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Newsletter No. 167 June 2016 Price: $5.00 AUSTRALASIAN SYSTEMATIC BOTANY SOCIETY INCORPORATED Council President Vice President Darren Crayn Daniel Murphy Australian Tropical Herbarium (ATH) Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria James Cook University, Cairns Campus Birdwood Avenue PO Box 6811, Cairns Qld 4870 Melbourne, Vic. 3004 Australia Australia Tel: (+61)/(0)7 4232 1859 Tel: (+61)/(0) 3 9252 2377 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Secretary Treasurer Leon Perrie John Clarkson Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service PO Box 467, Wellington 6011 PO Box 975, Atherton Qld 4883 New Zealand Australia Tel: (+64)/(0) 4 381 7261 Tel: (+61)/(0) 7 4091 8170 Email: [email protected] Mobile: (+61)/(0) 437 732 487 Councillor Email: [email protected] Jennifer Tate Councillor Institute of Fundamental Sciences Mike Bayly Massey University School of Botany Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4442 University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010 New Zealand Australia Tel: (+64)/(0) 6 356- 099 ext. 84718 Tel: (+61)/(0) 3 8344 5055 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Other constitutional bodies Hansjörg Eichler Research Committee Affiliate Society David Glenny Papua New Guinea Botanical Society Sarah Matthews Heidi Meudt Advisory Standing Committees Joanne Birch Financial Katharina Schulte Patrick Brownsey Murray Henwood David Cantrill Chair: Dan Murphy, Vice President Bob Hill Grant application closing dates Ad hoc adviser to Committee: Bruce Evans Hansjörg Eichler Research Fund: Chair: John Clarkson, Treasurer on March 14th and September 14th each year. Australian Conservation Taxonomy Award: Grants Policy on 22nd May 2015, 2016 Darren Crayn Alexander Schmidt-Lebuhn Public Officer Jen Tate Anna Monro Peter Weston Australian National Botanic Gardens Peter Wilson GPO Box 1777 Chair: Mike Bayly (Council) Canberra, ACT 2601 Tel: +61 (0)2 6250 9530 Email: [email protected] Web presence ASBS Website: www.asbs.org.au ASBS Facebook Group Webmasters Viewable currently to any member of Facebook; permission to post by application to administrators. Anna Monro Australian National Botanic Gardens Administrators Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia Todd McLay, email: [email protected] Tel: (+61)/(0) 2 6250 9530 Mike Bayly, email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Murray Fagg Cover image: Elaeocarpus sedentarius Maynard & Crayn. Australian National Botanic Gardens Leafy twig with clockwise from top: open flower, petal, Tel: (+61)/(0) 2 6250 9561 sepal, proximal end of fruit, longitudinally sectioned fruit. Email: [email protected] Artist: Catherine Wardrop (NSW). With permission of CSIRO Publishing. Publication dates of previous issue Australas. Syst. Bot. Soc. Newslett. 166 (March 2016) ASBS Web site: 6th May 2016. Printed version: 5th May 2016 2016. Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 167 (June 2016) From the President Sadly, this Newsletter comes soon after the other mega-biodiverse countries. In Australia passing of another giant of Australasian however, this investment has significantly systematic botany – Ian Brooker. This, and the declined over the last few decades. Preparation obituary and associated articles in this issue of the Decadal Plan – an initiative of ASBS, on Lyn Craven who died in 2014, reminds us CHAH and a number of individuals – is an of the loss to our science and our community attempt to highlight and address this. when luminaries shine no more. Vale Ian and Web ref. http://science.kew.org/strategic-output/state- Lyn. worlds-plants But onto much happier things ... Nominations for Council The term of positions on the ASBS Council ASBS 2016 Conference – 26–29 September, are one year. A call for nominations for all Alice Springs positions was recently circulated, with those Planning and preparations for the 2016 ASBS elected to take office from the next Annual Conference – ‘Systematic Botany: a view General Meeting (to be held 26th Sept. at from the centre’ – are entering the final phase. the ASBS 2016 conference). The Secretary Excitement is building. Be sure to organise has received a nomination for each position your travel early to get the best deals. except one Councillor position. Mike Bayly Abstracts have been called for and are due 15th and Leon Perrie are stepping down from August. Early bird expired by the time you read Councillor and Secretary roles respectively, this. Nonetheless the full rate is only AU$50 and Jennifer Tate relinquishes her Councillor more so if you haven’t already done so please position to take up the Secretary role. The register as soon as possible via www.asbs2016. incumbent President (me), Vice President (Dan ourplants.org. Information on the conference Murphy) and Treasurer (John Clarkson) have venue, schedule and associated events are also all re-nominated in their roles and Matt Renner available on this website. I am confident it will (NSW) has nominated for Councillor. Since be a wonderful conference in a special part of only one nomination was