Oxford

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

OPS 12 March 2005

Editorial Contents

Yesterday I organised a plant practical class

for 100 first year biology undergraduate

students. The task was to draw and compare Editorial the floral structure of a snowdrop and a Robert Scotland ……………… ……………………………. 2 hellebore. For the vast majority of students

it was the first time in their lives that they

News items …………………………………………………………. 3 had examined the anatomy of any flower

and had explained to them what the parts

were. This despite all of them having ‘A’ Student progress …………………… ………………………….….. 3 level biology. I argued that the flower, along Ruth Eastwood with microbes and , were one of the Timothy Waters most important structures in all biology.

Today, I gave my first ever lab talk in a

……………….... 4 molecular biology context as I’ve recently Abstract of systematic thesis submit ted in 2004 started a small project to understand the Alexandra Wortley genes involved in making the daffodil

flower. Several people commented that it

Publications 2004 ……………………………………………….…. 4 was useful to see some during the

short talk. Next week, I and colleagues will

take a number of third year students to Expeditions and visits ……………… …………………………….. 5 Portugal for two weeks to study the form

and function of Mediterranean plants. In an

Field trip report educational environment increasingly

Ruth Eastwood ………………………………………….…. 5 dominated by molecular biology, student

interest in whole-organism botany/biology

remains healthy and will flourish given the Four new legumes in forty-eight hou rs opportunity and the odd enthusiastic Colin Hughes ………………… …………………….……... 6 lecturer. Once again this year OPS reflects a

wide range of systematic botany including

The Oxford-Bolivia Darwin Project virtual field herbaria, monographic research

and re-arrangement of the family beds at the John Wood …………………… ………………….…….….. 8 botanic garden to better reflect phylogenetic

relationships. I would draw your attention to

Continuing research on Aglaia three particular items in this year’s news-

Caroline Pannell ………………………………………..… 9 letter. First, congratulations to Alex Wortley

for winning the Irene Manton prize for her

D.Phil thesis on Thomandersia. Second, the Classification and phylogeny at the Oxford Botanic Garden article by John Wood on our Darwin funded Timothy Walker ……………… …………………….……. 10 project aimed at capacity building of

herbaria in Bolivia. John is to be

The Oxford University Herbarium database congratulated for making this project totally

in keeping with aims of the Darwin Stephen A. Harris …………… ……………………….….. 11 initiative which seeks to help safeguard the

world's biodiversity by drawing on British

Oxford’s Virtual Field Herbarium – strengths in this area to assist those

bringing tropical plant life to the internet countries that are rich in biodiversity but

William Hawthorne ……………………………….….….. 11 poor in financial resources. With the help of

Darwin funding John has achieved this by

living and working in Bolivia for much of News from the herbaria the time and then for several months each

Fielding-Druce (OXF) year bringing a number of Bolivians to

Serena Marner ……………………………….…….…… 12 Oxford for specific training. In terms of

capacity building and training of personnel, Daubeny (FHO) the legacy of this project to Bolivian botany Alison Strugnell …………… ………………….………... 12 will be substantial.

The front cover features an image from the

Trees of Central America – exciting new initiative of a virtual field

herbarium developed in Oxford by William a sourcebook for extension worker s Hawthorne. This is a valiant attempt to David Boshier and Jesus Cord ero …………….….....…... 13 grapple with problems associated with

identifying plants using current technology.

BRAHMS online

Denis Filer ………………………………….………..….. 14 Robert Scotland

Typesetting and layout of this issue by

Serena Marner

2 Oxford Plant Systematics OPS 12 March 2005

work is focusing on the development of a more rapidly evolving nuclear region in an attempt to gain resolution between Andean Lupinus. Our lack of understanding of L. mutabilis is compounded by taxonomic problems caused by poor species delimitation and a surfeit of names. To address this I am undertaking specimen-based work to delimit L. mutabilis and its putative close relatives, in order to assemble a new taxonomic account of this group. Morphological studies based on herbarium specimens and field observations have led me to the hypothesis that L. semperflorens and L. eanophyllus are putative progenitors of L. mutabilis. These two species have similar distributions in the Province of Loja in Southern Ecuador and North-Central Peru. This suggests a possible origin of domestication for L. mutabilis in this part of the Andes where there is a rich history of sophisticated early civilizations. Professor Peter Raven at the re-opening ceremony of the Fielding-Druce Herbarium on 2 July 2004 During the year I visited herbaria at the British Museum, Cambridge and Kew, attended and presented seminars at The UK Legume Workshop in Reading and the News items Student progress Young Systematists Forum at the Natural

History Museum and contributed to a joint

paper entitled ‘Andean Lupinus – Barneby’s (D.Phil., third year). The Fielding-Druce Herbarium officially re- Ruth Eastwood Augean Stable’ at the BSA Botany 2004 systematics of Andean lupins and the origin opened meeting in Utah, USA. I also spent two of Lupinus mutabilis Sweet. Supervised by After completion of a major refurbishment months in the field in Ecuador and Peru (see of its facilities, the Fielding-Druce Dr Colin Hughes (Oxford) and Dr Julie fieldwork report on page 5). Herbarium was officially re-opened on 2 Hawkins (University of Reading). BBSRC studentship. July 2004 by Professor Peter Raven, The Andean region of South America was Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Timothy Waters (D.Phil., fourth year). one of a handful of independent sites of Preceding the re-opening of the herbarium, Systematics of Agathis Salisb. Supervised th early crop and animal domestication and the Professor Raven delivered the 25 by Stephen Harris (Oxford) and Aljos Lupinus Blackman Lecture to a capacity audience in origins of agriculture. The pulse Farjon (RBG Kew). NERC studentship. mutabilis is one of the “Lost Crops of the Plant Sciences which he entitled “Plants, Agathis is a of tropical conifers Incas”, a set of indigenous food plants sustainability, and our common future”. found in lowland and montane forest, and domesticated in the Andes. In common Following the lecture, Professor Raven was occasionally in scrublands, throughout much with other Andean domesticates little is presented with the Sibthorp Medal by of Malesia and in the southwest Pacific known about the origin of L. mutabilis in Professor Chris Leaver, Head of the islands. My doctoral work has been focused Department of Plant Sciences. The Sibthorp terms of likely progenitors and where, when on issues of species delimitation in the and how it was domesticated. Seeds of L. Medal is awarded by the Department for group, especially those of the southwest mutabilis have been found in Nazca tombs excellence in Plant Sciences. Pacific, and on the wider issues surrounding and the species is thought to be depicted on both the conceptual justifications and the Tiwanaku pottery thus suggesting a pre- operational utility of different approaches to Prizes Incan domestication. The aim of my D.Phil. the recognition of species. Congratulations to Dr Alex Wortley who is to investigate the origins of domestication Molecular data from samples collected in of L. mutabilis and the of its has just been awarded the Irene Manton 2003 has been disappointing as DNA putative close relatives. Prize by The Linnean Society of London, extraction has continued to prove extremely In order to do this I am using a gene for her thesis entitled Systematics of challenging, but morphological data provide based approach to identify the close Thomandersia (see page 4). The Irene clear support for a taxonomic revision relatives of L. mutabilis. Throughout this Manton Prize is awarded for the best thesis which has been prepared. This reduces the year I have increased taxon sampling of in botany examined for a doctorate of number of species recognized in New non-Andean lupins by growing, extracting philosophy during a single academic year Caledonia in view of the variation within DNA and sequencing nrITS and nDNA (September to August). It is open to taxa previously regarded as separate, which GPAT from a range of Brazilian and North candidates whose research has been carried appear to be ontogenetic phases of the same American species. This has shown for the out whilst registered at any institution in the taxon. Furthermore, parallel investigations United Kingdom. This honour for Alex first time the phylogenetic position of a using datasets developed for the study of number of Brazilian taxa. To date the ITS, comes hot on the heels of her being awarded Quercus population genetics, in the context GPAT and nDNA LEGCYC1A gene the Brian Styles Memorial Prize from the of accepted morphological taxonomies for are highly congruent but all show low levels Department of Plant Sciences. The prize, in that group, is providing insights into the of resolution among Andean taxa. Lack of memory of the late Brian Styles, is both the relationship between morphological Lupinus presented for outstanding theses in the field resolution in this part of the entities and molecular variation, and the of tropical or subtropical plant taxonomy. phylogeny stems directly from low strengths and weaknesses of different molecular variation. Current molecular

