Oxford Systematics With news from University Herbaria (OXF and FHO), Department of Plant Sciences, Oxford

OPS 18 June 2012

Different species of Convolvulus and Ipomoea, some new, from Bolivia and the Azores Foreword Contents

Welcome to the eighteenth edition of Oxford Plant Systematics. Foreword The importance of getting out into the field Stephen A. Harris ……………………………………………………… 2 and collecting is a core part of the articles in this edition. John Wood recounts the rediscovery of poorly known News items Strobilanthes (Acanthaceae) species in the Staff retirement, Prizes & Fellowship awarded .……………………… 3 wild, whilst Steven Heathcote and Elizabeth Cooke describe their search for Cardamine Publications 2011 ……………………………………………………….. 3 (Brassicaceae) in the Carpathians. In Öland, Rosemary Wise brings a personal pers- Student reports pective to a route which follows in the Systematics and phylogeography of Cardamine hirsuta L. footsteps of . Away from field Elizabeth Cooke ……………………………………………………….. 4 work focused on specific plants, William Hawthorne and Cicely Marshall describe their work on the rapid collection of field Revision of Drypetes Vahl data from the world’s botanical hotspots. Zoë Goodwin ………………………………………………………….. 4 Rapid collection of field data allows one to state where a species is found. However, the Foundation Monographs, a new initiative from Oxford detection and identification of species John R.I. Wood & Robert Scotland …………………………………… 5 requires effective identification keys and global taxonomic treatments. The Found- Rapid Botanic Survey inside and outside the world’s botanic hotspots ation Monographs initative, described by William Hawthorne & Cicely Marshall ………………….…………… 6 John Wood and Robert Scotland, aims to plug this gap by developing a novel method to accelerate the overhaul of the Strobilanthes rediscovered of large, poorly known groups. The work of John R.I. Wood …………………………………………….………….. 8 Robert and his colleagues has also highlighted that approximately half of the Hunting Hairy Bittercress and other Carpathian Cardamine plant species awaiting discovery are already Steven Heathcote & Elizabeth Cooke ……………………….………... 9 sitting, unidentified or misidentified, in herbarium cabinets. Following Linnaeus’s journey through Öland, via southern Sweden Some of the results of historical field work Rosemary Wise …………………………………………………….... 11 by Oxford-based botanists, most signif- icantly John Sibthorp’s explorations of the eastern Mediterranean at the end of Historic herbaria - going on-line eigtheenth century, are now available on- Stephen A. Harris …………………………………………………… 12 line. Away from dead plants, Alison Foster describes how the living collections at the News from the Herbaria Oxford Botanic Garden are now being Fielding-Druce (OXF) and Daubeny (FHO) managed using BRAHMS. In addition, the Serena Marner …………………………………………………...…. 13 first steps have been made by Elizabeth Atkinson in the long process of making The archive of George Claridge Druce George Claridge Druce’s vast personal archive readily available for botanical Elizabeth Atkinson ………………………….………………………. 15 research. Managing living collections at the Oxford Botanic Garden Stephen A. Harris Alison Foster ………………………………………………………... 16 Curator of Oxford University Herbaria

Department of Plant Sciences, , Cover images: South Parks Road, Oxford Species of Convolvulaceae from Bolivia and the Azores to illustrate article on page 5. OX1 3RB, U.K. Tel. +44 (0) 1865 275000 Top row: left – an apparently new species of Ipomoea from the Andes of Bolivia; right – Convolvulus erosus, a trailing herb from Bolivia, frequently misnamed C. hermanniae. Oxford Plant Systematics Research Group website: Middle row: left – a red-flowered Ipomoea provisionally named I. hederifolia but part of a http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk complex in need of revision; right – three colour variants of the Morning Glory, Ipomoea purpurea. (All the above photographed for Darwin Initiative Project 162/11/010.) Oxford University Herbaria database at: http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/oxford Bottom row: left – Convolvulus caput-medusae, a spiny undershrub from the Canary Islands (photo by Fred Rumsey); right – an apparently new species of Ipomoea from the cerrados of Back issues of OPS can be viewed at: Bolivia (photo Darwin Initiative Project 16-004). http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/OPS.html Typesetting and layout of this issue of OPS by Serena Marner

2 Oxford Plant Systematics OPS 18 June 2012 News items Linnean Society for the best doctoral thesis The general collecting and interactive key in botany examined at a UK University are to contribute to the plant diversity during the previous academic year. Tiina is hotspot assessment for Peninsular Malaysia, currently working as a post-doctoral as part of the series of studies being carried Congratulations to Robert Scotland who researcher at the Natural History Museum in out by OPS staff and students. The has been elected as President of the London. Peninsular Malaysia project will be done in Systematics Association from 2012 until collaboration with Saw Leng Guan and his 2014. Congratulations to Elizabeth (Lizzie) staff at FRIM. Cooke for winning second prize for her Robert Scotland was interviewed by BBC presentation, ‘Systematics and phylo- radio on St David’s Day 2011 to explain geography of the emerging model plant some of the mysteries of the daffodil. He Cardamine hirsuta’ at the Young also appeared on BBC television, followed Publications 2011 Systematics Forum held at the Natural by a broadcast on Radio 4 (Material World, History Museum, London in December 10 March 2011). 2011. The event was attended by 150 Brennan, A.C., Tabah, D.A., Harris, S.A., delegates from 20 countries. Lizzie Cooke Hiscock, S.J. (2011). Sporophytic self- also won second prize for her presentation incompatibility in Senecio squalidus Staff retirement on the Systematics of Cardamine hirsuta at (Asteraceae): S allele dominance the Natural History Museum Student interactions and modifiers of cross- Association Annual Conference that took compatibility and selfing rates. Heredity place at the Natural History Museum on 14 106: 113-123. and 15 April 2011. Dahmer, N., Simon, M.F., Schifino- Wittmann, M.T., Hughes, C.E., Miotto, Fellowship awarded S.T.S., Guiliani, J.S. (2011). Chromosome Caroline Pannell spent five weeks in numbers in the Mimosa L.: November and December 2011, with a cytotaxonomic and evolutionary Fellowship from the Forest Research implications. Plant Systematics & Evolution Institute of Malaysia. She carried out 291: 211-220. fieldwork in three areas of Peninsular Malaysia. These were Pasoh Forest Reserve, Govindarajulu, R., Hughes, C.E., Bailey, previously unexplored limestone hills of C.D. (2011). Phylogenetic and population Anne Sing retired from the Department of Perak and Endau Rompin National Park. genetic analyses of diploid Leucaena Plant Sciences in March 2011 after 34 years She completed her account of Aglaia for the (Leguminosae) reveal cryptic species service. Anne joined the University in 1977 Flora of Peninsular Malaysia, gave a diversity and patterns of allopatric divergent as a graduate of Portsmouth Polytechnic, lecture on the taxonomy and biology of the speciation. American Journal of Botany 98: now the University of Portsmouth. Initially, genus and ran a workshop on using the key 2049-2063. Anne worked as a research technician for to the 50 species in Peninsular Malaysia. David Mabberley, working with him on his The key relies partly on characters of the Govindarajulu, R., Hughes, C.E., interests in south east Asian Meliaceae and indumentum that require magnification and Alexander, P., Bailey, C.D. (2011). The the Plant Book, the second edition being it worked well after some modification complex evolutionary dynamics of ancient dedicated to Anne. In these activities Anne based on feedback from the workshop and recent polyploidy in Leucaena revealed her concern for academic rigour. participants. She commenced an account of (Leguminosae). American Journal of Botany Anne was also involved in organising the the former Flacourtiaceae, now Salicaceae 98: 2064-2076. annual undergraduate field course to the and Achariaceae, for Flora of Peninsular Algave, Portugal. She demonstrated Malaysia and gave a lecture on her initial Harris, S.A. (2011). Planting Paradise: empathy and concern for students. After fiindings. During the field work she cultivating the garden 1501-1900. Bodleian David Mabberley moved to Sydney, Anne also gathered information from living plants Library, Oxford. gave technical support to various staff for an interactive key to genera of members of the Department in their Peninsular Malaysian plants using Hawthorne, W.D., Marshall, C.A.M., Abu research, also continuing to help with the vegetative characters. She is most grateful to Juam, M., Agyeman, V.K. (2011). The field course to the Algarve, and carrying out thebotanists at FRIM for the help and impact of logging damage on tropical bibliographic research in which she had enthusiastic support they gave her in all of rainforests, their recovery and considerable expertise. Latterly she helped these activities. regeneration: an annotated bibliography. in herbarium curation tasks taking respon- OFI Occasional Series. Oxford Forestry sibility for mounting herbarium specimens. Institute, Oxford. Many thousands of examples of Anne’s work are to be found throughout the Lander, T.A., Bebber, D.P., Choy, C.T., herbarium. We wish Anne a long and happy Harris, S.A., Boshier, D.H. (2011). The retirement. Circe Principle explains how resource-rich land can waylay pollinators in fragmented landscapes. Current Biology 21: 1302-1307. Prizes Tiina Särkinen was awarded the Irene Lucas, E.J., Matsumoto, K., Harris, S.A., Manton Prize for her D.Phil. thesis entitled Lughadha, E.M.N., Benardini, B., Chase, “Historical Assembly of Seasonally Dry M.W. (2011). Phylogenetics, morphology, Tropical Forest Diversity on the Andes” and evolution of the large genus Myrcia s.l. which she completed in 2010 (see abstract Imin Kamin (FRIM), and Caroline making a (Myrtaceae). International Journal of Plant in Oxford Plant Systematics 17: 5 (2011)). collection in Pasoh Forest Reserve. Photograph Sciences 172: 915-934. The Irene Manton Prize is awarded by the by Chew M.Y. (FRIM).

