250 Years of Science at Kew, and Beyond

ISSN: 0967-8018 KewSpring 2009 Issue 35 Scientist N EWS FROM T HE L IVING C OLLECTIONS, THE H ERBARIUM AND T HE L ABORATORIES AT K EW & WAKEHURST P LACE 250 YEARS OF SCIENCE AT KEW, AND BEYOND taxonomic research and flora writing, and a global network of collaborators eclipsing anything that the enterprising Banks imagined. Sir Joseph Hooker succeeded his father as Director and became the most decorated of all who have occupied this illustrious post. Sir Joseph is renowned as Charles Darwin’s scientific confidant and primary botanical advisor leading up to Darwin’s publication of The Origin of Species in 1859. Like Banks, Sir Joseph became President of the Royal Society and had a global influence on taxonomic and economic botany for decades. He also moved Kew into fundamental plant science, establishing the Jodrell Laboratory for this purpose. Science at Kew gradually diversified as the disciplines of plant anatomy, physiology and cytogenetics became part of the early 20th Century’s New Botany. More recently, under Professor Jack Heslop- Harrison’s directorship in the 1970s, Kew science contributed to pioneering disciplines associated with plant conservation biology, HM The Queen with Tony Kirkham (Head of including reproductive biology, seed Arboretum & Horticultural Services) planting a specimen of Ginkgo biloba on 5 May 2009 to mark physiology and storage, and a focus on Kew’s 250th anniversary. A nearby historic specimen of G. biloba was planted in the 1760s threatened plants. Subsequently, Professor Sir soon after Kew’s inception as a botanic garden. Iain Prance brought a much-needed focus on A. McRobb rainforest conservation biology to Kew in the 1990s and he helped to reinvigorate global DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE taxonomic research through appointing Professor Mark Chase to lead a molecular oday the Royal George III on returning from Cook’s Endeavour phylogenetics team at Kew. T Botanic Gardens, expedition in the 1770s. Sir Joseph became de Kew, is one of the facto director of the Royal Gardens at Kew for Today and in the future, Kew’s Breathing world’s leading plant three decades, until his death in 1820. Banks’s Planet Programme integrates science across a diversity science extraordinary commitment to botanical science range of strategies and disciplines, including a powerhouses. How did and empire, especially relating to economic new venture into restoration ecology, to this come to be? Allen botany, ensured Kew’s global reach and the ensure science-based plant conservation Paterson, in his recently foundations of its taxonomic and horticultural worldwide, ultimately aimed at improving the published The Gardens breadth, under the highest level of patronage quality of life of people through the study and at Kew, highlighted the intersection of and political influence. conservation of plants and fungi. serendipity and science during the history of It was also exceptionally fortuitous that Sir Science, combined with World Heritage the organisation: ‘these gardens have persisted William Hooker was appointed as Kew’s collections and programmes, remains Kew’s and evolved over 250 years from fashionable foundation Director in 1841. Sir William strength at a time of global environmental pleasure grounds … and the random, albeit brought to Kew a large personal herbarium change when problem-solving was never surprisingly extensive plant collections, into an and botanical library, each purchased for the more urgently needed, and plant-based internationally renowned centre for the study nation to support research at the Royal Botanic solutions never more important. of the world of plants … by design, by Gardens. With characteristic Victorian energy Prof. Stephen D. Hopper FLS, Director foresight and even by sheer luck, with the and vision, Sir William established aspects of right person being in the right place at just the Kew that remain with us today – the much right time.’ enlarged area of gardens with their From a scientific perspective, it was fortunate extraordinarily rich horticultural collections, that Sir Joseph Banks became a friend of King inspirational glasshouses and museums, 1 PHDs New Books AWARDS The following PhD students, co-supervised by FIELDWORK Orchids of Western Australia Dahlgren Prize Kew staff, have successfully defended their (by A. Brown, P. Dundas, K. theses recently: Dixon, S. Hopper; UWA Press; Paula Rudall visited Sweden in December 2008 ISBN 978 0 980296 457) is the Karl Duffy, ‘The reproductive biology and to be awarded the 2008 Dahlgren Prize in first modern text cataloguing conservation of rare orchid species in Ireland’ Botany (she is the 7th Dahlgren prize winner). all known orchid species of (June 2008). This prize is awarded every three years by the Western Australia and contains