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Newsletter No. 168–169 September–December 2016 Price: $5.00 AUSTRALASIAN SYSTEMATIC BOTANY SOCIETY INCORPORATED Council Darren Crayn Vice President Australian Tropical Herbarium (ATH) Daniel Murphy James Cook University, Cairns Campus Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria PO Box 6811, Cairns Qld 4870 Birdwood Avenue Australia Melbourne, Vic. 3004 Tel: (+61)/(0)7 4232 1859 Australia Email: [email protected] Tel: (+61)/(0) 3 9252 2377 Secretary Email: [email protected] Jennifer Tate Treasurer Institute of Fundamental Sciences John Clarkson Massey University Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4442 PO Box 975, Atherton Qld 4883 New Zealand Australia Tel: (+64)/(0) 6 356- 099 ext. 84718 Tel: (+61)/(0) 7 4091 8170; (+61)/(0) 437 732 487 Email: [email protected] or [email protected] Email: [email protected] or [email protected] Councillor Councillor Ryonen Butcher Matt Renner Western Australian Herbarium Royal Botanic Garden Sydney Locked Bag 104 Mrs Macquaries Road Bentley Delivery Centre WA 6983 Sydney NSW 2000 Australia Australia Tel: (+61)/(0) 8 9219 9136 Tel: (+61)/(0) 415 343 508 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Other constitutional bodies Hansjörg Eichler Research Committee Affiliate Society David Glenny Papua New Guinea Botanical Society Sarah Mathews 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 in abeyance 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. 167 (June 2016) ASBS Web site: 23rd Aug 2016. Printed version: 30th Aug 2016 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 168-9 (September–December 2016) From the President resolved to make an annual award to support ASBS 2016 conference, Alice Springs registration fees of a student who attends the The 2016 ASBS Conference in Alice Springs annual ASBS conference and presents a spoken is now but a memory of which Yelarney Beer or poster presentation. In consideration of and Charles Foster have written a great account Bob’s institutional relationships, priority is (p. 31), so there is no need for me to go on at given to a student from a developing country or, length. Suffice to say it was stimulating in so failing that, from South Australia or Victoria. many ways, and even warmer, more personal This year the prize was awarded to Isaac Kerr and more communal than is usual for ASBS from the University of Adelaide, who gave a conferences. In this age of instant electronic great talk titled “A Ripogonum look-alike from communications in their myriad forms, there is the Oligocene of New Zealand: a lesson in the no substitute for looking a friend or colleague importance of cuticle.” in the eye, shaking their hand or patting their back and saying ‘Great talk!’, or ‘Do you think All of the winners are warmly congratulated we could start a project together...’. There will and encouraged to follow up their success with always be a place for the face-to-face. The repeat performances at next year’s conference whole show went smoothly: the organising in Adelaide. committee, and especially the inimitable Nancy T. Burbidge Medal Jobbie, pulled off a performance for the ages. The Burbidge Medal is the highest honour the All who participated, as presenters or audience, Society can confer. It is awarded to an individual are thanked for their contributions and are who has made a long-standing and significant strongly encouraged to show up next year in contribution to Australasian systematic botany. Adelaide when Michelle and Ainsley reprise The Burbidge medallist for 2016 is Dr Tony their organisational roles and Yelarney, Juergen Orchard. Elsewhere in this issue (p. 20) is and Molly bring their ideas into the team. a reproduction of the introduction to Tony Conference Awards and his career that I made at the conference, The most enjoyable task reserved for the which outlines his extraordinary career and President is announcing awards and honours. contribution to our science and our community. This year the winner of the Pauline Ladiges Congratulations Tony, well deserved. award for best oral presentation by a student Grants was Tim Collins (University of New England) Two awards were made in the September 2016 for his talk “Would you like a new species and a round of the Eichler research grants: fertile hybrid with that? Eucalyptus magnificata is not just an endangered species”. Sophie Carter, University of Waikato. Project: “Systematics of New Caledonian The Society also awards a prize for best poster Cryptocaryeae Nees (Lauraceae)”. by a student at an ASBS conference. This year Amount: $4690. the prize went to Charles Foster (University of Sydney) for “There goes Thecanthes: molecular Selen Mashayekhi, National Herbarium of systematics expands the circumscription of NSW, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Pimelea”. Trust. Project: “Molecular systematics of the Australian genus Corunastylis Both the Ladiges and poster prizes are Fitzg. (Prasophyllinae, Orchidaceae)”. generously sponsored by CSIRO publishing Amount: $5000. for which the Society, and indeed the winners, are grateful. Congratulations to both winners and the Society wishes you all success with your projects. Lastly, the Bob Anderson award. In 2013 Members will look forward to reading final Rosemary Baxter, the sister of long-time ASBS reports in this Newsletter in due course. member the late Dr Bob Anderson, provided a bequest of $2,000 to the Society in Bob’s Decadal Plan name. After discussion with the family, Council Following a decision taken a few months ago, 1 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 168-9 (September–December 2016) and reported at the ASBS 2016 conference, the a great outline of the scope and promise of the Decadal Plan group have approached the Ian eFlora project at the Alice Springs conference. Potter Foundation (IPF) for funds to complete The platform has been developed and tested in development of the Plan. An initial meeting partnership with the Atlas of Living Australia, with the IPF indicated that broader engagement and following a final coding ‘sprint’ (which will and endorsement of the project by stakeholder have taken place by the time you read this) will groups would increase the competitiveness of be deployed early in 2017 and available online the bid. Specifically, we were asked to explain for contributors to begin developing content. how the Plan would relate to the sectoral In the northeast we are already planning a few decadal planning process run by the Australian eFlora projects and I encourage others to as Academy of Science (AAS). We have been well. The Society contributes to this project clear among ourselves that there is a profound directly through the ex officio role of the ASBS need for a Decadal Plan for Systematics and President on the eFlora of Australasia Advisory Taxonomy. This needs to be separate from the Group, which informs decision-making on the plan for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology that eFoA project. the AAS has begun, under which systematics Holiday season greetings would otherwise be included (probably to our And finally on behalf of the Society I would like detriment, through dilution). Subsequently, to take this opportunity to wish all members, our Plan was discussed with the Australian their families and friends, a safe and enjoyable Academy of Science which has soundly Christmas break. My personal thanks and best endorsed a separate plan for systematics and the wishes are especially due the members of the process we are running. This is great news as ASBS Council - Dan Murphy (VP), Jen Tate it strengthens our case for funding. Additional (Secretary), John Clarkson (Treasurer), Ryonen endorsements and letters of support will now Butcher and Matt Renner (Councillors) - as be sought from other stakeholders including well as Public Officer Anna Monro for their relevant scientific societies and peak bodies, efforts this year. I hope you all take time out and industry and other end-user groups. over the break to refresh and recharge, and that eFlora of Australia you return in 2017 reinvigorated. This year The eFlora of Australia project aims to produce has been a good one for the Society and for an online Flora of Australia. It is the form in our discipline, and I look forward to next year which the Flora of Australia series, which has being even better. Go well. ceased production of hard copy volumes, will Darren Crayn be delivered in the future. Kevin Thiele gave ASBS Inc. business 38th Annual General Meeting of the Australasian Systematic Botany Society Inc. – Minutes Held at the ASBS annual conference in Alice 5.