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford 3 Maharjan, S.K., Poorter, L., Holmgren, M., Student reports Zoë Goodwin (D.Phil. 1st year) Bongers, F., Wieringa,J.J., Hawthorne, Revision of Drypetes Vahl W.D. (2011). Plant functional traits and the distribution of West African rain forest trees Supervised by Dr Robert Scotland (Oxford) along the Rainfall Gradient. rd and Dr David Harris (Royal Botanic Garden Biotropica 43: 552-561. Elizabeth Cooke (D.Phil. 3 year) Systematics and Edinburgh). NERC-funded Parmentier, I., Harrigan, phylogeography of Cardamine Drypetes is a large, pantropical genus of R.J., Buermann,W., Mitchard, E.T.A., hirsuta L. small trees in the , notable for Saatchi, S., Malhi, Y., Bongers, F., the presence of mustard oils (also found Hawthorne, W.D. (2011). Predicting Supervised by Dr Robert Scotland (Oxford), independently in the Brassicaceae). Along alpha diversity of African rain forests: Dr Mark Carine (Natural History Museum) with some other much smaller genera models based on climate and satellite- and Professor Miltos Tsiantis (Oxford). (Putranjiva, Sibangea and Lingelsheimia), derived data do not perform better than a BBSRC-funded. these plants have been segregated from purely spatial model. Journal of Euphorbiaceae as Putranjivaceae in recent Biogeography 38: 1164-1176. Cardamine hirsuta L. (Brassicaceae) is an APG classifications. emerging model system in developmental Drypetes, published in 1807, was Proenca, C.E.B, Filer, D.L, Lenza, E, Silva, genetics, developed by Professor Miltos considered to be strictly a neotropical group J.S, Harris, S.A. (2012). Phenological Tsiantis here in Oxford, which is proving until the Old World genus Cyclostemon was Predictability Index in BRAHMS: A tool for useful for investigating the genetic basis of sunk into Drypetes by Hutchinson (1912). herbarium-based phenological studies morphological traits. My D.Phil. attempts to Currently, there is considered to be just Ecography. 35: 289-293. put this model organism in a systematic and over 200 species worldwide, with about 115 phylogeographic context. The specific aims species in Asia and the Pacific, 77 species in Särkinen, T., Pennington, R.T., Lavin, M., are to: a) describe the geographic and Africa and 18 species in the Neotropics Simon, M.F., Hughes, C.E. (2012). phylogenetic structure of molecular (Govaerts et al., 2000). Centres of diversity Evolutionary islands in the Andes: variation in C. hirsuta, in order to construct of the genus seem to be located in Central persistence and isolation explain high a phylogeographic hypothesis for C. hirsuta Africa and South East Asia. Drypetes is endemism in Andean dry tropical forest. in its native range; and b) identify the characterised by simple, alternate distichous Journal of Biogeography 39: 884-900. closest relatives of C. hirsuta. leaves, stipules, often coriaceous leaves with C. hirsuta or Hairy Bittercress as it is more an asymmetric leaf blade base, and toothed, Särkinen, T.S., Marcelo Peña, J.L., commonly known, is a familiar garden weed occasionally entire margin. The genus is Yomona, A.D., Simon, M.F., Pennington, in most of the temperate world. Humans, dioecious with flowers fasciculate in the leaf R.T., Hughes, C.E. (2011). Underestimated particularly the horticultural trade in recent axils or on old branches, occasionally endemic species diversity in the Marañon times, have accidentally helped C. hirsuta to cauliflorous. The flowers have a nectiferous seasonally dry tropical forests of Peru – an expand out of its original native range of disk (intrastaminal in male flowers, between example from Mimosa (Leguminosae: Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the sepals and the gynoecium in female Mimosoideae). Taxon 60: 139-150. the East African High Mountains. flowers) and have no petals. The drupaceous Anthropogenic dispersal has also moved C. fruit usually possesses a pair of distinctive, Scotland, R.W. (2011). What is hirsuta about within its native range making persistent, flattened stigmas. parallelism? Evolution and Development 13: the reconstruction of its phylogeographic The aims of this project are firstly, to 214-227. history a challenging prospect. revise this difficult and taxonomically This project uses Sanger sequencing of neglected genus, and to verify the Simon, M.F., Grether, R., De Quieroz, L.P., multiple chloroplast and nuclear regions to monophyly of the group. Secondly, to Särkinen, T.E., Dutra, V.F., Hughes, C.E. construct infraspecific phylogenies. Markers investigate the process of species discovery (2011). The evolutionary history of Mimosa were selected according to the levels of by examining datasets of large, well revised (Leguminosae): towards a phylogeny of the infraspecific variation found in a pilot study. taxa. sensitive plants. American Journal of Individual sampling has predominantly Drypetes has been chosen as a study group Botany 98: 1201-1221. come from herbarium specimens, allowing for developing a novel, innovative and fast excellent coverage of C. hirsuta’s native approach for overhauling the taxonomy of Villarroel, Segarra D., Wood, J.R.I. range, plus my own collections from a few species-rich, widespread, taxonomically (2011). Plantago pyrophila targeted field trips (see the field trip report neglected groups of plants, termed a (), a new species from the on pages 9-10). Sampling is nearly Foundation Monograph. Traditionally, the cerrados of Eastern Bolivia Kew Bulletin 66: complete. This strategy has revealed clear monographic approach is associated with 471-474. geographic structuring of genetic variation more or less comprehensive treatment for within C. hirsuta with congruent patterns the phylogeny, biogeography, ecology and Wood, J.R.I., Hu, Chia-chi, Deng,Yunfei, between chloroplast and nuclear markers. evolution of a particular group and therefore Daniel, T.F. (2011). Acanthaceae in Flora The next aim is to investigate how the monographs are generally long-term and of China 19: 369-477. Harvard University phylogeographic structure of C. hirsuta expensive (often a life-time of work from a Press, Cambridge, Mass. relates to geography and climate, past and single dedicated botanist). The Foundation present. Monograph approach is proposed to develop Wood, J.R.I. (Ed.) (2011). Guía Darwin de Currently, the closest relatives of C. a fast method for large scale taxonomic las plantas de los cerrados de la hirsuta are unknown due to the lack of revisions, that is monographic in scope, i.e., Chiquitania. Museo de Historia Natural phylogenetic resolution and taxon sampling including a global synthesis and specimen “Noel Kempff Mercado”, Santa Cruz, within Cardamine, a large genus of some sort, but doing so within a re-aligned more Bolivia. 200 species. The second aim of the project limited and focussed set of aims that are is to determine the closest relatives of C. essential for meeting global biodiversity Wood, J.R.I. (2011). Clinopodium L. hirsuta, test their monophyly and resolve targets. By undertaking a global specimen (Lamiaceae) in Bolivia. Kew Bulletin 66: their relationships using multiple chloroplast sort for large groups of plants, within 199-226. and nuclear regions. focussed and re-aligned monographic priorities, combined with full use of