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford 3

proposed methods of species discovery therefore of little use for diagnosing 1675 and 1793-1797. Academic Press: designed for molecular data. monophyletic groups. London.. Conceptual approaches have focused on Morphological and molecular phylogenetic understanding species, and their traditional investigations support the resurrection of Harris, S.A. (2004). Senecio jacobaea. taxonomic treatment, as horizontal entitites Thomandersiaceae, a family of isolated Senecio madagascariensis. Senecio (sensu Stamos 2002), and on the phylogenetic position with a large number inaequidens. Senecio vulgaris. CABI Crop possibilities of reconciling a synchronic of molecular and morphological autapom- Protection Compendium. CABI, Oxford. approach to the species category with the orphies. At the same time, the investigations view of species taxa as homeostatic property highlight problems in resolving interfamilial Hawthorne, W.D., Jules, D., Marcelle, G. cluster kinds developed and popularized by relationships in . The ultimate aim & Wise, R. (2004). Spice Island Plants: Richard Boyd and others. of phylogenetic analysis in Lamiales is an Trees, and climbers of Grenada, accurately- resolved tree with strongly Carriacou and Petit Martinique: a picture References: supported relationships between all taxa. gallery with notes on identification, Stamos, D. N. (2002). Species, languages, Morphological characters are of limited use historical and other trivia. Oxford Forestry and the horizontal/vertical distinction. in achieving this goal: when a large Institute. ISBN 0-85074-162-9. Biology and Philosophy 17: 171-198. morphological matrix is combined with molecular data only small, poorly supported Hughes, C.E., Lewis, G.P., Daza Y., A. and increases in resolution are achieved. The Reynel, C. (2004). Maraniona. A new increasing availability of molecular Dalbergioid legume genus (Leguminosae: Abstract of Systematic sequence data is expected to make it Papilionoideae) from Peru. Systematic thesis submitted in possible, in the near future, to resolve an Botany 29(2): 366-374. accurate, supported phylogeny of Lamiales 2004: and elucidate the sister group relationships Lavin, M., Schrire, B., Lewis, G., of isolated taxa such as Thomandersiaceae. Pennington, R.T., Delgado-Salinas, A., Thulin, M., Hughes, C., Beyra Matos, A. The following D.Phil. thesis was submitted and Wojciechowski, M.F. (2004). and successfully defended in 2004: Metacommunity process rather than Publications 2004 continental tectonic history better explains

Systematics of Thomandersia Baill. geographically structured phylogenies in

Alexandra H. Wortley legumes. Philosophical Transactions of the Bhatt, A.M., Zhang, Q. and Harris, S. A., Wadham College, April 2004 Royal Society. Series B 359: 1509-1522. White-Cooper, H. and Dickinson, H. (2004).

Gene structure and molecular analysis of This thesis addresses three aspects of the Lowe, A.J., Harris, S.A. and Ashton, P.A. Arabidopsis thaliana systematics of Thomandersia. Firstly, a ALWAYS EARLY (2004). Ecological genetics. Design, Gene taxonomic account of Thomandersia is homologs. 336: 219-229. analysis and application. Blackwell provided. Secondly, the anatomy of Publishing, Oxford. Bailey, C.D., Thomandersia is described. Finally, the Hughes, C.E. and Harris, S.A. (2004). Using RAPDs to identify DNA phylogenetic position of Thomandersia in Maunder, M., Hughes, C., Hawkins, J. and sequence loci for species level phylogeny Lamiales is investigated and the potential of Culham, A. (2004). Hybridization in ex situ Leucaena morphological and molecular datasets to reconstruction: an example from plant collections: conservation concerns, (). Systematic Botany : 4-14. resolve relationships in Lamiales is 29 liabilities and opportunities. In: Guerrant, assessed. E.O., Havens, K. and Maunder, M. (Eds.). Barnea, A. & (2004). Male Six species of Thomandersia are Pannell, C.M. Ex Situ Plant Conservation. Supporting Blackbird defending Holly fruits. British recognised, based upon previous taxonomic Species Survival in the Wild: 325-364. Birds : 100–101. treatments, an assessment of variability 97 Island Press. within the genus, and a rationale for Carine, M.A., Alexander, J.A. & Scotland, describing infrageneric taxa. An improved Moylan, E.C., Bennett, J.R., Carine, M.A., R.W. (2004). Species delimitation in the key to species, species descriptions, Olmstead, R.G. and Scotland, R.W. (2004). kunthiana group distribution maps and illustrations are Phylogenetic relationships among (Phlebophyllum sensu Bremekamp). Kew presented. Strobilanthes S.L. (): evidence Bulletin A preliminary analysis of molecular 59: 1-25. from ITS and nr DNA, trn l-f cp DNA, and sequence data suggests that previous, morphology. American Journal of Botany Fontes, L., Savill, P., Luis, J. S. and Harris, morphology-based classifications of 91(5): 724-735. (2004). Identification of Douglas-Fir Thomandersia in Acanthaceae do not reflect S. A. (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) phylogenetic relationships. The floral and Moylan, E.C., Rudall, P.J. & Scotland, origin of the Portuguese provenances. Silvae wood anatomy of Thomandersia are re- R.W. (2004). Comparative floral anatomy Genetica. : 266-273. examined in this light and discussed in the 52 of Strobilanthinae (Acanthaceae), with context of Lamiales. Unique characters of particular reference to internal partitioning Gordon. J.E., ., Reyes- Thomandersia include a particularly large Hawthorne, W.D of the flower. Plant Systematics and Garcý´, A., Sandoval, G. & Barrance, A.J. calycine nectary, expanded placentas, Evolution 249: 77-98. (2004). Assessing landscapes: a case study irregular corolla aestivation, and spherical, of tree and diversity in the seasonally scaly seeds. Thomandersia is found to share Pannell, C. M. (2004). Aglaia Lour. In: anatomical features with all other Lamiales dry tropical forests of Oaxaca, Mexico and Beaman, J. H., and Anderson, C. The Plants southern Honduras. Biological Conservation investigated. Detailed anatomical studies of of Mount Kinabalu, 5. Dicotyledon Families : 429-442. retinacula, a character shared with 117 Magnoliaceae to Winteraceae: 118-126, Acanthaceae, and extrafloral nectarines, Plate 3E, 3F, Plate 4A. Natural History (2004). Acacias. Woody which may be homologous to nectarines in Harris, S.A. Publications (Borneo) in association with other Lamiales, are presented. The majority legumes (excluding Acacias). In: Burley, J., The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Evans, J. and Youngquist, J. A. of anatomical characters are homo- plastically-distributed in Lamiales and Encyclopaedia of Forest Sciences: 1668-

4 Oxford Plant Systematics OPS 12 March 2005

Pannell, C.M. (2004). Tropical rainforest focusing on the Depts of La Libertad, documented using the botanical database regeneration. Biological Sciences Review Cajamarca, Piura, Huancayo and Lima. BRAHMS and is now being used in DNA 17(2): 34 - 37. sequencing and morphological work. USA – in August, Colin Hughes attended Pannell, C.M. (2004). Three new species, the Botanical Society of America, Botany two new subspecies and five new 2004 meeting at Snowbird, Utah. An invited combinations at the subspecific level in paper entitled Andean Lupinus – Barneby’s Aglaia Lour. (Meliaceae). Kew Bulletin 59: Augean Stable, written jointly with Ruth 87 – 94. Eastwood, was presented at a Symposium commemorating Rupert Barneby’s Legume Scotland, R.W. & Sanderson, M.J. (2004). legacy. After the meeting Colin visited CAS The significance of few versus many in the and UC to study material of Lupinus. tree of life. Science 5658: 643. USA – Robert Scotland gave invited talks Starr, J.R., Harris, S.A. and Simpson, D. at the Botanical Society of America 2004 (2004). A phylogeny of the unispicate taxa meeting in Utah and at the Field Museum in in Cyperaceae Tribe Cariceae I: generic Chicago in August. relationships and evolutionary scenarios. Systematic Botany 29: 528-544.

