2003 Vol. 6, Issue 2
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Department of Systematic Biology - Botany & Special.S. Symposium National Issue Herbarium - The Plant Press see page 11 New Series - Vol. 6 - No. 2 April-June 2003 Botany Profile The Temperature of Southeast Asian Botany By Robert DeFilipps n 28-29 March, an enthusiastic remarks by Kress who announced the gonensis are believed to have been group of scientists convened in launching of the Smithsonian Botanical denizens of aquatic habitats (lots of fish the National Museum of Natural Exploration Fund, and by David Evans, fossils nearby) where they lived from OHistory in order to take the temperature Undersecretary for Science, who expressed 126-147 million years ago, and are mono- and feel the pulse of modern Southeast a hope that the ecious with a tepa- Asian botany. They found the subject to annual symposia loid perianth, 4- be in a mostly sustainable and thriving will continue for thecous anthers condition, though faced with some many years. The and monosulcate problems and desirous of additional much-awaited pollen, highly international cooperation to fulfill its presentation of dissected leaves many goals. the José Cuatrecasas Medal for Excellence that fork dichotomously at the apex, and The occasion was the Third Annual in Tropical Botany was conducted by hollow stems. Tracing of the morphologi- Smithsonian Botanical Symposium, and Laurence Dorr and the honored recipient cal characteristics of the plants puts the chosen subject was Botanical Fron- of the medal was John Beaman, now them in a phylogenetic position some- tiers in Southeast Asia: from the Discov- working at the Royal Botanic Gardens, where between Ephedra and Amborella. ery of the Earliest Flowering Plants to the Kew. Beamans prolific research career has The ancient flowers of the Chinese Sequencing of the Rice Genome. The spanned the realms of Mexican floristics, Archaefructus are actinomorphic, and speakers from around the world explored taxonomy of the Asteraceae, and most Dilcher explained that zygomorphy only numerous new developments in collabo- recently the complex plant communities of happened 60 million years after the rative biodiversity research, which Mount Kinabalu, Borneo and environs. evolution of flowers. He also reminded the audience of the important role of includes facets of paleobotany, floristic he nature of paleobotanical cooperative evolution between animals composition, ethnobotany, genome tech- research on the earliest known and angiosperms which has benefited nology and tropical forest structure. As flowering plants was discussed by human populations, as an intimate part of noted by W. John Kress, Head of Botany, TDavid L. Dilcher (University of Florida) the feeding of the world. these studies are operational within an and Ge Sun (Jilin University, China). The The next subject to be assayed was environmental framework that includes presentations revolved around the dis- the ethnobotany of tropical agrodiversity huge increases in land clearing, industrial covery of two species of Archaefructus, expansion, and surging population and forestry management, which was the earliest known flowering plants (angio- presented by Christine Padoch (New growth which often cause casualties in sperms), from geological strata where the the health of ecosystems. It is now pro- York Botanical Garden), who announced Jurassic and Cretaceous meet in the Yixian the regrettable absence of team-mate jected that in the future there will remain formation of Heilongjiang Province, north- less than 1 hectare of arable land per Kuswata Kartawinata of Jakarta, Indone- eastern China. The plants shared a strange sia. Padoch illuminated the endeavors of person in Southeast Asia (1 hectare = 2.5 world with feathered dinosaurs such as acres). local people in the community of Bagak Sinosauropteryx, and were not too far Sawah in Kalimantan, Indonesia, as eco- After an opening reception on 28 away in time from another plant of the March at the United States Botanic system managers due to the numerous Jurassic which had been named Prob- forms of plant cultivation they have Garden (one sponsor of the Symposium), lematospermum due to its puzzling (i.e., the whole day of 29 March was devoted practiced over the years. In the face of problematic) identity. much forest conversion, deadly forest to presentations by teams of speakers. The closed-carpelled ancient plants Continued on page 18 They were preceded by welcoming named Archaefructus sinensis and A. lian- Travel Vicki Funk traveled to Mesquite, work on an upcoming book on the vines of Christian Feuillet traveled to Cayenne, Nevada (1/41/7) to present a paper at the Puerto Rico. French Guiana (2/133/5) to attend the International Biogeography Society; to W. John Kress traveled to Naples, Flora of the Guianas Advisory Board Pretoria, South Africa (1/71/25) to collect Florida (2/62/9) to speak at the Naples meeting and to conduct field work with