4 Oxford Plant Systematics OPS 18 June 2012 contemporary electronic resources, it is consuming to tackle because of their size cosmopolitan in distribution. Here too we considered that it is possible to overhaul the and taxonomic complexity. face a common problem for monographers – taxonomy of large species-rich taxa in a The Foundation Monograph concept is an the paucity of adequate material. Many short period of time. In contrast to modern approach to developing a novel but, species are only known from the type global monographs, the Foundation effective method to accelerate the pace of collection or one or two inadequate Monograph approach aims only to: (i) overhauling the taxonomy of these large, additional specimens. This makes species establish taxon circumscription (define poorly known, mainly tropical, groups of delimitation difficult but experience is species); (ii) resolve nomenclature; (iii) plants in a relatively short timeframe of a showing which characters are of greatest provide brief descriptions and diagnostic few years at modest cost, thus making a value for delimitation. Inflorescence keys to species; and (iv) test monophyly of significant contribution towards branching, stigma structure and the direction study group. conservation efforts. In contrast to standard of the fruiting pedicels proving more This year a skeletal molecular phylogeny modern global monographs, which are few reliable than ovary and capsule will be developed and revision of the in number due largely to the amount of time indumentum, which has been relied on by African species of Drypetes will begin using needed in their preparation, the Foundation previous authors. herbarium material at BM, BR, E, FHO, K, Monograph has the more limited aims of: (i) Near the end of 2011 funding for three L and WAG. delimiting taxa, establishing taxon years from the Leverhulme Foundation was circumscriptions and providing brief confirmed to prepare a Foundation References descriptions; (ii) resolving nomenclature; Monograph of Ipomoea, the largest genus in (iii) providing identification tools, Convolvulaceae with in excess of 600 Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe- specifically, diagnostic keys and DNA species. It is distributed throughout the Smith, A. (2000). World Checklist and barcodes; (iv) providing basic distribution tropical and subtropical regions of the world Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (with data; and (v) testing the monophyly of the and its colourful flowers are a prominent Pandaceae): Croton -Excoecariopsis. Kew: study group, thus ensuring it is a natural feature of many different habitats. Some Royal Botanic Gardens. group. species are worldwide in distribution, Proposals for funding were prepared by particularly a group found on sea shores, but Hutchinson, J. (1912). Drypetes and submitted from Oxford’s Department of the greatest diversity is found in dry (Euphorbiaceae) in: Thiselton-Dyer, W. T. Plant Sciences during 2010-11. From its savannah habitats, the cerrados of South (ed.), Flora of Tropical Africa 6(1): 674- start the project involved collaboration America being especially rich. There are 689. Lovell Reeve & Co. Ltd., London. between scientists from the Natural History problems about the limits of the genus as Museum in London, the Royal Botanic several related genera including Argyrea, Garden, Edinburgh and the Royal Botanic Astripomoea, Turbina and others may not be Gardens at Kew and representatives of all distinct. Ipomoea has never been tackled Foundation four institutions form a monitoring from a global perspective and will constitute committee for the project. Initially we the principal challenge for our approach. Monographs, a new secured “pump-priming” funding from Several species are cultivated as BBSRC /SynTax, which is administered by ornamentals and the genus includes the initiative from Oxford the Linnean Society with the object of important food crops Sweet Potato (I. Plant Sciences providing short-term funding for novel batatas) and Water Spinach or Kangkong (I. proposals with a strong systematics or aquatica). Images of a selection of species taxonomy element. This was to work on of Ipomoea and Convolvulus appear on the There is worldwide concern at the loss of Convolvulus, a genus of around 200 species front cover of this issue. biodiversity and widespread popular support with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution As our approach to monographing is for efforts to conserve diversity before it although centred on the Mediterranean and different from current practice, we are using disappears. However, efforts to prioritize Irano-Turanian regions. This was planned as our preliminary study of Convolvulus as a individual species for conservation as well a pilot project in preparation for tackling a way of refining our methodology. This is as areas rich in biodiversity are hampered by larger, more strictly tropical genus. being carefully recorded for subsequent our lack of knowledge of what species exist Work began on Convolvulus in July 2011 analysis to inform our work on Ipomoea and and where they are found. Current estimates with species delimitation and description similar work on Drypetes by Zoë Goodwin of the number of described species of being carried out by John Wood from as part of her D.Phil. research. The aim with flowering plants range between 230,000 and Oxford with visits to the other three all three genera is to produce a 420,000, the uncertainty surrounding these participating institutions and with DNA geographically comprehensive and user- figures being largely the result of unknown barcoding being carried out at the Natural friendly account of each group within a levels of synonymy in many groups of History Museum by Mark Carine and Beth relatively short period, much as the Flora plants. In addition, there are estimated to be Williams. Progress at both key elements in Europaea project did for the flora of a about 70,000 species of yet our work is advancing well. It is hoped that continent. However, we see the to be described of which, it has been almost 75% of species will be sequenced for development of an efficient methodology estimated, more than half have already been rcbL although coverage for the genes matK for rapid monographing work to be as collected and await discovery in herbaria. or ITS which discriminate more successfully important as the initial monographs Major impediments to the detection of these at species level will be lower. Already this is themselves. new species include the high levels of confirming that previous classifications of synonymy, lack of keys to recognized Convolvulus are not natural. At the level of species and, in the case of most large alpha taxonomy we have largely completed A few pertinent references genera, lack of any global treatment. In descriptions and keys of the Southern addition, for many groups of considerable Hemisphere groups and are making Scotland, R.W. & Wortley, A.H. (2003). size there is a vast but disparate literature as substantial inroads into the Middle East How many species of seed plant are there? well as massive quantities of collected species where the genus is most diverse. Taxon 52: 101-104. specimens that remain unstudied in the Here many species are small undershrubs, world’s herbaria. This has led to the current sometimes spiny, and adapted to arid Wortley, A.H. & Scotland, R.W. (2004). situation where many larger groups are conditions, so very different in appearance Synonymy, sampling and seed plant viewed as too difficult and too time- from the common bindweed of gardens, numbers. Taxon 53: 478-480. Convolvulus arvensis, which is nearly

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford 5 Bebber, D.P., Carine, M.A., Wood, J.R.I., Wortley, A.H., Harris, D.J., Prance, G.T., Davidse, G., Paige, J., Pennington, T.D., Robson, N.K.B., Scotland, R.W. (2010). Herbaria are a major frontier for species discovery. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 107 (51): 22169- 22171. (See commentaries in Nature (2010) 468: 870 and Current Biology (2011) 21: R6-7).

Steussy, T.F. & Lack, W. (2011). Monographic plant systematics: fundamental assessment of plant biodiversity. Series: Regnum Vegetabile 153. A.R.G. Gantner Verlag K.G., Ruggell.

John R.I. Wood, Research Associate & Robert Scotland, Reader in Systematic Botany

Recording how each species is used as part of an RBS is an efficient way to gather ethnobotanic data and helps to establish a balanced view of the vegetation’s importance. Rapid Botanic Survey E scaleable than the bioquality hotspot project, hopefully to start in 2012, would inside and outside the definition allows. Nodoka’s RBS fieldwork fulfil part of Brunei’s ‘Heart of Borneo’ results are analysed within a large database conservation commitments, a programme world’s botanic she has assembled from published data. She agreed by the three Bornean national hotspots has created the first detailed map of the governments working with WWF. Besides Japanese hotspot, revealing a pattern of both mapping species distributions, vegetation coldspots and hotspots within the country. types and bioquality hotspots, the Oxford 2011 has been a busy year for Rapid Nodoka is currently helping the Oxford RBS project would provide training Botanic Surveys (RBS), under the Plants for Botanic Garden with their Japan hotspot opportunities for Bruneian students and the 21st Century umbrella. RBS is a method seed collection project, and is due to herbarium staff in botanic survey methods for sampling and classifying vegetation, complete her thesis, ‘Dissecting the and database (BRAHMS) management, and mapping hotspots of globally rare plants, Japanese hotspot’, in Autumn 2012. showcase Brunei’s well-stewarded but often and is an ideal basis for managing rapidly In May 2011, William Hawthorne and under-recognised biodiversity. dwindling genetic resources. RBS is research assistant Cicely Marshall went to We have completed several Rapid Botanic associated with a conceptual framework for Brunei, hosted by the British High Surveys in Liberia in recent years, the least plant biodiversity assessment, which Commission, to demonstrate RBS and to well explored country and reputedly the includes the notion of bioquality. Bioquality develop a plan for a national RBS project hottest part of Upper Guinea (tropical is a measurable attribute of plant with Brunei’s Ministry for Industry and African forest zone, west of Benin). We communities calculated from the Primary Resources (Forestry Dept). The surveyed the Putu Range, S.E. Liberia concentration of globally rare species, where rarer species contribute more to a high bioquality score than widespread species. It is distinct from diversity measures, which are based on numbers of species that are all treated as equals. Since its development in the 1990s by William Hawthorne, working in the Department of Plant Sciences and for DFID in the Ghana Forestry Department, RBS has been used in many vegetation types and geographic regions: across Africa in Cameroon, Gabon, Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivory Coast; the Americas, in Chile, Trinidad & Tobago, Honduras and Mexico; and in Malaysia. 2011 has seen the RBS spotlight turning on parts of South America and Asia. Nodoka Nakamura is developing RBS to investigate the pattern of bioquality hotspots across Japan for her D.Phil. in the Department of Plant Sciences. Japan is one of the world’s 34 major hotspots according to Mittermeier et al. (2005), whose continental-scale criteria are less precise and The RBS team at the top of Mount Nimba (minus William Hawthorne – photographer!).

6 Oxford Plant Systematics OPS 18 June 2012 have also allowed us to assess the plant community from the perspective of people living around the forests. In Yekepa and Putu, ethnobotanic studies were integrated with the RBS, highlighting the use value of different species and vegetation types to local users. In Yekepa, a workshop was held with 14 key ‘Zos’ (herbalists) to prioritise the most useful species among almost 1000 plant names for which we recorded some use, and to develop action plans for their conservation in the face of mining developments. Complementing typical herbarium databases, RBS datasets are particularly useful for their breadth and depth, precisely located data from one point in time, and the botanical training and local conservation awareness that accompany a project. One of our long term RBS goals, along with the applied and academic reports and papers, is to make this information about plants and plant communities available in an accessible ‘map-zoomable’ format. Towards this end, The herbarium in Yekepa was established, housed 20,000 speicmens, and was dismantled The Oxford Plant Observatory (TOPO) is again all in the survey duration of 7 weeks. being developed to handle these and other data, programmed by Andrew Liddell (web (ridges to the north of Sapo National Park) More than a hunt for novelties, RBS aspects) and Denis Filer (BRAHMS in late 2010; and in October 2011 a small provides a comprehensive and up-to-date aspects). It is due to be completed later this team from the Department of Plant Sciences synopsis of the local ecology and year and will improve on and replace the (William Hawthorne, Steven Heathcote and distribution of all species. This approach Virtual Field Herbarium described in earlier Cicely Marshall), together with West makes RBS collections and datasets useful OPS newsletters African botanists (Patrick Ekpe from Ghana, not just for stocking herbaria and keeping (http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/TOPO/-). James Kpadehyea from Liberia, Ouo-Ouo taxonomists busy, but for many other TOPO will feature improved links to Haba and David Bilivogui from Guinea), researchers. In 2011 a D.Phil. in the BRAHMS Online; better mapping and surveyed the Nimba and adjacent mountains Department by Shobha Maharaj found the zooming on focal RBS areas, and areas with of northern Liberia as part of RBS data from our Darwin project on published check-lists; and the option to see ArcelorMittal’s baseline Environmental Trinidad and Tobago much more useful than the Bioquality of plant communities mapped Impact Assessment. Iron mining in the a complete herbarium database of the at various scales, calculated directly from Nimba Mountains, and across the region, islands for climate change modelling. Other the raw data. threatens the impressive diversity of the area researchers have used the data for mapping Anyone interested in learning more about but cannot be moderated, mitigated or offset food-plants of animal species, building TOPO or training in RBS should contact without information derived from complete ecological profiles of vulnerable species and William Hawthorne and scientific surveys of the plant species useful for mine restoration, and for ([email protected]). communities. assessing ecological services. RBS datasets The RBS manual can be downloaded from http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/TOPO/Conte nt/docs/RBS.pdf).

