Department of Systematic Biology - Botany & the U.S. National Herbarium The Plant Press

New Series - Vol. 5 - No. 1 January-March 2002

Botany Profile The Herbarium: A “Case” Study By Robert DeFilipps t would almost seem that the instinct the Smithsonian Castle, the Washington does a routine identification session to understand our environment, by Monument, or the massive Internal become a festival of total recall. means of classifying the various Revenue Service building, are located the The U.S. National Herbarium is an Ithings in it, arose in part as a basic offices and research laboratories of entity administered by the Section of survival mechanism. For example, the advanced staff scientists, known as Botany in the Department of Systematic Yanomami Amerindians of Brazil, investi- curators. “Curator” comes from the Latin Biology. The herbarium’s current gated by W. Milliken and B. Albert, are word “curare” meaning “to take care of,” a appellation was established in 1894 as able to recognize at least 198 species of derivation unrelated to the other “curare,” the name for the joint plant collections of plants and fungi used for treating various an arrow poison used by some South the U.S. National Museum and the U.S. disorders. In societies with less earth- American tribes, originating from the Carib Department of Agriculture. The real basis bound and more westernized systems of word “kuriri.” for the national culture, modern herbarium collections of The curators use the herbarium, as dried plant material play a major role in herbarium collections to Plants from historic reported in a classifying the organisms around us and perform research on the voyages and treks comprehensive understanding their interrelationships. taxonomy, systematics, history by C.V. Botanists are finding ways of assessing floristics, cladistics, and of discovery are Morton and W.L. and responding to conditions caused by evolution of plants from housed with 4.6 Stearn (Plant major extirpations in the world’s flora, and around the world, and Science Bulletin examining the biodiversity and potential often work on projects million specimens 12(2):1-4.1966), was usefulness of plant germplasm. having an impact on, or formed by the Fortunately, an extensive national a facet pertaining to, abundant collec- resource for addressing the biological the disciplines of plant conservation, tions of the 1838-1842 U.S. South Pacific concerns of the nation, and the world at ecology, or behavioral studies of animals Exploring Expedition, commanded by Lt. large, is available for consultation. In in relation to plants. Verified, authentic Charles Wilkes of the U.S. Navy. The addition to research aspects, it is also a specimens of rare and endangered species, character “Captain Ahab” in Moby Dick, cornucopia of readily accessible teaching required for determining their original by Herman Melville, is said to be materials for new generations of students. geographical range and former habitat modeled after Wilkes. Background Since the 1800s it has been considerably preferences, are found among the collec- information on the official botanist of the built up from federally sponsored explor- tions. The herbarium maintains approxi- expedition, William Rich, is largely un- ing expeditions, and therefore might be mately 90,000 “type” specimens, which are obtainable, since he soon “dropped out” called “the people’s herbarium.” The the irrevocable basis for the scientific of botany and became a shell collector in United States National Herbarium oc- names of species, subspecies and variet- Mexico. A total of 50,000 specimens of cupies the 4th and 5th floors of the west ies, and are used for comparison in 10,000 plant species were accessioned wing of the National Museum of Natural revisions and monographic work entailing into the national herbarium from the History in Washington, D.C. It contains highly critical identifications. Recourse to Wilkes Expedition. millions of specimens in several thousand type specimens in daily work is not always The most notable plant discovered on metal cases, which are divided inside into necessary: many experienced botanists the extended Wilkes voyage was the shelf spaces called “pigeonholes.” remember, over a period of decades, the carnivorous California pitcher plant or Along the perimeter of the herbarium, scientific names of hundreds of species and often provided with window views of that they know on sight; seldom, however, Continued on page 9 Travel Visitors

Mark Littler (10/8-10/11) traveled to the International Association for Plant Chris Lea, National Park Service, Fort Pierce, Florida for a meeting of the Taxonomy Symposium. Assateague; Carex of Maryland (10/24). search committee for a new chief scientist Dan Nicolson traveled to Vienna, Jun Wen at the Smithsonian Marine Station (SMS). Austria (10/14-10/22) to attend, as presi- , Field Museum of Natural Mark and Diane Littler (12/27-2/23) trav- dent of the International Association for History, Chicago; Apiaceae, Panax (10/26). eled to Fort Pierce to continue research at Plant Taxonomy, the IAPT Symposium. Jasivia Gonzales, University of Goet- SMS and in the Florida Keys. Paula DePriest traveled to Vienna, tingen; Sticherus (Gleicheniaceae) (11/7- John Kress traveled to Durham, North Austria (10/21-10/27) to attend the Inter- 11/14). Carolina (10/10-10/12) to lecture at Duke national Association for Plant Taxonomy University and attend a graduate student Symposium, and to Durham, North Caro- Rhoda Love, private; Collections and committee meeting; to New York City (11/ lina (12/10-12/11) to attend a graduate archives of L.F. Henderson (11/8-11/12). 9–11/12) to participate in a morphobank student committee meeting at Duke Daniel Stancik, Charles University; Fes- workshop at the American Museum of University. tuca (11/17-12/19). Natural History; and to Miami, Florida (11/ Robert DeFilipps (11/30-12/8) traveled 14-11/16) to chair a Coalition for Excellence to Dominica. A discussion of the need for Todd Willis, PlantGarden.com; Plant image in Tropical Biology (CETroB) meeting and crop diversification in the island was held resources (11/27). to be guest speaker at a World Wildlife with former Prime Minister Dame Eugenia Tom Frankovich Fund reception. Charles and Dominican agricultural econo- , University of Virginia; Wagner Wagner traveled to St. Louis, mist Bernard Yankey; they were presented Epiphytes of Florida seagrasses (12/4-12/ Missouri (10/11-10/15) to attend the with a copy of DeFilipps’ “Useful Plants of 7). Missouri Botanical Garden Systematics the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Florence Caplow, Washington Natural Symposium, and to search the herbarium Indies.” Heritage Program; Rare taxa of Washing- for additional Caryophyllaceae for his Laurence Skog (1/1-1/17) traveled to ton State (12/07). research on phylogeny of the family; and the United Kingdom to visit the herbaria in to Vienna, Austria (10/16-10/22) to attend Edinburgh (E), Oxford (OXF), Manchester David Frodin, Royal Botanic Gardens, (MANCH), and Kew (K). Kew; Araliaceae (12/13). The Plant Press Susan Frisch, California State University - New Faces Fullerton; Caulerpa (Algae) (12/18-12/20). New Series - Vol. 5 - No. 1 Mingli Zhang, Academia Sinica/Harvard Two new volunteers will be assisting with Head of Botany University; Papaveraceae of China (1/3-1/ imaging projects and Web development. W. John Kress 7). ([email protected]) Ingrid Pol-Yin Lin is a graduate of the California Institute of the Arts and the Christopher Hardy, Research Associate, EDITORIAL STAFF University of Southern California. She is Institute for Systematic Botany; Research completing a master’s project in Co-Editors collaboration (1/4). film-making while helping with Habitat for Gary Krupnick Ingrid Pol-Yin Lin, private; Botany Web ([email protected]) Humanity. She is fluent in Mandarin. Seth projects (1/4). Robert DeFilipps Bennett graduated cum laude from St. ([email protected]) Michael’s College in northern Vermont Gery Allan, Arcadia University; Fabaceae with a degree in computer science and a and Rutaceae (Melicope) (1/7-1/14). Circulation Manager minor in mathematics. He has previously Shirley Maina worked for a minor league baseball team Seth Bennett, private; Botany Web pro- ([email protected]) and a ski resort. Their assistance is much jects (1/7). News Contacts appreciated. MaryAnn Apicelli, Robert Faden, Ellen Alexander Krings, North Carolina State Farr, George Russell, Alice Tangerini, and Depatures University; Asclepiadaceae (1/14). Elizabeth Zimmer Raven Morris, private contractor; Plant The Plant Press is a quarterly publication John Pruski, former research assistant to images (1/22). provided free of charge. If you would like to be Laurence Dorr, has accepted a position at added to the mailing list, contact Shirley Maina the Missouri Botanical Garden as Assis- Sally Guy-Brown, private; Scientific illus- at: Department of Systematic Biology - trations (1/23). Botany, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box tant Curator. He can be reached by email at 37012, NMNH MRC-166, Washington, DC [email protected]. 20013-7012, or by e-mail: maina.shirley@ nmnh.si.edu.

