevos registros para el Perú. Arnaldoa known as the “Victorian Fern Craze,” or 7(1-2): 13-18. “Pteridomania.” The rise and fall of that movement has recently been elaborated by Clarke, H.D., Funk, V.A. and T. Hollowell. Robbin Moran (Fiddlehead Forum 28(2): 2001. Plant Diversity of the Iwokrama 11-14. 2001). Forest, Guyana. Sida, Botanical Miscel- In today’s world, fern collections are lany 21: 1-86. still yielding many interesting novelties, Faden, R.B. 2001. New taxa of Murdannia but in a spirit of vastly more controlled (Commelinaceae) from Sri Lanka. Novon 11: levels of collecting and a high regard for 22-30. the conservation of remaining plant populations of the tropics. Recent work is Faden, R.B. 2001. A new species of Tra- exemplified by, among many others, Greg- descantia (Commelinaceae) from Costa ory S. McKee, who has assisted Lellinger Rica. Novon 11: 31-35. in Botany since 1998, and has with Carol L. Faden, R.B. and M.H. Alford. 2001. A new Kelloff of the Smithsonian’s Biological species of Commelina (Commelinaceae) Diversity of the Guianas Program, discov- from Tanzania. Novon 11: 16-21. ered a remarkable new species named Hecistopteris kaieteurensis from Kaieteur Funk, V.A. and H. Robinson. 2001. A bully National Park in Guyana. The forked new genus from the Andes (Compositae: fronds of this epiphyte attain a length of Liabeae). Systematic Botany 26: 216-225.
Page 7 Art by Alice Tangerini
Pteris polita Link and P. deflexa Link
Pteris polita (left) and P. deflexa (right) from South America have often been confused or synonymized because of their similarity in frond form. However, Pteris polita has asymmetrical, decurrent subapical pinnae and P. deflexa has symmetrical, non-decurrent subapical pinnae. Differences in rhizome diameter, basal pinnule width, and costa indument further distinguish the species. For further details, see Lellinger (1997. Amer. Fern J. 87: 66-70).
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