Reference

Mittermeier, R.A., P.R. Gil, M. Hoffman, J. Pilgrim, T. Brooks, C. G. Mittermeier, J. Lamoreux, G. A. B. da Fonseca , P. A. Seligmann. (2005). Hotspots revisited: Earth's biologically richest and most endangered terrestrial ecoregions. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

William Hawthorne & Cicely Marshall Research Associates

A ‘Zo’ workshop was held with 14 top herbalists to identify and develop management plans for 70 key useful species, from 1000 species for which use and local name was established.

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford 7 Strobilanthes rediscovered

Although botanists from The Department of Plant Sciences have been working on Strobilanthes (Acanthaceae) for almost twenty years, they have had few opportunities to see these plants in the field. This is partly a problem of funding but also reflects the fact that the genus is most diverse in areas which are both physically and politically difficult to visit. The genus is probably most interesting along the Tibet- India, Myanmar-India border areas and in the Golden Triangle, where Laos, Thailand, China and Burma meet. Much of our study has consequently been based on the Fig. 1 Strobilanthes examination of herbarium specimens clarkei found near collected by the handful of explorers and Manipur in India. plant hunters who have visited these areas Photo: Deshworjit Singh over the last two hundred years. Of these the most important is, without doubt, Frank Kingdon Ward who travelled through these areas on a series of expeditions over the first fifty years of the 20th century. Kingdon photographed by Deshworjit Singh near every ten or twelve years. We have no idea Ward was not particularly interested in Manipur (fig.1). This was first found by C. whether the three species rediscovered this Strobilanthes, focussing his attention on B. Clarke in 1885 and had not been seen year are plietesial or not. I have vivid plants of horticultural importance, especially again since 1949 when Kingdon Ward memories of Strobilanthes accrescens the Blue Poppies of the genus Meconopsis, found it near Zakhoma. The second was also J.R.I.Wood in Bhutan, a species known and this makes his contribution all the more found by Deshworjit Singh in the same from four collections before I saw it in its remarkable. At a rough count he collected general area. This was Strobilanthes flowering year of 1992 when it covered the over 25 new species from this genus, of asymmetrica described by Wood et al. hillsides over 25 kilometres with its blue which at least 15 were based on holotypes (2003) based on a collection by Kingdon flowers. A small number of collections does he collected. He is probably, therefore, the Ward made in 1948. This is a remarkable not necessarily indicate rarity in most significant collector of Strobilanthes species with asymmetric leaves, a unique Strobilanthes! ever. pollen and an unusual cream-coloured Despite Kingdon Ward’s outstanding corolla (see figs. 2 and 3). Apart from success at finding new species of Kingdon Ward’s collection it had only been Strobilanthes, his material mostly found once in the 1920s by an Anglican languished in different herbaria for many missionary working in the Lushai Hills. The years, a fate encountered by many third rediscovery was made by Dr M. K. collections (Bebber et al., 2010). It is only Pathak of the Kolkata herbarium in a quite in the last twenty years that most of the different area, in the north east of Arunachal species he discovered have been described Pradesh in the Himalayan foothills. This as new (Wood, 1994, Wood & Scotland, was Strobilanthes parvifolia described by 2009). Making taxonomic decisions and, Wood & Scotland (2009) based on a single especially, describing new species based on collection made by Kingdon Ward in 1928 limited material, often a single specimen in the same remote area of India. This is a collected many years before, is always a white-flowered species (most Strobilanthes challenge for the taxonomist, from which have blue flowers) and is unusual for being many shy away. It requires confidence to hairy on the inside of the corolla and with take a risk combined with a fine judgement flowers scattered in opposite pairs along the of what characters are important or not. And branches of the inflorescence (see fig.4). Fig.2 (above) Leaves of S. asymmetrica, found mistakes can be made. Strobilanthes calvata Receiving colour photographs of species near Manipur, India. Photo: Deshworjit Singh described by me (Wood, 1994) based on a such as these, which you have only known Kingdon Ward collection from Myanmar from old dried specimens is a very turned out to be an extreme but not unique satisfying experience. It brings to life variant of the widespread and variable S. something you have only known from dead echinata Nees (Bennett et al., 2008), to give material and it is reassuring that entities one example. based on dried specimens are diagnosable However, most of the new species when alive and that your original decision to described from old specimens have stood describe them as new was not mistaken. the test of time and it has been gratifying to Perhaps more importantly, it is reassuring to receive photographs from correspondents in know the plants are not extinct. Obviously India of a number of species, which were much work will be needed to assess their only known from old dried collections. true conservation status but at least they Three such rediscoveries were made in have not disappeared. Many Strobilanthes species are plietesial and only flower once Fig. 3 A flower of S. asymmetrica 2011. The first of these was Strobilanthes Photo: Deshworjit Singh clarkei (Wood, 1994) rediscovered and

8 Oxford Plant Systematics OPS 18 June 2012 Hunting Hairy Bittercress and other Carpathian Cardamine

Cardamine hirsuta is native to Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the East African High Mountains. However, few collections of C. hirsuta have previously been made in eastern Europe, so Spring 2011 found Elizabeth Cooke and Steven Heathcote tracking down the elusive C. Fig. 4 Flowers of S. parvifolia. Photo: Dr. M.K. hirsuta in the Romanian and Ukrainian Pathak Carpathian Mountains in an effort to rectify the geographic gap in sampling (see page 4). There is one other important observation Since the Carpathians are known to have based on the rediscoveries in 2011 – the been a glacial refugia during the Pleistocene importance of collaboration between and are recognised as an area of endemism, biologists, especially at an international there was every reason to be excited about level. I am, of course grateful to Deshworjit looking for Cardamine in the Carpathians. Singh and Dr. M.K. Pathak for the This account details some of the plants photographs that accompany this text and encountered on a two-week trip through the Cardamine hirsuta in the Ukraine believe that collaboration between those stunning Carpathian Mountains, starting in who can observe plants in the field with Bucharest and ending in Kiev. Travel was outskirts of a remote village, we found our those who do monographic research is mainly by public transport, which in the first C. hirsuta plant of the trip. Joyful essential to advance our knowledge of Ukraine required mastery of the Cyrillic celebrations ensued and thankfully there complex tropical plant genera. In any case alphabet in order to find the correct bus or was no one else around to witness. Further collaboration brings benefits to both sides in train for our intended destinations, adding to up the same valley we struck gold again. our common task of advancing our the traditional difficulties of negotiating the Over the next couple of days we made many knowledge of the world’s biodiversity. public transport system of a foreign country. more collections across the Apuseni Here in a backwater of rural life, abandoned Mountains. It was really great to find C. References Communist infrastructure and some of hirsuta growing in ‘natural’ habitats, such as Europe’s most spectacular scenery, we meadows and grassy stream banks, as Bebber, D.P., Carine, M. A., Wood, J.R.I., trekked through a wide variety of habitats to opposed to the roadside setting of western Wortley, A.H., Harris, D.J., Prance, G.T., find plants to collect for sequencing in Europe, though even in the Carpathians C. Davidse, G, Paige, J., Pennington, T.D., Oxford. We successfully collected 99 hirsuta was found on verges. Further Robson, N.K.B. & Scotland, R.W. (2010). specimens, representing 12 species, which success followed near Suceava on the outer Herbaria are a major frontier for species will be added to the Brassicaceae collection eastern edge of the Carpathians, where C. discovery. Proceedings of the National in OXF. hirsuta was found in similar rural habitats. Academy of Sciences of the United States of Our first find on the Ukrainian side of the America 107: 22169-22171. Cardamine hirsuta border came after jumping off the local bus Unable to target sampling effort due to a in the middle of nowhere, and following a Bennett, J.R., Wood, J.R.I. & Scotland, paucity of existing distribution data for newly surfaced road along a river valley. R.W. (2008). Uncorrelated variation in Cardamine hirsuta in Romania and Ukraine Here we found a small patch by the side of widespread species: species delimitation in we were compelled to travel widely and the road. Despite walking for a further eight Strobilanthes echinata Nees (Acanthaceae). search in an extensive range of habitats; hours, ascending and descending a mountain Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society from disturbed ground and garden edges in into another valley, we had no further 156: 131-141. towns and villages of varying sizes, to more success that day. Another find came on the attractive locations, such as montane outskirts of the town of Rakhiv, on the edge Wood, J.R. I. (1994). Notes relating to the meadows and paths. The search started in a of a cobbled track that was winding its way Flora of Bhutan: XXIX. Acanthaceae, with small village on the edge of Bucharest, in up a hill past houses and fields. Extensive special reference to Strobilanthes. familiar C. hirsuta habitats in western searches showed that although locally Edinburgh Journal of Botany 51: 175-274. Europe; roadsides, field edges and abundant in three patches within 50m of wasteland. Although there was plenty of each other on a large soil mound and in Wood, J.R.I., Bennett, J.R. & Scotland, potentially suitable habitat, C. hirsuta disturbed ground, no further populations R.W. (2003). Notes on Strobilanthes: The appeared to be absent. Following a hunch were found in or around the town. Sympagis group. Kew Bulletin 58: 131-173. that dampness was important for Before going to the Carpathians we had determining the distribution of C. hirsuta we thought that the paucity of occurrence Wood, J.R. I. & Scotland, R.W. (2009). decided to abandon the lowlands and head records there reflected a lack of sampling New and little-known species of for the wetter Carpathian Mountains. Near effort but it seems that this is only partly the Strobilanthes (Acanthaceae) from India and the southern Carpathian town of Braşov, we case. Intriguingly, seemingly suitable C. South East Asia. Kew Bulletin 64: 3-47. wandered through forested mountains hirsuta habitat was observed in abundance looking for C. hirsuta in woodland yet C. hirsuta was only present John R.I. Wood clearings, one of its known habitats in occasionally. Thus, factors other than the Research Associate Romania. However, no C. hirsuta was availability of habitat must determine the forthcoming so we moved on to the abundance, and consequently, the beautiful Apuseni Mountains, cradled within geographic range of C. hirsuta in the the bend of the main Carpathian arm. Carpathians. A myriad of interrelated Finally, by the side of a cart track, on the factors may be responsible for determining

