Special Symposium Issue continues on page 14
Department of Botany & the U.S. National Herbarium The Plant Press
New Series - Vol. 20 - No. 3 July-September 2017 Botany Profile Plant Expeditions: History Has Its Eyes On You By Gary A. Krupnick he 15th Smithsonian Botani- as specimens (living or dried) in centuries field explorers to continue what they are cal Symposium was held at the past. doing. National Museum of Natural The symposium began with Laurence T he morning session began with a History (NMNH) and the U.S. Botanic Dorr (Chair of Botany, NMNH) giv- th Garden (USBG) on May 19, 2017. The ing opening remarks. Since the lectures series of talks focusing on the 18 symposium, titled “Exploring the Natural were taking place in Baird Auditorium, Tcentury explorations of Canada World: Plants, People and Places,” Dorr took the opportunity to talk about and the United States. Jacques Cayouette focused on the history of plant expedi- the theater’s namesake, Spencer Baird. A (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) tions. Over 200 participants gathered to naturalist, ornithologist, ichthyologist, and presented the first talk, “Moravian Mis- hear stories dedicated col- sionaries as Pioneers of Botanical Explo- and learn about lector, Baird was ration in Labrador (1765-1954).” He what moti- the first curator explained that missionaries of the Mora- vated botanical to be named vian Church, one of the oldest Protestant explorers of at the Smith- denominations, established missions the Western sonian Institu- along coastal Labrador in Canada in the Hemisphere in the 18th, 19th, and 20th tion and eventually served as Secretary late 1700s. The first mission was estab- centuries. Eight speakers presented talks of the Smithsonian from 1878 to 1887. lished in Nain in 1771. Within two years that took the audience on a trip across the Among his successes, Baird dramatically the first plant list, including 37 vascular Americas, from Canada in the north to expanded the Smithsonian’s natural his- plant species, was written, most likely by Brazil in the south, and the islands of the tory collections by obtaining specimens the missionary Christoph Brasen. Caribbean and the Galápagos. from the many U.S. exploring expeditions. Cayouette spoke about the Kohlmeis- A day before the talks, several attend- Kenneth Wurdack (NMNH Botany ter period (1790-1824), named for ees joined behind-the-scenes tours of the Curator and Chair of the Cuatrecasas Benjamin Gottlieb Kohlmeister who Smithsonian Libraries’ Joseph F. Cullman Medal Committee) presented the 15th collected medicinal plants while travel- 3rd Library of Natural History at NMNH. José Cuatrecasas Medal for Excellence ing along the coast from Okak to the For the Symposium guests, the library in Tropical Botany to Robin Foster (see Ungava Bay with a vision of evangeliz- displayed a wide selection of publications related story on page 14). This prestigious ing the Inuit. During that period, J.C.D. produced by scientific voyages of explo- award is presented annually to a scholar von Schreber and Franz von Paula von ration. From early Renaissance travels who has contributed significantly to Schranck published the first flora of Lab- (Belon, Tournefort, and others), through advancing the field of tropical botany. Fos- rador (1818) which included 12 new spe- the great age of exploration (Cook, ter, a Senior Conservation Ecologist at the cies among the 93 vascular plants listed. Dumont d’Urville, von Humboldt, Dar- Field Museum, was commended for his Cayouette also discussed the “golden era win, et al.), to the government-sponsored innovative efforts in cataloging the flora of Moravian botanists” (1824-1880), the expeditions across the North American of Barro Colorado Island in Panama. Wur- most productive period which produced 16 plant collectors, and the Moravian West in the mid- and late 1800s, these dack also spoke of Foster’s explorations th books are held for study and research. of remote regions of Ecuador and Peru. In missionaries of the 20 century (1880- In addition, there were a few examples his acceptance speech Foster expressed his 1954), which produced 9 collectors. of “directions for collecting” that reveal gratitude and thanked numerous mentors, He spoke of Brigitte Schloss, a scholar, how plants were gathered, prepared, collaborators, support staff, and his rapid university teacher, Moravian Bishop, preserved, documented, and transported assessment teams. He also encouraged and the last Moravian plant collector in Continued on page 17 Travel Pedro Acevedo traveled to Puerto Bort Edwards traveled to Fort Col- collect Billia (Sapindaceae); and to Ann Rico (4/19 – 4/21) to present a talk on the lins, Colorado (5/21 – 5/29) to attend a Arbor, Michigan (5/12 – 5/13) to give a work of Dr. Agustin Stahl, a 19th century GeoEcoEvo project working-group meet- talk on a Cretaceous fossil of Acer at the scientist and conservationist, at the First ing at the U.S. Geological Survey Powell 34th annual Mid-Continent Paleobotanical Symposium of Environmental History in Center; and to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Colloquium at the University of Michigan Puerto Rico; and to the Bronx, New York (6/6 – 6/9) to visit colleagues at Temple in Ann Arbor. (6/9 – 6/10) to view collections of the New University. Gabriel Johnson traveled to Memphis, York Botanical Garden. Ashley Egan traveled to Utah, Wyo- Tennessee (3/13 – 4/13) to visit the labora- Walter Adey traveled to Boothbay ming, and South Dakota (5/19 – 6/2) to tory of Jennifer Mandel at the University Harbor, Maine (6/26 – 9/15) to collect collect Astragalus and other legumes for of Memphis to learn the preparation of algae. genetic work; to Thurmond, West Vir- DNA libraries for Illumina HiSeq DNA Gabriel Arellano traveled to Malay- ginia (6/9 – 6/13) to collect and remove sequencing as well as a hybridization cap- sia, Taiwan, and Thailand (5/1 – 6/30) to invasive kudzu vines; and with Moham- ture technique to enrich those libraries for conduct tree mortality surveys in three mad Vatanparast and Matthew Haynsen a set of ~1000 conserved orthologous loci. permanent plots of the Center for Tropi- to Fort Worth, Texas (6/25 – 6/29) where Carol Kelloff traveled to Denver, Col- cal Forest Science network (Pasoh Forest they each presented at the Botany 2017 orado (6/19 – 6/25) to attend the annual Reserve, Fushan Forest Reserve, and Huai meeting. meeting of the Society for the Preservation Kha Khaeng Sanctuary), as part of the Christian Feuillet traveled to northern of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) Next Generation Ecosystem Experiment - Oregon (5/17 – 5/20) to improve the local and to participate in the Council Meeting Tropics (NGEE-Tropics) project. plant checklists of Gilliam and Sherman and workshop as the new Archive Chair. Barrett Brooks traveled to Coconut counties; and to eastern Oregon (6/1 – 6/6) Nancy Khan traveled to Denver, Colo- Island, Kane’ohe, Hawaii (5/20 – 6/6) to collect rare Boraginaceae in the deserts rado (6/20 – 6/23) to attend the annual to collect algae as part of a MarineGEO and mountains of Malheur and Wallawa meeting of the Society for the Preservation project at the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine counties. of Natural History Collections (SPNHC). Biology; and to Denver, Colorado (6/18 – Vicki Funk traveled to Fort Collins, W. John Kress traveled to Shenzhen, 6/25) to attend the annual meeting of the Colorado (5/21 – 5/27) to attend a Geo- China (4/17 – 4/22) to participate in a Society for the Preservation of Natural EcoEvo project working-group meeting at planning meeting for the XIX Interna- History Collections (SPNHC). the U.S. Geological Survey Powell Center; tional Botanical Congress, in particular to Syracuse, New York (6/14 – 6/16) to the drafting of the Shenzhen Declaration The Plant Press participate in