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Newsletter No. 156 September 2013 Price: $5.00 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 156 (September 2013) AUSTRALASIAN SYSTEMATIC BOTANY SOCIETY INCORPORATED Council President Vice President Bill Barker Mike Bayly State Herbarium of South Australia School of Botany PO Box 2732, Kent Town, SA 5071 University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010 Australia Australia Tel: (+61)/(0)427 427 538 Tel: (+61)/(0)3 8344 5055 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Secretary Treasurer John Clarkson Frank Zich Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Australian Tropical Herbarium PO Box 156 E2 Building, J.C.U. Cairns Campus Mareeba, Qld 4880 PO Box 6811 Australia Cairns, Qld 4870 Tel: (+61)/(0)7 4048 4745 Australia Mobile: (+61)/(0)437 732 487 Tel: (+61)/(0)7 4059 5014 Fax: (+61)/(0)7 4092 2366 Fax: (+61)/(0)7 4091 8888 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Councillor (Assistant Secretary - Communications) Councillor (Assistant Treasurer) Ilse Breitwieser Pina Milne Allan Herbarium National Herbarium of Victoria Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd Private Bag 2000 PO Box 69040 Birdwood Ave Lincoln 7640 South Yarra, Vic. 3141 New Zealand Australia Tel: (+64)/(0)3 321 9621 Tel: (+61)/(0)3 9252 2309 Fax: (+64)/(0)3 321 9998 Fax: (+61)/(0)3 9252 2423 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Other Constitutional Bodies Public Officer Hansjörg Eichler Research Committee Annette Wilson Philip Garnock-Jones Australian Biological Resources Study David Glenny GPO Box 787 Betsy Jackes Canberra, ACT 2601 Greg Leach Australia Nathalie Nagalingum Email: [email protected] Christopher Quinn Chair: Mike Bayly, Vice President Affiliate Society Grant application closing dates: Papua New Guinea Botanical Society Hansjörg Eichler Research Fund: on March 14th and September 14th each year. Australian Conservation Taxonomy Award: to be advised ASBS Website www.anbg.gov.au/asbs Cover image: Ternstroemia monostigma W.R.Barker Murray Fagg (Pentaphylacaceae), a New Guinea endemic. Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Male and female flowers and parts (minus petals), Research fruit, seed in section. Artist Taikika Iwagu. Australian National Herbarium With permission of the National Herbarium of Email: [email protected] Papua New Guinea. Publication dates of previous issue Australas. Syst. Bot. Soc. Newslett. 155 (June 2013): ASBS Web site: 19th July 2013; Printed version: 26th July 2013 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 156 (September 2013) From the President Death of Dick Brummitt, nomenclaturalist sessions of International Botanical Congresses Australasian plant systematics has lost a great experienced his passion. For many of my friend in Dick Brummitt. His death on 18th generation of systematists that opportunity first September, after a long illness and a week after arose in Sydney in 1981 where antipodeans being admitted to hospital, will be mourned numbered highly in the audience. Dick’s widely around the world, so great was his knowledge and clarity of message were sharing of his knowledge of nomenclature and evident. As a special rapporteur along with the warmth of his hand of friendship. He was Werner Greuter, both conspicuously youthful an engaging man, loyal to his science. amongst their elder peers, he passionately In the following pages we have provided interpreted and discussed the questions of the personal tributes from two friends, former day. He is also remembered by a more recent Botanical Liaison Officers at Kew and generation from Down Under when he led Executive Editors of the Flora of Australia an absorbing day on botanical nomenclature project. No doubt there will be comprehensive as part of the Brisbane ASBS conference in eulogies from colleagues at Kew and those 2005. He also participated in the conference, involved closely in the development of the steadfastly confronting the issue of paraphyly in Code during Dick’s long period of sharing in classification, and enthusiastically participated its stewardship. He is deserving of high praise. in the field trip (ASBS Newsletter 125: 30-35; Dick was one of botany’s leading nomenclatur- Fig. 1). Dick was conspicuously missing at the alists over the past 40 years. He will nomenclatural session at the IBC in Melbourne be remembered affectionately by many in 2011 through his ill health. Australasian systematists, not only by those Robyn and I befriended him at Kew in visiting Kew. Those attending nomenclatural 1985, Robyn sharing research interests in Fig. 1. Dick Brummitt amongst ASBS friends; participants in his nomenclatural workshop in Brisbane in 2005; Dick is in standing back in the centre of the second lowest row. (See ASBS Newsletter 125: 34 for a similar photo with list of participants.) Ph. Bill