Dale Metz Smith 1928-2011
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Volume 38 Number 5 Nov.-Dec. 2011 Editors: Joan Nester-Hudson and David Schwartz Dale Metz Smith 1928-2011 he American Fern Society lost a longtime Tmember this year when Dale Smith passed away on 25 January 2011. Dr. Dale Metz Smith was born on 23 December 1928 in Portland, Indiana, where he grew up and attended high school. He attended college at Indiana University and received his B.S. degree in 1950. That year, he also married the former Ruth Geraldine Wyne of Deputy, Indiana. Dale then earned his M.S. degree from Purdue University in 1952 and his doctorate from Indiana University in 1957. His dissertation was on a group of sunflowers, but he also had a long-standing interest in ferns and joined the AFS in 1958. Dale taught botany at several universities before settling into his final tenure track at the University of California-Santa Barbara. There he rose to the rank of professor and also served as chairman of the Biology Department. He was a well-known teacher of biology. His most-cited research centered on the flavonoid chemistry and systematics of various plant groups, including what was then known as the Pityrogramma triangularis complex (the silverback ferns, now segregated into the genus Pentagramma) and the Appalachian Asplenium complex. After a period as professor emeritus, Dale and his wife returned to the small town of Deputy, in southeastern Indiana. Although retired, he remained active in the Indiana Academy of Science and in correspondence with other botanists. submitted by George Yatskievych Pentagramma triangularis Fiddlehead Forum u Nov.-Dec. 2011 u Page 37 AFS OFFICERS Request — Theylpteris palustris PRESIDENT-: Michael D. Windham, Department of Biology, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, NC 27709-0338 [email protected] forma pufferae PRESIDENT-ELECT: Kathleen M. Pryer, Department In 1902, A. A. Eaton described a crested form of the Marsh Fern Thely- of Biology, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, NC pteris palustris as forma pufferae, after its finder Mrs. J. J. Puffer. The 27709-0338 [email protected] SECRETARY: Mary C. Stensvold, P. O. Box 1042, European form of the Marsh Fern has never been found in variety, and Sitka, AK 99835-1042 [email protected] so this find is of particular interest. During a recent tour of the SE States TREASURER: James D. Caponetti, Division of by members of the British Pteridological Society and the Hardy Fern Biology, M303 Walters Life Sciences Building, University of Tennessee, 1414 Cumberland Avenue, Foundation, this fern was discovered in cultivation at a nursery. I am con- Knoxville, TN 37996-0830 [email protected] sidering writing an article on this interesting taxon for the Pteridologist MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: George Yatskievych, (one of the British Pteridological Society’s journals). Therefore I would Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166-0299. [email protected] love to hear from anyone who grows, or has ever grown this form, or if CURATOR OF BACK ISSUES: James D. Montgom- you know anyone who has. I would also be interested to know if any- ery, Ecology III, Inc., 804 Salem Blvd, Berwick, PA one has found another crested Marsh Fern in the wild. Please respond to 18603-9801. [email protected] CURATOR OF THE SPORE EXCHANGE: Denia [email protected]. Thank you. Mandt, 12616 Ibbetson Ave, Downey, CA 90242- 5050. WEBMASTER: Stephen McDaniel, 1716 Piermont Ave., Hacienda Heights, CA 91745. webmaster@ Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens amerfernsoc.org in Boothbay, Maine has launched FloraFind, its new searchable database, OUTREACH COORDINATOR: Tom Stuart, PO Box 517, Croton Falls, NY 10519. [email protected] with images and interactive maps. You can access FloraFind from the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens home page: www.mainegardens.org/ EDITORS OF AFS PUBLICATIONS or directly at florafind.mainegardens.org. AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL: Jennifer Geiger, Department of Natural Sciences, Carroll College, submitted by Mark Glicksman Helena, MT 59625. [email protected] MEMOIRS: David B. Lellinger, 16 Nottingham Rd., Brevard, NC 28712-9785. dlellinger@ earthlink.net FIDDLEHEAD FORUM: Joan Nester-Hudson, Box Renew your 2116, Department of Biological Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville TX 77341- 2116 ([email protected]) and David Schwartz, membership today! 