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford 9 Exploring the large areas of ancient beech and conifer forests was a great treat. There were also large areas of species-rich hay meadows, owing to the predominance of low-input agriculture. Having made the trip in late April, not long after the snow had melted at higher altitudes, we found many of the spring species in flower. A personal favourite of Steven was the dense patches of Viola tricolor, often interspersed with orchids, including Anacamptis morio (Green-winged Orchid) and Orchis mascula (Early-purple Orchid), Gentiana acaulis (Trumpet Gentian), and some interesting Carex species. Also eye-catching was a parasitic Lathraea growing at high altitude in the coniferous forest. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to visit the famous fields of Narcissus angustifolius, a spectacle popular with both locals (who launched a campaign to save the fields from conversion to Elizabeth Cooke collecting C. hirsuta on the mound (of unknown origin) on the outskirts of Yaremch agriculture) and tourists. the range of a species from history to identifications as C. hirsuta by Steven climate and while no doubt environmental which required correcting by Elizabeth. factors, such as climate play an important Cardamine amara, a species of damp part in influencing the abundance of C. habitats, was often found on the sides of hirsuta in the eastern edge of its range, we drains on the edges of town as well as rural venture to suggest that the lack of human streams. C. amara was easily identified by dispersal via the horticultural industry is an its purple stamens which stand out against important factor. Somewhat surprisingly C. its white petals. We were excited to find the hirsuta does not appear to be a horticultural appropriately named C. bulbifera, an weed in the Carpathians; despite extensive uncommon species in the UK, which searches of parks and gardens no C. hirsuta reproduces by bulbils in the leaf axils. was found. The abundance of C. hirsuta in Another species found was C. impatiens, western Europe is very likely artificially similar to C. hirsuta, but larger with more inflated by garden escapes and thus the toothed leaflets. Several other as yet Conifer forest in the Carpathians with an lower abundance of C. hirsuta in the unidentified Cardamine species and other understorey of newly expanded, bright green, Carpathians is partly because it is not a Brassicaceae were also collected. beech leaves in spring. horticultural weed there.

Other Cardamine Carpathian future Despite the local paucity of C. hirsuta we The future of nature in the Carpathians in found plenty of other Cardamine species to Romania and Ukraine would appear to be keep us interested. Perhaps the most secure, with large areas, including unique attractive, partly due to its picturesque habitats protected by National Parks as well habitat, was C. glanduligera, which we as a designated UNESCO World Heritage found growing in moist, open places in site. This area is one of the strongholds of forests. C. glanduligera has leaves with many large mammals in Europe and the three narrowly elliptic, toothed leaflets, and largest virgin beech forest in Europe. We large (for Cardamine at least), delicate were lucky enough to visit the headquarters purple flowers. Another weedy Cardamine of the Carpathian biosphere reserve in present in the Carpathians, Cardamine Rakhiv, where there is a museum which flexuosa, was frequently the cause of mis- attempts to educate and inform people of the value of this UNESCO World Heritage area. However, the Ukrainian Carpathians are an increasingly popular ski destination and so we witnessed a lot of development, with large, luxury hotels and houses being constructed along quiet side-roads in attractive countryside. While the influx of money and infrastructure improvements will hopefully improve the locals’ quality of life, The appropriately named C. bulbifera the areas remote, timeless feeling will no doubt slowly be eroded. Despite this, the area remains one of outstanding beauty and Other Carpathian Plants a fantastic place for botanists to visit. Thankfully the Carpathians were not just filled with brassicas; we were treated to a Steven Heathcote, Postdoc. C. amara has purple stamens fascinating range of plants and habitats. & Elizabeth Cooke, D.Phil. student

10 Oxford Plant Systematics OPS 18 June 2012 Following Linnaeus’s journey through Öland, via southern Sweden

With wonderful memories of the Linnean Society expedition to the Baltic island of Gotland four years previously, Serena Marner and I flew to Copenhagen in May 2011. We took a train across the Öresund Bridge from Denmark to Sweden and up to Älmhult where we joined our fellow enthusiasts on an expedition to the sister Karoliner House in island of Öland. Again, our guides were Växjö where Linnaeus Professors Roland Moberg, Bengt Jonsell went to school from and Eva Willen from Uppsala and the object 1716 to 1727. was to visit localities recorded by Carl Photo: Serena Marner Linnaeus during his 1741 journey. Again, as on Gotland, we had days of perfect weather (Wise, 2008). Linnaeus had attended the school in Växjö, slab which was polished by the grinding wood, Artemesia oelandica and even the in southern Sweden, where he had studied action. This method was in use until 1851 Chive, Allium schoenoprasm var. alvarense, Latin, Greek, rhetoric, theology and maths. when the first windmills were constructed growing in swathes of mauve, is a Here we were shown his notebook, full of and wind power took over. Some stone speciality, found only on Öland and jottings on various topics including his from here was taken (probably illegally) to Gotland. school timetable, natural history London and used in the construction of St. Our guest speaker, Professor Eje Rosen, observations and a story of a maid who had Paul’s Cathedral. At one quarry, blocks of picked several plants to show us and as soon mistaken Henbane for Horseradish and limestone full of 500,000 year old fossilised as he discarded them, I quietly retrieved poisoned the family for whom she worked! shells of Orthoceratites, octopus-like them and carefully put them in a polythene One section was written in ink that he had creatures, caused quite a stir and a lot of bag to paint in the early hours of the made from Sambucca which still retains its photography. morning. As on Gotland four years before, green colour. Linnaeus had a theory that he The mosquitoes attacked us again with we had perfect weather and the light was could ascertain which girls were virgins by great gusto in the sand dune area at Byrum. ideal for painting at 4.00 a.m.! This day we getting them to smell the flowers of Malva (Linnaeus wrote that they too were plagued saw too many plants to list here but I noted crispa and whether they fainted or not, with mosquitoes the whole night as if they the beautiful blue Common , which leads one not to be too surprised to had been in Lapland). Outside the oldest Globularia vulgaris which is widespread in find that his final exam marks showed him medieval church on Öland at Gärdslösa we Andalusia; Spring Cinquefoil, Potentilla to be eleventh out of sixteen pupils! The heard the Nightingale Thrush, Luscinia tabernaemontana; Erodium caryophylla; final destination on this first full day was the megarhynchos, singing. Bromus vacullus; Ladies Bedstraw, Galium city of Kalmar on the Baltic shore and our The third day started with a visit to the verum; Alopecurus pratensis; Bulbous base for the rest of the trip. Ecological Research Station Linné, an Buttercup, Ranunculus bulbosus; Herb The following day we travelled over the insight into their projects and a lecture on Robert, Geranium robertianum; Dropwort, mirror-smooth Baltic to Öland via the 6072 pheromones and the pollination of Ophrys Filipendula vulgaris; Wild Pansy, Viola metre long bridge. The geology here differs insectifera. This centre, just south of tricolor; White Stonecrop, Sedum album; from Gotland with the limestone being far Skogsby, can be called the Gateway to Stora Wild Strawberry, Fragaria vesca; Carex older, more similar to that of Estonia. We Alvar, the largest area of limestone flacca; Elder-flowered Orchid, Dactylorhiza visited the plant and mosquito-rich pavement on the island. (The Alvars are sambucina, and the antler-like lichen woodland and the meadow area around the characterised by a layer of very thin soil on Thamnolia vermicularis. A Little Plantain, ruins at Ismanstorpsborg. In the woods we top of the limestone bedrock, fluctuating Plantago tenuiflora, which originates from saw Herb Paris, Paris quadrifolia; Wild water supplies and extremes of climate. the steppes of Russia, was also seen. The Pansy, Viola mirabilis; Dogwood, Cornus This combination has led to a unique flora.) grazing and trampling of sheep and cows are sanguinea; Dog’s Mercury Mercuralis Stora Alvar, or the Great Alvar, covers essential to maintain the balance of this perennis; Wood Anemone, Anemone 26,000 hectares and is the largest such area unique vegetation, otherwise tall grasses and nemorosa, and many other species while the in the world. Different plant communities shrubs would soon take over. orchids, (predominantly Military, Ophrys colonise exposed bedrock and soil-covered The highlight of the next day was a visit to militaris; Fly, Ophrys insectifera and Burnt habitats, where it is said that up to 42 the Ottenby Royal Demesne, a 1200 hectare Tip, Orchis ustulata), were prolific and at species can be recorded from a square area of mainly nature reserve on the their best in the open landscape. The “borg” metre. southernmost tip of the island, originally the was probably built about 400 B.C. and is At first glance, the flat expanse of the hunting park of King Charles X Gustav. In thought to be a communal area where local Alvar looked rather bleak and uninteresting 1653 he had a 5 kilometre wall built across people could shelter from Viking raiders. but flowers of every colour were soon seen. the island which separated the demesne Very little excavating has taken place here The feathery fruiting heads of the Pasque from the southern part of the Great Alvar and no artefacts found. flower, Pulsatilla vulgaris were swaying in and which retained the native deer. The quarrying of Öland limestone began in the breeze – it must have been a stunning Linnaeus recorded that this wall was as high the twelfth century and many of the fine vista a month or so before our visit when the as a man on horseback and more than an ell churches date from this time. Slabs were Alvar would have taken on a purple hue. broad. We visited the bird sanctuary where originally polished by laying a perfectly We saw a few endemics; the brilliant migratory birds are mist-netted and ringed level circle of limestone, a centrally-tethered sunshine-yellow Öland Rock Rose, daily. Our guide, a young and very animal then trudged round towing the fresh Helianthemum oelandicum; Alvar Worm-