Wortley, A.H. & Scotland, R.W. (2004). Field trip report Synonymy, sampling and seed plant numbers. Taxon 53(2): 478-480. A successful and enjoyable fieldtrip was

carried out in the Andes of Peru and

Ecuador during June and July 2004. In Peru

Expeditions and visits I travelled with Colin Hughes, Ruth Clark Fig. 2 Field of Lupinus mutabilis near Santiago from Kew and Aniceto Daza from MOL, de Chuco, Peru (RJE56). Lima. The team in Ecuador consisted of Bolivia – in January, Colin Hughes joined Tim Budden, Luis Lopez and myself. The This was my first trip to South America staff of the Darwin Initiative funded project primary aim was to expand the geographic, and the impressions and experiences I have investigating plant endemism in the central come away with include: valleys of Bolivia to run a training course on • Images of the vast and seemingly

Legume Systematics and Identification in Equator endless Andes, Cochabamba. This was followed by a short Quito Ecuador • The intensively cultivated and field visit to the Rio Grande valley system densly inhabited nature of the in the Depts of Cochabamba and Santa Andes, Cruz. • The grim desolate coastal desert, • Eating L. mutabilis seeds and Bolivia – Rosemary Wise visited Bolivia guniea pig, twice in 2004 supported by the Darwin • Seeing first hand the importance funded project. She ran two week-long of L. mutabilis as a crop in courses on the techniques of botanical Andean South America. illustration in Cochabamba and Sucre and Peru Fieldwork was carried out in collaboration spent a further four weeks painting typical with MOL herbarium in Lima, Peru and plants of the Andean Valleys which will be QCNE herbarium in Quito, Ecuador. assembled into educational posters. Lima Fieldwork grants were received from the BBSRC and the Genetics Society. Brasil – two visits, in February and November were made by Colin Hughes to Ruth Eastwood Brasil to collect material of Lupinus in collaboration with Dr Maria-Teresa Schifino-Wittmann and Dr Silvia Miotto from the Universdade Federal do Rio 300 Miles

Grande do Sul, UFRGS, in Porto Alegre and Fig. 1. Map of collections Dr Chris Fagg from the Universidade da Brasilia. The main focus of fieldwork was to morphological and taxonomic sampling of assemble material of the unifoliolate species Andean lupins concentrating especially on of Lupinus. Material of six unifoliolate and L. mutabilis and its putative close relatives, 10 digitate leaved species was collected in but we also collected other interesting Goias, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and legumes. 195 collections were assembled Santa Catarina. Work is underway to from locations across the central Andes incorporate these species into on-going (Fig. 1). Along side herbarium specimens Lupinus sequencing efforts. associated material included silica-dried material for DNA extraction, seed where Peru – in June, Colin Hughes joined Ruth available, nodules, photographs and Eastwood and Ruth Clark (K) to work with associated documentation. In addition, vital Aniceto Daza from the Universidad Agraria, field observations of characters not available Lupinus mutabilis La Molina in Lima in central and northern from herbarium specimens (flower colour, pods

Peru, to collect Lupinus and other legumes, habit, habitat, etc.). Material has been

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford 5

and listening to the dull roar of the Four new legumes in sediment-laden Marañon river grinding its forty- eight hours way down to the Amazon basin, the opposing forces of recent mountain uplift and massive erosion are nowhere more raw, Discovering new plant species in the field is stark and palpable. often as much down to serendipity as careful The dry thorn scrub is dominated by planning, and thus often an unexpected Erioteca, Ruprechtia, Loxopterygium, surprise when it happens. When we set out Capparis and numerous woody legume from the small town of Celendín in the genera. However, by early June, with the northern Peruvian Department of Cajamarca seasonal rains come and gone much of the in May 2001, our objective for the day was vegetation was leafless, few species were to travel east to the mountains around flowering and we made few collections. As Leimebamba in the neighbouring Depart- we started to climb back up from the bridge ment of Amazonas. We hoped to collect a near the village of Balsas I spotted what range of Lupinus species so were keen to looked like Parkinsonia aculeata trees spend as much time as possible higher up in scattered by the road. Given the occurrence lupin territory. However, in order to get of P. praecox alongside, I thought I might there we first had to cross the gargantuan find the very interesting spontaneous hybrid cleft carved by the Rio Marañon through the species P. xcarterae, so we stopped to take a northern Peruvian Andes – I had heard that closer look. Clearly this was not P. aculeata it was a long day to Leimebamba and that after all. Although it had the same the road could be difficult, and I was characteristic green bark, long pendulous expecting a day of driving with little pinnae and small leaflets, it lacked the collecting. As we crested the ridge to the stipular spines and spinescent leaf rachis of Aniceto Daza collecting Parkinsonia peruviana in east of Celendín, the sheer depth of the that species and the leaf rachis was long the Marañon Valley valley became apparent as we peered down with 3-4 pairs of pinnae – vegetatively quite to the distant Rio Marañon just visible some different from P. aculeata. None of the trees P. peruviana 3000m below us. The river crossing is at were in flower, but it was clearly a distinct It has now been described as 1000m while the Andean ranges to east and species of Parkinsonia. I knew immediately (Hughes et al. 2003). west are over 4000m – the mountains across it was new. in Amazonas appeared closer than the river below. It was an exciting descent through a series of progressively drier vegetation types from cold shrubby grassland or puna at the top through mid elevation mesic forest into seasonally dry tropical thorn scrub forest at the bottom near the river – the influence of a strong rain shadow from the high mountains to the east protecting the valley from the Amazonian moisture. Here in the depths of the valley overshadowed by the unbroken Andean ranges on either side, surrounded by loose rocky bluffs and unconsolidated scree,

Seasonally dry thorn scrub above the Rio Distribution of seasonally dry tropical forest in t he upper Marañon Valley in northern Peru Marañon near the Balsas crossing

6 Oxford Plant Systematics OPS 12 March 2005

This chance taste of Marañon novelty had down around Bagua. However one chooses has been conducive to diversification of the whetted our appetites for a longer visit. to assess conservation value, it is clear that repeated pairs, or even clusters of sister Nearly a year later we returned to the the upper Marañon contains a significant endemics that grow there today. Marañon, this time a month earlier hoping number of globally rare plant species. to find the new Parkinsonia in flower, and Taking just the legumes, with at least four aiming to collect more extensively in the species and one monotypic genus known valley. This time we were not passing only from the vicinity of Balsas, this through en route to Leimebamba, we were represents an important and previously little aiming for the dry thorn scrub forest itself. documented hotspot of globally rare taxa. Our luck was in. Not only was the Furthermore, there will undoubtedly be Parkinsonia flowering, but also many more more to find. The valley remains poorly species than the previous year, including explored and under-collected. Many three other legumes that have since proved stretches between the few roads and bridges to be new taxa. In the space of just two days are largely inaccessible. Our own visits we collected four new legume taxa: amounting to little more than 5 days Parkinsonia peruviana, a new dalbergioid collecting, all around the same time of year, legume tree since described as a new genus have merely scratched the surface. called Maraniona (Hughes et al., 2004), and It is not unusual to find more than one two new species of Caesalpinia (Lewis et congeneric endemic within the confines of al. in prep.), alongside a suite of other the upper Marañon valley. For example in