Web site: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/botany

Page 2 The Convention on Biological Diversity: The Globalization of Chair Natural History Science (Part I) he challenge and intellectual responsibility of worldwide have signed and ratified the CBD; the failure natural history scientists working in museums, of the United States to ratify is a glaring omission. botanical gardens, and universities is to accu- As a response to the biodiversity crisis the near With Trately and thoroughly discover, document, and describe universal ratification of the CBD seemed to support a the biological diversity of the Earth. Over the last three renewed and invigorated effort to document and hundred years of botanical and zoological exploration, describe the biological world. The “cause of bio- A naturalists have traveled the world over in the quest for diversity” was transformed from a local issue to an understanding the diversity and origin of life. These international concern: the globalization of biodiversity voyages of discovery have been local as well as global was achieved. And as part of this globalization, natural and have contributed to the documentation of over 1.4 history researchers worldwide were poised to provide View million species of plants, animals and microorgansims. the scientific information necessary for understanding Yet much is left to be discovered and named. In the and conserving the plants and animals of the planet. past, the majority of this work was conducted by Never before had museum scientists been faced with western scientists, but today this effort has become such a clear and immediate mandate to understand the truly international. natural world as was given by the CBD. W. After centuries of exploration, we universally Unfortunately the political meaning of the CBD for John acknowledge that Nature in general does not recognize biologists and natural product researchers is that political frontiers and boundaries. For example, the access to nature for basic biodiversity investigations Kress distribution patterns of the rich flora and fauna of the has become intensely regulated by local and national Chocó region on the Pacific slopes of the northern governments worldwide. The universal acceptance that Andes do not conform to the national borders of nations and local communities have intellectual Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama. Similarly in the Indo- property rights to their biological diversity has changed Burma biodiversity hotspot populations of plants and the climate in which we conduct research as taxono- animals routinely cross the frontiers of Thailand, mists and systematic biologists. Although taxonomists Myanmar, Bangladesh, China, and India. Most pub- for centuries have been the recorders and historians of lished checklists and inventories of plant species (e.g., the uses of biodiversity by local and indigenous Flora of Ecuador, Flora of Thailand) encompass areas people, we are now also faced with rules and regula- defined by political boundaries, but in fact always tions that have been primarily set up to regulate include species found in adjacent countries. In many activities that may exploit the environment, such as cases our understanding of the diversity and distribu- biodiversity prospecting, and not scientific research. It tion of plants and animals has been significantly is alarming that since the Rio meeting the respected and hindered by these national borders and boundaries. scientifically sound investigations of biodiversity In the 21st century we clearly recognize that the researchers have even been equated with biopiracy in biological resources of the Earth are besieged by an some instances. This misunderstanding necessitates a unprecedented level of social and economic develop- major education campaign on the value of a basic ment that threatens massive levels of species extinction understanding of nature to society. and environmental change. In the midst of this global Natural history scientists in both developed and crisis one would expect that every attempt would be developing countries in addition to their efforts to made to overcome the obstacles to understanding document biodiversity now must also legitimately biodiversity resulting from national boundaries. Indeed, address such issues as: How do we best share with the ten years ago in Rio de Janeiro representatives from entire world our taxonomic data on species identifica- many nations met to discuss just this problem. As a tion and distribution? How do we protect the intellec- result of that meeting one of the most profound political tual property rights of the holders of the specimens as responses to the environmental crisis emerged as the well as the countries of origins of those species? How United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity do we best provide universal access to specimen data? (CBD). How do we treat sensitive data on rare and endangered The CBD was formulated as an affirmation that the species? world’s biodiversity is a common concern of human- Finding answers to these questions as well as kind. The three central objectives of the Convention are recognizing how our science and research activities 1) the conservation of biodiversity, 2) the sustainable have changed in the ten years since Rio is a challenge utilization of biodiversity, and 3) the equitable sharing that we all must now tackle. To address this issue the of the benefits to humans arising from biodiversity; the National Museum of Natural History has assembled a 42 articles contained in the CBD outline how these roster of internationally recognized speakers and objectives are to be met. To date over 170 nations Continued on page 5

