Universite Paris-Sud Etude De L'appareil

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Universite Paris-Sud Etude De L'appareil UNIVERSITE PARIS-SUD ÉCOLE DOCTORALE : Sciences du Végétal (ED 145) Laboratoire d’Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution (ESE) DISCIPLINE : Biologie THÈSE DE DOCTORAT SUR TRAVAUX soutenue le 17/05/2013 par Elodie ALAPETITE ETUDE DE L’APPAREIL REPRODUCTEUR DES PALMIERS (ARECACEAE) : EVOLUTION DU SYSTEME SEXUEL ET DU NOMBRE D’ETAMINES Directeur de thèse : Sophie NADOT Professeur (Université Paris-Sud Orsay) Composition du jury : Rapporteurs : Jean-Yves DUBUISSON Professeur (Université Pierre et Marie Curie – Paris VI) Porter P. LOWRY Professeur (Missouri Botanical Garden USA et Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle Paris) Examinateurs : Anders S. BARFOD Professeur (Aarhus University Danemark) Isabelle DAJOZ Professeur (Université Paris Diderot – Paris VII) Michel DRON Professeur (Université Paris-Sud Orsay) 3 4 Résumé Les palmiers constituent une famille emblématique de monocotylédones, comprenant 183 genres et environ 2500 espèces distribuées sur tous les continents dans les zones tropicales et subtropicales. Leurs feuilles et leurs stipes, très caractéristiques, les rendent facilement reconnaissables dans la nature. En revanche leurs fleurs passent souvent inaperçues. Elles sont généralement petites (quelques centimètres), trimères, unisexuées, peu colorées (blanches ou vertes) et regroupées sur de grandes inflorescences. Cependant les palmiers présentent une diversité importante au niveau du système sexuel et du nombre d’étamines. Les trois systèmes sexuels principaux des angiospermes : hermaphrodisme, monoécie et dioécie, sont présents chez les palmiers. Le nombre d’étamines varie entre quelques unités (oligandrie) et des dizaines, voire centaines, d’unités (polyandrie) chez certains genres. Nous avons étudié l’évolution du système sexuel et du nombre d’étamines à l’échelle de la famille. Nous avons pour cela utilisé une phylogénie comprenant tous les genres de palmiers, bien résolue, datée et qui a été publiée récemment. Notre étude a montré que l’ancêtre commun à tous les palmiers était probablement monoïque et possédait des fleurs oligandres à 6 étamines. A partir de ces états ancestraux, plusieurs transitions ont eu lieu : vers l’hermaphrodisme et la monoécie d’une part, et vers la polyandrie d’autre part. Dans l’objectif d’initier une recherche sur une éventuelle explication fonctionnelle de l’augmentation du nombre d’étamines, nous avons comparé celui-ci à la production de pollen, en étudiant la quantité totale de pollen produite par les fleurs de 82 espèces. Notre étude a montré que, chez deux sous-familles, les fleurs ont tendance à produire plus de pollen quand le nombre d’étamines est plus élevé. Nous avons également réalisé la phylogénie moléculaire d’une sous-tribu (les Ptychospermatinae) dans laquelle la variation du nombre d’étamines est exceptionnelle. De futures études sur la génétique, le développement, l’écologie et la biologie de la pollinisation sont nécessaires. Mots clés : Arecaceae, évolution, morphologie de la fleur, nombre d’étamines, palmiers, production de pollen, phylogénie moléculaire, système sexuel Reproductive structures in palms (Arecaceae): evolution of sexual system and stamen number Abstract Palms (Arecaceae) are an emblematic family of monocots of 183 genera and around 2500 species distributed on all continents, throughout tropical and subtropical areas. Their characteristic leaves and stems make palms immediately recognizable in the field. The inconspicuous palm flowers are usually considered as rather dull. They are usually small (a few centimetres), trimerous, often unisexual, colourless (white or greenish) and grouped into huge inflorescences. However palms exhibit a large diversity in sexual system and in stamen number, diversity that is still poorly understood. The three main sexual systems of angiosperm, hermaphroditism, dioecy and monoecy are present in palms. Stamen number ranges between a few units (oligandry) to several dozens and even several hundreds of units (polyandry) in some genera. We studied the evolution of sexual system and stamen number at the family level. We used as historical framework a well-supported and dated phylogeny, published recently. Our study showed that the putative ancestor of palms was monoecious and 5 bore oligandrous flowers with 6 stamens. From these ancestral states, several