Mimosa M. ctenodes interesting narrowly restricted endemics. the genus , is narrowly Caesalpinia sp. nov., upper Marañon, near The upper Marañon was turning out to be a restricted around Balsas, a second, probably Balsas rich gold mine of fascinating new legumes. closely related Marañon endemic, M. The most interesting of these was a small pectinatipinna, occurs around 130km north Research on legume systematics is tree, again growing by the road. The blood around Bagua, and a third, M. incarum supported by a Royal Society University red sap, yellow Papilionoid flowers and occurs in the upper part of the valley in Research Fellowship. Fieldwork in the apically-winged samaroid fruits suggested Depts. Cajamarca and La Libertad. Andes was partly funded by the Stanley placement in the Pterocarpus group of the Similarly the Balsas endemic Coursetia Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust. Thanks are Dalbergioid legumes. This was confirmed cajamarcana has an endemic sister species, due to Aniceto Daza-Yomona, from the by analysis of matK/trnK sequence data. In C. maraniona, lower down also in the Universidad Agraria La Molina in Lima, that analysis it was placed as sister to Bagua region. The two new species of who has been on all three visits to the , but without bootstrap support. Caesalpinia provide another example. This Marañon Valley in the last 4 years. However, it was clearly distinct from pattern is repeated in other plant families. Tipuana, and indeed from all other genera in For example, Ruprechtia (Polygonaceae) References that group, meriting recognition as a new has R. aperta in the Bagua – Jaén lower genus and, as a Marañon endemic, we Marañon region and its sister species R. Bregman, R. (1996). The genus Matucana. named it Maraniona (Hughes et al., 2004). albida restricted to the Pataz – Chagual area Biology and Systematics of fascinating in La Libertad (Pendry, 2004). Similarly, Peruvian cacti. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Matucana (Cactaceae) has seven endemics Brookfield. 136pp. scattered along the upper Marañon trench (Bregman, 1996). It has long been known Burnham, R.J. (1995). A new species of that the interAndean dry valleys harbour winged fruit from the Miocene of Ecuador: important hotspots of plant endemism. Tipuana ecuatoriana). American Journal of However, the diversity and complex Botany 82: 1599-1607. distribution patterns of the upper Marañon endemics are only now becoming fully Burnham, R.J. & Barranco, N.L. (2004). apparent. Miocene winged fruits of Loxopterygium The fact that two recently described fossil (Anacardiaceae) from the Ecuadorean fruits, Tipuana ecuatoriana (Burnham, Andes. American Journal of Botany 91: 1995) and Loxopterygium laplayense 1767-1773. (Burnham and Barranco, 2004) from Miocene deposits from nearby southern Hughes, C.E., Daza-Yomona, A. Hawkins, Ecuadorean interAndean dry forest zones J.A. (2003). A new Palo Verde are a very close match to extant Andean (Parkinsonia, Leguminosae) from Peru. species, suggests a period of remarkable Kew Bulletin 58: 467-472. morphological and evolutionary stasis over the last 10 million years in these dry Andean Hughes, C.E. Lewis, G.P., Daza-Yomona, forests. This corresponds to the period of A. & Reynel, C. (2004). Maraniona, a new major mountain uplift in this part of the dalbergioid legume genus (Leguminosae, Andes, during which presumably previously Maraniona lavinii Papilionoideae) from Peru. Systematic more contiguous dry forest became Botany 29: 366-374. progressively fragmented and isolated in Maraniona is known only from this part of areas such as the Marañon valley. It appears Pendry, C.A. (2004). Monograph of the upper Marañon valley. Parkinsonia that this combination of dry forest stasis peruviana is known from here and a second Ruprechtia (Polygonaceae). Systematic over the last 10 million years, vicariant Botany Monographs 67: 1-113. locality 100km higher up the Marañon interAndean valley isolation due to around Chagual in the Department of La mountain uplift and the narrow con- Colin Hughes Libertad. One of the new Caesalpinias is figuration of the 250km-long seasonally dry also highly restricted to slopes above Balsas, tropical forest trench in the upper Marañon while the other occurs more widely also

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford 7

The Oxford-Bolivia Darwin Project

In 2002 the Department of Plant Sciences received financial support from the Darwin Initiative to manage a project to investigate plant endemism in the central Andean valleys of Bolivia in collaboration with four Bolivian institutions headed by the Herbario Nacional de Bolivia in La Paz. The project is multifaceted and involves various kinds of research including field work but one of its most important aims is the training of Bolivian staff in our partner institutions. Training is provided in many areas. These include basic skills in plant collecting and identification, in data entry and processing using the botanical database BRAHMS under the guidance of Denis Filer, in the use of digital cameras and in botanical illustration. However, it is hoped that all these new skills come together to promote competence in plant taxonomy and systematics and as part of this objective six Bolivian botanists will come to Oxford to work on specific projects related to plant systematics. The first three were in Oxford in June to September 2004 and represented Participants in a Darwin training workshop on legume systematics and identification held in January three of our four partner institutions in 2004 in Cochabamba. Back row from left: Moises M endoza, Santa Cruz; Margoth Atahuachi, Bolivia. The second group of three is Cochabamba; Teresa Ortuño, La Paz; Julia Gutierrez, S ucre; Dani Vidal, Santa Cruz; Front row from programmed to come to Oxford in June left: Hibert Huaylla, Sucre; Magaly Mercado, C ochabamba; Pablo Duchen, La Paz. 2005. Plant taxonomy in Bolivia has only a recent and rather chequered history. The successful. We hope the Darwin project the Field Museum and from Paris. We are first and, to date, much the most eminent will help towards this goal. grateful for the help we received from all Bolivian plant taxonomist was Martin The three Bolivian botanists who came to these individuals and institutions and this Cardenas who was active over almost 50 Oxford in 2004 had all selected groups or emphasizes just how important international years from the 1920s until his death in 1973. topics for study well in advance of their collaboration is for successful taxonomic He collected and published extensively arrival. Margoth Atahuachi from Cocha- research, something that I hope our Bolivian particularly in Cactaceae and Amaryl- bamba came to study Mimosa, a genus of colleagues have learnt as part of their lidaceae and had wide international contacts around 43 species in Bolivia, under the training at Oxford. in many countries including the United supervision of Colin Hughes. Moises The first challenge facing Margoth Kingdom and the United States (Candia, Mendoza from Santa Cruz came to study Atahuachi was to grapple with the large and 1999). However, he left no legacy. His Eryngium (Umbelliferae), a genus of around complex monograph of Mimosa (Barneby, herbarium was sold by his family to 16 species in Bolivia under the supervision 1991) in order to review all the species Corrientes in Argentina and none of his of Mark Watson from Edinburgh Botanic recognised from Bolivia. Mimosa in Bolivia students were active in plant taxonomy after Garden, while Teresa Ortuño from La Paz comprises mostly shrubs and undershrubs his death. In the 1980s there was a revival came to study Gomphrena (Amaranthaceae) from dry to moderately moist areas totalling of botanical investigation led by Stephan under the guidance of Thomas Borsch of the 43 in all with some of considerable Beck in La Paz and stimulated by the Nees Institute for Systematic Botany in ecological importance. Amongst the interest of outside institutions notably the Bonn, with whom she had been col- material collected by the project and Missouri Botanical Garden, which has seen laborating since 2002. received from different herbaria were eight the development of four herbaria (La Paz, In order to facilitate the research, new records for Bolivia and two new Cochabamba, Santa Cruz and Sucre) and the specimens were borrowed in advance from species, one collected as part of our Darwin establishment of groups of enthusiastic field many institutions in different countries from Project and one from the Serrania de workers associated with each. However, the the United States and Argentina to France Huanchaca in eastern Bolivia. These two amount of taxonomic research has been very and Sweden. The project paid for frequent species were described and illustrated and limited and only a handful of Bolivian visits to Kew and the Natural History the resulting paper has been submitted to botanists have published papers of a Museum in London as well as for less Brittonia for publication. Margoth has also taxonomic nature involving new species frequent visits to Bonn and Edinburgh to prepared a key to all the species of Mimosa before the start of the Darwin project in consult specimens, make use of library in Bolivia, which after further trial and final 2002. In a country such as Bolivia which is facilities and seek the advice and help of editing should be submitted for publication home to high levels of plant diversity, the different botanists. in the first half of 2005. As part of her promotion of taxonomic or systematic Valuable information and images came by subsequent field work with our project good research is a pressing need if national e-mail from many correspondents including material of a new species of Acacia from the conservation programmes are to be Arno Wurz in Germany, Eve Emshwiller of Rio Grande basin has been collected and I