Page 3 Church, Virginia, 25-27 January. Atten- Staff dance was approximately 220 guests. Other Susan Louise Botany attendees were Aaron Goldberg, Richardson Research Mike Bordelon, Leslie Brothers and Linda Hollenberg. (1947 – 2001) Susan Louise Richardson, who served Stanwyn Shetler recently finished reading the Department for more than 20 years, the page proofs of the final volume (Vol. passed away on 18 November. After a 30, 700 pp.) of the English translation of period of employment with the National the “Flora of the USSR.” This concludes Gallery of Art, she enrolled in George his work, begun in 1994, of editing the last Talks Presented Washington University and studied eight volumes of the translation. Only the botany under the late Kittie Parker, a general index is yet to follow. former Emeritus Curator of the U.S. W. John Kress presented an illustrated National Herbarium. Upon graduation, Staff Activities Botany Seminar Series lecture on “The Richardson was hired into the Herbarium Evolution of the Zingiberales (Gingers, Services Unit of the Department with On 18-21 October, Dan Nicolson, Paula Bananas and Relatives): A Tropical Model primary responsibility for the former DePriest and Warren Wagner attended Group for Studies in Ecology, Phylogeny greenhouse in the east court, a position the International Association for Plant and Classification” on 15 January. Results she held for over 13 years. When the new Taxonomy (IAPT) Deep Morphology of cladistic analyses, and recent botanical greenhouses were constructed in Silver Symposium at the University Botanical exploration for gingers in Myanmar, were Hill, Maryland, Susan returned to the Gardens in Vienna, Austria. The overriding shown. Animal pollinators of various herbarium full-time where, among other idea of the symposium was how structural members of the order include South things, she was responsible for the (morphological) data can be coordinated African sunbirds visiting Strelitzia, West Integrated Pest Management (IPM) with the burgeoning macromolecular data, Indian hummingbirds for Heliconia, South Program in Botany. One product of this particularly if presumed to have arisen American bats on Phenakospermum, and work is an internal Web site that provides Nicolson also worked on Engler’s related “Art by Alice Tangerini,” page 12). details of four years of trapping data. Araceae Exsiccatae et Illustratae in the University herbarium, and submitted the finished Nicolson and Fosberg manuscript Retirement of Pteridologist “The Forsters and the Botany of the Second Cook Expedition (1772-1775)” for David Lellinger publication in IAPT’s Regnum Vegetabile series. He and Wagner also attended the On 3 March, David Lellinger, who 4(3): 1, 7 (July-September 2001). During his 2nd annual open meeting of the IAPT arrived at the Smithsonian Institution in tenure the fern collections at US became officers and councilors. DePriest also August 1963, retires as Curator of Ferns the largest and most diverse in the worked with students and colleagues at and Fern Allies in the U.S. National Western Hemisphere. The Department is the University of Graz. Herbarium. Details of his attainments in sori that he is leaving the daily routine, In connection with the symposium research, herbarium management, and but pleased that he intends to continue there was a trip to the National Library led curation of ferns were reported in “Pinnae research in the herbarium on weekends. by Walter Lack, who had mounted a major for Your Thoughts,” The Plant Press n.s. exhibit of botany books there, ranging from the Anician Codex (an illustrated herbal, ca. 512 A.D.) to the typed doctoral thesis of Walter Gams on an organism that he subsequently (1971) published as a new unispecific genus Tolypocladium inflatum. This species is the source of cyclosporin, a drug that prevents rejection in human organ transplants, including Gams’ own heart implant. Robert Faden chaired the Eastern Winter Study Weekend for the North American Rock Garden Society that was hosted by the Potomac Valley Chapter and held at the Fairview Park Marriott Hotel in Falls

Page 4 Botany Gets a New Address as Mail Gets Irradiated Following the discovery of a letter from the Brentwood mail facility in Wash- in a wide range of materials, from containing anthrax spores mailed to the ington, D.C. to Lima, Ohio, but only two textiles to specimens to photographs. United States Senate on 15 October, loads’ worth comes back to the district • Glass can undergo blue/purple disruptions of United States Postal Service daily. Full delivery has thus not resumed. discolorations; this may affect the (USPS) mail delivery occurred at many The impoundment of all materials at research value of microscopic slide federal agencies, including the Smith- Brentwood occurred on 21 October. The specimens. sonian Institution. Interruptions of service mailings trapped in the closure of the • In the case of specimens under began in early October, and this soon led Brentwood facility consists of mail to and alcohol, there is the potential for some to the complete curtailment of mail delivery from the Smithsonian dating from 14-21 radiolysis of the preservation solution, as of 19 October, when all incoming mail October. All letters, flats, and packages at leading to the formation of various ions was diverted for irradiation to outlying the facility will be irradiated. At this time, and free radicals in the solution. facilities. Mail service did not begin to be two-thirds of these items remain to be • Rubber and plastic stoppers of restored until 26 November, when the first processed. bottles and vials may become some- few irradiated envelopes began to arrive. The USPS is irradiating selected mail to what embrittled, but not to an extent of The flow of backlogged mail has been thin sterilize it from possible anthrax contamina- losing the closure of the containers. and sporadic ever since. tions using high energy electron irradiation • Magnetic media (floppy disks, zip The central mail services branch of the technology. At this time, only letters and disks, audio and video tape) will Smithsonian has opened a new PO Box, flats postmarked after 21 October are being probably lose significant information effective 22 January. This PO Box is good irradiated. Boxes (greater than 3 cm in content. Undeveloped photographic for all first-, third-, and fourth-class mail thickness), third- and fourth-class mail, film will be exposed. envelopes and packages, including including bulk mail, are not being irradi- • Some heating of materials may specimen shipments. Mail delivered to this ated. Outgoing Smithsonian mail will not result, which can cause problems with PO Box will not be irradiated. Please use be irradiated at this time, and will be preservative solutions and with the following new address immediately: delivered normally. adhesives. Botany has already received mailed • There is no apparent risk to the Correspondence and non-specimen items that have been damaged by the recipient from residual radiation, packages: irradiation process. Because electronic however. The principal risks are to the (Name of Recipient) beam irradiation can affect research integrity and stability of the materials Department of Systematic Biology - specimens and museum collection items, being shipped and irradiated. Botany the Smithsonian Center for Materials Smithsonian Institution Research and Education (SCMRE) pre- In view of these statements, it is urgent PO Box 37012 pared the following message as a service that all Botany mailings should be NMNH, MRC-166 to the professional community: addressed to the new PO Box given above. Washington, DC 20013-7012 USA The irradiation equipment produces electrons with such a high energy that All specimen packages: they have a relatively high penetrating Collections Manager power. Summarizing the information as Department of Systematic Biology - it pertains to typical collection speci- Botany mens exchanged by museums and Smithsonian Institution research laboratories and transported PO Box 37012 by mail, the following concerns emerge: NMNH, MRC-166 Washington, DC 20013-7012 • Living specimens (seeds, cuttings, USA etc.) will be killed by this irradiation. • Cellulosic materials will be seriously The U.S. National Herbarium will gladly affected, with the risk of embrittlement, accept e-mail for loan requests and other discoloration and oxidation. This Chair transaction-related communications. Loan affects paper (including labels) and Continued from page 3 requests should be sent to russell.rusty@ other plant-based materials as well as botanical specimens. participants for the up-coming Smith- nmnh.si.edu. sonian Botanical Symposium in early April. Mail that has been irradiated includes • DNA is particularly at risk. Materials sent out for genetic analysis will be We hope and expect that the results of this all first-class letters and flats postmarked meeting will insure that the globalization of since 12 October and addressed to federal severely compromised, with the risk of both recombination and outright biodiversity will not be an impediment to offices in Washington, D.C. with ZIP science, but rather a great benefit to codes 20200 to 20599. Approximately ten destruction. • Discoloration and fading will occur society and humankind. (Look for “Part II” truck trailer-loads of mail goes out daily in the April-June issue of The Plant Press).