received for each Australia and I strongly encourage you to be position, these people are elected unopposed. part of it. The systematic botany community Matt is warmly welcomed to Council and I very in Australasia is strong, diverse and globally much look forward to working with him, as do highly productive (see next paragraph) and the other Council members I am sure. Dan and the 2016 meeting is an opportunity again to John are congratulated on their re-election. showcase all we are and all we do. They’ve been excellent officeholders and I am pleased we can continue to work together for Australia a global centre of plant species another term. discovery. According to clause 13(3) of the ASBS Rules, In case you missed it, Kew Gardens recently in the absence of a nomination for the second released a report titled ‘State of the World’s Councillor position, Council must make Plants’ (Web ref.). Among the many valuable every effort to appoint to this position prior insights into global plant biodiversity and to the AGM. Therefore anyone who may be the threats it faces contained in this report interested is strongly encouraged to contact was a remarkable fact: Australia is one of the the Secretary ([email protected]) top three nations globally for plant species or another Council member well prior to the discovery. The report estimates that about 140 Alice Springs conference. Council is building new Australian plant species were described a shortlist of suitable candidates, several of in 2015, exceeded only by Brazil with about whom may soon find themselves in receipt of 240 and China with about 160. These three an enquiring phone call. countries have topped the annual new species tallies since the 1990s. What unites these three I’d like to take this opportunity to heartily countries is their rich biodiversity, but also their thank Mike and Leon for their contributions recent strong investment in science relative to to the Society through their Council roles. 1 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 167 (June 2016) Mike has served continuously since 2012 as dependent on the quality and energy of Council. Vice President (2012-2015) then as Councillor It is important that Council is representative, (2015-2016) and during this time has very diverse, competent and committed. Its members competently chaired the ASBS Research give their time to the Society, but I think also Committee, a role which inter alia oversees are richly rewarded in return. For the early the Eichler and Conservation Taxonomy career members particularly, the opportunities awards schemes. Thanks, Mike, for your hard provided by a role on Council are many and work, good graces and great management and varied and can significantly boost careers leadership. through networking, committee experience, and Leon’s tenure as Secretary (2014-2016) has leadership mentoring. Council and the Society been notable for the efficiency and competence in turn benefit greatly from the diversity and with which he has discharged his duties. He enthusiasm of younger members, which help has been great to work with and has managed keep Council responsive to all membership to keep his suboptimally organised President demographics. I’d encourage all members, but abreast of critical issues and dates. Thanks particularly women and early career members, Leon, you’ll be missed. On behalf of Council to consider nominating for Council next time. and indeed the whole Society I would like to Any current Council member would be happy wish Mike and Leon well for the next stage to talk to you about the experience, so collar of their careers. We look forward to their one at the conference or anywhere else they continued involvement in the Society at least may be found lurking. as active members and perhaps more in the See you all in Alice Springs! future. Darren Crayn Director, Australian Tropical Herbarium Lastly, a note on succession planning for James Cook University Council. The health of the Society is in part Annual conference Alice Springs in September. ASBS 2016 Annual Conference update! Alice Springs 26–29th September 2016 Conference 26–28th September 2016 eastern arm of the MacDonnell Ranges makes Theme: ‘Systematic Botany—a view up for the interruption it presents. from the Centre’ Venue: Doubletree by Hilton in Alice The overall conference program to orient Springs unless otherwise noted. your week is below, the highlights will be Local field trip:29 th September 2016, the Welcome function at a local art gallery, MacDonnell Ranges the conference dinner at Olive Pink Botanic Web site: http://asbs2016.ourplants.org Gardens, a sunset BBQ at the end of the last session of the conference at Simpsons Gap, Due to the erratic climate in this central and, of course, the Conference Field trip! Australian location the plants might flower – or not, the weather might be warm – or not, and Overall program for ASBS 2016 the Todd River is unlikely to flow – or maybe The Conference venue is at the DoubleTree by it will! However we can guarantee spectacular Hilton Hotel in Alice Springs unless otherwise views across the MacDonnell Ranges and if noted.