8 Oxford Plant Systematics OPS 12 March 2005

hope she will go on to describe this and genus of dry areas of Bolivia. There are extend her expertise more widely amongst several new species from the project area. Continuing research on the legumes, which is one of the most Teresa worked on the description of Aglaia important plant families in Bolivia, Gomphrena stellata, from the Rio Grande especially in the dry valleys where the basin collected as part of the Darwin project Caroline Pannell is a regular visitor to the Darwin project is focussed. activities. Her paper has been submitted to Daubeny Herbarium, working on regional Kew Bulletin for publication. She also did flora accounts of Aglaia (Meliaceae), seed- SEM work with Robert Scotland dispersal of woody tropical plants by concentrating on variation in pollen, leaf vertebrates and collaborating in molecular trichomes and tepal form. She is working and phytochemical investigations of the with Thomas Borsch to produce a paper on genus. In February and March 2004, she the taxonomy and phylogeny of the spent three and a half weeks with Alexandra Gomphrena perennis/fuscipellita clade Muellner and Gill Challen on a Kew-funded making use of data related to variation in expedition to Brunei. The primary aim was pollen morphology, leaf indumentum, and to collect fresh material of Aglaia for DNA tepal form as an aid to species delimitation. extraction as part of Dr Muellner’s post- She also looked at variation in Gomphrena doctoral studies at the Jodrell Laboratory, perennis, a frequent species of the Bolivian RBG, Kew. Caroline also made a general Andean valleys. Fortunately the Linnean collection of woody species with vertebrate- type of this species, hitherto ignored by all dispersed fruits. The group was the guest of workers in this genus, is based on a the Brunei Forestry Department and was specimen in Dillenius’ herbarium at Oxford based at their herbarium (BRUN), where Mr and illustrated in Hortus Elthamensis. Joffre Ali Ahmad and Mrs Halimah Morni All three Bolivian botanists have learned arranged the itinerary and support. BRUN new skills and techniques, have gained staff took them to the species-rich tropical familiarity with taxonomic procedures rain forest of Ulu Temburong National Park, including how to access herbarium and to peat swamp forests, heath forest on white library resources in the wider botanical sand with Araucaria borneensis, Andulau world. Crucially they have gained con- Forest Reserve and to the summit of Bukit fidence in actual publication of taxonomic Teraja, near the border with Sarawak. Dr papers. We hope that all they will continue Pannell found 22 of the 30 species of Aglaia One of the new species of Mimosa described by studying the systematics of the families they known to occur in Brunei, which represents Margoth Atahuachi as part of her training in have chosen and that the Darwin Project a contribution of nearly 20% of the entire Oxford. will have played a significant role in genus to Dr Muellner’s systematic mol-

promoting the study of plant taxonomy and ecular survey of Aglaia. This is a con- Moises Mendoza worked towards systematics by Bolivians. tinuation of Alexandra’s doctoral studies, preparing a revision of Eryngium in Bolivia. which were based on collections of Aglaia The literature on this genus is old and References made in Thailand, Fiji and Australia by modern publications relate mainly to Professor Harald Greger of her home floristic accounts in neighbouring countries Barneby, R. (1991). Sensitivae Censitae. A institution, the Institute of Botany in Vienna rather than revisions. Although some description of the genus Mimosa L. (WU). Since 1997, Caroline has identified species are prominent in Bolivia and (Mimosaceae) in the New World. Memoirs the Aglaia collections of Professor Greger indicate degraded soils, the genus is both of the New York Botanical Garden 65: 1- for his phytochemical studies with Dr neglected and complex. Moises was able to 835. Brigitte Brem and their successful search for recognise appromixately 16 species, of bioactive compounds in the genus. Building which at least four are new, all endemic and Candia, J.D. (1999). Dr Martin Cardenas on her account of Aglaia for the Tree Flora all collected within our Darwin Project area Hermosa – un naturalista boliviano en el of Sabah and Sarawak, which involved and mostly as part of the project. In centenario de su nacimiento (1899-1973). recognition of some new taxa, Dr Pannell addition there may be additional new Revista de la Sociedad Boliviana de brought the naming of the BRUN holdings species within section ebracteata Wolff. Botanica 2(2). of Aglaia up to date and documented all the There are certainly two species from this specimens there in preparation for writing section in Bolivia (one a very rarely John Wood an account for the Field Guide to the Forest collected plant from the Tarija area) but Trees of Brunei Darussalam. This is being material collected from near Sucre and prepared by Dr Kamariah Abu Salim of the Potosi may represent two additional University of Brunei Darussalam (UBD) endemic species. Moises was able to do and Professor Peter Ashton of Kew and anatomical studies of fruits in Edinburgh, Harvard. Along with her companions, she but it was agreed it would be best to wishes to acknowledge her gratitude to the postpone completion of his revision until the Ministry for Industry and Primary end of the rainy season in Bolivia in March Resources, Brunei Darussalam, for 2005 to allow further study of section permission to carry out their research in ebracteata. It is planned that he will be able Brunei and for their generous provision of to submit his revision of the genus to accommodation, field assistants and Candollea in the spring of 2005. Moises transport, to all the staff of the Brunei Forest hopes to move on to study Hydrocotyle in Department and to UBD for providing Bolivia, another complex genus in the additional accommodation, river-transport Umbelliferae, which is very diverse in and field guides at the Kuala Belalong Field Bolivia. Studies Centre in Ulu Temburong National Teresa Ortuño worked on the genus Park. Gomphrena. This is a diverse and complex

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford 9

Classification and straightforward to ex- phylogeny at the Oxford plain why X is related to Y. Botanic Garden This was brought home conclusively The formal teaching of plant science at the recently when I was University of Oxford dates from the accosted by two founding of the physic garden in 1621. The visitors who wanted mission of the Garden was, and still is, “to to know to where we promote learning and glorify the works of had moved the God”. Although the teaching of herbal paeonies. I showed medicine was the original core subject, them and they then botany soon rose to prominence and demanded to know observations made in the Garden by why. They had some Millington were included into Nehemiah basic knowledge but it Grew’s lecture on plant reproduction. stopped at the As soon as Jacob Bobart, the first Horti monocot/dicot split Praefectus, started to collect plants he was and a few families. faced with the problem of how to arrange They were fascinated them. With the exception of a hopelessly by the fact that the inadequate greenhouse, all the plants had to dicots had been be grown in the same conditions – there was superseded by the no rock garden or water garden for example. and that the It is believed that the plants were grouped rejects had been by genera and this is how they were listed in placed at the base of the 1648 catalogue. There is no evidence the evolutionary tree. that this changed until the 1850s when After an impromptu Charles Daubeny decided not only to 15 minute tutorial the change the specific epithet of the Garden inevitable final ques- from physic to botanic but also to adopt the tion was “where can I Linnaean system for the collection of British learn more about species. These plants were neatly arranged this?”. The only sug- in long, narrow rectangular borders. The rest gestion that I could of the hardy collection was grown in make was Judd informal beds scattered through the Garden. Charles Daubeny’s plan of the Oxford Botanic Ga rden, 1850 In 1884 work began to extend the use of long, narrow, rectangular borders to house to be moved enabling us to move the et al. Plant Systematics: A Phylogenetic all species not just the natives. At the same terminally dull knotweeds away from their Approach (1999). Fine though this book is, time the Linnaean system was scrapped in position near the entrance and to replace what we really need is a third remake of the favour of that of Bentham & Hooker. This them with the much more attractive 1968 classic An introduction to plant four year programme was directed by Isaac Brassicaceae et al.. One group that had to taxonomy by Charles Jeffrey. Balfour before he moved to RBG Kew. be moved into a new group were the basal This meant that there was an area of angiosperms that have been such a thorn in Timothy Walker monocots and a much larger area of dicots. taxonomy’s side since John Ray’s proposal Director Although Balfour believed that the of the monocot/dicot split. University of Oxford Botanic Garden arrangement proposed by Bentham & For some of our visitors the rearrangement Hooker was essentially correct he made a has been of little importance because the few ‘improvements of his own. primary design of the Garden has remained During the 1980s the arrangement of the the same. This is not surprising because in monocot families became increasingly botanic gardens form follows function and untenable with the disintegration of the the function had not altered. For many Liliaceae s.l. and the decision was made in visitors, and especially the members of The the middle of the 1990s that one of the new Friends, this work has been fascinating. classifications had to be adopted. Just in the Through the summer of 2004 we ran a sold- nick of time the Angiosperm Phylogeny out course for amateur gardeners looking at Group came to the rescue with the the New Order. This surprised those who publication of APG I. It was impossible for believe that no-one really cares about plant Bentham & Hooker (& Balfour) to be used taxonomy and even if they did it would be when undergraduates were being taught impossible to explain APG II to the using APG I. The Garden was the first to layperson. Firstly, visitors do want to learn adopt the APG classification in its entirety how plants are classified, often to improve though many other botanic gardens have their ability to identify plants. Now that we followed suit. The rearrangement required have a ruthlessly phylogenetic classification very careful planning in order to minimise we are able to remove the gestalt element the disturbance to plants; in effect it was a that it so infuriating for a beginner. University of Oxford Botanic Garden: present day precise game of botanical chess. As soon as Secondly, with a living collection such as family beds in frost the new plan had been drawn up APG II hit this where people of courses can pick the shelves & the minor changes were flowers, fruit etc. and pull it apart it is very incorporated. About 50% of the plants had

