Chinquapin the Newsletter of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society
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chinquapin The Newsletter of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society Volume 17, No. 3 Fall 2009 On Charles Darwin’s reading of William Bartram’s Travels by James T. Costa The double Darwin anniversary year of 2009—being the bicentennial Darwin, who authored poetical works on botany among many other of Darwin’s birth and the sesquicentennial of the publication of his things. William achieved fame of his own among these learned men. Origin of Species—presented me with an excuse to explore intersec- His Travels, appearing in 1792 in England, had a major impact on tions between the great English naturalist and another of my favorite Romantic writers of the time, including Wordsworth, Shelley, and naturalists, one whose contributions were largely made in the century Coleridge—writers who in turn knew the Darwins as well as the fam- previous to Darwin, and a continent away. I am referring to William ily of Charles’s other distinguished grandfather, Josiah Wedgwood. Bartram, of course. Bartram died when Darwin was just a lad of 14 years, but his explorations in the American southeast had become A later generation of naturalists drew on William Bartram less for well known in the circles that included the Darwin family. His father poetic inspiration than for his detailed and accurate natural history John Bartram’s fame preceded him in those circles, both as a renowned observations. Charles Darwin was foremost among them. Darwin horticulturist whose talents fueled the passion for American plants became convinced of evolution, or transmutation, in the parlance of in Georgian England (earning his the title of Botanist to the King the day, just 14 years after Bartram’s death. That was March of 1837, in 1765), and as a correspondent to the Royal Society through his five months after returning from his voyage around the world aboard friend and English agent Peter Collinson. The elder Bartram was also HMS Beagle, but he did not reveal his ideas to the world until the co-founder of the American Philosophical Society with Benjamin publication of his epochal Origin of Species some two decades later Franklin, member of the influential Lunar Society that often met in 1859. The time in between was devoted to an expansive research at the Lichfield home of Charles’s remarkable grandfather Erasmus program, resulting in several books and dozens of articles. He was all the while amassing evidence in support of his ideas, drawing from such far-ranging subjects as domestication, behavior, paleontology, hybridization, anatomy, and geographical distribution of plants and animals. He corresponded with dozens of naturalists, devised experi- ments, made meticulous observations, and, perhaps above all, read voraciously. Accounts of travel and exploration figure prominently in Darwin’s reading. He kept a journal of the books he read, and I counted over 110 entries with “voyage,” “journey,” “travel,” “expedition,” “exploration,” “tour,” “narrative,” “ramble,” “visit,” “sojourn,” or “wandering” in the title between 1838 and 1860 (Vorzimmer 1975). Bartram’s Travels is listed in April of 1839. At the end of the C Notebook (one of Darwin’s notebooks devoted to his inves- tigations of transmutation; see Barrett et al. 1987), in a section headed “Books examined: with William Bartram [reference to] Species,” we find the c. 1808 by Charles Wilson Peale In the public domain Continues on page 4, see Darwin on Bartram 2 Chinquapin 17 (3) The Newsletter of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society SABS Officers & Editors Closing out the Darwin Year Southeast to Southeast Conley K. McMullen, President Department of Biology, MSC 7801 This doubly significant year for remembering Your Chinquapin editor has now spent half James Madison University Charles Darwin—the centenary of his birth of this year in to southeast’s: the southeast of Harrisonburg, VA 22807 on February 12 and the sesquicentennial of the United States in Georgia where I’ve lived (540) 568-3805 · fax (540) 568-3333 the publishing of On the Origin of Species on for 30 years and in the southeast panhandle [email protected] November 24—is now closing out with a of Alaska, commonly abbreviated SEAK. Howard S. Neufeld, Past President special double issue of Chinquapin. With six months in each place, here are some Department of Biology ruminations on my experience. 