Department of Botany & the U.S. National Herbarium The Plant Press
New Series - Vol. 13 - No. 1 January-March 2010 Botany Profile Are You Experienced? Interning in Botany By Gary A. Krupnick ducation plays a strong role in Internships have an element of educational serving an internship at the Museum has the Department of Botany. The training build into the appointment and increased over time and grown exponen- EDepartment’s mission and vision this training complements the education tially over the past few years; sometimes statement includes the aspiration “to and career goals of the intern. Internships even doubling from the previous year. become an international center for the at NMNH are administered centrally and In 2009 alone the Museum hosted 372 training of a new generation of botanical officially recorded with the Smithsonian internships with 46 of these in Botany. systematists, professional botanists and through the Center for Education and Interns have recently been involved paraprofessionals.” The resources avail- Museum Studies (SCEMS). in a broad range of projects: inventory- able within the museum, including staff, The Smithsonian is not a degree grant- ing herbarium specimens, creating digi- herbarium specimens, living greenhouse ing institution and therefore does not tal images of specimens, describing new specimens, and a molecular lab, make award academic credit. Interns can, how- species, managing databases of rare and the Department an attractive place for ever, receive academic credit from their endangered species, cataloguing historic students to further their training as young university or college for their internships collection maps, conducting laboratory botanists. and many U.S. colleges and universities research, and conducting field work in There are several ways that students will recognize academic work performed both terrestrial and marine locales. can gain botanical experience in the while interning at the museum. One program that hosted several Department. Volunteering is one way. Internship appointments are generally interns this past year was the Plant Con- Volunteers contribute their time to the at least six weeks in duration, although servation Unit (PCU). Headed by Gary benefit of the Institution. While the ser- special week-long opportunities during Krupnick, PCU is currently involved vice can be educational and of benefit to Winter Break and Spring Break are often in the preliminary conservation assess- the volunteer, the activities are deter- available. Students must be at least 16 ments of plant species. The Global Strat- mined solely by the sponsoring staff with years old to participate in an internship. egy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) calls the aim of contributing to the needs of The majority of students who serve an for a preliminary assessment list of the the Museum. A volunteer position is con- internship in the Department are from conservation status of all known plant sidered community service, not an aca- undergraduate colleges and universities, species by 2010. Unfortunately, only demic appointment, and is not recorded but high school students and graduate 4 percent of the world’s flora has been as such on the volunteers resume or CV. students have been appointed as interns as assessed. A model developed by Krup- The Visitor Information and Associates’ well. nick, with W. John Kress and Warren Reception Center (VIARC) manages and Wagner, uses data from herbarium speci- administers all behind-the-scenes volun- ating way back to the days when mens to speed up the global assessment, teer appointments Smithsonian-wide. Botany was housed in the SI identifying which plant species may be Internships are another way the DCastle and internships were an threatened and which species are com- Department actively engages students, informal and unrecorded appointment, mon based upon the number, timing, and providing hands-on education and train- the Department has maintained a long spacing of specimen collections. With ing in research, collections management tradition of educating students through the assistance of student interns, the and even administration. Unlike vol- internships. Many current and even retired plant specimen database of several plant unteering, an internship is an academic Botany staff started as an intern in the families from the U.S. National Her- appointment—a prearranged learning Department. Over the past 30 years, the barium has been checked for accuracy. experience with both the intern and National Museum of Natural History has Using floras and checklists, interns have Institution benefiting from the endeavor. hosted more than 3,000 interns including many in Botany. The number of students Continued on page 16 Travel Pedro Acevedo traveled to Tabasco, to forest trees of the Smithsonian Institu- – 10/28) to present the Darwin Lecture Mexico (10/4 – 10/14) to teach a 25-hour tion Global Earth Observatories (SIGEO) at the Smithsonian Tropical Research course on lianas and climbing plants of and the Center for Tropical Forest Science Institute; to Denver, Colorado and Santa the Neotropics at the Universidad Juarez (CTFS) network at the 3rd International Fe, New Mexico (11/6 – 11/10) and to Bir- Autonoma de Tabasco, visiting several Conference on DNA barcoding hosted by mingham, Alabama (11/18 – 11/19) as part localities and generally collecting lianas the Consortium for the Barcode of Life of a book tour for The Weeping Goldsmith and trees of interest, especially in the fam- (CBOL). and Botanica Magnifica; and to São Paulo, ily Sapindaceae. Robin Everly traveled to Seattle, Wash- Brazil (12/1 – 12/5) to participate in a Walter Adey traveled to Williamsburg, ington and to Chicago, Illinois (10/15 special workshop on DNA barcoding and Virginia (10/22; 12/10) to attend meet- – 10/21) to attend a Council on Botanical to give an invited lecture on plants. ings of the Chesapeake Algae Project; to and Horticultural Libraries board meet- Gary Krupnick traveled to Chicago, Fayetteville, Arkansas and Kalamazoo, ing and to visit the Field Museum and the Illinois (9/30 – 10/3) to participate in the Michigan (11/2 – 11/6) to meet with col- Chicago Botanic Garden. North American regional meeting of the leagues at the University of Arkansas and Christian Feuillet travelled to St. Global Strategy for Plant Conservation the University of Western Michigan to Louis, Missouri (11/17 – 11/26) to work and a workshop on Botanical Capacity discuss results of the ATS Energy Proj- on West Indian Cordia (Boraginaceae) and Assessment, and to present a poster at ect; to Havre de Grace, Maryland (11/10) on Dilkea and Passiflora (Passifloraceae) the Janet Meakin Poor Research Sympo- to meet with Constellation Energy and at the Missouri Botanical Garden. sium—Global Plant Conservation Sci- Exelon staff to discuss the location of an Vicki Funk traveled to Uruguay, ence and Outreach at the Chicago Botanic ATS