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford 11 Historic herbaria – going on-line

Within the Oxford herbaria the working definition of an old specimen is anything collected before 1796. This date marks the death of John Sibthorp, third Sherardian Professor of Botany, and a hiatus in the acquisition of material for the collection. The hiatus came to an end in 1851 with the donation of Henry Borron Fielding’s vast herbarium to the University. The historic herbaria in Oxford are those of Gregorio da Reggio (c. 300 specimens), Bobart the Younger (1641-1719; 2,202 specimens), Bobart the Elder (1599?-1680; 2,584 specimens), John Wynne (1665?– 1743; c. 2,000 specimens), Robert Morison (1620-1683; c. 6,500 specimens), William Sherard (1659-1728; c. 21,000 specimens), Charles du Bois (1656-1740; c. 13,000 This house at Råshult is a reconstruction of the house where Linnaeus was born, complete with grass covered roof, as the original house burnt down in 1740. Photo: Serena Marner specimens), Jacob Dillenius (1684-1747; c. 4,000 specimens) and John Sibthorp (1758- enthusiastic ornithologist, showed us a tiny separated with rennet, the curds cut up and 1796; 2,976 specimens). The vast majority White Throat which had just arrived from mixed with sugar, almonds, bitter almonds of specimens are pre-Linnean, and remain the Sahara. By the degradation of the wing and “many eggs” and baked in a bain-marie. identified only with their pre-Linnaean feathers he could tell that it was a two year Some liked it, others weren’t too sure. polynomials. old bird and very undernourished after the Back to the Ikea hotel again in nearby The Gregorio da Reggio herbarium (dated long flight. The home of the leaseholder at Älmshult, a formal farewell dinner and 1606) comprises some 300 specimens Ottenby is a very imposing residence but goodbye to our wonderful guides who were collected in northern Italy and has been almost more so is the cow shed - we had driving back overnight to Uppsala and a described elsewhere (Marner, 2006). Bobart never seen anything so grand outside as a departure for the rest of the group the the Younger’s Hortus Siccus comprises farm building and so enormous and almost following morning. 2,202 specimens arranged on individual cathedral-like inside. sheets according to Morison’s Sciagraphia. Our final day, always sad! From Kalmar, The contents of this collection have been on mainland Sweden, we had a long coach briefly described by Harris (2006). The date journey inland to Stenbrohult, where of this collection is unknown; Vines and Linnaeus’s father had been pastor. Although Druce (1914), based on circumstantial the church had been rebuilt since his father’s evidence, suggest that the collection may time, several artefacts had survived and have been made around 1666. were installed in the new building. Bobart the Elder’s herbarium is a single, Linnaeus wrote of his time living there, leather-bound, elephant-folio, book “This garden, which my father planted had herbarium of 2,584 specimens glued and/or more kinds of herbs than any garden in strapped to 297 pages. The specimens are Småland had had, and this garden has arranged alphabetically by polynomial inflamed my senses with an unquenchable name. The specimens are labelled or love of herbs”. The statue of Carl, looking annotated by at least three primary hands, of towards the church, had troughs of the which one is Bobart the Elder and another flower that was named for him, the Bobart the Younger. The herbarium is Twinflower, Linnaea borealis, at his feet. extensively annotated and name changes The guide presented the party with one of have been made; at least one of the the troughs and gave rather complicated specimens is labelled by John Ray. This instructions on how to propagate this little collection was unknown to previous plant and I am thrilled to say the few tiny commentators on the Oxford herbaria since pieces I took are flourishing! it only came into the possession of At Råshult, the birthplace of Linnaeus, we University in the early 1950s (Savage, had a splendid buffet lunch with dishes 1948). On the pastedown of the inside back made from the herbs and vegetables grown cover is a note stating ‘Octob: 6: 1687 the in the garden and locally sourced cold Statue of Linnaeus outside the church at number of Plants in this was 2577’. Stenbrohult. Drawn by Rosemary Wise. meats. The temperature was 30ºC and after a Bishop Wynne’s herbarium is a single, long walk round the meadow area, it was leather-bound, elephant folio, book Reference refreshingly cool inside the house. (The herbarium of some 2,000 specimens glued original building has been replaced with one and/or strapped to about 280 pages. The Wise, R. (2008). Following Linnaeus’s typical of the time.) Before we left we were volume is identically bound to that of journey through Gotland. Oxford Plant treated to a culinary speciality of the area Bobart the Elder, and the specimens Systematics 15: 8-10. which was translated as cheese cake. I arranged alphabetically by polynomial asked the guide “How is it made?” He had name. The title page of the volume states Rosemary Wise cooked it himself and said “First you must 'Hortus Siccus Plantarum & Arboreu[m]. Botanical Artist take 5 litres of milk....” This was then Tam Anglicarum quam exoticarum Ichoatus