Page 5 The Conservation Column

By Gary A. Krupnick In February, Deborah Bell and Steve biodiversity. Over 85 percent of the rich in species diversity; and (3) Monts Smith will be traveling to Africa with the country remains forested with the rest Doudou, the only highland area in the Smithsonian Institution Monitoring and being savanna and coastal plain. Prelimi- Gamba Complex, where initial species Assessment of Biodiversity Program nary research has found the forests to be inventories have revealed unique diversity (MAB), to assess and monitor the bio- floristically diverse and rich in endemic along an altitudinal gradient. Bell and diversity of Gabon. They will join mam- species (>22 percent). Most of the forested Smith will be joining a multi-disciplinary malogists, ornithologists, herpetologists, areas have been subjected to some level of team of national and international experts, and entomologists in the tropical country use or degradation. The primary commer- technical personnel and students at the to assess biodiversity within the context of cial species, okoumé (Aucoumea klaine- Rabi Oil Field site for a 4-week expedition. sustainable development and conserva- ana, Burseraceae), accounts for 90 percent Other researchers from the Department tion. Their destination is the Gamba of the timber exports. A by-product of the may join future MAB expeditions to the Complex, valuable for its high level of timber industry has been the construction other two sites. biodiversity, yet with little previous of roads, which inevitably affects forest Data from each field site will be biological work. Baseline biodiversity communities by habitat fragmentation. The reported in briefing papers outlining information will help lay the foundation for primary source of income comes from the preliminary findings on the biological future environmental conservation of the exploitation of oil reserves. It has ensured diversity of that location. A final report will area. Initial support comes from Shell a higher standard of living than in sur- be compiled after data from all assess- Foundation’s Sustainable Energy rounding countries and less of a depen- ments have been analyzed, and will outline Programme, and Shell Gabon. dence on forest biodiversity to sustain the the findings and future direction of the Bell and Smith have a history of population. Like forestry, one potential project. working with the MAB Program. They impact has been forest fragmentation joined MAB in 1996 in the Lower Uru- through the construction of a network of bamba region of Peru, where they con- roads. ducted biodiversity assessments at a Over the course of the year, MAB biologically sensitive area of the Amazon. plans to assess three key geographic areas Results from that study were used to link as priorities for conservation management: conservation and development, thus (1) Rabi Oil Field site, to characterize minimizing the operational impact on species diversity and consider some Gabon biodiversity. ecological aspects related to the opera- Gabon is unique because of its high tional footprint; (2) Petite Loango, a potential for the conservation of unique coastal forest site believed to be

The Alarming Lecture of Dr. Pimm By Robert DeFilipps Stuart L. Pimm, noted environmental annual production of plant growth; we use world’s biodiversity is concentrated. conservationist and author of the recent 50 percent of the available annual supply Armed with such information, the areas book “The World According to Pimm: A of freshwater; and our fisheries consume could be knowledgeably acquired by Scientist Audits the Earth” (2001, 33 percent of the ocean’s productivity. purchase for preservation. It is Pimm’s McGraw-Hill), presented a Systematic These trends could be at least partially observation that it would require an outlay Biology Seminar on 1 November in Baird reversed by more careful use of resources, of only US$10 per hectare to buy out Auditorium. Pimm, Professor of Conserva- although the extinct species we have logging rights in parts of Brazil. By tion Biology at the Center for Environmen- previously decimated cannot be replaced. generalized extrapolations, according to tal Research and Conservation, Columbia In fact, current species extinction rates Pimm all the world’s remaining tropical University, New York, was introduced by caused by people are accelerating through forests could be bought out for the sum of W.J. Kress, Head of Botany. To audit is to 1,000 times the geological background rate. US$5 billion. Once that is accomplished, examine and verify, and in this case the The background rate is one natural we could then devote ourselves to subject involves auditing the environmen- extinction per million species per year. continued study and conservation of the tal state of the globe. His assessment and Despite these disturbing facts, he rainforests in a more secure atmosphere. measurements of biodiversity have pinpointed a unique opportunity for Efforts to keep forests intact at this revealed an often startling state of affairs; collaboration between scientists and juncture in world history may remind us of Pimm’s cup runneth over. conservationists. We need more taxonomic the words of the Sicilian author Giuseppe We, the 6 billion people of the world, and systematic studies in order to deter- Tomasi: “If we want things to stay as they utilize or destroy 40 percent of the land’s mine the details of precisely where the are, things will have to change.”