an Environmental Sciences on Plant Sciences and developing the and Forestry working group on the Half Shenzhen International Award in Plant New Series - Vol. 20 - No. 3 Earth Project sponsored by the E.O. Wil- Sciences, and to visit the newly opened Chair of Botany son Foundation; and to Fort Worth, Texas China National Gene Bank. Laurence J. Dorr (6/26 – 6/28) to attend the Botany 2017 Sylvia Orli traveled to Denver, Colo- ([email protected]) meeting. rado (6/18 – 6/24) to attend the annual Erika Gardner traveled to Denver, meeting of the Society for the Preservation EDITORIAL STAFF Colorado (6/18 – 6/24) to attend the of Natural History Collections (SPNHC). annual meeting of the Society for the Pres- Marcelo Pace traveled to Ogden, Editor ervation of Natural History Collections Utah (6/5 – 6/8) to teach plant anatomy at Gary Krupnick ([email protected]) (SPNHC). a microscopy workshop at Weber Uni- Karen Golinski traveled to Port versity; and to Vancouver, Canada (6/12 Copy Editors Edward, British Columbia (4/27 – 5/8) – 6/16) to give a presentation at the 2017 Robin Everly, Bernadette Gibbons, and to teach a field course in bryology for the IUFRO All Division 5, “Forest Sector Rose Gulledge University of Northern British Columbia; Innovations for a Greener Future.” The Plant Press is a quarterly publication pro- and to Halifax, Nova Scotia (6/21 – 6/25) Melinda Peters traveled to Panama vided free of charge. To receive notification of to participate in the annual meeting of City and Bocas del Toro, Panama (5/1 – when new pdf issues are posted to the web, please subscribe to the listserve by sending a message the Mosses and Lichens subcommittee of 5/12) to participate in the Smithsonian to [email protected] containing only the COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Scientific Diving Course; and to Coconut following in the body of the text: SUBSCRIBE PLANTPRESS-NEWS Firstname Lastname. Endangered Wildlife in Canada). Island, Kane’ohe, Hawaii (5/20 – 6/3) Replace “Firstname Lastname” with your name. Morgan Gostel traveled to Geneva, to collect algae as part of a MarineGEO If you would like to be added to the hard-copy Switzerland (6/25 – 7/2) to participate in project at the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine mailing list, please contact Dr. Gary Krupnick at: the 6th Global Botanic Gardens Congress Biology. Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, NMNH MRC-166, Washington, and host a round table discussion for the Peter Schafran traveled throughout DC 20013-7012, or by E-mail: krupnickg@ Global Genome Initiative for Gardens. the eastern United States (6/19 – 10/1) to si.edu. AJ Harris traveled throughout Costa collect specimens of Isoëtes for ongoing Web site: http://botany.si.edu/ Rica (4/6 – 4/22) to conduct fieldwork and phylogenetic research. Continued on page 4 Page 2 XIX International Botanical Congress good number of our research staff, research and Plants), formerly the ICBN (International Chair associates, and graduate students attended Code of Botanical Nomenclature), are intimately Athe recent International Botanical Congress associated. This congress was no exception. The held from 23 – 29 July 2017 in Shenzhen, China. Shenzhen Nomenclature Section preceded the con- With It was deeply satisfying to see the department play gress proper and was held from 17 – 21 July 2017 a prominent role in all aspects of this international at the Peking University HSBC Business School gathering. Certainly, the most prominent of our many (PHBS), University Town, Shenzhen. Smithso- departmental participants was Jun Wen who was one nian representation at the Nomenclature Section A of the deputy presidents of has always been strong the organizing committee as and this year was no well as one of the scientific exception. Four curators View program committee members. (Laurence Dorr, Vicki She deserves congratulations Funk, Paul Peterson, and thanks for taking on these and Eric Schuettpelz), important duties. Not content two resident Research merely to assist in organizing Associates (Konstan- L.J. a conference of 7000 par- tin Romaschenko and ticipants she also presented a Robert Soreng), and one Dorr keynote lecture (“Developing non-resident Research integrative systematics in the Associate (Alina Freire- informatics and genomic era”), Fierro) participated in helped organize two scientific the discussions, debates, sessions, co-authored seven and votes. There were no papers, and co-authored ten especially contentious posters presented during the issues debated at the ses- congress. In addition, as co- sions of this nomenclature editor in chief of the Journal of Systematics and Evolu- section. Perhaps the most radical change to the ICN tion she managed to release days before the congress was a revision of Division III of the Melbourne began an “IBC 2017 special issue: Frontiers in plant Code and the codification of a number of proce- systematics and evolution”. dures that previous nomenclature sessions adopted John Kress also gave one of the keynote lectures by tradition. The Nomenclature Section contin- (“Tropical plant-animal interactions: Coevolution in ues to be ambivalent with respect to registration the Anthropocene”) and co-organized two sessions on of names and nomenclatural acts. Registration is DNA barcoding. Vicki Funk likewise co-organized required for fungi, but the Shenzhen section created two sessions: one on Compositae and the other on a special committee to report to the next congress “Systematic Agenda 2050”. Paul Peterson co-orga- on registration for algae and plants. nized a single session entitled “Poaceae: Systematics One of the less easily quantified aspects of and phylogeny of major lineages” and Warren Wag- participation at a congress of this magnitude is the ner, who was unable to attend the congress, organized facility each participant has to meet colleagues a session with Marc Applehans, a former postdoctoral and collaborators scattered across the globe while student, on “Biogeographic patterns and adaptive simultaneously meeting new people and hearing radiations in the Pacific”. A.J. Harris, a Buck Fellow or reading about new ideas. It was well worth the in the Department of Botany, organized two sessions effort to send as many staff, associates, and students with Research Associate Stefanie Ickert-Bond on as we did. It is a wonderful investment in the future. “New insights on the assembly and biodiversity of the flora of North America”. CuratorsAshley Egan, Eric Schuettpelz, and Elizabeth Zimmer presented papers in one or more of the hundreds of sessions offered dur- ing the congress. Similarly, resident Research Associ- ates Konstantin Romaschenko, Robert Soreng, and Carl Taylor also presented papers, as did current post- doctoral fellows Morgan Gostel and Marcelo Pace. Graduate student Matthew Haynsen collaborated with other departmental colleagues on a poster. International botanical congresses and the ICN (International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi,