transitions occurred: towards hermaphroditism and dioecy and towards polyandry respectively. In order to initiate a research on a possible functional significance of increase in stamen number, we investigated the relationship between stamen number and pollen production, by extracting the total pollen content from flowers of 82 species. Our study showed a tendency towards higher pollen production when the number of stamen increases in two subfamilies. We also produced molecular phylogeny of a subtribe (Ptychospermatinae) in which the range of variation in stamen number is exceptional. Further investigations into genetic, developmental, ecology and pollination biology are needed. Keywords : Arecaceae, palms, sexual system, stamen number, evolution, flower morphology, pollen production, molecular phylogeny Laboratoire : UMR 8079 - Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution Université Paris-Sud, Bât. 360 91405 Orsay cedex 6 Remerciements Je tiens à remercier tout particulièrement Sophie NADOT, ma directrice de thèse, pour ses précieux conseils et encouragements ainsi que pour la généreuse confiance qu’elle m’a accordée. Merci de m’avoir permis de travailler sur les palmiers, un groupe de végétaux particulièrement intriguant et fascinant, qui a affermit mon gout pour la botanique. Je remercie Sophie également de m’avoir fait partager son expérience de l’enseignement et de m’avoir confié des TD et des TP si intéressants et enrichissants. Je remercie tous les membres de l’équipe DEV : permanents Béatrice ALBERT, Hervé SAUQUET et non permanents Boris DOMENECH, Julien MASSONI, Charlotte PRIEU, Elisabeth REYES, Franck SIMONNET pour les discussions et la belle synergie scientifique qui règne dans notre équipe. Je remercie également ceux qui sont partis vivre de nouvelles aventures, Julie SANNIER et Olivier CHAUVEAU. Ils ont beaucoup aidé la novice que j’étais en biologie moléculaire. Je remercie Christian RAQUIN et Yves LOUBLIER pour leur soutien et leur precieux conseils dans mes expériences sur le pollen. Je remercie les spécialistes des palmiers qui m’ont conseillé et accompagné durant toute cette thèse : Anders BARFOD de l’Université d’Aarhus au Danemak, Bill BAKER des Jardins Botaniques Royaux de Kew, Jean-Christophe PINTAUD, Bertha LUDENA, James TREGEAR de l’IRD de Montpellier. Je tiens à remercier chaleureusement Lauren GARDINER et Laszlo CSIBA qui m’ont aidé pour les prélèvements de matériel à Kew. Je remercie les stagiaires qui ont partagé mon travail et ont j’espère pris goût à la botanique et à la recherche, Nicolas MAINGRET, Aurélie NALIN, Vanessa VILARD, Gérard IMANI, Stéphanie VALLEE. Ils m’ont tous été d’une aide précieuse dans mes recherches. Je remercie tous les membres du labo ESE pour leur accueil et leur soutien, avec une pensée spéciale pour celles et ceux qui ont partagé leur bureau et leurs pauses thé avec moi. Je tiens finalement à remercier les membres de mon jury d’avoir accepté d’évaluer mon travail et je m’excuse pour tous ceux que j’ai sans doute oubliés. 7 8 Table des matières Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 13 Partie I : L’évolution de la morphologie de l’inflorescence et de la fleur ...........................15 Les plantes et l’évolution .................................................................................................15 L’évolution des traits morphologiques.............................................................................15 Les Angiospermes............................................................................................................17 La fleur .............................................................................................................................21 Le contrôle génétique de la mise en place des organes floraux .......................................26 La morphologie de la fleur et la pollinisation ..................................................................27 Les inflorescences ............................................................................................................ 29 Partie II : La famille des palmiers ........................................................................................ 31 Les habitats des palmiers..................................................................................................32 Particularités morphologiques et anatomiques................................................................ 