Page 6 significant role as herbalists for many Honorable Bruce Babbitt to Deliver people who must rely on botanical Keynote Address at Botanical treatments in lieu of the more expensive pharmaceuticals of Western medicine. Symposium in April Chemical analyses of the active com- pounds in some of the specimens are At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Stella Simiyu, National Museums of • being planned. Janeiro, world leaders agreed on a compre- Kenya, Nairobi. Wolpert’s host at the temple was Max hensive strategy for the conservation, The keynote address will be given by G. Beauvoir, senior author (with R. De- sustainable development, and equitable The Honorable Bruce Babbitt, Secretary, Filipps and B. Wolpert, assisted by J. sharing of the benefits of biodiversity. U.S. Department of the Interior (1992-2000). Crepin) of the recent manual on “Selected This strategy was transformed into the The second José Cuatrecasas Medal in Medicinal Plants of Haitian Vodou” Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Tropical Botany will also be awarded at the (2001, Dept. Syst. Biol. – Botany). Plant life that has now been signed or ratified by Smithsonian itself is considered sacred in many Haitian over 175 nations. Botanical Sympo- communities, due to the function of plants The Convention sium. This presti- as habitations of the various voodoo was an affirmation gious award is spirits or divinities, known as loa (lwa), that the world’s presented annually who number exactly 401. In addition, trees biodiversity is a to an international are considered to be a link between earth common concern scholar who has and sky, and some sacred species such as of humankind and it has radically changed contributed significantly to advancing the Ceiba pentandra (Bombacaceae) are the how we think about and manage the field of tropical botany. The award is dwelling place of powerful spirits: offer- Earth’s biological resources. The responsi- named in honor of José Cuatrecasas, a ings are hung in small sacks on their bilities, priorities, and practices of taxono- pioneering botanist who spent many years branches, including on the ceiba at the mists and natural historians for discover- working in Botany and devoted his career Beauvoir temple. ing and describing biodiversity have been to plant exploration in tropical South Voodoo is a derivative of cosmic significantly altered since the Earth America. spiritual belief systems brought to the New Summit. The 2002 Smithsonian Botanical To register, visit the symposium Web World hundreds of years ago by enslaved Symposium, to be held 5-6 April 2002 at the site by 1 Africans from tribes in the Mandingo, National Museum of Natural History in March. For more information contact W. Ashante, Dahomey, Benin, Yoruba and Washington, D.C., will address the impact John Kress, Head of Botany, Department other empires. It was sometimes syncre- of the CBD on scientists and its ramifica- of Systematic Biology, Smithsonian Insti- tized with elements of the Catholic Church tions for understanding the natural world. tution, PO Box 37012, NMNH MRC-166, such as saints whose characteristics The Symposium will include a day of Washington, D.C. 20013-7012; Tel: 202-357- resembled those of the powerful voodoo invited speakers followed by a keynote 2534; E-mail: [email protected]. spirits. Voodoo is thus a “cousin” to other address, and is being sponsored by the groups which evolved from an origin in National Museum of Natural History, the African beliefs, and in which medicinal Cuatrecasas Family Foundation, the U.S. Ethnobotanical plants have a traditional role. These Botanic Garden, and the International Quest in Haiti systems are known as Hoodoo (Conjure) Association for Plant Taxonomy. An in the deep southern United States; Shan- opening reception will be held Friday Robert DeFilipps visited the Caribbean go in Venezuela, Santeria in Cuba, Obeah evening, 5 April, in the Conservatory of nation of Haiti on 5-12 January, accompa- in Jamaica, and Candomblé, Macumba and the reopened U.S. Botanic Garden. The nying Beverly Wolpert, a graduate student Umbanda in Brazil. speakers are: of Elizabeth Wells at George Washington University. DeFilipps is a mentor and Wolpert and DeFilipps attended a Gerald Bills, Senior Research Fellow, • member of Wolpert’s graduate committee. voodoo service in honor of the loa Ayizan, Merck Research Laboratories, Spain; Her research focus is on plants used in during which a carefully linen-wrapped leaf • Brian M. Boom, Senior Research Haiti as anthelmintics (a.k.a. vermifuges), of the sacred royal palm (Roystonea) was Scientist, Center for Environmental since various intestinal worm parasites are brought in, and the pinnate leaflets were Research and Conservation, USA; a major health problem there. each slowly shredded into long ribbons by the devotees, who danced counterclock- • Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, For nearly two weeks, Wolpert col- wise around a central altar for several Diretor de Biodiversidade e Recursos lected information and specimens of hours. All visitors were obliged to kiss the Geneticos, Brasil; medicinal plants as indicated by priests (houngans) and priestesses (mambos) leaf as a gesture of respect. • Scott Miller, Chair, Department of while staying at the voodoo temple “Le The office of ethnobotanist Marilisse Systematic Biology, National Museum Peristyle de Mariani,” on the coast near Neptune-Rouzier, who works for an non- of Natural History, USA; Port-au-Prince. The folk religion of Vodou governmental organization known as the • Cristian Samper K., Deputy Director, (more familiar spelling: Voodoo) is wide- Service Oecuménique d’Entraide (SOE) Smithsonian Tropical Research spread in Haiti, and its practitioners play a involved with public health information Institute, Panama; Continued on page 8 Page 7 Ethnobotany Flora of the Hawaiian Islands Web Site Continued from page 7 Launched and cooperation, was visited in Port-au- In the October-December 2001 issue of status (endangered, threatened, vulnerable, Prince. She gave much valuable advice to The Plant Press, the impending release of rare). Wolpert and DeFilipps, while showing the Hawaiian Flora Web site was an- A separate all-names query page, which important publications, largely unknown nounced. Near the end of December, the looks quite similar to the first, allows the to northern botanists, describing the site was finally made available to the user to select from a list of accepted generic results of Rouzier’s intensive plant public. It is one of the most complete names and synonyms. The results from this inventories in various ecoregions of Haiti. online resources for vascular plants of the query will provide checklist information as From a series of pamphlets produced by Hawaiian Islands. above, and it will also obtain publication Rouzier on natural medicines, Wolpert The Web site has been modeled on the features that can be found on the Web site In Port-au-Prince, DeFilipps and Manual of the Flowering Plants of are a partial list of U.S. specimens from the Wolpert met with Jean A. Constant, Hawai‘i by W.L. Wagner, D.R. Herbst and Hawaiian Islands (currently about 1,600 curator of the Ekman Herbarium (EHH) of S.H. Sohmer (revised edition, 1999) to database records) and images for some the State University of Haiti (located at provide easy access to currently accepted taxa. A complete set of U.S. specimen Damien), and Vice-Dean of the University, names, distributions, conservation status, records (approximately 26,000 in total) and Philippe Mathieu. Constant’s current and synonyms (species descriptions will the number of images will increase periodi- projects include restoration and be added at a later date). The site also cally as the records and images are pro- databasing of the E.L. Ekman Herbarium, includes an electronic version of the cessed. Other additions in the future will which is the national herbarium of Haiti. Manual Supplement, which has been include maps with distributions and links to The Swedish botanist Erik L. Ekman (1883- updated on a regular basis since the bibliographic information. 1931) collected in Haiti from 1924-1930, publication of the Plans are under- when the vegetation was quite different Manual. At this time, way to increase the from its current depleted condition. the Web site provides scope of the Pacific Ekman’s field notebooks are in the synonyms for names Flora Web site to Smithsonian’s Botany Branch Library; his that are based on encompass other 1917 collections were published by I. Hawaiian collections, island groups. A flora Urban as “Plantae Haitenses Novae vel additionally giving of the Marquesan Rariores” (1921). Constant has observed publication and type Islands is currently in that the Ekman specimens at EHH are information for these progress and a check- largely unannotated by modern research- names. The synonym list with images will ers, yet they were certainly used by list will be expanded to soon be completed. Barker and Dardeau (1930) during eventually include all Also, a checklist of preparation of the Flore d’Haïti, today naturalized taxa and the vascular flora of the only published work specifically native species based Micronesia based on dedicated to the Haitian flora as a whole. on non-Hawaiian an updating of F.R. Another major project of Constant is a types. The Web site is Fosberg’s published study of Haitian biodiversity, with an also accessible under the Botany Research checklist will be included. emphasis on threatened and endangered Web page . conceptualized by the joint efforts of status of Haitian plants is currently Query forms have been designed to Warren Wagner, Sylvia Stone Orli, Denise needed, for purposes of planning the allow users flexibility when accessing Mix, and Ellen Farr, with Stone Orli as the strategies for conservation of endemic information from databases and to display Web site developer. The research program and imperiled species and habitats. This the retrieved data in several ways. A page of Wagner in collaboration with the will extend to evaluation of the origin and for querying a list of accepted generic Hawaiian research programs of Derral R. structure of populations and ecosystems; names only allows the user the option to Herbst and Daniel D. Palmer supply the determination of status and impact on the display the results simply as a list of data for this site. Database management is environment of synanthropics (plants currently accepted names, or the list can overseen by Mix. Jessica Braun prepares associated with human activity, such as include distributional status (endemic, photographic images for Web presentation exotics and weeds); and attention to the indigenous, naturalized, Polynesian and assists with maintenance of the image conservation of materially useful compo- introduction), geographic distribution (by database. Robynn Shannon contributed to nents of biodiversity such as medicinal island or more specific for narrowly the initial database development and plants. Both Rouzier and Constant distributed endemics), and conservation maintenance of checklist and nomenclature mentioned that they would welcome information. cooperative studies with Smithsonian botanists on the Haitian flora.