pilot plant on Chesapeake Bay; and Argentina, and Chile (11/24/09 – 1/10/10) Garden. to Brooklyn, New York (11/15 – 11/16) to to meet with fellow synantherologists and Mark and Diane Littler traveled to meet with the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct field work; two former Smith- Ft. Pierce, Florida (12/25/09 – 2/19/10) directorate on the Susquehanna River sonian post-doctoral fellows, J. Marurico to conduct on-going field research on the Basin Commission. Bonifacino (Montevideo; MVFA) and functional-form, biosystematics and com- David Erickson traveled to Mexico Gisela Sancho (La Plata, LP), organized parative ecology of south Florida marine City, Mexico (11/7 – 11/11) to give a the events and participated in the field algae and seagrasses. presentation on applying DNA barcodes work. Paul Peterson traveled to Mexico City, W. John Kress traveled to London, Mexico (11/6 − 11/9) to attend a plan- The Plant Press England (10/12 – 10/16) to give an invited ning meeting for the Grass Barcoding of presentation at the 250th Anniversary Life Project (GrassBoL); and to San Jose, New Series - Vol. 13 - No. 1 Celebration of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Costa Rica (12/6 – 12/13) to give a semi- Kew; to Panama City, Panama (10/26 Continued on page 5 Chair of Botany Warren L. Wagner Visitors ([email protected]) Blanca Leon, Universidad Nacional zhou; Chloridoideae (Poaceae) (7/4/09- EDITORIAL STAFF Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru; Peru- 7/4/10). Editor vian Tillandsia (Bromeliaceae) and flora Silvia Nicole, University of Padova, Italy; Gary Krupnick (10/18/07-10/18/09). ([email protected]) Plant DNA barcoding (7/10-10/31). Michael Martin, Johns Hopkins Uni- News Contacts versity; Ambrosia (Compositae) (1/1/09- Christine Bacon, Colorado State Univer- MaryAnn Apicelli, Robert Faden, Ellen 6/30/10). sity; Hawaiian Pritchardia (Arecaceae) Farr, Shirley Maina, Rusty Russell, Alice (9/8-12/8). Tangerini, and Elizabeth Zimmer Zhumei Ren, Shanxi University, China; Gallnut aphid/host plant coevolution based Emily Forse, Georgetown University; The Plant Press is a quarterly publication pro- Plant conservation internship (9/14-12/11). vided free of charge. To receive notification of on DNA sequences (2/1/09-1/31/10). when new pdf issues are posted to the web, please subscribe to the listserve by sending a message Pingting Chen, Central China Agri- Orlando Jara, Universidad Nacional de to [email protected] containing only the Colombia, Bogota; Colombian Erythroxy- following in the body of the text: SUBSCRIBE cultural University; Vitaceae (3/1/09- PLANTPRESS-NEWS Firstname Lastname. 2/28/10). lum (Erythroxylaceae) (9/17-10/18). Replace “Firstname Lastname” with your name. David Lorence, National Tropical Botani- If you would like to be added to the hard-copy Virginia Valcacel, Universidad Pablo mailing list, please contact Dr. Gary Krupnick at: de Olavide, Spain; Hedera (Araliaceae) cal Garden; Marquesas Islands flora (9/21- Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, 10/4). PO Box 37012, NMNH MRC-166, Washington, (4/19-10/20). DC 20013-7012, or by E-mail: krupnickg@ Andrea Leon, Universidad Nacional de si.edu. Qing Liu, South China Botanic Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guang- Colombia; Colombian ferns (Grammiti- Web site: http://botany.si.edu/ daceae) (9/28-10/25).
Page 2 Food For Thought: 21st Century Perspectives on Ethnobotany Chair eople are dependent upon plants for food, cloth- Hall of Human Origins will tell the epic story of ing, medicine, fuel and other necessities of life. human evolution and how this occurred over the With PHumans and plants have interacted as long as course of six million years in response to a chang- A humans have existed, but our relationship is not static. ing world. Since the advent of agriculture we have exerted evo- In addition, the José Cuatrecasas Medal in View lutionary pressure on plants that are of importance to Tropical Botany will be awarded at the Sympo- us. Indigenous and industrialized societies sium. This prestigious have interacted with plants in their envi- award is presented Warren ronments and influenced not only crop annually to an inter- plants, but also cultural landscapes. The national scholar L. 2010 Smithsonian Botanical Symposium, who has contributed Wagner hosted by the Departments of Botany and Anthropol- significantly to advancing the field of tropical ogy, will examine a number of different ways in which botany. The award is named in honor of Dr. José the field of ethnobotany is being transformed in the 21st Cuatrecasas, a pioneering botanist who spent century. many years working in the Department of Botany The Symposium, to be held 24-25 September 2010 at the Smithsonian and devoted his career to plant at the National Museum of Natural History in Wash- exploration in tropical South America. ington, D.C., will include a day of invited speakers, More information, including registration, will who will cover a wide range of topics: from the role be available soon on the Department of Botany molecular biology now has in elucidating crop domes- web page
Amanda Saville, North Carolina State Charles Zartman, Instituto Nacional de Chun-Lin Huang, National Museum of University; Bamboo library and Dichan- Pesquisas da Amazônia, Brazil; Humiri- Natural Science, Taiwan; DNA barcoding thelium (Poaceae) (10/9). aceae (11/17-12/10). (11/30-12/24). Janelle Burke, Cornell University; Tropi- Alina Freire-Fierro, Philadelphia Acad- Grace Liu, University of West Georgia; cal Polygonaceae and Plumbaginaceae emy of Sciences; Colombian Monnina Plant conservation internship (12/14- (10/13-10/14). (Polygalaceae) (11/18). 12/18). Cesar Castellanos, Universidad Industrial Leigh Johnson, Brigham Young Univer- Dana Gadeken, University of Mary de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia; sity; Navarretia and Collomia (Polemoni- Washington; Plant conservation internship Colombian Fabaceae (10/19-10/23). aceae) (11/18). (12/14/09-1/8/10). Taina Price, Duke University; Talinum Alexey Zinovjev, Independent researcher; Phil Dover, Babson College; Develop- (Portulacaceae) (10/20). Salix caprea (Salicaceae) (11/18). ment of the Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions (12/15). Nadia Roque, Universidade Federal da Volker Bremer, Lisa Cherepon, Mat- Bahia, Brazil; Asteraceae (10/20-11/6). thias Landthaler, Doris Linke, and Marie Balboa, University of North Katharina Roeseler, German Convention Carolina; Plant conservation internship Benoît Loeuille, University of São Paulo, Bureau; Ethnobotany and medicinal plants (12/21/09-1/8/10). Brazil; Eremanthus (Compositae) (11/15- (11/18). 12/14). Siddharth Rajagopalan, University of Daniel Atha, New York Botanical Garden; Virginia; Plant conservation internship Steven Torrey, Independent researcher; Persicaria (Polygonaceae) (11/30-12/2). (12/21/09-1/15/10). John Torrey papers and specimens (11/16).