33 Des palmiers et des hommes : importance économique et conservation .........................38 Classification et relations phylogénétiques...................................................................... 40 Objectifs et méthodes........................................................................................................... 45 Organisation du manuscrit ................................................................................................... 47 Chapitre 1 : Evolution du système sexuel chez les palmiers.................................................... 49 Contexte et objectifs de l’étude............................................................................................51 Caractéristiques des inflorescences et
Recommended publications
  • Poaceae: Bambusoideae) Christopher Dean Tyrrell Iowa State University
    Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2008 Systematics of the neotropical woody bamboo genus Rhipidocladum (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) Christopher Dean Tyrrell Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Botany Commons Recommended Citation Tyrrell, Christopher Dean, "Systematics of the neotropical woody bamboo genus Rhipidocladum (Poaceae: Bambusoideae)" (2008). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 15419. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/15419 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Systematics of the neotropical woody bamboo genus Rhipidocladum (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) by Christopher Dean Tyrrell A thesis submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Major: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Program of Study Committee: Lynn G. Clark, Major Professor Dennis V. Lavrov Robert S. Wallace Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2008 Copyright © Christopher Dean Tyrrell, 2008. All rights reserved. 1457571 1457571 2008 ii In memory of Thomas D. Tyrrell Festum Asinorum iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT iv CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 Background and Significance 1 Research Objectives 5 Thesis Organization 6 Literature Cited 6 CHAPTER 2. PHYLOGENY OF THE BAMBOO SUBTRIBE 9 ARTHROSTYLIDIINAE WITH EMPHASIS ON RHIPIDOCLADUM Abstract 9 Introduction 10 Methods and Materials 13 Results 19 Discussion 25 Taxonomic Treatment 26 Literature Cited 31 CHAPTER 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae: Arthrostylidiinae) with the Northernmost Distribution of the Genus
    Phytotaxa 344 (1): 031–038 ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition) http://www.mapress.com/j/pt/ PHYTOTAXA Copyright © 2018 Magnolia Press Article ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition) https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.344.1.4 A new species of Merostachys (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae: Arthrostylidiinae) with the northernmost distribution of the genus EDUARDO RUIZ-SANCHEZ1,*, LYNN G. CLARK2, TERESA MEJÍA-SAULÉS3 & FRANCISCO LOREA- HERNÁNDEZ4 1 Departamento de Botánica y Zoología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara. Camino Ing. Ramón Padilla Sánchez 2100, Nextipac, Zapopan, Jalisco 45110, Mexico., e-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, 251 Bessey Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011–4009, United States of America., e-mail: [email protected] 3 Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, A. C. Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, Xalapa, 91070, Mexico., e-mail: [email protected] 4 Red de Biodiversidad y Sistemática, Instituto de Ecología, A. C. Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, Xalapa, 91070, Mexico., e-mail: [email protected] *author for correspondence Abstract With 52 described species, Merostachys is the most diverse genus in the Arthrostylidiinae; 50 of the species are present in South America and only two, M. latifolia and M. pauciflora, are distributed in Central America and Mexico. Previous col- lections of vegetative Merostachys specimens from El Triunfo, Chiapas, Mexico, were identified as M. pauciflora. However, new flowering collections from the state of Tabasco, Mexico, allowed us to differentiate the Mexican populations from M. latifolia and M. pauciflora. A detailed study of samples from the Tabasco population, and a review of the previous collections from Chiapas, confirmed the existence of a new Merostachys species, which we here describe and illustrate as M.