Page 8 discovery, in addition to the Wilkes, are Centennial of the Botanical Society of also housed in the herbarium, including Washington the La Plata Expedition of 1853-1856; the On 8 December the Centennial of the Arrow: The Evolution of Washington’s Mexican Boundary Survey of 1854-1855; Botanical Society of Washington (BSW) Flora,” a review of the documentation of the International Boundary Commission was celebrated with a symposium “A early angiosperm evolution in the Creta- for U.S. and Mexico (1892-1894); and Capital View of Botany: Our Changing D.C. ceous Potomac Formation. various Colombian Cinchona missions Flora” at the U.S. National Arboretum in Former presidents of BSW include past (1940-1945). Regarding the latter missions, Washington, D.C. The symposium and current members of Botany: Fredrick intensive fieldwork to find alternative organizing committee included Dan A. Coville (1902), Alfred S. Hitchcock quinine-yielding Cinchona germplasm was Nicolson, Gene Rosenberg, Robert (1916), Egbert H. Walker (1950), Albert C. necessitated by the early Axis takeover of Soreng and Alice Tangerini. Speakers Smith (1962), William L. Stern (1972), major Southeast Asian cinchona planta- included Stanwyn Shetler and Paul Richard H. Eyde (1973), Robert W. Read tions in World War II, leaving the Allies Peterson. (1975), Laurence E. Skog (1977), Richard S. without a source of quinine to treat Shetler addressed the changes in the Cowan (1979), Stanwyn G. Shetler (1983), malaria. local vascular plant flora, emphasizing that Robert B. Faden (1985), Dan H. Nicolson Many of the largest plant groups some species are increasingly rare, such as (1990), Deborah A. Bell (1992), Dieter C. represented in the U.S. National Herbarium native Celastrus scandens, and may be Wasshausen (1997), Gene Rosenberg have benefited from a long history of in- lost while other species, such as Chinese (1998), Harold E. Robinson (1999), and Paul house augmentation, research and study Celastrus orbiculatus, have exploded in M. Peterson (2000). as well as current curatorial support. These the last 50 years. Peterson discussed how groups include 250,000 ferns (curated by flowering time records document a north D. Lellinger); Acanthaceae (shrimp-plant temperate warming trend over the last 50 family, formerly studied by E.C. Leonard years, resulting in a week longer growing and C.V. Morton, currently by D.C. Wass- season. The keynote speaker was paleo- hausen); Asteraceae (sunflower family, botanist Leo Hickey (formerly of Botany, attaining its huge size through the work of now at Yale) who spoke on “Time’s Green B.L. Robinson (Harvard), and in Washing- ton by S.F. Blake, A.C. Smith, K. Parker and J. Cuatrecasas (Espeletia), while currently Herbarium co-curated by V. Funk and H. Robinson); Continued from page 1 Bromeliaceae (pineapple and Spanish moss family, developed into an immense cobra lily, Darlingtonia californica Symposium (see related notice, page 7). collection by L.B. Smith); Gesneriaceae (Sarraceniaceae), which was eventually The Symposium is one of many joint (investigated by C.V. Morton, now by L.E. named by John Torrey in Smithsonian activities undertaken with Botany under a Skog); Melastomataceae (Rhexia family, Contributions to Knowledge (1854). It was Memorandum of Understanding signed domain of J.J. Wurdack); and Poaceae discovered by the horticulturist William D. between the National Museum and the (grass family). The grass collection is Brackenridge on the Pacific Coast leg of Garden (see The Plant Press n.s. 3(3): 5 significant for its early associations with the voyage. A specimen of another carniv- (July-Sept. 2000). One can learn more Albert S. Hitchcock, Mary Agnes Chase, orous pitcher plant from the expedition, the about the fascinating Wilkes expedition in Jason R. Swallen, and bamboo-men Floyd vine Nepenthes rafflesiana (originally Magnificent Voyagers (H.J. Viola and C. A. McClure and Tom Soderstrom, and is identified as N. ampullaria), is filed in the Margolis, eds., 1985, SI Press). currently curated by agrostologist Paul U.S. Herbarium. Currently the U.S. National Herbarium Peterson. Living plants of all kinds were brought contains approximately 4.6 million speci- Also notable for their large size are back from the expedition, to become mens, and is one of the ten largest herbaria collections of various other families, which foundation display material for the in the world, representing as well about 8 maintain their significance due to person- fledgling U.S. Botanic Garden in southwest percent of the plant collection resources of nel of previous decades, such as the Cac- Washington, D.C. Karen D. Solit, author of the United States. The number of species it taceae (built up from specimens collected “History of the United States Botanic contains, and thus the percentage of the by Britton and Rose); the diatoms of P. Garden” (1993), relates that “Today, there world’s flora represented in it, will not be Conger; Solanaceae investigated by are still two plants in the United States known until the herbarium is fully invento- curator C.V. Morton; and Leguminosae Botanic Garden collection that are consid- ried, a process now underway. Worldwide representing a lifetime of interest by ered to have been part of the Wilkes in scope, there are especially heavy curators V. Rudd and R.S. Cowan. Expedition bounty These are the Angiop- concentrations of specimens from the In addition to the enormous holdings teris evecta, the Vessel Fern; and the neotropics (i.e., the New World, or of families mentioned above, other Zizyphus jujuba, the Chinese jujube.” The Western Hemisphere, tropics), North flowering groups that today enjoy the Botanic Garden, newly opened after America, Pacific Ocean islands, the active support of U.S. Herbarium curators, remodeling, is a co-sponsor of the upcom- Philippines, and the Indian subcontinent. ing Second Smithsonian Botanical Plants from historic voyages and treks of Continued on page 10