Page 3 the ASBA Exhibit Chair. During her stay, Staff Tangerini toured the Garden, viewed the Rare Book Room, visited staff offices, and Research & met with archivist Doug Holland. Activities On 13-21October, Tangerini partici- pated in the ASBA annual meeting held at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoe- Rusty Russell was selected as one of nix, Arizona. As a member of the ASBA seven featured scientists in the Coalition Board of Directors, Tangerini attended on the Public Understanding of Science a board meeting. She also taught a full (COPUS) Year of Science celebrating the day class in the technique of drawing theme “Biodiversity and Conservation,” on drafting film using polymer drafting
Page 7 Biological Field original journal or field book can be a Original source documents are so lengthy and frustrating exercise. fundamental to our understanding and Book Project In the same manner in which biologi- appreciation of exploration and discovery cal specimens are the original source for within biology, that we expect a project to Receives CLIR information related to species, so too identify, expose and deliver these materi- Funding are these field books, journals, notes and als will be met with great interest and sketches the original source for informa- enthusiastic involvement by other reposi- A collaboration between the United tion related to the events during which tories of similar objects. States National Herbarium and the Smith- biological specimens were acquired. For more information, contact Rusty sonian Institution Archives has received Scholars, therefore, invest greater intellec- Russell at [email protected]. a grant of $500K from the Council on tual value in these materials than anything Library Information Resources (CLIR). that has been subsequently interpreted or The purpose of this project is to develop transcribed. a cataloging standard for an overlooked In their attempt to better understand the resource – original field books housed increasingly important issues surrounding in the Smithsonian that document the global biodiversity, taxonomists are more Bat Pollination in collection of biological organisms. This frequently revisiting these original sources metadata schema will be coordinated with in order to resolve species delimitations Review the Natural Collections Description Group and analyze change over time. Science A new invited review paper, just (NCD; http://www.tdwg.org/activities/ historians are accessing these materials published in the Annals of Botany by Ted ncd) and the Biodiversity Heritage Library to reconstruct and more accurately report Fleming, Cullen Geiselman, and W. John (BHL; http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/) the events surrounding scientific discov- Kress, provides a new perspective on the and will provide a framework for catalog- ery. Public and private land managers are ecology and evolution of the pollination of ing the tens of thousands of original field using the information obtained from origi- flowers by bats. Fleming, a specialist on books in the numerous science bureaus nal accounts of the landscape to design bat pollination and dispersal; Geiselman, a within the Smithsonian. strategies for habitat reconstruction, and graduate student in plant systematic at the Representatives from major natural set-asides for preservation and recreation. New York Botanical Garden; and Kress history organizations are participating Managers of systematics collections are summarize the literature and synthesize in the development of this data standard using the more detailed locality descrip- new insights into the evolution of flower which will result in an online Registry of tions in personal journals to accurately visiting by bats using a phylogenetic field books to which any other repository resolve the precise collecting location approach. This paper is a prelude to a of field books may contribute. This central of plant and animal specimens in their forthcoming book by Fleming and Kress Registry will also facilitate research- care. Ecologists are retrieving the original (in preparation) entitled The Ornaments of ers’ attempts to locate original field note records of field work, which oftentimes Life – Ecology, Evolution, and Conserva- books and original related material which includes data not present on specimen tion of Tropical Nectar- and Fruit-eating sometimes can be distributed in multiple labels, to help them integrate species Vertebrates and their Food Plants to be organizations, or even multiple locations information into their analytical models. published by University of Chicago Press. within the same organization. As an example, the many thousands of biological field books at the Smithso- nian are maintained in no fewer than 22 different offices, programs, departments, research stations and museums, not to mention those that are controlled by the library and archives units. Over the years, our experience in the U.S. National Her- barium suggests that there is a tremendous need for access to field book data. Biology relies on the original lit- erature and original sources of species information more than any other science discipline. Critical among these resources are the personal field books, journals and notes of the collectors of plant and animal species, as well as the actual specimens acquired. The development of finding aids and digitization of the latter has been underway for decades. However, what Nectar-feeding bat Glossophaga soricina visiting flowers of Mabea occidentalis should be the simple task of locating an (Euphorbiaceae). (Photo by Merlin D. Tuttle, Bat Conservation International) Page 8 Celebrating 100 Years at the National Museum of Natural History The Natural History Building first 1965 opened its doors to the public on 17 March 1910. The Museum will celebrate its 100th birthday with a special exhibition featuring archival and modern photo- graphs highlighting many facets of this building—its people, collections, exhibi- tions, and outreach throughout the years. Photographs both old and new will give snapshots of life and work at the Museum over the past 100 years. The staff, research associates, contractors, volunteers, fel- lows, and visitors of the Department of Botany came together in January to cel- ebrate the centennial with a group picture. Two previous staff photographs appear here. On the following page is the 2010 Botany photograph, taken by Smithsonian photographer, Chip Clark.
12 December 1990
Page 9 The Department of Botany