    [Show full text]
  • Promecothecini Chapuis 1875 Promecothecites Chapuis 1875:300
    Tribe Promecothecini Chapuis 1875 Promecothecites Chapuis 1875:300. Handlirsch 1925:666 (classification); Gressitt 1950:81 (China species). Promecothecini Chapuis. Würmli 1975a:45 (genera); Bouchard et al. 2011:78, 518 (nomenclature); Liao et al. 2015:162 (host plants). Promecothecini Weise 1911a:78. Weise 1911b:81 (redescription); Zacher 1913:103 (key); Handlirsch 1925:666 (classification); Uhmann 1931i:848 (museum list), 1940g:121 (claws), 1951a:31 (museum list), 1958e:222 (catalog), 1959d:8 (scutellum), 1964a:458 (catalog), 1964(1965):241 (faunal list), 1966d:275 (note); Bryant 1936:256 (faunal list); Liu 1936:249 (China species); Wu 1937:912 (faunal list); Gressitt 1939c:133 (distribution), 1957b:279 (South Pacific species), 1970:71 (Fiji species); Gressitt & Kimoto 1963a:905 (China species); Seeno & Wilcox 1982:164 (catalog); Jolivet 1988b:13 (host plants), 1989b:310 (host plants); Jolivet & Hawkeswood 1995:154 (host plants); Cox 1996a:172 (pupae); Mohamedsaid 2004:169 (Malaysian species); Staines 2004a:317 (host plants); Chaboo 2007:183 (phylogeny). Type genus:Promecotheca Blanchard. Promecispa Weise 1909 Promecispa Weise 1909:112. Type species:Promecispa voeltzkowi Weise 1909 by monotypy. Weise 1910d:442, 501 (faunal list), 1911a:53 (catalog), 1911b:80 (redescription); Uhmann 1931i:848 (museum list), 1958e:223 (catalog); Würmli 1975a:46 (genera); Seeno & Wilcox 1982:164 (catalog). Promecispa voeltzkowi Weise 1909 Promecispa voeltzkowi Weise 1909:112 (type:Madagascar, Kinkuni, ZMHB). Weise 1910d:442, 501 (faunal list), 1911a:53 (catalog), 1911b:80 (catalog); Uhmann 1931i:848 (type), 1958e:223 (catalog). Distribution. Madagascar. Food plant. Unknown. Promecotheca Blanchard 1853 Promecotheca Dejean 1837:387 Nomen Nudum. Guérin-Méneville 1840b:334 (note). Promecotheca Blanchard 1853:312. Type species:Hispa cyanipes Erichson 1834, designated by Baly 1858.
    [Show full text]
  • ED45E Rare and Scarce Species Hierarchy.Pdf
    104 Species 55 Mollusc 8 Mollusc 334 Species 181 Mollusc 28 Mollusc 44 Species 23 Vascular Plant 14 Flowering Plant 45 Species 23 Vascular Plant 14 Flowering Plant 269 Species 149 Vascular Plant 84 Flowering Plant 13 Species 7 Mollusc 1 Mollusc 42 Species 21 Mollusc 2 Mollusc 43 Species 22 Mollusc 3 Mollusc 59 Species 30 Mollusc 4 Mollusc 59 Species 31 Mollusc 5 Mollusc 68 Species 36 Mollusc 6 Mollusc 81 Species 43 Mollusc 7 Mollusc 105 Species 56 Mollusc 9 Mollusc 117 Species 63 Mollusc 10 Mollusc 118 Species 64 Mollusc 11 Mollusc 119 Species 65 Mollusc 12 Mollusc 124 Species 68 Mollusc 13 Mollusc 125 Species 69 Mollusc 14 Mollusc 145 Species 81 Mollusc 15 Mollusc 150 Species 84 Mollusc 16 Mollusc 151 Species 85 Mollusc 17 Mollusc 152 Species 86 Mollusc 18 Mollusc 158 Species 90 Mollusc 19 Mollusc 184 Species 105 Mollusc 20 Mollusc 185 Species 106 Mollusc 21 Mollusc 186 Species 107 Mollusc 22 Mollusc 191 Species 110 Mollusc 23 Mollusc 245 Species 136 Mollusc 24 Mollusc 267 Species 148 Mollusc 25 Mollusc 270 Species 150 Mollusc 26 Mollusc 333 Species 180 Mollusc 27 Mollusc 347 Species 189 Mollusc 29 Mollusc 349 Species 191 Mollusc 30 Mollusc 365 Species 196 Mollusc 31 Mollusc 376 Species 203 Mollusc 32 Mollusc 377 Species 204 Mollusc 33 Mollusc 378 Species 205 Mollusc 34 Mollusc 379 Species 206 Mollusc 35 Mollusc 404 Species 221 Mollusc 36 Mollusc 414 Species 228 Mollusc 37 Mollusc 415 Species 229 Mollusc 38 Mollusc 416 Species 230 Mollusc 39 Mollusc 417 Species 231 Mollusc 40 Mollusc 418 Species 232 Mollusc 41 Mollusc 419 Species 233