12 Oxford Plant Systematics OPS 18 June 2012 Deo favente Oxonii Vto. Martii. botanists. During the period covered by his collections available on-line. Two widely- MDCLXXXVI', above an engraving of the herbarium (c. 1697-1724), Du Bois was consulted herbaria are available on-line: Sheldonian Theatre. In addition, there are Treasurer of the East India Company. The Dillenius’s herbarium associated with the hand-coloured engravings of birds and Du Bois Herbarium, with its c. 13,000 Historia Muscorum garden flowers taken from Dutch sources. A specimens, was originally bound into books (http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/historiam single hand appears to have labelled most of but these were split up by Druce in the late uscorum); Sibthorp’s herbarium, including the specimens, although Bobart the Younger 1800s on the orders of the then Professor of that associated with the Flora Graeca has labelled many of the specimens and Botany. The current arrangement of the (http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/sibthorph annotated others. Ray’s hand appears in the collection reflects the geographic groupings erbarium). Jacob Bobart the Younger’s herbarium. The University acquired this used by Druce. Sherard and Du Bois herbarium (Hortus Siccus) is also available collection in June 1976 by private sale. exchanged many specimens, hence there is (http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/bobart). Despite its name, the Morisonian likely to be overlap between the two The next collection to go on-line will be Herbarium was put together by Jacob collections. Generally, the herbarium of Du the Sherard herbarium. It is hoped that over Bobart the Younger to support Part III of Bois has been less well studied than that of the next few years all of the pre-1796 Morison’s Historia (which Bobart the Sherard. Clokie (1964) provides a summary collections will be available on-line for Younger completed in 1699) and is arranged of the contents of this collection. researchers. according to Morison’s Sciagraphia. The The Dillenian herbarium comprises three collection comprises some 6,500 specimens elements: (i) the Synopsis herbarium, References arranged on single sheets. This collection collected by Dillenius after the publication has been documented in detail by Vines and of the third edition of Ray’s Synopsis Clokie, H,N. (1964) An account of the Druce (1914). Methodica Stirpium Britannicarum; (ii) Herbaria of the Department of Botany in the The Sherard herbarium comprises the Hortus Elthamenis herbarium; and (iii) University of Oxford. Oxford University collection of William Sherard, and the Historia Muscorum herbarium. The Press, Oxford. general collections of the Department of Synopsis Herbarium includes the collections Botany made before 1796. Disentangling made by Dillenius, Samuel Brewer and Druce, G.C. and Vines, S.H. (1907) The the different collections is made more Littleton Brown to Wales in 1726. The Dillenian Herbarium. An account of the complex by the rearrangements undertaken Hortus Elthamensis and Historia Muscorum Dillenian collections in the herbarium of the by Dillenius in the mid-1700s and George herbaria are associated with Dillenius’s University of Oxford. Clarendon Press, Druce in the late-1800s. The collection Hortus Elthamenis (1732) and Historia Oxford. comprises some 21,000 specimens made Muscorum (1741), respectively. This from around the world. Generally locality collection has been documented in detail by Harris, S.A. (2006) Bobart the Younger’s information is limited and collector Druce and Vines (1907). Hortus Siccus. Oxford Plant Systematics 13: information must be inferred from the There are three parts to Sibthorp’s 10-11. identification of handwriting. The majority herbarium: (i) specimens associated with the of the specimens are only labelled with Sibthorp and Smith’s Flora Graeca (1806- Lack, H.W. (1997) The Sibthorpian polynomials. Many pre-Linnean collectors 40) and Prodromus (1806-16); (ii) herbarium at Oxford: guidelines for its use. are represented among Sherard’s collection. miscellaneous specimens; and (iii) Taxon 46: 253-63. Clokie (1964) provides a summary of the specimens associated with Sibthorp’s Flora contents of this collection. Oxoniensis (1794). There are 2,462 Marner, S.K. (2006) 400 years old! [A book specimens labelled as associated with the herbarium from Italy]. Oxford Plant Flora Graeca and these are arranged Systematics 13: 9-10. according to the Prodromus. These specimens often have labels in James Savage, S. (1948) A book Herbarium made Edward Smith’s hand; none of the by Jacob Bobart the elder and his son (c. specimens are labelled in Sibthorp’s hand. 1660-). Proceedings of the Linnean Society This part of the Herbarium includes the of London 160: 55. specimens purchased by Sibthorp from an apothecary in Zacinthos in 1794. See Lack Vines, S.H. and Druce, G.C. (1914) An (1997) for a guide to the use of this part of Account of the Morisonian Herbarium. the Herbarium. There are 444 miscellaneous Clarendon Press, Oxford. specimens covering all groups from fungi and lichens through marine algae to Stephen A. Harris angiosperms. The vast majority of the Druce Curator of Oxford University specimens are from Greece, although a Herbaria significant number of the specimens are labelled as being from Dacia. Many of the lichen specimens are labelled in Sibthorp’s own hand and appear to be mounted in the original collecting packets; none of the other News from the Herbaria specimens are labelled in Sibthorp’s hand. The final part of the herbarium comprises 70 specimens (many lichens) associated with Sibthorp’s Flora Oxoniensis. Fielding-Druce (OXF) Specimens in the historic collections are During 2011 we welcomed an abundance of rarely sent on loan, so researchers must visit visitors! Having the Sherardian Librarian Sheet of Dryas octopetala from the Sherard Oxford. Such policies have frustrated some now within the Fielding-Druce Herbarium herbarium. Specimen collected by Edward Lhuyd researchers, who argue that access is limited has been invaluable for dealing with visitors (1660-1709). and research curtailed. The desire to who need to consult herbarium specimens enhance the research value of these together with associated books, particularly Charles Du Bois was a London merchant collections has been the driver for making when groups and researchers want to view and friend of many early eighteenth century images of all of the specimens in the historic different historical collections. 185 visitors

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford 13 approximately came to view specific named specimens labelled ‘Flora Helvetica’ number of regions of the world where very collections within the herbaria and these collected around the early 20th century few or no specimens had been seen included visits by eight groups. There were which was donated from Somerville College previously, and for some of them permission four general tours of the herbaria, one for Oxford. 103 miscellaneous British plants for DNA extraction was sought. Several curatorial staff from the Natural History collected by John Killick (co-author of the smaller loans of specimens of Convolvulus Museum in London, one for a group who Flora of Oxfordshire) were databased and (Convolvulaceae) were also received for signed up for an Oxford Botanic Garden incorporated, this accession including 3 new study by John Wood. Loans received in Education course, another group of Botany vice county records. A small box containing previous years of Desmodium (Fabaceae), Alumni from the University, and members approximately 100 pathological specimens, Aglaia (Meliaceae), Cedrela (Meliaceae), of the Horspath Garden Club. A group from on which there is reference to the Oxford Bretschneidera (Akaniaceae), Jacquemontia the Oxford Conservation Consortium came Botanic Garden, possibly being William (Convolvulaceae) and Ruellia (Acanth- to see a display from the Flora Graeca Baxter’s duplicates, were sent from Reading aceae) were returned to lending institutions. holdings from our Special Collections and University Herbarium. A box of unmounted duplicates of Alumni from St Edmond Hall, Oxford, During 2011 an almost equal number of specimens of Mimosa (Fabaceae) collected came to see the collections of Robert specimens were sent out on loan from OXF by Marcelo Simon was sent as a gift to Morison and . as were specimens returned from loan CEN, Brazil. Another group came with Professor Sue during the same period. The number of Accessions to FHO during 2011 included Johnson from Maryland University studying sheets digitally photographed and sent in the specimens of Amicia (Fabaceae) collected ‘The History of the Book’ and they viewed form of electronic loans via the website by Tiina Sarkinen in Peru and Bolivia, some of the collections made by Robert exceeded sheets sent by post for the first Mimosoid legumes collected by Marcelo Morison and Mark Catesby amongst a time. Most of the electronic loans were Simon in Brazil for the Flora do Distrito selection of other material. A display of small and included very specific specimens Federal plus miscellaneous species books and specimens used for a Bodleian (many types), but there were some larger collected in the Putu Hills in Liberia by Library publication Planting Paradise: loans comprising all of the OXF (and FHO) William Hawthorne with his team of Cultivating the garden (1501-1900) written holdings of Hermannia (Sterculiaceae) and collectors. A student, Katie Anders, came to by Stephen Harris and published in March all of the South American Lauraceae work in the vacations to help with mounting 2011, was shown to members of the Bobart material. This has the advantage of the new specimens and did a very able job with Group from the Oxford Botanic Garden plus material being databased at the same time some challenging specimens. a number of staff from the Radcliffe Science and any re-determinations sent back by In April 2011 we were very saddened to Library. email can be attached to the specimens hear of the death of one of our old Many individuals also visited the herbaria quickly and the database updated. collaborators J.D. Chapman. Jim Chapman to study specific genera or to look for plants had been a Forest Officer based in Nigeria from particular regions. Paul Harmes and Daubeny (FHO) and in Malawi for many years and collected Jessica Turner made regular visits searching Since the transfer and return of several extensively specimens of trees, shrubs and through the Druce Herbarium for plants thousand specimens of Lupinus (Legum- lianas from these countries. FHO holds a collected in East and West Sussex gathering inosae) in 2010 which were on loan to FHO large number of his collections and these records for a proposed new Flora. Their for study by Colin Hughes, the boxes and were invaluable to research on the listings of the Druce Herbarium material shelving on which they were held has been Evergreen Forest Flora of Malawi carried from Sussex are helping us to identify and removed and much needed bench space in out by the former Curator of the Herbaria, database these collections. Other visitors FHO liberated. This space has now been Dr Frank White (1927-1994), also in came from various parts of the UK and turned into another ‘work station’ and has collaboration with Dr Françoise Dowsett- some from as far afield as Bulgaria, been used by Caroline Pannell for much of Lemaire. Without Jim’s extensive know- Barbados, Brazil and South Africa. the time. Over the past year, FHO has been ledge of the forests in Malawi and work The Royal Society at Carlton House a hub of activity in the sorting and naming based on his collections, the book would not Terrace London borrowed a specimen of of collections made in West Africa have come to fruition (see Oxford Plant Cochlearia officinalis (Brassicaceae) for (especially from Liberia and Sierra Leone) Systematics 9: 12(2002)). The Chapman their exhibition entitled Frederick Gowland during Rapid Botanic Surveys (RBS) by collections also made possible work on Hopkins and the Chemistry of Life which William Hawthorne and Cicely Marshall. compiling a Checklist of the Spermatophytes ran from 14 December 2010 to 31 May Every inch of space available has been of Mount Mulanje, Malawi published in 2011. In September, a temporary exhibition utilized for this work as the collections 2006 by Alison Strugnell, our colleague in was launched at the Bodleain Library which made during RBS are extensive (see article FHO, now retired. On a personal note, included two items from the historical on page 6). After naming the specimens, Frank White arranged for me to stay with collections in the herbarium. One of the material will be sorted into specimens that Jim and his wife Betty in Malawi in 1986, items was the Gregorio da Reggio Book provide interesting or new records for while they were based at the foothills of Herbarium, the earliest collection of various regions and those will be retained in Mount Mulanje, when I was to carry out specimens held in OXF. The second item the FHO collections. This will enhance the fieldwork on the genus Faurea (Proteaceae). was a specimen from the Flora Graeca wealth of African material already held in This was a wonderful time! Jim and Betty collection of Mandragora (Solanaceae) FHO which was the focus of research of took me on an expedition up Mount Mulanje which was shown with Ferdinand Bauer’s former Foresters and Curators. All the and Jim showed me many Faurea trees original painting of the plant (in a bound specimens from the RBS are being digitally comprising four different species. He book). The exhibition was entitled photographed. seemed to know each tree individually and “Treasures of the Bodleian” and ran from 30 Other activities in FHO centered on was so enthusiastic about everything, September to 23 December 2011. processing loan material, specimens especially about conserving the whole Accessions to OXF during 2011 included a received on loan for research staff and mountain ecosystem. I shall never forget collection of beautifully pressed duplicates students and the return of other material to the kindness and help shown me. Jim of vascular plants of the Flora of Oregon, various herbaria on which work had been Chapman is very much missed by everyone USA sent from Oregon State University, completed. A further 445 specimens of who knew him here. plus an isotype specimen of Convolvulus Cardamine (Brassicaceae) were received on carrii sent from the Lundell Herbarium at loan for study by Elizabeth Cooke. The Serena Marner the University of Texas. We also received a material requested was very specific to a Herbarium Manager small box containing about 90 mounted and