Page 3 flowered morphs, which are considered learning new ways to make a fruit look Staff separate species. She deposited specimens photographically real. Research & at the U.S. National Herbarium (US) and the National Herbarium of Costa Rica Awards & Activities (CR). Harris gave an oral presentation on her collection trip at the May meeting of Grants the Botanical Society of Washington. Manuela Dal Forno presented talks about Warren Wagner received a “distin- lichen biology and then led nature hikes at Marcelo Pace presented his research on guished service” award at the annual the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Loth- plant anatomy at a session entitled, “Wood American Society of Plant Taxonomists ian, Maryland, and for the Northern Neck Diversity and Stories Inside Trees,” at (ASPT) banquet in June. The award recog- Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Soci- a Q?rius camp on June 22 and June 29. nizes Wagner’s service in overseeing the ety in Wicomico Church, Virginia. She He showed some curiosities such as the ASPT endowment for more than a decade also gave talks about her collections-based wood of the odd gymnosperm Welwitschia and improving it to more than $1 million. research on lichens at the April meeting mirabilis, some of the heaviest and lightest of the Botanical Society of Washington, at woods known in the world (Lignum vitae, the National Museum of Natural History’s Guaiacum officinale, Zygophyllaceae; and “Expert Is In” series, and during a NMNH Balsa wood, Ochroma pyramidale, Malva- Senate of Scientists Lighting Talk. ceae), woods with very distinctive colors, such as ebony (Diospyrus, Ebenaceae), Ashley Egan and the New River Gorge purple heart (Peltogyne, Leguminosae), National Park Service hosted an ecovolun- among others. He showed the visitors how tourism event over four days (June 10-13) to use simple dichotomous keys using to help remove and manage an invasion anatomical features easily seen with the of kudzu at Thurmond, West Virginia, a aid of a 10x magnification lens to identify historical site managed by the National different economically important tim- Park Service. The group of volunteers bers. He demonstrated how to smell fresh pulled kudzu, received personal tours, and portions of the woods to identify them Travel listened to educational lectures on invasive by their odor, such as the aromatic wood Continued from page 2 species and the introduction of kudzu, and of Cinnamomum camphora (Lauraceae), the history and prominence of Thur- which contains oleiferous cells. Also on Eric Schuettpelz travelled to Fort mond. In gratitude to the volunteers, NPS display were the remarkable diversity of Worth, Texas (6/24 – 6/28) to attend the sponsored two days of guided activities the liana stems, demonstrating how stem Botany 2017 meeting. within the area, including guided hikes, architectures can be diagnostic of plant Alice Tangerini traveled to Asheville, nature walks, and a full day float trip down families and how lianas represent a strat- North Carolina (6/25 – 6/30) to attend the New River. egy that plants have evolved to become the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators Annual Meeting and Conference (GNSI AJ Harris, a Peter Buck Postdoctoral more flexible and to climb towards the forest canopy. 2017) held at Warren Wilson College. Fellow in Botany, visited Costa Rica Meghann Toner traveled to Denver, (April 6 - 22) to work with Barry Ham- Alice Tangerini and Botany volunteer, Colorado (6/19 – 6/23) to give a presenta- mel of Missouri Botanical Garden to Mary Monsma, attended the Guild of tion about herbarium cases at the annual investigate Billia (Sapindaceae) in the Natural Science Illustrators Annual Meet- meeting of the Society for the Preservation field and collect representative specimens. ing and Conference (GNSI 2017) held of Natural History Collections (SPNHC). Billia is a neotropical relative of buckeyes at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, Warren Wagner travelled to Fort and maples and possesses two species, North Carolina (June 25 - 30). The meet- Worth, Texas (6/24 – 6/28) to participate B. hippocastanum and B. rosea, which ing began with a portfolio sharing with in the Botany 2017 meeting and, as one of occur from Mexico to northern Panama members displaying their artwork in the officers, attend the American Society and Costa Rica to Columbia and Venezu- traditional format or on laptops and IPads. of Plant Taxonomists council meeting. ela, respectively. Where the two species The following days commenced with talks Jun Wen traveled to Shenzhen, China have overlapping geographic ranges in by Keynote speakers showing a variety of (4/10 – 4/30) to help plan the XIX Inter- Costa Rica and northern Panama, they projects in scientific illustration from sala- national Botanical Congress and to collect exhibit intergrading morphology. Harris manders to space art. Afternoons ensued plant specimens. was funded by the Society for Systematic with a series of lectures and short work- Juannan Zhou traveled to Portland Biologists to observe and collect Billia in shop demos. The last two days provided a Oregon (6/22 – 6/28) to attend the Evolu- Costa Rica as part of her ongoing effort to chance to take half or whole day work- tion 2017 meeting. resolve species boundaries in the genus. shops with small classes of participants Elizabeth Zimmer traveled to New She collected from high and low elevation learning specific drawing techniques and York, New York (4/4) to meet with col- populations on the Pacific slope in Costa participate in field trips to the surround- leagues at the American Museum of Natu- Rica, and her travel resulted in 15 collec- ing Black Mountain area. Tangerini and ral History and the New York Botanical tions of Billia representing red and white Monsma enrolled in a color pencil class Garden. Page 4 Visitors
Morgan Gostel, George Mason Uni- Museum; West Indian Arthrostylidium and (6/2-8/15). versity; Compositae and GGI-Gardens Rhipidocladum (Poaceae) (4/24-4/28). Program (9/1/15-8/31/17). Shae-lyn Briggs, Wilkes University; DNA Tom Lovejoy and 15 students, George barcoding internship (6/5-7/28). Afzal Shah, Quaid-i-Azam University, Mason University; Plant conservation and Pakistan; Tylophorinae (Apocynaceae) herbarium tour (5/1). Renee Klann, Smith College; DNA (12/29/16-6/1/17). barcoding internship (6/5-7/28). Sasha Bishop, University of Michigan; Yousheng Chen, Chinese Academy of Zingiberales (5/3-5/5). Joyce Chery, University of California, Sciences, China; Pan-Himalayan Cardueae Berkeley; Paullinieae (Sapindaceae) (6/8- and Gnaphalieae (Asteraceae) (12/31/16- Michael Windham, Duke University; US 9/22). pteridophyte collection (5/10). 12/30/17). Paul and Hiltje Maas, Naturalis Biodi- Xu Su, Qinghai University, China; Trit- Cady Lancaster, World Resources Insti- versity Center, Netherlands; Neotropical iceae (Poaceae) (12/31/16-3/1/18). tute and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Forensics Annonaceae and Costaceae (6/10-6/20). Lab; Wood Collection (5/15-5/26). Amanda Williams, Eastern Mennonite Larry Bird, National Museum of Ameri- University; Collections management Javier Francisco-Ortega, Florida Interna- can History; Carnegiea gigantea (Cacta- internship (1/17-4/28). tional University; Arecaceae (5/17-5/19). ceae) (6/12). Jacob Suissa, Harvard University; Isoëtes Megan Raby, University of Texas; Study Sylvia Kinosian, Utah State University; and Asteraceae internship (2/2-8/1). collections (5/17-5/19). Ceratopteris (Pteridaceae) (6/12-6/13). Maria Alves, Universidade Federal Harlan Svoboda, Ohio University; Pas- Megan Proska, Dallas Arboretum; Her- de Feira de Santana, Brazil; Brazilian siflora (Passifloraceae) (5/17-5/19). barium tour (6/12). Heliantheae (Asteraceae) (2/27-4/15). Karl Fetter, University of Vermont; Luciana Solomon, Instituto de Botánica Yuan Xu, South China Botanic Garden; Medicinal plants (5/18-5/19). Darwinion, Argentina; Senecio (Aster- aceae) (6/15-6/28). Androsace (Primulaceae) (4/1/17-3/31/18). Daniel Sanchez-Mata, Complutense Uni- Jasmijn Ruijgrok, Naturalis Biodiversity versity of Madrid, Spain; Chenopodiaceae Greta Reinhart, Edgewater, Maryland; Center, Netherlands; Commelinaceae of (Amaranthaceae) (5/18-5/19). Botanical Art Collection internship (6/19 - 7/19). the Guianas (4/4-4/18). Donna Ford-Wentz, West Virginia Barbara Kreutzer, Marymount Univer- University; Helianthus strumosus (Aster- Natalie Howe, U.S. Department of Agri- sity; Herbarium tour (4/5). aceae) (5/19). culture; Lichen collection (6/26). Matthew Schreiber, University of Colo- Robin Foster, The Field Museum; Tachi- Melissa Chung, Wisconsin Department of rado Boulder; Ruellieae (Acanthaceae) gali (Fabaceae) (5/22). Natural Resources; Cameroonian Com- melinaceae (6/30). (4/5-4/7). Molly Megan, Smith College; Digitiza- Lisa Campbell, New York Botanical tion internship (5/22-8/18). Garden; Xyridaceae (4/10-4/14). Tag Hauschild, Ohio University; Botani- Raymund Chan, Independent researcher, cal illustration techniques (5/23 - 8/23). Singapore; Compositae (4/10-4/15). Merit Hondelink, University of Gronin- Paulo Windisch, Universidade do Vale gen, Denmark; Archaeobotany (5/24). do Rio dos Sinos, Brazil; Brazilian ferns Margaret and Michael Dix, Universidad (4/10-4/11). del Valle de Guatemala; Guatemalan Bro- Michael Urban, University of Illinois meliaceae and Orchidaceae (5/25-6/1). at Urbana Champaign; Fabaceae pollen Elizabeth Bui, Australian National Her- (4/17-4/23). barium; Study collections (5/30-6/3). Ulla Dixon, Independent researcher, Vir- Henry Scheffer, Field Museum; Isoëtes ginia; Flora of Sweden (4/24). (5/30-8/15). Hank Oppenheimer, Plant Extinction Fred Barrie, Missouri Botanical Garden; Prevention Program, Hawaii; Endangered Gesneriaceae (5/31-6/16). Plants of Hawaii (4/24). Jun Lim, University of California, Berke- Christopher Tyrrell, Milwaukee Public ley; Hawaiian Peperomia (Piperaceae)
Page 5 The Buzz About food source for the butterfly migration. Each year the Pollinator Partner- Pollinator Week ship, along with a wide range of partners (including federal agencies, non-profits, The National Museum of Natural and for-profits), design and distribute the History (NMNH) celebrated National Pol- educational pollinator posters to promote linator Week 2017 in June in an effort to Pollinator Week, a time to celebrate pol- raise awareness of the decline of impor- linators and native plants and to spread tant pollinator populations. On June 8, the word about what you can do to protect Gary Krupnick and Catherine Werner, them. The posters are one of the most sustainability director for the City of St. popular outreach material items offered. Louis, joined moderator Timothy Beatley, professor at the University of Virginia and founder of the Biophilic Cities Network, Bees & Bouquets for a discussion about projects that are benefiting both people and pollinators in Featured at 2017 urban environments. The event, “Wild Annual Smithsonian Cities: Connecting People and Nature - The Buzz About Urban Pollinators,” was Weekend held in the Q?rius Theater in NMNH, and On Saturday, May 13, 2017, botanical focused on government and grassroots illustrator Alice Tangerini, Barbara Ferry recommendations for sustaining healthy and Robin Everly (Smithsonian Librar- pollinator populations. A live feed of the ies), Cindy Brown (Smithsonian Gardens), event was made available and is archived “The Monarch Highway” is the focus of and Sean Brady (Department of Entomol- on Smithsonian Magazine’s Facebook the Pollinator Week poster for 2017. ogy) participated in a “Bees & Bouquets” page. The program was part of NMNH’s tour for participants of the 2017 Annual “Anthropocene: Life in the Age of poster, designed by Oakland-based artist Smithsonian Weekend, an event of the Humans,” a series of discussions exploring Stephanie Law, features several native James Smithson Society. About 120 mem- human impact on the environment with plant species that helps sustain monarch bers of the society participated. scholars, artists, and others in an intimate butterfly populations as they migrate from For the tour, Tangerini brought a conversational setting. Mexico to Canada and back again. The selection of her work in different media Krupnick also served as a scientific poster’s website
Saving Endangered Species Youth Art Contest Recipient Visits Smithsonian On May 24, Alice Tangerini hosted a workshop for the winner of the “Saving Endangered Species Youth Art Contest.” Tangerini, along with eight other artists, photographers and wildlife naturalists, were the judges for the national contest, which included all ages in the grades kindergarten through high school and required sifting through the artwork of 60 semifinalists by an online review. A con- Alice Tangerini gives painting tips to youth art winner, Sanah Hutchins. (photo by ference call with all nine judges decided Nabeeha Kazi)
Page 7 Team Limu Participates in MarineGEO Hawaii Bio-Assessment 2017 The Smithsonian’s Marine Global Earth Observatory (MarineGEO) hosted a two-week bioblitz in Kaneʻohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaiʻi, at the end of May. This was a large-scale inventory including research- ers, students, and volunteers working to collect and observe all algae, micro- and macro-fauna, fish and samples from Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS). During the bioblitz all partici- pants lived and worked on Coconut Island, a 28-acre island in the bay, a quarter mile off the windward side of Oahu. Barrett Brooks and Melinda Peters were part of the limu (the Hawaiian word for seaweed) team and the goal was to col- lect and record the algae found in the bay. They were joined by Celia Smith (Univer- sity of Hawai‘i at Mānoa), who specializes in reef algae systems, and an amazing group of students—Laurie Penland, Emily Frost, Sarah Vasconcellos, Scott Chula- kote, Nicole Yamase, Seaenna Correa-Gar- cia, Laica Arcibal, Eileen Nalley, Lindsay Tanabe, Megan Onuma, and Cory Pittman (KANI). The students helped collect and process samples each day. To understand the diversity of species and abundance levels, the group collected some 440 samples from across the bay. The collecting methods employed the use of digging tools and standard bags. Samples were then sorted, documented, pickled in vials, and tissue samples stored in silica gel and liquid nitrogen. Pressed
Participants of the Bioblitz Team Limu: (top picture, left to right) Barrett Brooks, Seaenna Correa- Garcia, Melinda Peters, Claire Lager, Celia Smith, and Scott Chulakote. (photo by Laurie Penland); (middle picture, clockwise from bottom left): Laica Arcibal, Sarah Vasconcellos, Barrett Brooks, and Seaenna Correa- Garcia. (photo by Emily Frost). The bottom photo shows a sample of collected algae specimens during the Kaneʻohe Bay Bioblitz. (photo by Barrett Brooks) Page 8 and objects and graphics from Smith- sonian Gardens’ Archives of American Gardens. Books by prominent botanists from the Botany-Horticulture Library include Asa Gray’s Botany for Young People and Common Schools (1858) and Charles S. Sargent’s 10 volume journal Garden and Forest: A Journal of Horticul- ture, Landscape Art and Forestry (1888). Also featured is the World War I classic Charles Lathrop Pack’s The War Garden Victorious (1919), which features patriotic illustrations and where the phrase “victory garden” was coined. Contemporary books highlighting new gardening trends include Rick Darke and Douglas W. Tallamy’s The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden (2014). The mobile Leafsnap app, the elec- tronic field guide developed by botanists Processing algae specimens during the Kaneʻohe Bay Bioblitz. (photo by Melinda at the Smithsonian, Columbia University, Peters) and the University of Maryland, is men- tioned in a section entitled, “Digging in at vouchers were made when possible. About “Cultivating the Smithsonian.” 33 percent of the samples were identified Smithsonian Libraries provides more to genus or species. Molecular data will America’s Gardens,” information about Cultivating America’s help determine the identifications of the Opens at National Gardens on the exhibit website at