    [Show full text]
  • Outline of Angiosperm Phylogeny
    Outline of angiosperm phylogeny: orders, families, and representative genera with emphasis on Oregon native plants Priscilla Spears December 2013 The following listing gives an introduction to the phylogenetic classification of the flowering plants that has emerged in recent decades, and which is based on nucleic acid sequences as well as morphological and developmental data. This listing emphasizes temperate families of the Northern Hemisphere and is meant as an overview with examples of Oregon native plants. It includes many exotic genera that are grown in Oregon as ornamentals plus other plants of interest worldwide. The genera that are Oregon natives are printed in a blue font. Genera that are exotics are shown in black, however genera in blue may also contain non-native species. Names separated by a slash are alternatives or else the nomenclature is in flux. When several genera have the same common name, the names are separated by commas. The order of the family names is from the linear listing of families in the APG III report. For further information, see the references on the last page. Basal Angiosperms (ANITA grade) Amborellales Amborellaceae, sole family, the earliest branch of flowering plants, a shrub native to New Caledonia – Amborella Nymphaeales Hydatellaceae – aquatics from Australasia, previously classified as a grass Cabombaceae (water shield – Brasenia, fanwort – Cabomba) Nymphaeaceae (water lilies – Nymphaea; pond lilies – Nuphar) Austrobaileyales Schisandraceae (wild sarsaparilla, star vine – Schisandra; Japanese
    [Show full text]
  • The Antinociceptive Effects of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Bryonia
    Avicenna J Neuro Psych Physio. 2015 February; 2(1): e25761. DOI: 10.17795/ajnpp-25761 Published online 2015 February 20. Research Article The Antinociceptive Effects of Hydroalcoholic Extract ofBryonia dioica in Male Rats Mohammad Zarei 1,2; Saeed Mohammadi 3,*; Nasreen Abolhassani 4; Mahtab Asgari Nematian 5 1Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, IR Iran 2Department of Physiology, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, IR Iran 3Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Hamadan, IR Iran 4Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, IR Iran 5Department of Biology, Hamadan Branch, Payam-noor University, Hamadan, IR Iran *Corresponding author: Saeed Mohammadi, Professor Mussivand Blvd, Hamadan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamadan, IR Iran. Tel: +98-8134494000, Fax: +98-8134494026, E-mail: [email protected] Received: December 1, 2014; Revised: January 2, 2015; Accepted: January 8, 2015 Background: Side effects of synthetic analgesic drugs in the clinical practice have drawn researchers’ attention on developing the herbal medicine as more appropriate analgesic agents. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the antinociceptive effect of hydroalcoholic leaf extract of Bryonia dioica (HEBD) on male rats. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 42 adult male rats were divided into 7 groups: control, HEBD (80, 100, and 300 mg/ kg, ip), morphine (1 mg/kg, ip), indomethacin (1 mg/kg, ip), and naloxone (1 mg/kg ip). In order to assess the analgesic effects of the extract, writhing, tail-flick, and formalin tests were used. Also, Tukey post hoc and 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used to analyze the data.