1. Jamie Whitacre (contractor) 22. Stanwyn Shetler (emeritus scientist) 42. James Norris (staff) 2. Eduardo Garcia Milagros (contractor) 23. Stanley Yankowski (staff) 43. Carol Kelloff (staff) 3. Hilary Cochard (volunteer) 24. Chris Tuccinardi (staff) 44. Mark Strong (staff) 4. Vicki Funk (staff) 25. Jim Harle (volunteer) 45. Robert Sims (staff) 5. Stephen Smith (staff) 26. Katherine Rankin (staff) 46. Andrew Clark (staff) 6. Warren Wagner (staff) 27. William Cavan Allen (contractor) 47. Natalya Crump (term appointment) 7. Gregory McKee (staff) 28. Pedro Acevedo (staff) 48. Mike Bordelon (staff) 8. Laurence Dorr (staff) 29. J. Mauricio Bonifacino (visiting 49. Aaron Goldberg (research associate) 9. Paul Peterson (staff) scientist) 50. Lynn Russo (volunteer) 10. Robert Soreng (research associate) 30. Jim Estes (visiting scientist) 51. Florence “Pat” Jones (contractor) 11. Barrett Brooks (staff) 31. Weidong Zhu (visiting scientist) 52. Jimmy Triplett (post-doctoral fellow) 12. Walter Adey (staff) 32. Mary Ann Apicelli (staff) 53. Emanuela Appetiti (staff) 13. Laurence Skog (emeritus scientist) 33. Roz Elliott (volunteer) 54. Sue Lutz (staff) 14. Christian Feuillet (research associate) 34. Jane Reich (volunteer) 55. Sylvia Orli (staff) 15. Dan Nicolson (emeritus scientist) 35. Linda Hollenberg (staff) 56. Ellen Farr (emeritus scientist) 16. Rusty Russell (staff) 36. Deborah Bell (staff) 57. Elaine Haug (staff) 17. Robert Ireland (research associate) 37. Leslie Brothers (staff) 58. Maria Faust (emeritus scientist) 18. Dieter Wasshausen (emeritus scientist) 38. Alain Touwaide (staff) 59. Shruti Dube (term appointment) 19. Kenneth Wurdack (staff) 39. Gary Krupnick (staff) 60. Rose Gulledge (staff) 20. W. John Kress (staff) 40. Jun Wen (staff) 61. Ida Lopez (staff) 21. Robert Faden (staff) 41. Susan Rechen (staff) 62. Alice Tangerini (staff) Page 10 21 January 2010
63. Patricia Davis (staff) 64. Margaret Gardner (staff) 65. Rong Li (post-doctoral fellow) 66. Jianying Xiang (post-doctoral fellow) 67. Neal Berg (volunteer) 68. Robin Everly (staff) 69. Sara Alexander (contractor) 70. Haywood Dail Laughinghouse (contractor) 71. Carla Miller (contractor) Not Present 72. Fiona Wilkinson (contractor) • John Boggan (staff) • Daniel Layton (contractor) 73. Jennifer Hill (contractor) • Jay Bolin (post-doctoral fellow) • Qing Lin (visiting scientist) 74. Jenny Datiles (intern) • Sarah “Sally” Eichhorn (staff) • Diane Littler (research associate) 75. Sabrina Crane (contractor) • David Erickson (research associate) • Mark Littler (staff) 76. Patricia Groome (contractor) • Bernadette Gibbons (staff) • Shirley Maina (staff) 77. Ingrid Pol-yin Lin (contractor) • Vinita Gowda (contractor) • Silvana Martén-Rodríguez 78. Jim Short (volunteer) • James Horn (post-doctoral fellow) (post-doctoral fellow) 79. Celia Chen (visiting scientist) • Gabriel Johnson (staff) • Harold Robinson (staff) 80. Zhumei Ren (visiting scientist) • Anurita Krishnan (contractor) • Elizabeth Zimmer (staff) Page 11 Adventures in After the conference in Montevideo, Funk, Sancho and Bonifacino went on an Patagonia extended botanical expedition to Patagonia in Argentina. They took the ferry to Bue- In December 2009 and January 2010, nos Aires and flew to El Calafate where Vicki Funk and two former postdoctoral they started a journey that took them fellows, J. Mauricio Bonifacino (MVFA) through more than 3000 km of rugged and Gisela Sancho (LP), participated in a terrain. About half the time they traveled three-day conference and conducted field through the Patagonian steppe and then work in South America. The conference alongside the jagged peaks of the southern had two parts: a public symposium, Sys- Andes. tematics, Evolution and Biogeography of An extended 3-year drought was in the Compositae, and a small meeting for place along the steppe; the drought and Compositae scientists. The conference was and an unusually cold and late spring hosted by the Facultad de Agronomía in made the collecting spots fewer and harder Montevideo, Uruguay, thanks to the gener- to find. Notwithstanding these weather- ous support of Facultad de Agronomía, related challenges, more than 100 collec- Comisión Sectorial de Investigación tions of Compositae were obtained. These Científica de Uruguay (CSIC), Programa collections served primarily as an updated de Desarrollo de Ciencias Básicas input to the ongoing project for a revisited (PEDECIBA), and the Smithsonian Insti- Flora Patagonica, and will also foster Map showing locations corresponding tution. further advance on the understanding of with collecting sites. 1) El Calafate; 2) At the public symposium, Funk, Boni- the basal lineages of the Compositae and Sunken crater northeast from Cardiel facino, and Sancho were among those who provide modern collections with molecular Lake; 3) Estancia Sierras Blancas; presented talks. In the afternoon meetings, material for many important taxa. 4) Chubut; 5) Between Los Antiguos there were discussions of the ongoing First in a series of rewarding collecting and Paso Roballos; 6) Between Lago project on the systematics of Gochnatieae, spots was a sunken crater in the middle Pueyrredon and Chile; 7) Los Glaciares a critical basal lineage in the Compositae. of a plateau northeast from Cardiel Lake National Park. On the final day they went for a field trip in Santa Cruz, Argentina. Among several to the southern end of Cuchilla Grande interesting collections there was a species that everyone agreed should be investi- hill range in southern Uruguay where they of Nastanthus (Calyceraceae) which was gated further. observed and collected several strict and rather prolific on the upper rim of the cra- Second, in northeast Santa Cruz, in regional endemic species such as Schlech- ter. Bonifacino found this location using Estancia Sierras Blancas, they found an tendalia luzulifolia Less. Google Earth and it is definitely a place area dominated by rather dramatic white sandstone formations and several collec- tions where obtained. Third, after many stops without results the collectors were please to findEria - chaenium magellanicum Sch. Bip. The small muddy lake alongside route 24 in Chubut produced the first collection of this monotypic genus which has not been sequenced. The species, with fleshy, shiny, dark green leaves and minute heads, grows totally appressed to the ground. Shortly after this collection Sancho had to return home and Funk and Bonifacino continued to western Patagonia. Fourth, along the border with Chile between Los Antiguos and Paso Roballos (on a road not yet open for the season) they found a rocky outcrop that was a veri- table rock garden of interesting plants all small and appressed to the ground, includ- ing Nassauvia (Compositae), Violaceae, Calyceraceae, and Valerianaceae. Fifth, at the end of a very bad road Speakers at the conference during a fieldtrip to southern end of Cuchilla Grande between Lago Pueyrredon and Chile, hill range in southern Uruguay (Standing, from left to right: Gisela Sancho, Liliana among a vast area dominated by Mulinum Katinas, and Vicki Funk; kneeling, Nadia Roque and J. Mauricio Bonifacino. Page 12 J. Mauricio Bonifacino and Vicki Funk in Los Glaciares Nacional Park with Laguna Capri and Cerro Fitz Roy on the background.