9715 Chirtsey Way, Bakersfield, CA 93312-5617 ([email protected]) The Editors of FIDDLEHEAD FORUM welcome contributions from members and friends, including We would like to thank all American Fern miscellaneous notes, and reviews of books on ferns. Articles may be submitted electronically on disk (PC compatible) or typed (using a simple font like Society members for their contributions to Helvetica in a minimum of a 12pt font.) Regular membership in the American Fern Society the Fiddlehead Forum in 2011 and send out is on a calendar-year basis and includes access to field trips and the spore exchange. Regular members a request for members to submit receive the Fiddlehead Forum, but not the American Fern Journal, for $12 (+$3 expedited delivery fee, except U.S.A., Canada, and Mexico) Individuals articles for inclusion in the interested in regular or journal member ship should contact the membership secretary. Fiddlehead Forum in 2012. AFS HOME PAGE We need your submissions! http://www.amerfernsoc.org No article is too large or too small! Happy New Year! Page 38 u Fiddlehead Forum u Nov.-Dec. 2011 Help Wanted! The year 2012 will mark the tenth year of George 5. To prepare an annual financial report to be incor- Yatskievych’s service as Membership Secretary of porated into the Treasurer’s annual report. Gen- the American Fern Society, and George has asked the erally, the Membership Secretary also attends AFS Council to locate a successor for the position. the AFS annual meeting and reports on the past The Membership Secretary is an appointed position on year’s membership activities. the AFS Council and a critical one within the Society. We are looking for a highly responsible person with 6. To address questions and requests from the mem- good attention to financial details and who is good at bership and the public (mostly relating to joining communicating with the membership. The new Mem- the Society). bership Secretary must be able to use a computer and have internet and e-mail access. The main duties in- As may be imagined, the Membership Secretary is volved are: busiest during the winter months, when the mailbox is flooded with renewals. The Society’s membership 1. To maintain the database of active and past records currently are in a Microsoft Access Database, memberships and subscriptions. There are sev- but the new person will be encouraged to adopt a new eral membership categories and nearly 900 ac- online platform developed by our colleagues at the tive members around the world. AFS also allows Botanical Society of America, who also offer AFS the its members to join or renew memberships in the opportunity to receive payments by credit card via a British Pteridological Society (so they can pay for secure web site. this in U.S. Dollars) and some BPS members pay The American Fern Society is a not-for-profit cor- their AFS dues through that Society (thus there poration and uses only volunteers to fill its positions. is an annual financial reconciliation between the The Society does reimburse the Membership Secretary two groups). for supplies, mailing costs, and other expenses relating to the job. 2. To prepare and mail the annual renewal notice The perfect candidate for this position does not have and election ballot to the membership. This also to be a professional botanist, but needs to be able to involves sending updates to be posted on the AFS perform the duties efficiently. Without the work of the web site. Membership Secretary, the membership does not re- ceive any newsletters, journals, or other mailings. A 3. To receive and process new and renewing mem- perk is that over time, the Membership Secretary ex- berships and subscriptions and to maintain a bank changes communications with many of the members account for the funds received. Periodically, funds and thus gets to know the membership better than most from this account are transferred to the Treasurer. of the other Council members. Occasionally, publish- New members receive a welcome packet with a ers also send journals and books for addition to the letter, a list of fern books, and a copy of the AFS AFS list of fern publications. Constitution, as well as any issues of the journal If you are interested in taking on this important ser- or newsletter that have appeared for the year. This vice to your Society or would like more information also means that the Membership Secretary re- on the position, please contact George Yatskievych at ceives and stores a supply of back-issues of recent 314-577-9522 (weekdays) or at George.Yatskievych@ volumes of both publications. mobot.org 4. Periodically to send sets of data for the address labels that are used in mailing the journal and newsletter issues. Occasionally, other members of the AFS Council may also request membership rosters and, once every five years or so, the roster is printed in the Fiddlehead Forum. Fiddlehead Forum u Nov.-Dec. 2011 u Page 39 Re: Ward’s Rewards By Edgar M. Paulton – first published in the Fiddle- Visiting hours for Nathaniel meant visits by him, — head Forum in Volume 6, Number 4, 1979 and Volume to the several gardens in and around the city, in par- 7, Number 2, 1980. ticular to those of the famous Loddiges at Hackney, about three or four miles north; Chelsea Gardens, site I came across this article recently and hope other of the annual Flower Show, was five miles to the west, members will also find it interesting.