Page 12 nic flow, both the false pimpernel and the Funk, V.A., M. Gostel, A. Devine, C.L. intercontinental biogeography of eastern brushholly may now be extinct. What little Kelloff, K. Wurdack, C. Tuccinardi, Asian - North American Rhus gall aphids we know about these plants is preserved A. Radosavljevic, M. Peters and J. (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Eriosomatinae): on a few herbarium sheets. Coddington. 2017. Guidelines for col- Evidence from mitogenome sequences The U.S. National Herbarium is pre- lecting vouchers and tissues intended for via genome skimming. Mol. Phylo- serving its rich specimen data by digitiz- genomic work (Smithsonian Institution): genet. Evol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. ing its entire collections. Working its way Botany Best Practices. Biodivers. Data ympev.2017.05.017 through 5 million specimens, the digitizing J. 5: e11625. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/ team has recently imaged and databased BDJ.5.e11625 Rojas-Sandoval, J., R.L. Tremblay, P. its one millionth specimen. Digitization Acevedo-Rodríguez and H. Díaz-Soltero. benefits museum scientists by creating a Funk, V.A. and H.E. Robinson. 2017. 2017. Invasive plant species in the West detailed inventory of plants and records at Nine species from Madagasacar are Indies: geographical, ecological, and each herbarium. Researchers can access moved from Vernonia to Distephanus floristic insights.Ecol. Evol. 7(13): 4522- specimens from all over the world right (Compositae, Vernonieaea). PhytoKeys 4533. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.2984 from their desks without the underlying 77: 89-92. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/ phytokeys.77.11727 Sathyanarayana, N., R.K. Pittala, P.K. Tri- risk of mailing specimens. pathi, R. Chopra, H.R. Singh, V. Belam- While digitized records of specimens Gostel, M.R., G.M. Plunkett and P.P. kar, P.K. Bhardwaj, J.J. Doyle and A.N. are a great way to preserve data, the speci- Lowry II. 2017. Straddling the Mozam- Egan. 2017. Transcriptomic resources for mens themselves are still necessary to bique Channel: molecular evidence for the medicinal legume Mucuna pruriens: researchers. Only the specimen, and not a two major clades of Afro-Malagasy de novo transcriptome assembly, anno- digitized photograph, provides material for Schefflera (Araliaceae) co-occurring in tation, identification and validation of DNA analysis, pollen for taxonomic and Africa and Madagascar. Plant Ecol. Evol. EST-SSR markers. BMC Genomics 18(1): pollination studies, and leaves for chemi- 150(1): 87-108. http://dx.doi.org/10.5091/ 409. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12864- cal analysis. Moreover, online data may plecevo.2017.1193 017-3780-9 not be permanent, as online servers are vulnerable to computer viruses or hacking Kangas, P., W. Mulbry, P. Klavon, H.D. Sidlauskas, B.L., C. Ferraris, V. Funk, and data could be intentionally or acci- Laughinghouse and W. Adey. 2017. High L.R. Parenti, M. de Pinna and G.M. Reid. dentally removed or deleted. Digitizing diversity within the periphyton community 2017. In Memoriam: Richard Peter Vari the records of our herbarium specimens of an algal turf scrubber on the Susque- (August 24, 1949-January 15, 2016). is important for expanding our scientific hanna River. Ecol. Eng. http://dx.doi. Copeia 105(1): 147-160. http://dx.doi. reach, but safely securing museum speci- org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2017.05.010 org/10.1643/CI-16-550 mens is essential for current and future Kress, W.J. 2017. Plant DNA barcodes: Zeng, L., N. Zhang, Q. Zhang, P.K. botanical research. Applications today and in the future. Endress, J. Huang and H. Ma. 2017. Reso- J. Syst. Evol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ lution of deep eudicot phylogeny and their Publications jse.12254 temporal diversification using nuclear genes from transcriptomic and genomic Lowry, P.P., G.M. Plunkett, M.R. Gostel datasets. New Phytol. 214(3): 1338-1354. Acevedo-Rodríguez, P., K.J. Wurdack, and D.G. Frodin. 2017. A synopsis of http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nph.14503 M.S. Ferrucci, G. Johnson, P. Dias, R.G. the Afro-Malagasy species previously Coelho, G.V. Somner, V.W. Steinmann, included in Schefflera (Araliaceae): resur- Zhang, L., X.M. Zhou, D.K. Chen, E. E.A. Zimmer and M.T. Strong. 2017. rection of the genera Astropanax and Schuettpelz, R. Knapp, N. Thi Lu, T. Tam Generic relationships and classification Neocussonia. Candollea 72(2): 265-282. Luong, M. Tri Dang, Y.F. Duan, H. He, of tribe Paullinieae (Sapindaceae) with a http://dx.doi.org/10.15553/c2017v722a4 X.F. Gao and L.B. Zhang. 2017. A global new concept of supertribe Paulliniodae. phylogeny of the fern genus Tectaria (Tec- Syst. Bot. 42(1): 96-114. http://dx.doi. Olsen, R.T. and J.H. Kirkbride, Jr. 2017. tariaceae: Polypodiales) based on plastid org/10.1600/036364417X694926 Taxonomic revision of the genus Catalpa and nuclear markers identifies major evo- (Bignoniaceae). Brittonia. http://dx.doi. lutionary lineages and suggests repeated Carrington, C.M.S., G.A. Krupnick and org/10.1007/s12228-017-9471-7 evolution of free venation from anasto- P. Acevedo-Rodríguez. 2017. Herbarium- mosing venation. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. based preliminary conservation assess- Ren, Z.M. and J. Wen. 2017. Complete 114: 295-333. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. ments of Lesser Antillean endemic seed mitochondrial genome of the North ympev.2017.05.020 plants reveal a flora at risk.Bot. Rev. American Rhus gall aphid Melaphis rhois 83(2): 107-151. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/ (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Eriosomatinae). Zhang, N., D.L. Erickson, P. Ramachan- s12229-017-9182-5 Mitochondrial DNA B Resour. 2: 169-170. dran, A.R. Ottesen, R.E. Timme, V.A. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23802359.2017 Funk, Y. Luo and S.M. Handy. 2017. Dal Forno, M., F. Bungartz, A. Yánez-Ay- .1303345 An analysis of Echinacea chloroplast abaca, R. Lücking and J.D. Lawrey. 2017. genomes: Implications for future botanical High levels of endemism among Galapa- Ren, Z.M., A.J. Harris, R.B. Dikow, E. identification.Sci. Rep. 7(1): 216. http:// gos basidiolichens. Fungal Divers. http:// Ma, Y. Zhong and J. Wen. 2017. Another dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-00321-6 dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13225-017-0380-6 look at the phylogenetic relationships and
Page 13 Foster Receives 15th Cuatrecasas Medal he Department of Botany and the Research Institute. His Ph.D. research Kew (2003); David Mabberley from the United States National Herbarium relating to the recruitment dynamics (sea- University of Leiden, The Netherlands, Tpresent this award to a botanist and sonality and seed production) of tropical and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney scholar of international stature who has forest ecosystems in Panama along with (2004); Jerzy Rzedowski and Graciela contributed significantly to advancing the early fieldwork in Amazonian Peru set the Calderón de Rzedowski from Instituto de field of tropical botany. The José Cua- stage for his continuing research focus on Ecología del Bajío, Michoacán, Mexico trecasas Medal for Excellence in Tropi- plant communities in those regions. He (2005); Sherwin Carlquist from Rancho cal Botany is named in honor of Dr. José has published over 120 scholarly articles Santa Ana Botanic Garden and Pomona Cuatrecasas, a pioneering botanist and tax- – garnering over 18,000 citations – along College (2006); Mireya D. Correa A. from onomist, who spent nearly a half-century with numerous reports and floristic guides. the University of Panama and Smithsonian working in the Smithsonian Institution’s Additionally, he has been involved in the Tropical Research Institute (2008); Norris Department of Botany. Dr. Cuatrecasas leadership and boards of several organiza- H. Williams from the Florida Museum of devoted his career to plant exploration in tions dedicated to tropical biology and, in Natural History and the University of Flor- tropical South America and this award 2013, was elected an honorary fellow of ida, Gainesville (2009); Beryl B. Simpson serves to keep vibrant the accomplish- the Association for Tropical Biology and from the University of Texas at Austin ments and memory of this outstanding Conservation (ATBC). (2010); Walter S. Judd from the Univer- scientist. The Cuatrecasas Medal selection sity of Florida at Gainesville (2012); Ana The winner of this prestigious award committee took special note of Foster’s Maria Giulietti Harley from the Universi- is selected by a committee made up of pioneering work on cataloging the flora of dade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Brazil four botanists on staff in the Department Barro Colorado Island (BCI) in Panama (2013); H. Peter Linder from Zurich in consultation with other plant scientists and then subsequent development of the University (2014); Paulo Günter Windisch outside of the Smithsonian Institution. first tropical forest dynamics plot there. from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande Nominations for the Medal are accepted With its detailed look at forest composi- do Sul, Brazil (2015); and Kamal Bawa from all scientists in the Botany Depart- tion and spatial context, the BCI plot has from the University of Massachusetts ment. The award consists of a bronze transformed the study of tropical ecosys- Boston (2016). medal bearing an image of José Cuatreca- tems and spurred new approaches and sas on the front with the recipient’s name theories to explain their function and high and date of presentation on the back. biodiversity. It has led to a network of Highlights from past presentations to the 50-hectare plots around the world, serving recipients are available at
Janet Browne Speakers, conveners, and award recipients at the 2017 Smithsonian Botanical Harvard University, USA Symposium at the National Museum of Natural History (from left): Laurence Dorr, “Plants, people and places: Charles Janet Browne, Eliane Norman, Jacques Cayouette, Pamela Henson, Robin Foster, Darwin’s botanical work” Megan Raby, Daniel Stone, and Javier Francisco-Ortega. (photo by Ken Wurdack) On the Beagle voyage Charles Darwin ter, made numerous collections and some conducted in the U.S. National Agricul- collected plants as best he could, hop- of these were used to prepare the first flora ture Library Special Collections, the U.S. ing that they would provide important of Labrador in 1818. North American National Herbarium, the U.S. National information for taxonomists in the UK. He botanists such as L.D. de Schweinitz were Archives, and Fairchild Tropical Botanic was working in a longstanding tradition keen to acquire such early North American Garden, insights regarding the collecting of botanical exploration that became a collections from Kohlmeister, and a gen- strategies of David Fairchild are provided; significant aspect of imperial expansion in teel rivalry developed between botanists with a focus on his plant hunting expedi- the 19th century. As his evolutionary views for their acquisition. From 1820 to 1880, tions in The Bahamas, Haiti, and Jamaica. took shape he became a dedicated plant at least 16 Moravian missionaries became Before these expeditions were carried physiologist. This talk looks at Darwin’s plant collectors for numerous European out Fairchild read extensively about the plant collecting and botanical work. clients. Specimens were used to prepare history of these countries and contacted botanical publications, particularly floras, relevant colleagues who facilitated his Jacques Cayouette and were preserved in private collections, field work. During these trips he collected Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, later incorporated into institutional herb- herbarium specimens and germplasm th Canada aria. During the 20 century, Moravians material. In addition he took photographs, in Labrador continued to collect plants, kept a travelogue, and recorded botanical “Moravian missionaries as pioneers of mostly for American botanists. Two Mor- information in collecting note books, and botanical exploration in Labrador (1765- avian women are known to have collected pocket-books. This presentation highlights 1954)” up until the mid-1950s. There remains how botanical history studies can provide The Moravian Church, also known as much to discover about the Moravian bot- unique avenues to establish solid part- Church of the United Brethren or Unitas anists and their important collections. nerships among botanists from different Fratrum, sent out missionaries to many countries. Furthermore, this presentation parts of the world, including Labrador. Javier Francisco-Ortega will also show how this study facilitated The Moravian Brothers regarded natural Florida International University, USA the engagement of members of the Miami- history as an important reflection of God’s metro community in archival, library, and “David Fairchild and his expeditions to presence, and were interested in natural botanical history research. the Caribbean Islands” sciences such as meteorology. They col- lected a wide range of specimens, includ- David Fairchild (1869-1954), one the Pamela Henson ing vascular plants, in part to supplement most influential plant explorers in Ameri- Smithsonian Institution Archives, their income. Their botanical contributions ca’s history, undertook many of his expe- USA in Labrador were initiated in 1765, follow- ditions (between 1925 and 1933) on board “‘What holds the earth together’: ing the early discoveries of Joseph Banks the research yacht Utowana, a vessel Agnes Chase and Latin American agros- in the region. In 1773, a list of plants col- owned by his wealthy businessman friend tology” lected at Nain was sent to their headquar- Allison Armour (1863-1941). The two last ters in London, probably accompanied by plant hunting expeditions that Fairchild Agrostologist Agnes Chase (1869- specimens. European botanists used this carried out on Utowana targeted the Carib- 1963) devoted her career to the study of material to describe new species. Later, the bean Islands (December 1931-April 1932 grasses, spreading her belief that grass is principal Moravian naturalist, Kohlmeis- and January-April 1933). Based on studies Continued on page 16 Page 15 Abstracts plants, from Florida to the Appalachians, U.S. ecologists took advantage of expand- Continued from page 15 to the Bahamas, and to northern Qué- ing U.S. landholdings to establish per- bec. Negotiations with Jefferson in 1793 manent field stations for long-term, basic “what holds the earth together.” Entirely for a journey all the way to the Pacific research in the tropics. Chief among these self-educated, she became a U.S. Depart- were aborted by Citizen Genet, the first was the station at Barro Colorado Island, ment of Agriculture scientific illustra- post-revolutionary French Ambassador, Panama, now part of the Smithsonian tor and botanist, as well as Honorary who transformed Michaux into a politi- Tropical Research Institute. Facilitating Curator stationed at the Smithsonian’s cal agent, transferring funds to General the study of living organisms in situ, tropi- U.S. National Museum. Working with Clark of Kentucky to form a militia to cal stations encouraged studies of ecology, her mentor, Alfred Spear Hitchcock, she expel the Spaniards from the Mississippi. physiology, and behavior in places where became the world’s expert on the system- Michaux’s last American journey, in 1795, specimen-based research had previously atics of grasses. For their volumes on the was to the Mississippi River, to determine dominated. At the same time, stations also grasses of the Americas, Hitchcock and the feasibility of going to the Pacific. His encouraged intensive and increasingly fine Chase conducted extensive field work in return to France was marred by shipwreck scale taxonomic and distribution studies. Central and South America. Field work when he almost lost his