Nassauvia sp., Santa Cruz, Argentina. On 19 December, having success- Chile, she could not refrain from making a fully completed the first two parts of the few collections of interesting plants. spinosum (Apiaceae), they found another expedition, Bonifacino flew home. Funk The U.S. National Herbarium has Compositae “garden” with Hypocha- flew to Bariloche , where she met with around 500,000 sheets of Compositae with eris, Erigeron, Perezia, two species of Cecilia Ezcurra (BCRU), the Director of a strong representation from the western Leucheria along with Quinchemalium of the Herbarium at Universidad Nacional hemisphere, but there are few collections the Santalaceae and Calyceraceae. del Comahue. Ezcurra loaned Funk a plant from Patagonia so the results of these trips Finally, at Los Glaciares National Park press and offered to mail any additional will be a welcome addition. near Cerro Fitz Roy, along and above collections to LP. Also in Bariloche was the Rio Blanco, several climbs up the Jim Nix, Funk’s husband, who was fly steep slopes produced all three species of fishing. Funk collected east of Bariloche Naussavia that were known from the park. and near Junin de Los Andes. On 1 Janu- Before leaving the Fitz Roy area, Funk ary, Funk and Nix took a bus to Esquel and Bonifacino each gave presentations and then a driver took them to near La to a group of park rangers. In El Calafate Junta, Chile where Funk collected in the they mailed all of their collections to San- temperate wet forests of Chilean Patago- cho in La Plata. nia. Although Funk was on leave while in
Eriachaenium magellanicum Sch. Bip., Nastanthus sp. (Calyceraceae) at the upper rim of a crater, Santa Cruz, Argentina. central Chubut, Argentina. Page 13 Focus on Research Associates There is No Moss on This Rolling Stone! Robert R. Ireland Curates the US Bryophyte Herbarium By Vicki A. Funk Robert R. Ireland was born in the small the common mosses in the field. While lected mosses, mainly in Washington, town of Kingman, Kansas in 1932 but he was attending the Biological Station, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and British soon left with his parents to be raised and Elva Lawton, a specialist on mosses at the Columbia; made pencil drawings for the educated in several other larger towns in University of Washington in Seattle, wrote artists to ink of numerous mosses for the Kansas. His parents eventually moved to Jack Sharp that she had just received flora; and did many chromosome counts to Topeka, the capital of Kansas, which a National Science Foundation grant to of mosses in the region. He received his is near the University of Kansas where write a book on the Moss Flora of the Ph.D. in 1966 with a thesis entitled, A Ireland graduated from high school. He Pacific Northwest and needed a student Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Pla- received his B.A. (1956) and M.A. (1957) Research Assistant to help her with the giothecium in North America, North of from the University of Kansas majoring in work. Ireland left the Smithsonian and Mexico. Upon graduation he was offered a Botany, probably because his middle name accepted the research position since he had position at the National Museum of Natu- is Root, which was his grandmother’s always wanted to see Pacific Northwest ral Sciences (now known as the Canadian maiden name. He studied vascular plants and the numerous interesting mosses that Museum of Nature) in Ottawa, Ontario at the university, with his thesis being on occurred there. where he served from 1966-1994, first as a biosystematics study of two Kansas spe- As a Research Assistant Ireland col- the Curator of Bryophytes (1966-1991) cies of the genus Erythronium (Liliaceae). Shortly before Ireland’s graduation in 1957, Conrad V. Morton sent a letter to the Botany Department of the University of Kansas saying that he wanted someone to come to the Smithsonian to learn the bryophytes. Ireland decided to switch botanical fields. He then started his career at the Smithsonian in the summer of 1957 by accepting the position as an Herbarium Aid in Cryptogams where he worked in one of the towers of the old sandstone Smithsonian Castle Building with the lichenologist Mason E. Hale. A year later he became an Assistant Curator of Bryophytes. Since there was no one at the Smithsonian to teach him the bryophytes, he learned them on his own from books and herbarium specimens. He also did field work to collect bryophytes mostly in the Shenandoah National Park, the Dismal Swamp region in southern Virginia, Ice Mountain in West Virginia and Roan Mountain in North Carolina. He sent the specimens he identified for verification as well as those that he could not identify to other well known bryologists, especially Howard Crum at the University of Michi- gan. Ireland soon decided that he preferred the mosses to the other two groups of bryophytes, namely the hornworts and the liverworts. Ireland attended the University of Michigan Biological Station (known as the “Bug Camp”) in the summer of 1961, where A.J. Sharp (University of Tennes- see) was teaching the bryophytes. It was Ireland, R.R. 1985. A new species of Cynodontium from Mexico. The Bryologist here that he learned to recognize many of 88(4): 372-373. Page 14 continued his studies on the mosses at the U.S. National Herbarium, sometimes working with Harold Robinson on a few publications. He also traveled to the Missouri Botanical Garden for a couple of months for several summers to study their moss collections and work with the bryologists there. In 2001 he received a National Geographic Research Grant (NGRG) to study the moss flora of the Bío-Bío Region in south-central Chile. The following year he received another NGRG to continue his study of the mosses in this large and interesting region. During the two expeditions, over 6,000 speci- mens of mosses were collected, including duplicate specimens which he has supplied the Smithsonian for exchange with other institutions. Ireland is still identifying many of the specimens, as well as trying to find specialists in some difficult families of mosses to assist him with naming those in their field of expertise. In addition to his present interest in the mosses of Chile, he has authored or coauthored treatments of two families and several genera of mosses in the book Moss Flora of Mexico (Sharp, Crum and Eckel; 1994) and is currently publishing several genera and families in the Bryophytes: Mosses, parts 1 and 2, of the Flora of North America series. His main interest has always been in the pleurocarpous, or