10 Oxford Plant Systematics OPS 12 March 2005

the person who inputs the data has special taxonomists in the tropics, even if the results The Oxford University knowledge of the group. It is important for are currently very patchy in quality and Herbarium database the user of the database to be aware of this coverage. Images of living plants are also caveat – buyer beware! Digitisation is being abundant, but mainly for cultivated plants done using a Nikon D100 camera and the and species of developed countries, and in Oxford University Herbaria contain some images managed in BRAHMS using this case there is a particular high risk of 800,000 specimens, is the fourth oldest barcodes. For each image, two files are inaccurate identification. herbarium in the world (established 1621) created. The original high resolution image At the same time, strands of the web are and incorporates the third largest wood is archived and a low resolution image is penetrating ever remoter regions, in- collection in the UK. The Herbaria have published to the web through BRAHMS on- creasingly available to poor people in been enriched by collections from William line. biodiverse countries, and certainly available Sherard (1659-1728), Henry Fielding (1805- Given that the Herbaria contains at least to most botanists and others working in 1851), George Druce (1850-1932) and the 800,000 specimens, databasing will be a national plant-related institutions in the former Forestry Herbarium. The Herbaria long process; at current rates, it is estimated tropics, even if connection involves a trip to also have Full Registration with Museums, that it will take 20 years! The initial the local internet cafe. So, it seems some- Libraries and Archives Council. At its most investment of staff time is high but it is thing of an anachronism that so many dried, straightforward, Oxford University Herbaria hoped that the return on this investment will pressed plants are visible back in their home are one of the most important botanical come as more and more of the collection is country, like repatriated ghosts, yet pictures collections in any UK university and available on-line. In the meantime, prior- with information of living tropical plants, provide an unparalleled resource for ities have had to be set. Therefore, currently fresh leaves and other parts (like the bark or botanical, horticultural and historical all incoming and outgoing specimens are slash) which are more use to field botanists, research. The Herbaria comprise nationally routinely databased and all Type specimens are far less often available. and internationally important collections of are databased and digitised as they are One of the products of the last DFID/FRP plants from , Europe, South and located. Priority is also being given to those field guides project (R7367 - see past issues Central America, South East Asia and collections for which there have been of OPS ), which should start to redress this Australasia and contains more than 25,000 traditional strengths in Oxford, e.g., imbalance, and by which we hope the Type specimens. Oxford University Meliaceae and Ebenaceae, and groups of project's influence may have lasting benefit, Herbaria are a means of plant identification collections that are of interest to particular is our prototype Virtual Field Herbarium based on access to named specimens and projects, e.g., specimens cited in Flora (VFH), featuring images of living tropical associated data, a biological database, an Brasiliensis, or collections made by the plants. It is envisioned that the VFH will archive of botanical diversity in time and Bobarts in the mid-1600s from the nascent help aspiring field guide writers in the space and a resource for research, teaching Botanic Garden. tropics identify their plants and make their and public access. The on-line database currently contains own field guides, tailored to local needs. Access to the vast amounts of data 53,000 records. In addition to the routine Although there is still vast scope for contained in Oxford University Herbaria is a incorporation of material and of type expansion and improvement, we hope that, fundamental issue. This is important for species, the database contains all of the as a first approximation, the VFH will even research, public use of the Herbaria and records from Oxford Xylarium, all of the now provide inspiration for how future efficient management. Oxford University mimosoid legumes in OXF, most South virtual field herbaria might evolve. At the Herbaria are arranged in a manner that may American Ebenaceae from FHO and all of time of writing we have a sample set of not be the most convenient for a particular the carpological and spirit collection from more than 2000 images from Mexico and user, e.g., historians may want all FHO. Grenada, but are poised to add tens of collections made by a particular person or a thousands of images from around the geographer may want to know all of the Stephen A. Harris tropics. species that occur in a particular region, For the Grenadian species, the VFH is although the collections are arranged almost an interactive version of our book, taxonomically. Such access issues can be (an ecotourist field guide also funded by effectively resolved by ensuring that Oxford’s Virtual Field DFID: Hawthorne et al. 2004 "Caribbean information on specimens in the Herbaria is Spice Island Plants: Trees shrubs and available through on-line databases. Herbarium climbers of Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Furthermore, a central database to the - bringing tropical plant Martinique: a picture gallery with notes on Herbaria will help ‘future-proof’ the identification, historical and other trivia"). collection, make its management more life to the internet Users interested in Caribbean plants can efficient and raise its overall profile. For find more images and information than are example, with an effective database in http://herbarium.literal.si in the book, although for maximum place, changes in staff will result in [See front page] efficiency in the forest, a printed field guide minimum disruption to the knowledge of the is still usually the most appropriate medium. collection. A main component of the VFH is an image Oxford University Herbaria has started "Virtual herbaria", or web sites with data display system, which can be thought of as a creating a central database and digitising the and images of herbarium specimens, are "successively filtered image gallery". The collection using BRAHMS. Furthermore, burgeoning on the internet: the number of filters are all hierarchically structured (e.g. BRAHMS on-line is being used to ensure hits for "Virtual herbarium" in Google first select family – all images for that that collection data are made available increases every month. As a consequence, family are then available - then select genera outside of Oxford (http://herbaria.plants.ox. images of herbarium specimens are and species within that family). Currently, ac.uk). All of the information on a specimen available for ever more species, for filters cover taxonomic, geographic, and label is being included in the database, examination wherever you happen to be - image characteristics and characteristics of although not all of it may be available on- providing you have an internet connection, the species. Users can select any filter or line. The most recent identification recorded of course. Many of the images available are combination, as each selection successively on the labels is being accepted as correct of type specimens, so clearly this is a reduces the options available via all other (although names are being up-dated), unless wonderful trend, particularly useful to filters. The image gallery is linked to a

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford 11

miscellaneous plant images in a way that is An exciting development this year was synergistic with others, and in a way that that, as well as sending loans in the normal works to educate, to conserve, and even to way, where more appropriate, we began promote rural livelihoods (by production of sending a number of internet loans of local field guide material). Contributors can images of specimens. An additional 73 choose whether or not to allow free local images of herbarium sheets were sent on use of their images in this way in the loan electronically, with the images being tropics, but we intend that most images will posted on our website for a limited period be available for specified, forest- and for those individuals or institutions who people-friendly purposes as long as the requested the material. We were very creators’ copyright and input is grateful to receive determinations from acknowledged. examinations of the images, whereupon the loans were cancelled as returned. This Data Contributors or funders interested in method of delivering ‘loan’ material as supporting the future of the VFH should images will now offer improved access to please contact William Hawthorne or the historical collections in OXF where Stephen Harris: conventional loans are not normally [email protected] or permitted. [email protected] Material returned from loan included 3 specimens from the ‘Hortus Siccus’ of William Hawthorne Jacob Bobart (1641-1719) which had been sent out as a ‘special’ loan of historic material for exhibition. The 3 specimens of glossary of field guide jargon. The site also Primula had been on display in the has an extensive bibliography of existing exhibition entitled “Gregor Mendel: The field guides for all parts of the tropics News from the Herbaria Genius of Genetics” firstly at the Abbey of