    [Show full text]
  • Molecular Phylogeny of the Arthrostylidioid Bamboos (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae: Arthrostylidiinae) and New Genus Didymogonyx ⇑ Christopher D
    Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 65 (2012) 136–148 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev Molecular phylogeny of the arthrostylidioid bamboos (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae: Arthrostylidiinae) and new genus Didymogonyx ⇑ Christopher D. Tyrrell a, , Ana Paula Santos-Gonçalves b, Ximena Londoño c, Lynn G. Clark a a Dept. of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA b Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, CCB2, Viçosa, 36570-000 Minas Gerais, Brazil c Instituto Vallecaucano de Investigaciones Cientificas (INCIVA), AA 11574, Cali, Colombia article info abstract Article history: We present the first multi-locus chloroplast phylogeny of Arthrostylidiinae, a subtribe of neotropical Received 17 January 2012 woody bamboos. The morphological diversity of Arthrostylidiinae makes its taxonomy difficult and prior Revised 18 May 2012 molecular analyses of bamboos have lacked breadth of sampling within the subtribe, leaving internal Accepted 29 May 2012 relationships uncertain. We sampled 51 taxa, chosen to span the range of taxonomic diversity and mor- Available online 6 June 2012 phology, and analyzed a combined chloroplast DNA dataset with six chloroplast regions: ndhF, trnD-trnT, trnC-rpoB, rps16-trnQ, trnT-trnL, and rpl16. A consensus of maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference Keywords: analyses reveals monophyly of the Arthrostylidiinae and four moderately supported lineages within it. Arthrostylidiinae Six previously recognized genera were monophyletic, three polyphyletic, and two monotypic; Rhipido- Woody bamboo Chloroplast markers cladum sect. Didymogonyx is here raised to generic status. When mapped onto our topology, many of Didymogonyx the morphological characters show homoplasy.
    [Show full text]
  • Plant Life of Western Australia
    INTRODUCTION The characteristic features of the vegetation of Australia I. General Physiography At present the animals and plants of Australia are isolated from the rest of the world, except by way of the Torres Straits to New Guinea and southeast Asia. Even here adverse climatic conditions restrict or make it impossible for migration. Over a long period this isolation has meant that even what was common to the floras of the southern Asiatic Archipelago and Australia has become restricted to small areas. This resulted in an ever increasing divergence. As a consequence, Australia is a true island continent, with its own peculiar flora and fauna. As in southern Africa, Australia is largely an extensive plateau, although at a lower elevation. As in Africa too, the plateau increases gradually in height towards the east, culminating in a high ridge from which the land then drops steeply to a narrow coastal plain crossed by short rivers. On the west coast the plateau is only 00-00 m in height but there is usually an abrupt descent to the narrow coastal region. The plateau drops towards the center, and the major rivers flow into this depression. Fed from the high eastern margin of the plateau, these rivers run through low rainfall areas to the sea. While the tropical northern region is characterized by a wet summer and dry win- ter, the actual amount of rain is determined by additional factors. On the mountainous east coast the rainfall is high, while it diminishes with surprising rapidity towards the interior. Thus in New South Wales, the yearly rainfall at the edge of the plateau and the adjacent coast often reaches over 100 cm.
    [Show full text]
  • Of ODOARDOBECCARI Dedication
    1864 1906 1918 Dedicated to the memory of ODOARDOBECCARI Dedication A dedication to ODOARDO BECCARI, the greatest botanist ever to study in Malesia, is long overdue. Although best known as a plant taxonomist, his versatile genius extended far beyond the basic field ofthis branch ofBotany, his wide interest leading him to investigate the laws ofevolution, the interrelations between plants and animals, the connection between vegetation and environ- cultivated ment, plant distribution, the and useful plants of Malesia and many other problems of life. plant But, even if he devoted his studies to plants, in the depth of his mind he was primarily a naturalist, and in his long, lonely and dangerousexplorations in Malesia he was attracted to all aspects ofnature and human life, assembling, besides plants, an incredibly large number of collec- tions and an invaluable wealth ofdrawings and observations in zoology, anthropologyand ethnol- He ogy. was indeed a naturalist, and one of the greatest of his time; but never in his mind were the knowledge and beauty of Nature disjoined, and, as he was a true and complete naturalist, he the time was at same a poet and an artist. His Nelleforestedi Borneo, Viaggi ericerche di un mturalista(1902), excellently translatedinto English (in a somewhatabbreviated form) by Prof. E. GioLiouandrevised and edited by F.H.H. Guillemardas Wanderingsin the great forests of Borneo (1904), is a treasure in tropical botany; it is in fact an unrivalledintroductionto tropical plant lifeand animals, man included. It is a most readable book touching on all sorts of topics and we advise it to be studied by all young people whose ambition it is to devote their life to tropical research.