Continued on page 16 Ireland, R.R. 2004. Dacryophyllum falcifolium, a new North American genus and species (Musci: Hypnaceae) from California. Novon 14(1): 70-74. and then as Research Scientist of Bryo- region of Quebec along the western coast phytes (1991-1994). of the Hudson Bay; in many regions of During his research in Canada, Ireland Ontario; and in the northern part of British worked mainly in the Maritime prov- Columbia, accessible only by sea planes. inces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia In 1994 his position was terminated after and Prince Edward Island; he eventually the Canadian Museum of Nature had published a book on the moss flora of financial problems and 34 employees, the region in 1982. While in Canada he including eight scientists, were released. also published 1) Checklist of the Mosses Ireland has two sons, the oldest is of Canada (1980, revised in 1987), with a civil engineer and the youngest is a four other bryologists; 2) an Illustrated computer software designer. Both live in Guide to Some Hornworts, Liverworts Ottawa, Canada. Ireland’s wife of 39 years and Mosses of Eastern Canada, with a passed away in 1996. In 1998 Ireland student bryologist; 3) a number of meiotic decided to move back to northern Virginia chromosome counts of mosses; and 4) to escape the cold weather of Canada SEM studies on the morphology of spores and also be near his oldest son who was of species in three genera of mosses. working in Virginia at the time. In 1999 Besides collecting several years in the Ireland returned to his bryological origins Maritime provinces for his book, Ireland and became a Research Associate in the also collected in the Arctic on Bathurst Department of Botany at the National Robert Ireland at age 40 at work in the Island where the Canadian Museum of Museum of Natural History. herbarium at the Canadian Museum of Nature had a field station; in the subarctic Over the past ten years, Ireland has Nature in 1972. Page 15 Ireland ibn Butlan that deals with the factors Profile Continued from page 15 influencing human health – from the air, Continued from page 1 the environment, and food, to physical prostrate mosses, of the families Plagioth- been assisting in identifying synonymy exercise and sexual activity. In contrast to eciaceae and Hypnaceae, in addition to problems and resolving gaps in specimen the Arabic original, several copies of the his interest in the acrocarpous, or erect data records, such as identifying missing Latin version are illustrated. Characteristi- mosses, of the family Dicranaceae. geographic data at the state, province, and cally, these illustrated Tacuinum sanitatis His outside interests are travelling island level. come from northern Italy and date to the to different countries, watching sports Further, of the approximately 5 million 14th century. Their illustrations are not (he also coached little league baseball specimens in the collection at the U.S. just scientific representations of the plants in Canada for 25 years) and collecting National Herbarium, roughly 1 million and other substances used as medicines; stamps, both U.S. and Canadian. specimens (20%) have been inventoried. instead, they include all the factors that He hopes to continue working at the Interns are helping to build the database influence health. For all the subjects, the Smithsonian, mainly in the winter, and by inventorying specimens from tar- images represent all the elements in their spend part of his time in Canada dur- geted plant families (e.g., Fabaceae and context, thus offering a series of snapshots ing their summer. Certainly his efforts in Poaceae) and geographic regions (e.g., the of medieval daily environment, life, and curating our somewhat neglected Bryo- West Indies) for conservation assessments. activities. phyte collection here at the U.S. National The Collections Management, headed Such images constitute a source of Herbarium are most appreciated and we by Rusty Russell, hosted the most interns particular importance for the history of hope to see him around in the winters for this past year, focusing on projects ranging botanical knowledge and illustration. some time to come. from the plant image collection to organiz- Plants are not only represented in great ing the historic map collection. The Plant detail, but also inserted into their envi- A Medieval Book Image Collection project is a continua- ronment, be it natural or human. Many tion of the longstanding work to build for a Healthy Life of these representations include human and make available tens of thousands of figures, which illustrate the way plants Among its many treasures, the Bib- plant images on the Botany website. In were collected, treated, used, or loaded liothèque de France in Paris holds a great 2010, in addition to adding images from with cultural meanings. They constitute a many medieval herbals and medical books Mary Stensvold (U.S. Forest Service), the material of great interest for a study of the splendidly illustrated. One of these is the West Virginia University herbarium, and interaction between men and plants. manuscript latinus 9333, which has been other donated collections, Russell and his As Touwaide shows, the manuscript reproduced in facsimile with a volume of interns plan to conserve the Soderstrom encapsulates a knowledge and wisdom study by the Spanish publisher Moleiro. slide collection, archive backup images, gained by trial and error over centuries, In the volume of study, Alain Touwaide and upload selected images to both the often going back to a much earlier period. has contributed three chapters in which Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) and Smithso- The archeology of its text brings to light he highlights the history, importance, and nian Flickr sites. the odyssey of medicine and science in the originality of this manuscript. Another project focuses on the botany Mediterranean area and beyond, as latinus Latinus 9333 is a copy of the so- of the United States Exploring Expedi- 9333 moved from Italy further north, called Tacuinum sanitatis. It is the Latin tion: 1838-1842. In the U.S. National where its Latin text was translated into translation of a treatise originally written Herbarium there are potentially 10,000 German. in Arabic by the 11th-century physician U.S. Exploring Expedition specimens from around the world. It is estimated that a total of 50,000 botanical specimens exist at a variety of herbaria across the country and around the globe. A compre- hensive narrative discussing the Botany of the U.S. Exploring Expedition has not yet been done. This project focuses on the botanical story of the expedition from its historical and scientific perspectives. The project’s goals include enumerating the entire collection, conserving each speci- men, and producing a web presentation that integrates specimens and historical documents, such as publications, corre- spondence, manuscripts, field notes, and journal entries, into a precise resource on the Botany of the U.S. Exploring Expedi- tion. Interns have been working in the The manuscript of Paris, Bibliothe`que nationale de France, latinus 9333: f. 36 herbarium to extract specimens collected verso: Ocimum basilicum L.; and f. 37 recto: Mandragora officinarum L. on the U.S. Exploring Expedition as well Page 16 as conducting research online, and in libraries and archives to resolve gaps in the specimen data record. Additionally, interns have been managing the growing Wilkes collection and transcribing histori- cal documents. Russell also leads a study to examine the floristic changes in the Santa Rosa/San Jacinto National Monument. The Depart- ment of Botany has a cooperative project between the U.S. National Herbarium, the Riverside Municipal Museum, the University of Redlands and the University of California-Riverside mapping changes in the flora of the Santa Rosa/San Jacinto National Monument area in Riverside County using thousands of historic specimen records and modern botanical collections. Interns have been assembling herbarium specimens from this locality and collecting data in electronic form. Digital images have been created. Most importantly, interns have been translating the general locality information in geo-ref- erence points in order for it to be interpre- Gary Krupnick (R) and his Plant Conservation Unit winter-break interns (L-R): table by GIS. Information obtained from Dana Gadeken, Marie Balboa, Siddharth Rajagopalan, and Eleanor Moran. (Photo this project will contribute to improved by Elaine Haug) public education as well as to decisions made by the Bureau of Land Management