(selectable by country), and is about to be St Thomas in Brno (Czech Republic) and updated with more pages on 'how to write a Fielding-Druce (OXF) then in the Accademia Ligustica di Genova. field guide'. Many thousands more images About 12 % of other miscellaneous are waiting off-stage to be imported; these We were delighted to welcome Professor materials returned from loan were type are from Ghanaian forests (linked to another Peter Raven to officially re-open the specimens. forthcoming guide, Hawthorne and Jong- Fielding-Druce Herbarium on 2 July 2004 kind 2005) and, through collaboration with (see page 3) and enjoyed the day with many Visitors the Ghana northern Savanna biodiversity of our colleagues from other UK herbaria. Apart from a number of visits by project, savanna plants. But first we are The up-dated facilities in OXF have individuals, 20 members of the local Rare upgrading some of the software based on provided a much more useful spreading-out Plants Group of the Ashmolean Natural our first ‘draft’. space for specimens, and books, for sorting History Society of Oxfordshire were the Classifying the images taxonomically and and display which has now been fully put to first group to be given a complete tour of the by character content is a major chore, as is the test. All cupboards in the herbarium refurbished herbaria OXF and FHO in writing something useful about each have been labelled with their contents so February 2004. In July, a group of 8 visitors species, and linking the geographic data into that specimens can be found easily and are came especially to view the John Sibthorp a useful hierarchy. For maximum verify- now more accessible. Also the added and Ferdinand Bauer collections in OXF ability, most of the images are directly cupboards for storage of specimens have and the Flora and Fauna Graeca drawings, linked to herbarium specimens. In order to proved their value providing an uncluttered plus a tour of Plant Sciences Library. In help handle this information, Denis Filer is environment in which to work. December, a guided tour of the herbaria was modifying BRAHMS to automate export of During the last year the enormous task of given to a group of students from the classified images to the VFH, and to allow databasing, including barcoding, the OXF Department of Continuing Education, communication between BRAHMS’ collections began in earnest. Those spec- Oxford University, studying for a Diploma specimens database and commercial image imens being sent out on loan have been in Environmental Conservation. cataloguing software. We intend that plot treated as priority for this process and the and raw check-list data will also be databasing of type specimens in the Serena Marner integrated through our plot database collection is now well under way. Digital software TREMA. Without this sort of data images of type specimens are also being handling tool, opportunities to capture prepared simultaneously and linked into the Daubeny (FHO) BRAHMS database by their barcodes. See existing slide libraries and other datasets article on page 11 for more information. linked to herbarium specimens slip away. The main priorities during the last few During the refurbishment programme We hope benevolent botanists seeking a months have been to deal with as much of unincorporated OXF material was sorted wholesome use for their photo library will the backlog of material as possible and and some 800 specimens of British Rubus be encouraged to contribute to the VFH by incorporate it into FHO, along with recent were presented to the Bolton Museum, the free cataloguing tools, even if they are collections, and to make a start on which also includes the Bolton Biological not BRAHMS users already. databasing selected parts of the collection. Records Centre, where there is active We are intending this year to import the To that end, specimens sent to FHO from interest in the genus. Part of a large image libraries of various enthusiastic Z, collected by R. Schlechter in South colleagues, to include African Acacias and collection of British plants, presented to Africa between 1892 and 1894, have been Leucaenas and other tropical legumes, OXF by Dr S.R.J. Woodell (1928 - 2004) on mounted and incorporated, as have his retirement in 1988 from the Department which are also partly derived from projects substantial miscellaneous collections by F. of Plant Sciences as Lecturer in Ecology, funded by DFID over the last decade or White and others from Zambia, South was accessed, databased and incorporated three. The VFH in effect provides a Africa and Kenya. platform for botanists to publish their during the summer.

12 Oxford Plant Systematics OPS 12 March 2005

Recent collections incorporated into FHO of the information remains in libraries and The educational level of extensionists and include: Hemigraphis (Acanthaceae) filing cabinets of universities and other their access to IT varies enormously across collected by Elizabeth Moylan in the institutions. For extensionists (promoters the region. The project offers a variety of Philippines and described in the paper who help farmers to adopt new skills and options for accessing information - retrieval entitled ‘Taxonomic account of production strategies) access to such directly from the book, an interactive Hemigraphis Nees (Strobilanthinae- information is limited both physically (due CDROM with a searchable data base and Acanthaceae) from the Philippines’ (Kew to location, time, cost) and because of the images to facilitate production of extension Bulletin 57: 769-825. (2002)); Dalea language and scientific style of writing. materials, and a website. Further (Fabaceae) collected by Colin Hughes in Compilation and presentation into a single developments are a distance learning course Mexico, Bolivia and Peru and Ruth book can offer easy access to this through a CDROM and on-line tutorials. Eastwood in Peru; the holotype of a new information. The Oxford Forestry Institute The book is available outside of Central spontaneous hybrid, Euphorbia x pasteurii and CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical America on the project’s web page. T. Walker, from the Oxford Botanic Garden de Investigación y Enseñanza) have www.arbolesdecentroamerica.info (The Plantsman N.S.: 94-97. (June 2003)). published a manual in Spanish covering the Specimens returned from loan presented use of 199 indigenous Central American Taxonomy in action the opportunity to re-organise and database species within the context of farming The compilation of a book covering 199 the South American Diospyros (Ebenaceae) systems, farmer constraints and preferences. native species aimed at extension workers section of FHO. The specimens of Central The materials were developed and tested in throughout Central America raised a number and South American Diospyros still out on co-operation with extension networks in of taxonomic and nomenclature issues. loan will be added to the database when Central America, with species selection The species descriptions concentrate on the they are returned. based on farmer preferences from more than products, and silvicultural aspects with only All the above specimen data is available 100 surveys. The manual is aimed at brief botanical descriptions. However where through BRAHMS on-line (BOL; http: extension services and rural development there was known to be difficulty in //herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/home/default.a organisations involved in promotion of distinguishing between species within the spx?section=home). sustainable land use options in Central same genus (e.g. Leucaena, Lysiloma, Inga, A recent account by Caroline Pannell in America. It provides details of which Manilkara, Spondias, Tabebuia) simple Kew Bulletin (59: 87-94. (2004)) describes species appear best suited to which systems drawings of key features by Rosemary Wise three new species, two new sub-species and (e.g. small blocks, living fences, trees with are given to aid identification (see figure five new combinations at the subspecific perennial crops, natural regeneration). below). Terry Pennington provided the main level in Aglaia Lour. (Meliaceae) in Borneo, taxonomic revision and advice, with which necessitated re-organisation of the additional inputs from Colin Hughes, Jose Aglaia holdings in FHO. Holotypes of two Linares and Clive Stace. of the new species and the two new subspecies are in FHO. It is planned that these data will be available via BOL within the next few months, as part of the planned stages of databasing the whole of the FHO Meliaceae collection. Another priority is to database all the Type specimens in FHO and link each entry to a digital image of the specimen. A start has been made with a small number of families at the beginning of the alphabet and this information is now available through BOL.

Alison Strugnell

Trees of Central America – a sourcebook for extension workers

The diverse biological, environmental and Reaching the farmer cultural conditions of Central America Writing and distributing a book is no The description of the same species in require diverse approaches to sustainable guarantee of its use, and transfer of the different countries under different scientific farming. Diversification makes farmers less information to farmers. The 1000 page book names, along with the transfer of species subject to cost rises, decreases in selling contains much technical information, but the between genera causes problems for non- prices and adverse climatic effects. Trees style and language level make it accessible taxonomists. The book contains a list of the are a vital component of such systems, but to the intended users. To ensure uptake, the most frequent scientific synonyms for each often only a limited range of species and book is distributed through a programme of species, to help readers coping with management options are promoted. free training courses within Central problems encountered when searching for America. More than 1000 extensionists have information on particular species. Although From dusty library to dusty farm been trained covering a mix of foresters, the latest accepted scientific name is There has been much research on native tree agroforesters, agronomists and extensionists generally used, occasionally a former one is species of Central America. However, most from rural development agencies. used, when this is “universally” known

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford 13

across the region, and the new one almost unknown, except to botanists. BRAHMS online

Not being trained botanists, users said that they preferred to see the species descriptions sorted by common name, rather than by BRAHMS databases, previously confined to scientific name. This presented a problem as your local workstation or network, can now be published online in full. The new for some species the common name varies BRAHMS online service is available on across Central America, not only by www.brahmsonline.com with all the related country, but also within countries, and with BRAHMS documents and downloads. language. An example is Gliricidia sepium, one of the trees most valued by farmers.