Page 9 Herbarium management, specimen processing (i.e., major floristic studies relying in large part Continued from page 9 mounting), transactions management on the national herbarium collections, for (involving loans, acquisition, borrowing, regions such as Mexico by P.C. Standley; and are enriched by their field trip collec- disposal), and the updating of computer Guam by W.E. Safford; New Mexico by tions and specimen exchange programs, software. E.O. Wooton and P.C. Standley; and are those of the Pacific Islands and Collections Manager George “Rusty” Alabama by C. Mohr. More recent floras Onagraceae (evening primrose family, W. Russell supervises the Core Collections published elsewhere, such as of Fiji and Sri Wagner); Africa and the Commelinaceae team composed of Deborah Bell, Linda Lanka, have also been based to an (dayflower family, R.B. Faden); Araceae Hollenberg, and Katherine Rankin. Their appreciable degree on the U.S. collections. (philodendron family, D.H. Nicolson); collective responsibilities include over- Index Nominum Genericorum (ING), a Sapindaceae (soapberry family, P. Ace- sight of the day-to-day activities of the significant aid to herbarium work that is vedo); Malvaceae (hibiscus family) and U.S. National Herbarium and the Botany now available online , is currently L.E. Dorr); and the order Zingiberales physical curation of the collection, co-edited by Botany supervisory museum (source of gingers, bird-of-paradise management of more that 1,000 specimen specialist Ellen Farr for the fungi, algae and (Strelitzia), heliconias, and bananas, transactions per year with institutions ferns, and Gea Zijlstra of Utrecht Univer- curated by W.J. Kress). There are over around the world, and responding to sity (The Netherlands) for the phanero- 120,000 specimens and 4,500 type speci- hundreds of requests for information that gams, bryophytes and fossils. mens of algae (curated by J. Norris and M. arrive from both their scientific colleagues Any specimen arriving at the herbarium Littler); 230,000 lichen collections (in the as well as the general public. is first subjected to cryofumigation. charge of curator P. DePriest); 7,500 micro- In addition, they have primary respon- Selected specimens are mounted on a slides of pollen and spores; and 43,000 sibility for visitors to the herbarium, sheet bearing a number, which is the specimens of wood in a special Wood specimen conservation and new materials citable catalogue number. A bar code may Collection, the latter maintained at the testing, transaction information manage- be affixed to the sheet, as a frame of Museum Support Center in Silver Hill, ment, integrated pest management, reference for accessing or updating Maryland. collections space and facilities coordina- information on an inventoried specimen. The herbarium is newly developing a tion, an active specimen exchange pro- An electronic record, of course, exists for number of geographically oriented gram, and processing tens of thousands of any specimen that is bar coded, and to collections as a result of intensive field- acquisitions on an annual basis. Property date over 700,000 specimens of the U.S. work, particularly from the Caribbean management, collections outreach activi- Herbarium are bar coded. region by P. Acevedo; the Guianas (Guy- ties, and fundraising for collections needs A Collections Advisory Committee, ana, Suriname, French Guiana) by V. Funk are also included. composed of curators Wagner (chair), and colleagues of the Biological Diversity Recent major improvements to collec- Acevedo, Lellinger, and Robinson, with of the Guianas Project; Myanmar (Burma) tions management instituted by the Core Russell (ex officio) and Botany Green- by W.J. Kress collecting with M. Bordelon; Collections unit include the installation of house manager M. Bordelon, consults with Venezuela by L. Dorr; and South American a major compactor storage system in part the Botany Head and the Core Collections grasses by P. Peterson. of the herbarium, and developing a Management Unit, on the general well The Herbarium (through the Botany program to create high resolution digital being and utilization of the herbarium. Section) maintains very active loan and images of the National Herbarium’s During their term, which is decided by the exchange programs. As noted on the critically important Type Collections and Head of Botany, the members consider herbarium Web site , A large program for inventorying the decisions on geographical rearrangements, approximately 50,000 specimens are herbarium was begun decades ago by and altering the generic composition of annually loaned for study to other curator Stanwyn Shetler under chairman families to reflect recent taxonomic studies; institutions worldwide, and an additional Mason Hale. First to be inventoried were granting permission to requests for 20,000 specimens are exchanged. It the type specimens. All type specimens are destructive sampling for DNA, pollen requires four “core” people to provide kept together, and they have now been studies or anatomical work; acquisition of oversight for the daily requirements of inventoried (databased) in a Type Register, private herbaria offered as gifts, and their running a herbarium of this magnitude, and as to collection locality, bibliographic impact on current space requirements; responsibility for the operation is struc- citation, and relevant field data, as well as compactorization; and more recently, tured into four constituent parts of a “Core bar coded for efficient, digitized record- issues of coping with shipping and Collections Management Unit.” A recently keeping. receiving due to the anthrax-terrorism revised program-concept to permit more Recently, a revitalized series of Contri- situation that resulted in irradiation of intensified curatorial participation and butions from the United States National incoming packages (see related article, maximum efficiency in the daily workings Herbarium, emanating from Botany page 5). of the herbarium, Core Collections Man- Section, has been developed as an outlet Considering all the ramifications agement is executed under the leadership for the publication of staff research. Earlier involved with the collections of the U.S. of Head of Botany, W.J. Kress, in response series of the Contributions have included National Herbarium, it is not surprising to various needs such as budgeting, space Page 10 that the herbarium is said to be a “bureau 26S, 5S-NTS, rbcL, and trnL-F loci. P. 117. Lorence, D.H., A. Manning, S.L. Montgom- of standards,” via the type collections and In:. Botany 2001, Plants and People, ery and W.L. Wagner (alphabetical). 