Barker 1 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 156 (September 2013) Acanthaceae and I being regularly confronted Kay, a fine but little known artist of the same by his tenacity at squash. I remember the yard- period. Remarkably, the two Brummitts from high pile of nomenclatural correspondence in either side of the globe looked like brothers. his office awaiting his attention. Visiting Perth Dick’s “Iter Australiense” for his 39-day, This gem from Jim Croft’s Facebook pages was anticlockwise circuit of the country in late 2001 brought to my attention while I was working in was emailed to many of us, accompanied by: the WA Herbarium (Jim is one of those mates This is just to thank all those friends and oth- whose help you sometimes appreciate): ers who have helped me to put together my projected tour of Australia ... I have known Heard at tea in Canberra: “When I was 38 different ABLO’s at Kew for a year at a in Perth Bill Barker was over, doing time, as well as a number of others who have Stackhousia ... “ Response: “He’s been come over and taken root here for longer or overdoing Stackhousia and Lindernia and shorter periods. Many of them still seem to Hakea and Euphrasia for years”. be hanging on down there, and I look for- This cap fits – and long has it weighed heavy. ward to renewing acquaintainces with many At least the last two groups mentioned have had of them on my little tour. major publications. In retirement I’ve at last a To which he added following his visit: serious chance of delivery of the outcomes of all my long-standing research. Unfortunately, I have just returned this morning from a in our region I am not alone in this situation. really most successful, enjoyable and botani- cally educational six weeks tour of Australia, Among our too few taxonomists, too many and before I write more personally to some, are having to undertake too many other I am expressing my combined thanks to all duties, jeopardising their attainment of prime those old friends and new friends who con- institutional goals of advancing published tributed so much to the tour. It was for me a knowledge. tremendous pleasure to visit the all herbaria I had three plus weeks in the still spanking of which I have heard from a succession of new WA Herbarium. Though planning as liaison officers who have spent time at Kew, much as possible to be poring over specimens to see so many friends, and to go in the field I did manage to experience the striking floral and sample parts of your extraordinary flora. diversity of the local spring, something I missed ... I was delighted to get to Pearth, Adlide, in the ASBS conference week last year. Cairnbra, Melbun, Sinney, Brizzy, Cayuns, Atherton (as before c. Gilchrist b. McGrath), The task I set was to work through three of Daahwun and Pearth again. It was a pleasure several genera I’ve been revising for many to see 21 former ABLO’s and two former years. For its part the WA Herbarium asked SABLO’s, and at least two intending ABLO’s that I ensure the distinctivenes of unnamed for the future, as well as others whom I have taxa of conservation significance and provide met in other ways. I very much hope that them with appropriate names and diagnostic these valuable links between us all will long characters. It was a welcome opportunity to continue. My sincere thanks to all of you for test my concepts, established on loans in AD, your many kindnesses and hospitality. It on the much material collected since. I was was for me a trip to remember for as long as assisted by a very supportive PERTH staff and I know what botany is all about. by Bruce and Thu Maslin’s generous offer of Dick’s son Neil said that he’d received accommodation for the duration. During the messages of condolence which showed the time the collections of Stackhousia, Stemodia esteem with which he was held in Australia. I and Josephinia were greatly reshuffled and think we can see here the reason why. manuscripts upgraded. Finally, Mike Hislop In his brief visit to Adelaide he met a member and I agreed on the taxa in the obscure genus of a line of Brummitts (to him unknown) Elacholoma to be delimited in a joint paper – descended from Dr Robert Brummitt of Burra, he had remarkably realised their importance an early plant collector of the 1890s. I had been from single collections and limited published helping the local family with several folios diagnostic detail. of botanical paintings by their forebear Sarah Many ASBS members experienced the WA 2 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 156 (September 2013) Herbarium when visiting the State for the last Council is seeking ways of improving our safe ASBS conference, but this was my first entry investment strategy and is seeking options for through its doors. The facility is an exemplar of increased support for plant systematics in our a modern herbarium.