With many common names (e.g. madero negro, madreado, madrecacao, matar- Advantage online The advantages of publishing research and ratón), choosing one name would bias the herbarium databases online are substantial. book towards one country and render Database developers can disseminate species searching very difficult for people from other countries or with other native botanical information quickly and widely without additional printing costs. languages. Common names have therefore The Oxford University Herbaria online. Specimen ‘Reprinting’ is replaced by push of the been made available in two ways: i) a list of data and images, literature, illustrations and button electronic updating. Species all the common names available for each manuscripts from OXF and FHO are gradually checklists, monographs and entire herb- species, ii) an alphabetical list of all being incorporated into a central online system. common names, with details of usage by arium curation systems can be published in country and region, to allow retrieval of part or in full together with scanned Publish from your workstation specimen and other plant images. As their scientific name. Publishing a database online is a daunting discussed below, databases can be published This listing also helps to distinguish prospect for most herbaria as much individually or in linked groups, the latter an species where common names are not technical knowledge is required. One of the ideal way to foster regional collaboration exclusive to a single species. This is challenges in developing BRAHMS online and data sharing – as well as providing typically associated with names derived has been to remove these hurdles so that curation benefits across the board. from morphological characteristics or wood projects with minimal resources and With online functions to Select, Analyze, properties which are common to several technical server knowledge can publish and Sort, Report and Print data, the tools for allopatric species, or several similar species update an online system easily. You don’t flexible botanical database publishing are in within a genera (e.g. Lysiloma - quebracho). even need your own server. In fact, all you place. Typical of this problem are studies where do need is a BRAHMS database and internet common names are recorded in the field access to be able to connect and publish. with no further checking of species by a Your project – your homepage The online publishing software (known as Each published database or database group botanist. Studies cite the common name the BRAHMS online client) can be operated has its own homepage. By linking this to given by local people and often equate it from within BRAHMS itself. It compresses your chosen website address and developing with a scientific name from the first the required database files on your local the homepage with your own text and available database. Thus, information may workstation, sends these to the secure be attributed to the wrong species. This is images, you can create and update a project Oxford server and either creates or updates homepage from within BRAHMS. essentially an irresolvable problem. How- your online database. The same program is ever, for species where this is known to be used for homepage design. When you want an issue, the species descriptions give a to update your online system, simply repeat warning as to the duplication of common the process. The same option can be used to names and which species may be confused. publish images linked to specimens and assuming these are registered in your David Boshier and Jesus Cordero database, these can be viewed online with the specimen and species information. This publication is an output from a research project partially funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) for the benefit of developing countries. The views expressed are not necessarily those of DFID. Project R7588, Forestry Research Programme.

Leucaena was one of the first BRAHMS databases to go online (C.E. Hughes, Oxford). This comprehensive monograph database includes full nomenclature for all taxa, a comprehensive bibliography and data from c.3,000 specimens, most of these with mapping coordinates. Images, GenBank links, and morphological and DNA sequence data are currently being added. The BRAHMS online client software to publish and update online can be activated using a standard BRAHMS menu option.

14 Oxford Plant Systematics OPS 12 March 2005

Group power The full potential of BRAHMS online is realized when databases are linked into online groups. A database group has a single home page and all linked databases are searched simultaneously. Database groups open up a host of options for regional collaboration, sharing data for curation purposes and any research that benefits from access to data from multiple herbaria. Grouping can be carried out in different ways. For example, databases from related institutions can be linked into a single A query made in ‘Cupressaceae of the World’ searchable group. Two examples currently online (A. Faron, RBG Kew) for high altitude online are the National Herbarium of the Juniperus collections. After each search, a results Netherlands (linking the Leiden, Utrecht summary is displayed as above. Query results can and Wageningen herbaria) and the be further processed on the Results page. SEABCIN project mentioned below. Mapping the highest ever recorded Juniperus Another example is when a single institute collection (J. indica var. indica) using the Multi- Map toolbar link. Map data can be restricted has a series of separate databases, for Processing query results online to protect rare taxa. Further mapping and example one for curation and various Search results can be processed into map analysis options are now being added to research databases – all of which could be products for research and curation, similar BRAHMS online. linked into a group called ‘Our herbarium to those available in BRAHMS itself. Many databases’. of the online toolbar and menu options will be familiar to BRAHMS users including Automated duplicate matching options to Tag, Sort, Zoom, Filter, Map, Bringing together data from multiple Calculate and Report. herbaria opens up possibilities to look for discrepancies in the identification of collections duplicated to two or more herbaria. After an online query, specimens in the results table are auto-matched using the specimen number, the day, month and year of collection and an intelligent range of characters from the country and family names given. This results in almost 100% correct matching, avoiding problems caused by variation of spellings of collector names, irregular use of specimen number prefix and suffix fields and differences in the geographic data.

The South East Asian Botanical Collections Information Network (SEABCIN) online accessible directly via www.seabcin.org. This online database group brings together data from Record tagging options provide flexible record Indonesia (Bogor), Malaysia (Kepong, Sabah and selection online. Sarawak), Philippines (PNH), Singapore (SING), Thailand (BKF) and also Leiden in the Netherlands.

In this not atypical example, a search on the Online searches genus Hopea has found and auto-matched Queries can be made on collections, taxa, duplicates of the collections Kochummen 85263 geographic data, literature and images. at the KEP, L, PNH and SAN herbaria with These data are all integrated online so that, different determinations at each. The name of the for example, a search on collections not identifier and the determination date can be only creates a table of collection results – viewed to help resolve differences. Differences in but also builds a separate results tables for collector and geographic names are also picked the taxa represented by those collections and up. any related images. Thus, after a collection search on all Cupressaceae from China, an online checklist of the relevant taxa is Images online created on the fly. Results are displayed in tables with processing Many herbaria have started their digitization tools. The database owner decides which columns activities focusing on the type specimens, are displayed by default. These can be adjusted including type specimen images and these when viewing results – although particular databases may have restrictions enforced. are ideal for online publication.

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford 15

tools are being extended and links between BRAHMS online and the Virtual Field Herbarium, as introduced in this edition of OPS, will be created. A link to the Global Biodiversity Data Facility (GBIF) will be completed early in 2005 – BRAHMS online database owners will have the option of becoming a GBIF data provider.

Denis Filer

The initial development of BRAHMS online was undertaken collaboratively with the Leiden herbarium in the Netherlands under

the EU Asia IT&C funded project ‘South

This example from the National Herbarium of the The Singapore Botanic Garden herbarium has a East Asian Botanical Collections complete type specimen reference collection Netherlands Wageningen database shows a Information Network’. Further software collection with two linked images. Multiple online with scanned images. development and support to prepare a range images are displayed as thumbs with options to of databases including Inga, Leucaena and display and zoom the selected image Pinus has been provided by the UK DFID Forestry Research programme. Restricting access To protect vulnerable taxa and restrict data access for any other reason, a number of Request for Aglaia specimen data mechanisms can be deployed. The safest way to block access to your data is not to The Daubeny Herbarium has a large publish it in the first place. Sensitive records collection of Meliaceae, including Aglaia, can be removed and it is also possible to the largest and most intractable genus in the select and publish ‘sub-databases’ derived family. Data from as many sources as from your main system. All online possible including the FHO collections is publishing and updating is strictly password now being compiled for BRAHMS online. protected and database administrators can If you or your herbarium has Aglaia data in apply further online restrictions, for electronic form and you are willing to example, defining the columns to view and contribute the data, please email to whether downloads are permitted. [email protected]. A sample search result from the Singapore Once the specimen data have been entered Herbarium online type collection. The Image icon The coming year and correct determinations applied, it will be is displayed when images are available. In this During 2005, facilities to store databases on possible to submit a list of specimens and example, the IPNI menu has also been opened to different servers are to be added. Mapping check the current species. receive an automatically-generated list of determinations.

Exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2PH

A New Flowering: 1000 years of Botanical Art

2 May – 11 September 2005

Open: Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5pm Sunday 12pm-5pm Admission free

Based on Dr. Shirley Sherwood’s internationally important collection of botanical art and including items from collections in the Department of Plant Sciences, Plant Sciences Library, Oxford University Library Services and the Oxford colleges.

Printed by Parchment (Oxford) Ltd.

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB, U.K. Tel.(01865)275000 Fax. (01865) 275074