2001. other important holdings, for plant August 12-16, 2001, Albuquerque. Ab- Species Profiles. Pp. 232-259. In: Liitt- nomenclature and identification, and to stracts. Botanical Society of America, schwager, D. and S. Middleton. Remains of constitute an overall historical record of Albuquerque, New Mexico. a Rainbow: Rare Plants and Animals of the three dimensions of biodiversity: the Hawai‘i. National Geographic, Washing- Hollowell, T. V. Funk C. presence of certain species in certain , P. Berry, and ton, D.C. Kelloff localities over time. . 2001. Preliminary Checklist of the Plants of the Guiana Shield. 129 pp. Nicolson, D.H. 2001. Botanical Nomencla- Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. ture/ General Committee on Botanical Nomenclature. P. 170. In: Younes, T. and V. Kress, W.J. 2001. Heliconiaceae. In: W. D. Reuter (eds.). Proceedings of the 27th Stevens et al. (eds.). Flora de Nicaragua. General Assembly 8-11 November 2000, Publications Monographs in Systematic Botany 85 (II): Naples, Italy. International Union of 1132-1139. Biological Sciences, Paris. Kress, W.J. and G.W. Barrett (eds.). 2001. Barrett, G.W. and W.J. Kress. 2001. Peterson, P.M. 2001. Eragrostis, Pp. 144- A New Century of Biology. 159 pp. Smith- 149; Muhlenbergia, Pp. 202-211. In: Introduction: The new revolution in sonian Institution Press in association biology. Pp. 1-8. In: W.J. Kress and G.W. Douglas, G.W., D. Meidinger and J. Pojar with the American Institute of Biological (eds.). Illustrated Flora of British Colum- Barrett (eds.). A New Century of Biology. Sciences, Washington, D.C. and London. Smithsonian Institution Press in associa- bia. Volume 7: Monocotyledons (Orchid- tion with the American Institute of Kress, W.J. and G.W. Barrett. 2001. aceae through Zosteraceae). Ministry of Biological Sciences, Washington, D.C. and Preface: A new century of biology. Pp. xi- Sustainable Resource Management, London. xiii. In: W.J. Kress and G.W. Barrett (eds.). Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. A New Century of Biology. Smithsonian Peterson, P.M. and Y. Herrera-Arrieta. Burney, D.A., H.F. James, L.P. Burney, S.L. Institution Press in association with the Olson, W. Kikuchi, W.L. Wagner, M. 2001. A leaf blade anatomical survey of American Institute of Biological Sciences, Muhlenbergia (Poaceae: Muhlen- Burney, D. McCloskey, D. Kikuchi, F.V. Washington, D.C. and London. Grady, R. Gage II, R. Nishek. 2001. Fossil bergiinae). Sida 19: 469-506. Kress, W.J. P. DePriest evidence for a diverse biota from Kaua‘i and . 2001. What’s Peterson, P.M., R.J. Soreng, G. Davidse, and its transformation since human arrival. in a PhyloCode name? Science 292: 52. T.S. Filgueiras, F.O. Zuloaga and E.J. Ecological Monographs 71: 615–641. [letter] Judziewicz. 2001. Catalogue of New World Dorr, L.J. and S.M. Niño. 2001. Arthraxon Kress, W.J. and K. Larsen. 2001. Smith- grasses (Poaceae): II. Subfamily Chlorid- (Poaceae: Andropogoneae) new to South atris, a new genus of Zingiberaceae from oideae. Contributions from the U.S. America. Sida 19(4): 1191-1193. Southeast Asia. Systematic Botany 26: National Herbarium 41:1-255. 226-230. Faden, R.B. 2001. New or misunderstood Specht, C.D., W.J. Kress, D.W. Stevenson, species of Commelina (Commelinaceae) Kress, W.J., L.M. Prince, W.J. Hahn, and and R. DeSalle. 2001. A molecular phylog- from the Flora of Tropical East Africa and E.A. Zimmer. 2001. Unraveling the eny of Costaceae (Zingiberales). Molecu- Flora Zambesiaca areas. Novon 11: 398- evolutionary radiation of the families of the lar Phylogenetics and Evolution 21: 333- 409. Zingiberales using morphological and 345. molecular evidence. Systematic Biology Wagner, W.L. and H. Robinson. 2001. Faden, R.B. 2001. The Commelinaceae of 50: 926-944. Northeast Tropical Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Lipochaeta and Melanthera (Asteraceae: Djibouti, Somalia and Kenya): Diversity Krupnick, G.A. and J. Rubis. 2002. Plant Heliantheae subtribe Ecliptinae): Establish- and phytogeography. Pp. 213-231. In: Friis, richness and endemism in the Indo-Pacific: ing their natural limits and a synopsis. I. and O. Ryding (eds.). Biodiversity Dipterocarpaceae. Pp. 92-98. In: Wikrama- Brittonia 53: 539-561. Research in the Horn of Africa Region. nayake, E., E. Dinerstein, C.J. Loucks, et al. Wu, Z., C.-Y. Wu, L. Zhou and W.L. Proceedings of the Third International Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific. Wagner. 2001. Arenaria (Caryophyll- Symposium on the Flora of Ethiopia and Island Press, Washington, D.C. aceae). Flora of China 6: 40-66. Eritrea at the Carlsberg Academy, Copen- Laegaard, S. and P.M. Peterson. 2001. hagen, Denmark, August 25-27, 1999. Biol. 214(2). Gramineae (part 2) Subfam. Chlorid- Skr. 54, Copenhagen. oideae. Pp. 1-131. In: Harling, G. and L. Hardy, C.R., J.I. Davis, R.B. Faden and Andersson ( eds.). Flora of Ecuador 68. D.W. Stevenson. 2001. Phylogenetics of Li, Q.-J., Z.-F. Xu, W.J. Kress, Y.-M. Xia, L. Cochliostema, Geogenanthus and an Zhang, X.-B. Deng, J.-Y. Gao and Z.-L. Bai. undescribed genus (Commelinaceae) using 2001. Flexible style that encourages out- morphology and DNA sequence data from crossing. Nature 410: 432.

Page 11 Art by Alice Tangerini

Ravenala madagascariensis Sonn. The U.S. National Her- barium is a repository of voucher specimens for all kinds of fieldwork, includ- ing plant-animal interac- tions. Endemic to the island of Madagascar, Ravenala madagascariensis (Strelitziaceae) and the ruffed lemur Varecia variegata share a tight plant-pollinator relation- ship. Lemurs carry pollen on their fur between flowers, carefully obtain- ing nectar without de- stroying the flowers. The plant is dependent upon the lemurs as a pollinating vector while lemurs de- pend upon the nectar as a food source during spe- cific times of the year (American Journal of Botany 81:542-551. 1994).

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Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300