interns in the Eastern Caribbean islands, interned with Faden in 1994 and 1995, and regarding designation of certain land in where they have an on-going investigation Jeffery Saarela who interned with Paul the area of the National Monument. on the relationship between the genus Hel- Peterson in 2001. Beyond herbarium work, the Depart- iconia and their hummingbird pollinators. Below is a partial list of the 2009 ment has hosted interns in a laboratory The students learned how to set up an eco- interns hosted by the Department of setting and in the field. Liz Zimmer has logical study, record observations, dissect Botany (listed by supervisor and project). had interns isolate plant DNAs from vari- flowers, and collect and analyze nectar. W. John Kress ous forms of tissue samples, check the Mark and Diane Littler have mentored Evolutionary history of Heliconia amount and integrity of the DNAs and interns in the Bahamas, where they taught • Laura Lagomarsino, University of amplify and sequence DNAs with specific methods of SCUBA-based field collecting California, Berkeley barcoding gene primers. Bob Faden hosted and pressing techniques for various algal interns who learned about plant anatomy species, plus molecular, preservation and Isolation and barcoding plant DNA and microtechnique using living plants identification techniques. samples grown in the Botany Department Research Many interns have presented their • Tarja de Soysa, Smith College Greenhouse. The techniques used include Smithsonian internship research at • Nandita Fernandes, St. George’s Uni- paraffin-embedded sections, whole leaf scientific meetings and conferences. For versity clearings, epidermal scrapes, and scan- instance, Laura Lagomarsino, an under- • Silvia Nicole, University of Padona ning electron microscopy. Other research- graduate student from the University of • Ci Xiuqin, Chinese Academy of Sci- ers in Botany, such as Pedro Acevedo, California – Berkeley, now in the graduate ence Laurence Dorr, Vicki Funk, John Kress, program at Harvard University, presented • Zhang Yongjians, China Agricultural Mark Littler, James Norris, Paul Peterson, an oral paper, “Phylogeny and Floral Evo- University Harold Robinson, Laurence Skog, and lution of Heliconia section Heliconia,” at • Zhuo Zhang, University of Michigan Warren Wagner have hosted interns in an the joint Botany and Mycology 2009 Soci- Molecular phylogeny of the Strelitziaceae organized 10-week hypothesis-driven, eties meetings held in Snowbird, Utah, this • Cary Pirone, Florida International in-residence summer research and study past July. Like Lagomarsino, many interns University curriculum for undergraduate students. have gone on to graduate school to further For the ultimate botanical experience, their education in botany. Several interns Gary Krupnick interns have participated in field research. who have completed their doctorates are Conservation assessment of plant species Over the past six years, through funding now Research Associates in the depart- • Marie Balboa, University of North from Smith College, Kress and his gradu- ment and are active collaborators with Carolina Chapel Hill ate student Vinita Gowda have mentored Botany staff, such as Chris Hardy who Continued on page 18 Page 17 Profile • Chutimon Sindhuprama, University of ies and in the winter discounts on skat- Continued from page 17 Michigan ing and equipment rental at the National • Amanda Swango, University of North Gallery Sculpture Garden Ice Skating • Kelsey Brooks, Princeton University Carolina, Chapel Hill Rink, located next to the Natural History • Hannah Brown, Averett University Filing plant specimens Museum. • Emily Forse, Georgetown University • Eric Caine, Phillips Exeter Academy • Dana Gadeken, University of Mary High School Washington Publications • Michael Ely, Winston Churchill High • Joo Hyun Lee, George Washington School Clark, J.L. and L.E. Skog. 2009. Novae University Gesneriaceae Neotropicarum XVI: Pear- • Grace Liu, University of West Georgia Floristic changes in the Santa Rosa/San cea pileifolia, a new species of Gesneri- • Melissa Marshall, Smith College Jacinto National Monument aceae from South America. Novon 19(4): • Eleanor Moran, University of Virginia • Steven Chong, San Jose State Univer- 439-443. • Mayda Nathan, Dartmouth College sity • Julie Szymakzek, American University • Siddharth Rajagopalan, University of Clark, J.R., W.L. Wagner and E.H. Virginia Linguistic analysis of ethnobotanical data Roalson. 2009. Patterns of diversifica- • Ashley Sullivan, American University from herbarium collections tion and ancestral range reconstruction in • Linda Yi, Towson University • Aaron Freeman, University of Mary- the Southeast Asian-Pacific angiosperm land lineage Cyrtandra (Gesneriaceae). Mol. Mark Littler Phylogenet. Evol. 53(3): 982-994. Collecting expedition in Bahamas Plant Image Collection • Genna Fleming, University of Mary- • Kristal Ambrose, Caribbean Marine Demes, K.W., M.M. Littler and D.S. land Research Center Littler. 2010. Comparative phosphate • Caitlin O’Brian, Caribbean Marine Liz Zimmer acquisition in giant-celled rhizophytic Research Center Isolation and barcoding plant DNA algae (Bryopsidales, Chlorophyta): Fleshy • Jean Pearson, Caribbean Marine samples vs. calcified forms.Aquat. Bot. 92(2): Research Center • Reilley Keane, The Potomac High 157-160. School Rusty Russell Dick, C.W. and W.J. Kress. 2009. Dis- • Elizabeth Lyons, George Washington Arizona flora secting tropical plant diversity with forest University • Sarah Molinari, College of William plots and a molecular toolkit. Bioscience • Lara Mittereder, George Mason Uni- and Mary 59(9): 745-755. • Alice Zicht, Oberlin College versity • Shannon Peters, Michigan State Uni- Dorr, L.J. 2009. Chiranthomontodendron: Biological field books versity the correct nothogeneric name for the • Claire Grunes, Winston Churchill High • Angela Turner, Virginia Tech artificial hybridChiranthodendron × Fre- School • Radhika Wikramanayake, George montodendron (Malvaceae: Malvoideae). Botany of the United States Exploring Washington University Taxon 58(4): 1357-1358. Expedition: 1838-1842 • Lorah Patterson, Western Michigan Educational experiences offered Dorr, L.J. 2009. Xylococcus (Ericaceae) , University to the interns can often go beyond the p. 404. In Flora of North America Edito- • Caroline Young, Kenyon College assigned tasks and duties. The Museum rial Committee. Flora of North America, also provides a suite of behind-the-scenes Vol. 8. Magnoliophyta: Paeoniaceae to Catalogue of Botany maps tours, lunch discussions and even special Ericaceae. Oxford University Press, New • Sarah Beaver, Appalachian State Uni- lectures for interns to participate in. In York. versity addition, students can explore the sights • Jarrod Fredericks, Florida State Uni- of DC and join special activities arranged Dorr, L.J. 2009. Zenobia (Ericaceae), pp. versity just for students participating in Smith- 506-507. In Flora of North America Edito- • Kaylin Gaal, College of Wooster sonian academic appointments. This past rial Committee. Flora of North America, • Eamonn Hayes, University of North summer, a Smithsonian-wide Museum Vol. 8. Magnoliophyta: Paeoniaceae to Carolina, Greensboro Careers Seminar Series featured topics Ericaceae. Oxford University Press, New • Jasper Holleman, Christelyk Lyceum such as career planning, choosing a gradu- York. Zeist High School ate school, and filling out a government • Kyle Lincoln, Kalamazoo College Dorr, L.J. and B. Stergios. 