Royal Physiographic Society of Lund for Simona Birtic, ‘Biochemical and Molecular over 200 full-page illustrations. outstanding contributions to the systematics Aspects of Seed Ageing’ (October 2008). It focuses on the state’s two and evolution of flowering plants. To mark the orchid regions – the South-West and the award, Paula attended a banquet and awards Lidia Cabrera, ‘Molecular phylogeny and Paula Rudall collecting Hydatellaceae in Northern Kimberley – and presents a selection of classification of Araceae and Lemnaceae ceremony, and presented invited seminars in Territory, Australia, in May 2008. hybrids often mistaken for new species. Lund (Sweden) and Copenhagen (Denmark). (monocotyledons: Alismatales’ (October 2008). Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 7(1) Timbers 1 (eds. D. Louppe, A.A. Oteng- Literature Awards Yohan Pillon, ‘Biodiversity, origin and Honorary Appointments Amoako, M. Brink; PROTA Foundation; ISBN evolution of Cunoniaceae: implications for the David Mabberley is the 2009 recipient of the David Mabberley and Susyn Andrews have 978 90 5782 209 4) published in December conservation of the flora of New Caledonia’ James A. Duke Excellence in Botanical Literature been appointed as Trustees of the National 2008 is the first of two volumes on timbers (December 2008). Award for Mabberley’s Plant-Book; A Portable Botanic Garden of Wales, Hugh Pritchard has Forests on Mount Mabu in Mozambique. and deals with 511 timber species (see T. Timberlake Dictionary of Plants, their Classification and received honorary professorships at the Chinese Stephan Gale, ‘Population ecology and www.prota.org). Included are wood Uses, 3rd edition (Cambridge University Press; Academy of Sciences' Kunming Institute of conservation of Nervilia nipponica, an anatomical descriptions of more than 200 of 2008). The award, from the American Botanical Botany (KIB) and the University of Sussex (2009- endangered orchid in Japan’ (January 2009). Important Forest Areas Discovered on Mount Mabu the major commercial timbers, prepared by Council (ABC), is for a book that provides a 2011), and David Roberts has became an African trainees and five senior IAWA wood Richard Waterman, ‘Orchid diversity and In October 2008, possibly the largest mid- Other expeditions under this Darwin Initiative significant contribution to literature in the fields honorary research fellow also at the University anatomists including Kew’s Peter Gasson. symbiosis in the Cape of South Africa’ altitude forest remaining in southern Africa was project have been to Mts Namuli and Chiperone of botany, ethnobotany, phytomedicine, and/or of Sussex (2009-2011). The descriptions are also in the InsideWood (February 2009). discovered by a Kew-led field trip to Mt Mabu in northern Mozambique and to Mt Mchese, other disciplines related to medicinal plants. database (http://insidewood.lib.ncsu.edu/). in northern Mozambique. Covering an part of Mulanje Mountain in southern Malawi. The announcement was made at the 4th ABC Kate Warner, ‘Environmental control of Lecturing Award estimated 7,000 hectares, the forest ranges A national workshop is planned for June 2009 The Genus Jasminum in Awards Ceremony on 10 March 2009. sepalness and petalness in waterlilies’ Stephen Graham, the Jodrell Laboratory from 1,000–1,600 m altitude across a series in Mozambique where the project's findings Cultivation (by P. Green & D. (March 2009). Kate showed that the At the Garden Media Guild Awards ceremony manager, was awarded a distinguished sessional of granite peaks. Scientists from Kew, BirdLife on the conservation values of such montane Miller; Kew Publishing; ISBN development of petaloid and sepaloid regions on 20 November 2008, Oliver Whaley won the lecturer award in recognition of his high-quality International, Mozambique Agricultural areas will be presented to senior government 978 1 84246 011 5; £33) is the in Nuphar and Nymphaea is partly controlled Environmental Award category and Paul Little teaching at the Faculty of Lifelong Learning, Research Institute, Mulanje Mountain officials, with the hope that action will follow latest Botanical Magazine by the environment of the developing organ. won Features Photographer of the Year for Birkbeck College (University of London). Conservation Trust, Forest Research Institute for these, at present, unprotected areas. Monograph and details the Taxon 57, 1096 (2008). articles that appeared in Kew magazine of Malawi and the African Butterfly Research historical and cultural use of Contact: Jonathan Timberlake ([email protected]) (www.kew.org/kewmagazine/ ). Institute spent three weeks on Mt Mabu and jasmine, its role in perfumery found three new species of butterfly, four new Vegetation Survey Training Course and medicine, cultivation in reptiles

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