14 Oxford Plant Systematics OPS 18 June 2012 The archive of George Claridge Druce

George Claridge Druce (1850-1932) was an influential botanist with strong links to Oxford’s Department of Botany. He was an energetic and successful man, always involved in an assortment of activities, though known for being opinionated and hasty (Allen, 1994). Born and raised in Northamptonshire, he showed a keen interest in botany from a young age. He was apprenticed to a firm of retail chemists in Northampton at the age of 16 and by the age of 22 was fully qualified, having excelled in his pharmaceutical exams, and was acting manager of the chemist’s shop (Perring, 1995). Then in 1879 he moved to Oxford, leaving Northamptonshire behind to open his own chemist’s shop on Oxford High Street. The business was very successful and by 1905 he was able to retire to concentrate on his other activities. Soon after moving to Oxford he began A box from the Druce archive. working on organising the university’s various early herbaria and he held the position of Fielding Curator of the herbarium from 1895 until his death. He the contents of the archive and an Exchange Club feature heavily. There are published books on the Dillenian and improvement in its storage conditions. We ephemera relating to various Oxford Morisonian herbarium collections and will also be able to assess whether any University Societies, Oxford County Floras of Oxfordshire, Berkshire, material requires conservation. Once the Council, the Pharmaceutical Society, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. In project is completed the spreadsheet will be Freemasons, the Northamptonshire Natural 1878 he joined the Botanical Exchange made publicly available. History Society and the Midland Union of Club, now the Botanical Society of the To improve the storage conditions, the Natural History Societies. Most material British Isles, and from 1904 was its archive has been re-boxed into acid-free relates to Druce’s life in Oxford, but some Secretary. His house in Oxford became the archival quality boxes, old wrappings and comes from further afield. For example, closest thing the Club had to a headquarters envelopes are removed from bundles of one box contains correspondence, and he was responsible for changing the items and put into acid free envelopes, items photographs, maps, menus, leaflets, Club into a national botanical society and are tied into bundles using unbleached advertisements, newspaper clippings and the considerably increasing its membership cotton tape and rusting paperclips are program of events relating to a visit Druce (Perring, 1995). He helped to found the removed where possible. Each bundle of made to Czechoslovakia in 1920 as part of a Northamptonshire Natural History Society material is numbered and details about the deputation of British Press representatives. in 1876 and the Ashmolean Natural History contents of each bundle are entered into an This project is uncovering some fascinating Society of Oxfordshire in 1880, was on the Excel spreadsheet. Particularly interesting items, which will hopefully be of use to council of the Pharmaceutical Society, items, such as portrait photographs and book researchers not just of Druce’s life, but also President of the British Pharmaceutical manuscripts, are put into a folder rather than of organisations he was associated with, Conference in 1901–1902 and was a tied into a bundle and are recorded people he was in correspondence with and freemason. He also served on Oxford City separately. The spreadsheet records box life in Oxford during the late 1800s and Council from 1892 until his death, where he number, bundle number, item number, dates early 1900s. was Chairman of the Public Health (if known), a brief description of the Committee for thirty years, Mayor of contents and the types of material contained. References Oxford in 1900-1901 and made an Where the majority of items in a bundle are Alderman in 1920. correspondence from or writings about one Allen, D.E. (1994). Druce in Oxford. BSBI Upon his death Druce left all his personal person or where the subject of a photograph News 67: 41-45. papers, along with his house, herbarium, is known their name is also included. There library and a considerable sum of money, to is also space for a general note, for example Allen, D. E. (2004). Druce, George Oxford University (Allen, 2004). This if the material is not in English, and a Claridge (1850–1932), Oxford Dictionary of collection of papers forms the Druce archive conservation note for material which may National Biography, Oxford University now housed in the Sherardian Library of require further attention, such as botanical Press. Plant Taxonomy. Druce squirreled away a specimens and deteriorating photographs. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/32 huge amount of paperwork and there are The majority of the material is 898, accessed 24 February 2012] around 150 boxes in the archive! A project correspondence, but the archive also is currently underway in the Sherardian includes photographs, glass slides, maps, Perring, F. (1995). Druce in Library to catalogue the contents of this newspaper clippings, diaries, botanical Northamptonshire. Watsonia 20: 185-194. archive. Previously there was no record of specimens, botanical lists, book manu- the contents of the archive and its existence scripts, invitations, menus, reports, tickets Elizabeth Atkinson was not widely known. The result of this and receipts. Personal correspondence and Graduate Library Trainee project will be a searchable spreadsheet of correspondence relating to the Botanical

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford 15 Managing living collections at the Oxford Botanic Garden

As with other botanic gardens and arboreta, the Oxford Botanic Garden together with the related Harcourt Arboretum (OBGHA) maintains detailed records about all its plants. These records are kept up to date and are easily accessible to those looking after Living collection records can be edited in spread sheet mode or using the tabbed form as shown here. the collection. This example shows the Events tab which tracks stock-checks, species name and location changes and The Botanic Garden at Oxford has kept other editing updates. The right-side tree view can be used to navigate to and filter on a selected family, records in some form or another since it genus or species. began, including a catalogue listing all plants at the Garden, published in 1648. the Oxford University Herbaria (FHO and parameters, for example ‘last stock-check OXF), it seemed sensible to investigate date’ or ‘growing in Family Bed SWC-5’. whether the Oxford Botanic Garden and the Whilst these queries may seem trivial, Oxford Herbaria could use compatible data they are a powerful source of data and management systems, allowing closer statistics that enable us to analyse our integration of herbarium and botanic garden collections and further develop their data; a key part of our future strategy. diversity and breadth of utility. Given that Denis Filer had been working BRAHMS also allows us to record with Gerda van Uffelen at the Leiden considerable additional data about the plants Botanic Garden to develop a new Living in our collection, for example, images, Collections module for BRAHMS, it flowering times, propagation events and seemed a natural choice to make the move species texts. We can format these and other to BRAHMS to facilitate this integration. data into labels, stock-check lists, seed lists, In early 2011 we began the project to species reports for garden visitors, students transfer the data from BGBase to the and schools, or export the data to Excel, BRAHMS Living Collections module and word processors or elsewhere to create more by mid-2011, BRAHMS was up and elaborate outputs. running at the Botanic Garden. Since then, It is not often that you can honestly say we have been actively using and developing that a group of people get excited about a the module, suggesting new functions as we new work-related computer programme! go. In February 2012, we starting using But BRAHMS has genuinely generated that BRAHMS as a multi-user system running feeling amongst the staff at OBGHA. They over terminal services and I’m pleased to feel empowered to look up the plant records say we can now access the database from and to update the database on a daily basis. different locations using Mac and PC The more data and the better data we add to workstations. the database the more we will be able to use In addition to being able to work closely its various tools. A sample page from Bobart the Elder’s Catologus with the herbarium there are several other The use of BRAHMS is really only just Plantarum published in 1648. advantages that compelled us to make the beginning at OBGHA. There are plans now change. Data searching is straightforward to map the collections at Harcourt As computers became common in the and powerful and all members of staff can Arboretum, to add a comprehensive set of workplace, the record keeping system easily interrogate the database to find out images of the flowering plants along with moved to an electronic format. The first what they need to know. For example, we phenology details and to publish these data such system, in 1986, used a simple can easily interrogate our records to via BRAHMS online, providing useful data database filing system. In the mid-1990s, generate lists and statistics on how many to all of those interested in our collections the records were moved to another system different species and accessions we have in both within and beyond the scientific called BGBase. This software was any taxonomic group. A typical query community. developed at the Royal Botanic Gardens, would be to list how many different species http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/ Edinburgh and is widely used. and accessions we have of Euphorbia. We Over the past few years, as the Botanic can also filter search results using multiple Alison Foster Garden has worked ever more closely with Senior Curator, Oxford Botanic Garden

16 Oxford Plant Systematics OPS 18 June 2012