572 Rivers Street No doubt readers have enjoyed symposia, Appalachian State University speakers and various celebrations remember- I missed the Smokies! With the incredible Boone, NC 28608 ing and recognizing the impact Darwin has grandeur of the steep and rugged moun- (828) 262-2683 · fax (828) 262-2127 had on science. For those of you who have tains of Alaska, I found a longing for the [email protected] not had the opportunity to hear or read Jim rounded mountains of my adopted home. Charles N. Horn, Treasurer Costa’s unique story of the connection of My list of flowering plants encountered—in Biology Department Darwin with our own region will find his flower—in the Juneau area totalled only 155 2100 College Street article fascinating. species. I could do that in a single afternoon Newberry College in the Smokies in April! The diversity of the Newberry, SC 29108 This article is longer than usually Alaskan rainforest simply cannot compare (803) 321-5257 · fax (803) 321-5636 Chinquapin [email protected] publishes, and rather than eliminate our regu- with the old and complex landscape of the lar columns or split this article in two, we’ve Southern Appalachians. Michael Held, Membership Secretary decided to conclude 2009 with a double issue Department of Biology including the article in its entirety along with I missed trilliums! With Tom Patrick’s help Saint Peter’s College everything you’ve come to expect. and as a field companion, I’ve seen nearly Jersey City, NJ 07306 all of the species Georgia, the center of the (201) 761-6439 [email protected] Here’s a bit of a challenge to our readers: do trillium universe, claims and must admit to you have a story to share about someone who having become a bit complacent about these Ruth Douglas, Recording Secretary has a connection to you that has gone on to spring beauties. The closest trillium to Juneau 108 Wildflower Drive do some especially important science? To give is the Pacific trillium Trillium( ovatum) on Charlottesville, VA 22911 an illustration related to our celebration: Vancouver Island nearly 800 miles south. (434) 293-6538 [email protected] Darwin’s last paper focused on the movement of I missed deciduous trees! Yes there are George Johnson, Editor-in-Chief of freshwater bivalves between water bodies, and deciduous trees in the rainforest, but noth- Castanea gave the example of a clam clamped to the leg of ing like the Southern Appalachians. On my Department of Biological Sciences a water beetle. Darwin received the beetle and its hikes, all I have to know are a small handful Arkansas Tech University bivalve cargo from an amateur naturalist named of trees: Sitka spruce, western and mountain Russellville, AR 72801 Walter Crick. Darwin died within weeks, but Walter hemlock, Alaska yellow cedar and pond pine (479) 968-0312 Crick’s grandson, Francis Crick, would uncover the for the conifers; black cottonwood, Sitka and [email protected] structure of DNA 70 years later. red alder and four species of willow for the Audrey Mellichamp, Managing Editor [http://www.strangescience.net/darwin.htm] deciduous trees. Diversity of species is just of Castanea not there. 3036 Ventosa Drive The Complete Work of Charles Charlotte, NC 28205 The geology is just as messy! Learning geol- [email protected] Darwin Online ogy in the southeast US isn’t easy as the Scott Ranger, Editor of Chinquapin In the event that you’ve not come across this landscape has had over 200 million years to 1963 Ferry Drive NE reference—probably only a few readers— erode and become covered with saprolite and Marietta, GA 30066 here is a link to all of Darwin’s works online an immense forest covering the rocks. With at (770) 429-1836 · cell (404) 210-3088 where you can examine images of the original least four major mountian-building tectonic [email protected] publications, download them as a PDF, or events, the rock has been smeared, cracked, read them as simple text. It is probably the crushed and metamorphosed so much that in most complete collection of Darwin’s works many places it is nearly impossible to tell what in any single place, here available to all with the original material was. Wile very young, an internet connection. Many high quality SEAK was created by some seven island arc images are available for purchase and images collisions of material, mostly from the South of actual manuscripts may be viewed but are Pacific, becoming accreted to the margin not available for use without permission from of North America. Where not covered by a the owner of the manuscript. thick forest, the rock is often extremely steep http://darwin-online.org.uk/ and inaccessible for study. The Newsletter of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society Chinquapin 17 (3) 3 Botanical Excursionsby George Ellison Barbara Hallowell & Her Fern Finder the best approach in Fern Finder was to make it clear that species-level or many years I’ve been identifications in those genera might be difficult, if not impossible. Fusing Anne C. and Aside from those sorts of considerations, Barbara’s guide helped make Barbara G. Hallowell’s basic fern identification “fun”—not a daunting task that tends to be Fern Finder: A Guide to put off and never gotten around to. Native Ferns of Central and Northeastern United States After graduating from Swarthmore College with a major in biology, and Eastern Canada (1981) she taught science and biology before marrying Tom Hallowell.