herbarium. Once Indeed, it seemed that the closer tropical was challenging for women in her era, but in Paris, he began work on two books, Les biologists looked, the more species they Chase persisted, relying often on female Chênes de l’Amérique and Flora Boreali- found. Although long fascinated by the networks in such places as rural Brazil Americana. We will discuss differences in great numbers and variety of species in the and Venezuela. Her field notebooks have style and format of these publications, the tropics, by mid-century biologists devel- recently been digitized and transcribed. individuals who were instrumental in his oped practices for measuring “species Chase devoted her career to the systemat- botanical education, and his interactions diversity” and investigating its ecological ics of grasses throughout the Americas, with Indians and Blacks. and evolutionary causes. Seeking financial serving as a mentor to generations of Latin support and institutional stability, tropical American botanists. She also reached a Megan Raby biologists began to argue that the diversity broad audience through her popular First University of Texas at Austin, USA of tropical life itself was an economic Book of Grasses: The Structure of Grasses resource that should be better studied, “Tropical biology and the history of Explained for Beginners, which was trans- used, and conserved. In doing so, they laid ‘biodiversity’” lated into several languages. In her spare the foundations of the modern biodiversity time, she was a suffragist, opera buff, It is no coincidence that tropical biolo- discourse. and political activist through such groups gists were among the key players in the as the Socialist Party and NAACP. This effort to bring “biodiversity” to the public Daniel Stone paper will trace her career, challenges, stage in the 1980s. This talk explains how National Geographic Magazine, USA and expeditions, as well as document her the key scientific concepts and values botanical network across the Americas. embedded in the modern biodiversity dis- “The botanical adventures we live course were developed through U.S. biolo- every day” Eliane Norman gists’ fieldwork in the tropical circum-Ca- From 1894 to 1904, plant hunter David Stetson University, USA ribbean during the 20th century. Beginning Fairchild circled the world in search of Charlie Williams in the era of the Spanish-American War plants that would enrich American farmers The André Michaux International and the construction of the Panama Canal, and delight American eaters. Fairchild Society, USA “André Michaux, intrepid naturalist in America: 1785-1796” André Michaux arrived in America in 1785 as a royal botanist of Louis XVI and returned to France in 1796 after the French Revolution. His main mission in America was to help in France’s refores- tation, and he grew both trees and other useful plants and shipped them to France. Michaux wanted to find new species and publish them, and he kept a succinct diary, Journal de mon Voyage, preliminary notes in French with snatches of Latin, which might have been the basis of a book had he lived long enough. He established two nurseries, one near Hoboken, New Jersey, and the other near Charleston, South Carolina. He travelled widely to collect Janet Browne (Harvard University) speaking on expeditions and botanical studies of Charles Darwin. (photo by Gary Krupnick) Page 16 visit with Carl Wadstrom, a Swedish aboli- tionist, impressed upon Michaux that he then began tutoring a young African boy how to press plants, stuff animals, and pin insects. After Michaux returned to France, he published two major contributions: Histoire des Chênes, a monograph of 20 oak species (written in French), and Flora Boreali-Americana, the first treatment of the plants of North America, including Latin descriptions and localities of each species. Charles Williams talk narrowed in on 10 noteworthy journeys of Michaux. Each journey departed from Charleston, South Carolina, and took him to 10 of the origi- nal 13 U.S. states, Kentucky, Tennessee, territories that would later become Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, Spanish Florida, Que- bec, and the Bahamas. Williams examined Michaux’s first wilderness journal written Daniel Stone (National Geographic Magazine) discussing the botanical adventures in 1787 in Georgia and the headwaters of of David Fairchild. (photo by Ken Wurdack) the Savannah River, where he recorded wasn’t the first to do this work. The birth Symposium 108 species of plants. Michaux encoun- of countries had long coincided with a Continued from page 1 tered many plants unknown to science, botanical scramble for exotic plants. But including Shortia galacifolia, a species Labrador. Overall, Moravian missionaries Fairchild was the most creative, harness- later described by Asa Gray after Gray wrote nine floras of Labrador, with a peak ing the United States’ growing appetite in found a specimen in Michaux’s collec- of 325 plant species (written by Eduard the late 19th and early 20th century to go tion in France. In 1789, with fear of being Wenk in ca. 1835-1873). further and act more boldly to acquire a sent back to France, Michaux took three The next set of talks focused on stunning array of plants, including avoca- journeys—to the Bahamas, on horseback another naturalist who explored North dos, dates, mangoes, and Egyptian cotton, to Philadelphia and New York City, and America during the late 18th century. In that would help transform the United to the mountains of northwestern North 1785 André Michaux, a royal botanist States into an agricultural and economic Carolina, where he discovered Magno- appointed by King Louis XVI, was sent to superpower. National Geographic edi- lia macrophylla. His last big 360-day the U.S. to bring trees back to France to tor and author Daniel Stone will discuss journey, in 1795-1796, took him to the replenish forests that were stripped bare this era of plant exploration—including Mississippi river, where he discovered because of shipbuilding. Eliane Norman Fairchild and the explorers who came the oak, Quercus macrocarpa, and a new (Stetson University) and Charles Wil- before and after—to argue that America’s tree with commercial potential, yellow- liams (The André Michaux International botanical and culinary diversity are the wood (Cladrastis kentuckea). Michaux’s Society) discussed these expeditions in result of decades of savvy diplomacy, discovery of the yellowwood tree later led their co-authored talk, “André Michaux, secret theft, and, at times, dark espionage. to the designation of the tree as Tennes- Intrepid Naturalist in America: 1785- The talk will include stories from Stone’s see’s Bicentennial tree in 1991, and a tree 1796.” Norman first focused on the history book, The Food Explorer, on the life and with a historical marker sits on a square in of Michaux’s 11 years in America. Upon adventures of David Fairchild, forthcom- Gainesboro, Tennessee. arriving in North America, Michaux first ing from Penguin Random House in 2018. Pamela Henson, Smithsonian Institu- set up a 29-acre nursery in New Jersey. tion Archives, next spoke about expedi- Norman noted several significant people tions farther south during her talk, “‘What Sponsors of the Michaux interacted with, such as Ben- Holds the Earth Together’: Agnes Chase th jamin Franklin, who wrote letters of 15 Smithsonian and Latin American Agrostology.” Henson introduction on Michaux’s behalf, and explained that as Agnes Chase began local George Washington, who gave seeds to Botanical Symposium botanizing trips in her home state of Illi- Michaux. Michaux met with Thomas Jef- nois, Chase grew an interest in grasses, a • National Museum of Natural fereson who was interested in sending him plant that “holds the earth together.” Hen- History on an expedition out west to the Pacific. son traced Chase’s career