2009. A new job application. • Paige Looney, University of Georgia species of Schefflera (Araliaceae) from the Registered interns have also enjoyed • Amanda Manahan, Heidelberg Uni- Venezuelan Andes. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas other benefits. They have received dis- versity 3(2): 605-608. counts at the Smithsonian’s gift shops • Hitesh Pant, American University and one free IMAX ticket each week. Feuillet, C.P. 2009. Checklist of the • Alex Peimer, State University of New They have also received discounts at the Plants of the Guiana Shield. 1. An update York, New Paltz National Gallery gift shops and eater- to the Angiosperms. J. Bot. Res. Inst. • James Shoemaker, Kalamazoo College Texas 3(2): 799-814. Page 18 Feuillet, C.P. 2009. Folia Taxonomica 13. and recommendations. Smithson. Contrib. Vernonieae) and neotypification ofVer - Passiflora Curva (Passifloraceae), a new Mar. Sci. 38: 401-414. nonia teitensis Hoffm. Phytologia 91(3): species from French Guiana in subgenus 483-493. Passiflora supersection Coccinea. J. Bot. Lobato, A.K.S., L.M. Luz, R.C.L. Costa, Res. Inst. Texas 3(2): 577-580. B.G. Santos Filho, A.C.S. Meirelles, C.F. Robinson, H.E. 2009. The generic dis- Oliveira Neto, H.D. Laughinghouse, position of the African Vernonia biafrae Feuillet, C.P. 2009. Folia Taxonomica M.A.M. Neto, G.A.R. Alves, M.J.S. Lopes Oliv. & Hiern (Vernonieae: Asteraceae). 15. Five new species of Paradrymonia and H.K.B. Neves. 2009. Silicon exercises Phytologia 91(3): 534-536. subgenus Paradrymonia (Gesneriaceae: influence on nitrogen components in pep- Episcieae) from the Venezuelan Guayana. per subjected to water deficit.Res. J. Biol. Roque, N., A.A. Conceição and H.E. Rob- J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 3(2): 583-592. Sci. 4(9): 1048-1055. inson. 2009. A new species of Catolesia (Asteraceae, Eupatorieae) from Bahia, Feuillet, C.P. 2009. Folia Taxonomica 16. Macintyre, I.G., M.A. Toscano, I.C. Feller Brazil. Novon 19: 507-510. Dilkea 1. Epkia, a new subgenus and five and M.A. Faust. 2009. Decimating man- new species from western Amazonia and grove forests for commercial development Soreng, R.J. 2009. 8.10 Poa L., pp. 108- the Guianas. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 3(2): in the Pelican Cays, Belize: Long-term 135. In L.K. Anderton and M.E. Bark- 593-604. ecological loss for short-term gain? Smith- worth, eds. Grasses of the Intermountain son. Contrib. Mar. Sci. 38: 281-290. Region. Intermountain Herbarium, Logan, Feuillet, C.P. and J. Vanderplank. 2009. Utah. Folia Taxonomica 14. Notes on Passiflora Ochyra, R. and R.R. Ireland. 2009. supersection Coccinea (Passifloraceae) A new species of Taxiphyllum (Musci: Soreng, R.J., L.J. Gillespie and S.W.L. from the Guiana Shield. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Hypnaceae) from Sri Lanka. Novon 19(4): Jacobs. 2009. Saxipoa and Sylvipoa – two Texas 3(2): 581-582. 485-489. new genera and a new classification for Australian Poa (Poaceae: Poinae). Aust. Fleming, T.H., C. Geiselman and W.J. Panero, J.L. and V.A. Funk. 2009. New Syst. Bot. 22(6): 401-412. Kress. 2009. The evolution of bat pollina- tribes in Asteraceae. Phytologia 91(3): tion: a phylogenetic perspective. Ann. Bot. 568-570. Sun, B.L., C.-. Zhang, P.P. Lowry and J. 104(6): 1017-1043. Wen. 2009. Cryptic dioecy in Nyssa yun- Peterson, P.M. 2009. 10.12 Eragrostis nanensis (Nyssaceae), a critically endan- Giraldo-Canas, D. and P.M. Peterson. Wolf, pp. 184-189, 416−420, 506. In gered species from tropical eastern Asia. 2009. El genero Muhlenbergia (Poaceae: L.K. Anderton and M.E. Barkworth, eds. Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 96: 672-684. Chloridoideae: Cynodonteae: Muhlen- Grasses of the Intermountain Region. bergiinae) in Colombia. Caldasia 31(2): Intermountain Herbarium, Logan, Utah. Terrell, E.E. and P.M. Peterson. 2009. 269-302. Annotated list of Maryland grasses Peterson, P.M. 2009. 10.17 Muhlenbergia (Poaceae). J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 3(2): Gillespie, L.J., R.J. Soreng and S.W.L. Schreb, pp. 196-210, 427−442, 507−509. 905-919. Jacobs. 2009. Phylogenetic relationships In L.K. Anderton and M.E. Barkworth, of Australian Poa (Poaceae: Poinae), eds. Grasses of the Intermountain Region. Touwaide, A., ed. 2009. Indigenous vs. including molecular evidence for two new Intermountain Herbarium, Logan, Utah. Foreign: Early-Modern Materia Medica genera, Saxipoa and Sylvipoa. Aust. Syst. in Comparative Perspective. Early Sci. Bot. 22(6): 413-436. Peterson, P.M. and C.R. Annable. 2009. Med., Vol. 14. Brill, Leiden. 10.08 Blepharoneuron Nash, pp. 181, 413, Krayesky, D.M., J.N. Norris, P.W. Gabri- 506. In L.K. Anderton and M.E. Bark- Touwaide, A. 2009. Introduction to the elson, D. Gabriel and S. Fredericq. 2009. worth, eds. Grasses of the Intermountain special fascicle “Indigenous vs. Foreign: A new order of red algae based on the Region. Intermountain Herbarium, Logan, Early-Modern Materia Medica in Compar- Peyssonneliaceae, with an evaluation of Utah. ative Perspective.” Early Sci. Med. 14(6): the ordinal classification of the Florideo- 677-679. Peterson, P.M. and J.T. Columbus. 2009. phyceae (Rhodophyta). Proc. Biol. Soc. Wurdack, K.L. and L.J. Dorr. 2009. The Wash. 122(3): 364-391. Muhlenbergia tarahumara (Poaceae: Choridoideae: Cynodonteae: Muhlenber- South American genera of Hemerocal- Kress, W.J., D.L. Erickson, F. Andrew giinae), a new species from Chihuahua, lidaceae (Eccremis and Pasithea): two Jones, N.G. Swenson, R. Perez, O. Sanjur Mexico. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 3(2): introductions to the New World. Taxon and E. Bermingham. 2009. Plant DNA 527-534. 58(4): 1122-1132. barcodes and a community phylogeny of Xie, L., W.L. Wagner, R.H. Rhee, P.E. a tropical forest dynamics plot in Panama. Peterson, P.M., S.L. Hatch and A.S. Weakley. 2009. 10.14 Sporobolus R. Berry and J. Wen. 2009. Molecular Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 106(44): phylogeny, divergence time estimates, 18627-18632. Br., pp. 190-195, 421−425, 507. In L.K. Anderton and M.E. Barkworth, eds. and historical biogeography of Circaea Littler, M.M., Littler, D.S. and Brooks, Grasses of the Intermountain Region. (Onagraceae) in the Northern Hemisphere. B.L. 2009. Herbivory, nutrients, stochastic Intermountain Herbarium, Logan, Utah. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 53: 995-1009. events, and relative dominances of benthic indicator groups on coral reefs: a review Robinson, H.E. 2009. Additions to the genus Orbivestus H. Rob. (Asteraceae:
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Commelina polhillii Faden & Alford At times, the Smithsonian internship program results in a co-authored publication in a scientific journal. Robert Faden mentored Smithsonian intern Mac Alford in 1997. Their collaboration resulted in the description of a new species Commelina polhillii Faden & Alford (Commelinaceae) (Novon 11:16-21; 2001). Collections made by Faden in Tanzania in 1996 turned up a new species of Commelina that was very similar to Commelina subulata. Plants were grown for study in the Botany Department Research Greenhouse from seeds collected in the field. From these plants and herbarium collections, the characters of the two different species were investigated. The primary difference between the two species proved to be seed shape and surface pattern. Differentiation of species was also investigated by Alford using cytological and anatomical techniques. The anatomical studies of leaves revealed additional information necessary for a complete understanding of the two species.
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