Asteraceae specimens in the Free State Botanical Garden and to conduct fund members of the Passiflora Society Interna- and Lesotho and to present a talk at the raising for Botany; and to Durham, North tional. First International Meeting of Deep Carolina (2/212/22) to attend the 8th Warren Wagner traveled to Paris, Achene: The International Compositae Annual Ph.D. Career Symposium at Duke France (2/253/5) to attend a meeting for Alliance; to the University of Queensland, University. the Species Plantarum Project and to Brisbane, Australia (2/243/13) to work Robert Faden traveled to London, conduct research at the Paris Natural with colleagues on analyzing biodiversity England (2/83/13) to study specimens of History Museum. data from the Guianas and to collect Commelinaceae at the Royal Botanical Mark and Diane Littler traveled to Asteraceae with staff from the Queensland Gardens, Kew, in connection with work on Panama City, Panama (3/113/26) to Herbarium; and to the University of Hawaii the Flora of Tropical East Africa. conduct ongoing research at Bocas del at Manoa (3/124/2) to work with col- Alain Towaide traveled to Tempe, Toro. leagues on DNA data from the Asteraceae Arizona (2/132/15) to present a paper at Robert DeFilipps traveled to Dominica and to collect weedy Asteraceae. the annual conference of the Arizona (3/143/22) to attend meetings for prepara- Paul Peterson and Robert Soreng Center for Medieval and Renaissance tion of a Dominica National Biodiversity traveled throughout Argentina (1/82/15) Studies; to New York City, New York (2/21) Plan; for future plans of the Springfield to collect grass specimens. to present a paper at the annual meeting of Environmental Research Center; and to Pedro Acevedo traveled to Raleigh, the College of Arts of America; to Durham, consult on a planned visitors outpost at North Carolina (1/10) to attend a graduate North Carolina (2/22) to present a paper at Fond Melle. committee meeting for Alex Krings; to the Southern Association for the History Cayenne, French Guiana (2/133/2) to of Sciences and Medicine; to New York attend the Flora of the Guianas Advisory City, New York (3/173/21) to chair a panel Board meeting and to conduct field work; at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for and to Bronx, New York (3/173/18) to Textual Scholarship; and to Toronto, Canada (3/29) to chair a session at the annual meeting of the Renaissance Society The Plant Press of America. Laurence Skog traveled to Cayenne, New Series - Vol. 6 - No. 2 French Guiana (2/132/25) to attend the Flora of Guianas Advisory Board meeting Head of Botany and to work with colleagues on W. John Kress ([email protected]) Gesneriaceae; and to Sarasota, Florida (2/ 253/1) to do research at the Marie Selby EDITORIAL STAFF Botanical Gardens. Co-Editors Gary Krupnick Visitors ([email protected]) Robert DeFilipps Victor Albert, Botanical Garden, Univer- Susanne Renner, University of Missouri, ([email protected]) sity of Oslo, Norway; Lamiaceae (1/16-1/ St. Louis; Melastomataceae, News Contacts 17). Hernandiaceae, Monimiaceae (3/7-3/9). MaryAnn Apicelli, Robert Faden, Ellen Farr, George Russell, Alice Tangerini, and Genevieve Kline, Northern Illinois Univer- Philomena Vieira, Museu Nacional, Brazil; Elizabeth Zimmer sity; Agrimonia (Rosaceae) (1/27). Ficus (Moraceae) (3/10-5/10). The Plant Press is a quarterly publication Robert Raguso, University of South Francisco Morales, INBio; Apocynaceae provided free of charge. If you would like to be Carolina; Onagraceae phylogeny and (3/15-3/26). added to the mailing list, please contact Gary pollination biology (2/5-2/9). Krupnick at: Department of Systematic Ihsan Al-Shehbaz, Missouri Botanical Biology - Botany, Smithsonian Institution, PO Patricia Barlow-Irick, University of New Garden, St. Louis; Arabis (Brassicaceae), Box 37012, NMNH MRC-166, Washington, DC 20013-7012, or by e-mail: krupnick.gary@ Mexico; Cirsium, Carduus, Cnicus Flora North America (3/24-3/30). nmnh.si.edu. (Asteraceae) (2/10-2/14). Jun Wen, Field Museum, Chicago; Asian Web site: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/botany Charles Zartman, Duke University; and Pacific Araliaceae (3/24-3/30). Epiphyllous liverworts (2/10-4/30). Continued on page 7 Page 2 Botanical Frontiers in Southeast Asia Chair he world is currently in a state of conflict and natural environments and biodiversity. In fact in Laos, strife. Most immediate is the turmoil in the now less than 40 percent of the country is forested, Middle East, but violence and factionalism are down from 70 percent in 1940; in Cambodia, over 70 Tpresent in many places around the world. The economic percent of the timber export volume consists of With and environmental impacts of these conflicts are some- unreported logs; and in Vietnam all substantial forest times obvious and sometimes not. Political diplomacy cover could be lost by 2020 if the current rate of and interchange, concurrent with this increase in deforestation continues.