from illustrating • Department of Botany Edmond Genet, however, wanted him to plants at the Field Museum to securing • Office of the Associate Director go to Kentucky instead as a political agent a job at the U.S. Department of Agricul- for Science to help form a militia to rid Mississippi of ture’s Bureau of Plant Industry first as a • United States Botanic Garden Spaniards. Norman also discussed how a Continued on page 18 Page 17 Symposium for instance, she turned to a network of was a desire for a complete inventory of Continued from page 17 missionary woman for support to facili- the fauna and flora, and the flora of the tate her research, including transporta- island was published in 1927. By the end botanical illustrator and then as a scientific tion, housing, and moral support. Henson of the century, a 50-hectare permanent assistant under Alfred Hitchcock (1906), talked about many of the Latin American tree plot was established to census every assistant botanist (1909), associate bota- students and collaborators who flourished tree. Raby argued that tropical biologists nist (1925), and, after Hitchcock’s death, under Chase’s training and guidance, each at each of these three field sites laid the senior botanist (1936). Even though she receiving advice on collecting techniques, foundations of biodiversity research. was an employee of USDA, her office was collections management, note-taking, and Daniel Stone, National Geographic located in the Smithsonian Castle where manuscript writing. Magazine, presented the first of two talks she was an unpaid custodian of grasses The afternoon sessions began with focusing on the explorations of David and honorary curator in the National Megan Raby, University of Texas at Fairchild with his presentation, “The Herbarium. After retirement in 1939, she Austin, continuing the discussion of tropi- Botanical Adventures We Live Every continued working in the herbarium until cal explorations with her talk “Tropical Day.” Stone explained that as plant viruses her death in 1963. Biology and the History of ‘Biodiver- and pathogens took a toll on the U.S. Henson explained that women at that sity’.” She opened her talk by discussing economy in the late-19th and early-20th time found it difficult to secure financial the 1986 National Forum on Biodiversity, century, the goal of many explorations support for fieldwork, and thus Chase had a televised meeting that introduced the was to bring back new crops to liven the to fund her own expeditions. Henson dis- concept of biological diversity to the economy through agriculture and botany. cussed Chase’s field trips throughout the policy world. She was struck by how each Stone’s talk focused his talk on the origins northeast and southeast of the U.S., Puerto of the conference participants developed of several domesticated crops and the Rico, Mexico, Panama, and later Brazil their own understanding of biodiversity influence of Fairchild’s journeys from and Venezuela. Chase met resistance through their individual research programs 1900 to 1917. Some significant Fairchild from the Smithsonian, where officials in the tropics. The modern concepts of discoveries that Stone spoke of include the were reluctant to send a woman on field biodiversity and conservation have their avocado from the Caribbean, new varieties trips of these kind. Henson explained foundation in both taxonomic and ecologi- of wheat and garlic from Italy, new cotton that without institutional support for field cal approaches to tropical field work. Raby from Egypt, and cherry trees from Japan. work, Chase pursued alternative path- focused her talk on three case studies— Stone spoke at length about Fairch- ways and built relationships with Latin three important field sites for early-20th ild’s close relationship with his travel American botanists. On her trip to Brazil, century botanists in North American: Cin- colleague, Charles Marlatt. He explained chona in Jamaica, Soledad in Cuba, and that the friendship became fractured after Acknowledgements Barro Colorado Island (BCI) in Panama. Fairchild brought Japanese cherry trees Raby explained that Cinchona was to Washington, DC. Marlatt objected to The success of the Symposium was initially important because of three key the trees because of risks in importing due to the significant time and efforts features: it was an English-speaking invasive insects and diseases. Their esca- of the following people: locality, frequent steamships for the fruit lating battle was written out in the pages trade traveled from Boston and New York of National Geographic in 1911, where Organizers to Jamaica, and the flora was relatively Marlatt published an article about “Pests • Laurence J. Dorr well known. At the turn of the century, a and Parasites” while Fairchild published • Kenneth Wurdack field station was initially set up for basic an article later that year about exciting • W. John Kress research in ecology since plants must be “New Plant Immigrants.” Marlatt was able • Gary Krupnick studied in the field to fully understand to claim victory in their feud when U.S. • Sue Lutz their physiology and ecological relation- Congress enacted plant quarantine regula- • Ari Novy ships. The research coming from the site tions. Stone concluded his talk by talking • Sylvia Orli began to challenge assumptions of tropical about the frontiers in food crop discover- • Susan Pell environments. In contrast, the Harvard ies that remain. He highlighted Fairchild’s • Eric Schuettpelz Station in Soledad began as a sugar exper- favorite fruit, the mangosteen (Garcinia • Elizabeth Zimmer iment station. While it attracted many mangostana), a crop Fairchild failed Support agricultural breeders, the Harvard Station to successfully import into the U.S.—a • Mary Ann Apicelli grew important as a botanic garden and tropical fruit with a rind too thick, which • Carol Youmans arboretum. It soon became a good training bruises too easily, and ripens too quickly. ground for North American biologists. The Javier Francisco-Ortega, Florida Photographers only station more important in introduc- International University, gave the second • Gary Krupnick ing tropical biology in the first half of the Fairchild talk with “David Fairchild and • Kenneth Wurdack century was BCI. Unlike the agricultural His Expeditions to the Caribbean Islands.” research at Soledad, basic research thrived Funded by two wealthy businessmen, And many others who had helped in a at BCI due to the unmodified landscape, Barbour Lathrop and Allison Armour, myriad number of ways. concentrated research due to isolation, and Fairchild traveled to the West Indies first a focal point for long-term studies. There in 1931-1932 and on a second trip in 1933.
Page 18 ization, and tropisms. Browne feels that Darwin’s love and interest in plants was developed though the Beagle voyage. The Symposium ended with a clos- ing reception and poster session in the Conservatory of the U.S. Botanic Garden. Next year’s 16th Smithsonian Botanical Symposium is scheduled to take place on Friday, May 18, 2018, with a theme yet to be determined. Be sure to check the sym- posium website at
Sanchezia fosteri Wassh. Robin Foster, the 15th recipient of the José Cuatrecasas Medal for Excellence in Tropical Botany, collected the type specimen of Sanchezia fosteri (Acanthaceae) in Peru, east of Puerto Inca, Huánuco, on September 11, 1982. Dieter Wasshausen described this species in 2007 (Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien, B 108: 180-182), and dedicated the name of the plant in honor of Foster “for his outstanding tireless fieldwork contributing to our knowledge of taxonomic botany.” Alice Tangerini prepared the illustrations of S. fosteri and eight other new species of Peruvian Acanthaceae collected from the Cerros del Sira for Wasshausen’s publication.
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