    [Show full text]
  • Draft Survey Guidelines for Australia's Threatened Orchids
    SURVEY GUIDELINES FOR AUSTRALIA’S THREATENED ORCHIDS GUIDELINES FOR DETECTING ORCHIDS LISTED AS ‘THREATENED’ UNDER THE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION ACT 1999 0 Authorship and acknowledgements A number of experts have shared their knowledge and experience for the purpose of preparing these guidelines, including Allanna Chant (Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife), Allison Woolley (Tasmanian Department of Primary Industry, Parks, Water and Environment), Andrew Brown (Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation), Annabel Wheeler (Australian Biological Resources Study, Australian Department of the Environment), Anne Harris (Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife), David T. Liddle (Northern Territory Department of Land Resource Management, and Top End Native Plant Society), Doug Bickerton (South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources), John Briggs (New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage), Luke Johnston (Australian Capital Territory Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate), Sophie Petit (School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia), Melanie Smith (Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife), Oisín Sweeney (South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources), Richard Schahinger (Tasmanian Department of Primary Industry, Parks, Water and Environment). Disclaimer The views and opinions contained in this document are not necessarily those of the Australian Government. The contents of this document have been compiled using a range of source materials and while reasonable care has been taken in its compilation, the Australian Government does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this document and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of or reliance on the contents of the document.
    [Show full text]
  • An Early History of Vireya the People, Places & Plants of the Nineteenth Century
    An Early History of Vireya The People, Places & Plants of the Nineteenth Century Chris Callard The distribution of Rhododendron subgenus Vireya is centred on the botanical region known as Malesia – an area of south-east Asia encompassing the Malay Archipelago, the Philippines, Borneo, Indonesia and New Guinea and surrounding island groups. It is for this reason that vireyas have sometimes in the past been referred to as ‘Malesian Rhododendrons’, although nowadays this is not considered a strictly accurate term as a small number of the 318 species in subgenus Vireya grow outside this region and, similarly, a few species from other subgenera of Rhododendron are also to be found within its boundaries. Broadly speaking, the Vireya group extends from Taiwan in the north to Queensland, Australia in the south, and from India in the west to the Solomon Islands in the east. Much of the early recorded history of the plants of Rhododendron subgenus Vireya came about as a result of the activities of European nations, particularly Britain and Holland, pursuing their colonial ambitions across the Malay Archipelago and, later, east to New Guinea. As their Empires expanded into these previously unexplored territories, settlements were established and expeditions mounted to survey the natural wealth and geography of the land. Many of these early explorers had scientific backgrounds, although not always in botany, and collected all manner of exotic flora and fauna found in these unfamiliar surroundings, to ship back to their homelands. The Vireya story starts in June 1821 when the Scotsman, William Jack, one of “a party of gentlemen”i, set out from Bencoolen (now Bengkulu), a settlement on the south-west coast of Sumatra, to reach the summit of Gunong Benko (Bungkuk), the so-called Sugar Loaf Mountain, “not estimated to exceed 3,000 feet in height”.
    [Show full text]
  • Republic of Fiji: the State of the World's Forest Genetic Resources
    REPUBLIC OF FIJI This country report is prepared as a contribution to the FAO publication, The Report on the State of the World’s Forest Genetic Resources. The content and the structure are in accordance with the recommendations and guidelines given by FAO in the document Guidelines for Preparation of Country Reports for the State of the World’s Forest Genetic Resources (2010). These guidelines set out recommendations for the objective, scope and structure of the country reports. Countries were requested to consider the current state of knowledge of forest genetic diversity, including: Between and within species diversity List of priority species; their roles and values and importance List of threatened/endangered species Threats, opportunities and challenges for the conservation, use and development of forest genetic resources These reports were submitted to FAO as official government documents. The report is presented on www. fao.org/documents as supportive and contextual information to be used in conjunction with other documentation on world forest genetic resources. The content and the views expressed in this report are the responsibility of the entity submitting the report to FAO. FAO may not be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained in this report. STATE OF THE FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES IN FIJI Department of Forests Ministry of Fisheries and Forests for The Republic of Fiji Islands and the Secreatriat of Pacific Communities (SPC) State of the Forest Genetic Resources in Fiji _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents Executve Summary ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….. 5 Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….. 6 Chapter 1: The Current State of the Forest Genetic Resources in Fiji ………………………………………………………………….…….
    [Show full text]