www.kew.org ISSN: 0967-8018

Kew Scientist Autum 2013 Issue 44 News from The Living Collections, The Herbarium and The Laboratories at Kew & Wakehurst Place eMonocot The eMonocot portal

A web taxonomic resource for of new scale and depth W. Baker

Dendrobium cuthbertsonii The eMonocot portal showing part of the ‘ page’ content for Colchicum lingulatum. Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Council, has produced a web taxonomic Conservation is the production of an online resource of unprecedented scale for plants, flora of all known plants. To achieve this delivering baseline information for all 70,000 eMonocot aggregates the data from target, RBG Kew and its partners are engaged (20% of all flowering plants). taxonomic web resources and scratchpads in novel initiatives in biodiversity informatics. and delivers it through a portal structured The overarching aim of eMonocot is to enable This emerging e-science is focused on creating around a nomenclatural backbone provided expert taxonomic communities to collaborate access to biodiversity data, including taxonomic by the World Checklist of Monocotyledons and deliver their specialist knowledge to a information, which is often out of reach (www.kew.org/wcsp/monocots). The portal, broad range of users, especially biodiversity for many potential users. Since 2010, Kew developed at the University of Oxford, scientists. Kew’s primary roles have been has led a flagship biodiversity informatics provides identification tools and taxon pages gathering content for taxa (including content project, eMonocot (www.emonocot.org), in for all monocots, presenting data including from existing web taxonomic resources: CATE collaboration with the Natural History Museum habitat, life form, conservation status (where Araceae, Palmweb, Grassbase) and enabling (London) and Oxford University. The project, available) and links to DNA sequence data contributions from taxonomic communities. funded by a three-year consortium grant providers. Users can search geographically The Natural History Museum has lead from the UK Natural Environment Research or add filters to searches to explore the community engagement through providing content in novel ways, providing answers scratchpads (www.scratchpads.eu), free to scientific questions in just a few clicks. websites that allow researchers to manage, Results of searches can be easily downloaded share and publish taxonomic data online. or displayed in graphical visualisations. Scratchpads have experienced widespread The eMonocot portal already provides uptake (c. 600 scratchpads, c. 7,000 active full taxon descriptions for over 20% of users), and over 30 eMonocot scratchpads accepted monocot taxa, over 8,000 images, have been created. Involvement in and phylogenetic trees and 15 keys, including a ownership of the scratchpads by expert key to all monocot families. community members are a vital elements of the sustainability of eMonocot.

eMonocot provides an excellent model to inform the roadmap for the Online World Flora. It also shows that biodiversity P. Wilkin informatics can help to forge new collaborative relationships among taxonomists eMonocot collaborator Muthama Muasya (University and with primary users of taxonomic outputs, of Cape Town) investigating Tetraria involucrata such as biodiversity scientists and the broader (Cyperaceae) in the Western Cape, South Africa. community. The power of the web is yet to be fully harnessed by the taxonomic community, but eMonocot has taken us a eMonocot content can be interrogated in new step closer towards as a truly and useful ways in the portal. This example plots web-based science. the numbers of species in families of occurring in African Tropical dry forests; they hold Contact: Dr Paul Wilkin ([email protected]) 1,031 orchid species. Dr Bill Baker ([email protected])

1 Direction Honours & Awards Monique Simmonds (Director, Kew Innovation Unit; Deputy Keeper, Jodrell Director of Science Laboratory; Head, Sustainable Uses Group; This November RBG Kew) was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s saw the start of an Birthday Honours List 2013 for ‘services to exciting new era science, environment, technological innovation for Kew’s science and the community.’ when Professor Kew’s Volunteer Guides were honoured with Kathy Willis took the Queens Award for Voluntary Service 2013 up her post as the for ‘inspiring and educating the community on Director of Science. plants and on Kew’s role and providing bus and This is a new role and one that will sensory walking tours to disabled groups.’ bring strong leadership and direction Ana Rita Giraldes Simões successfully passed across science at Kew. For the first time, her PhD viva on 11 September 2013 for her

the three major science departments thesis entitled ‘Disentangling bindweeds: RBG Kew of HLAA (Herbarium, Library, Art & systematics and evolution of tribe Monique Simmonds Archives), Jodrell Laboratory and Seed Merremieae (Convolvulaceae)’. Conservation will be brought together in a single science directorate, encouraging Jubilee Waxcap greater collaboration between departments and a more integrated Waxcaps (Hygrocybe s.l.) are of conservation and effective approach. concern across Europe and in Australia. To understand their distribution and ecology, Kathy brings a wealth of experience and hence formulate management guidelines, to this role and will be an internal and a reliable taxonomy is required. At the start external ambassador for Kew’s science of the Defra-funded ‘Project Waxtongue’, a and conservation work, raising its global DNA sequence- and morphology-based study profile and enhancing its scientific involving Kew and Aberystwyth University, there reputation as a centre of excellence were around 50 waxcap species recorded in for plant and fungal science. Her first Britain. Three years later and the ‘Waxtongue’ major task will be to work with staff analysis has raised this closer to one hundred. to develop and implement the science Kew mycologists have recently described two strategy, and this will form the basis species to have emerged from analysis of the for taking Kew’s science forward in psittacina (parrot waxcap) complex. new and innovative ways, without One, G. reginae, forms royal-purple fruit bodies losing expertise in the important areas and a name commemorating the Queen’s of research and curation. Another Diamond Jubilee seemed appropriate. The other major aim of Kathy’s is to raise the species had masqueraded under the epithet quality, impact and creativity of public perplexus in Europe, but the analysis showed this M. Ainsworth engagement with plant and fungal name should be reserved for a North American science. This will allow us to greatly taxon and so the name G. europerplexus was enhance the visitor experience and coined. MycoKeys 7, 45 (2013). promote a greater public understanding Gliophorus reginae at its type locality in Worcestershire. Contact: Dr Martyn Ainsworth ([email protected]) of Kew’s work and its relevance to the big environmental challenges of Versatile hornworts our time. I believe we can continue Over the last few decades scientists have to strengthen the impact, profile and become increasingly certain that fungi contribution of Kew’s science across the were necessary for the initial colonization UK and globally. That is my ambition. and ultimate success of plants on land. Hornworts occupy a key evolutionary Kathy will work closely with the other position as the closest living relatives of the members of the Executive Board, and plants that today dominate Earth’s land we were delighted to welcome Richard masses. Whether and how hornworts relied Barley as Director of Horticulture in on symbiotic fungi was not known. Research August of this year. The senior team was supported by the Natural Environment completed on November 14th when Research Council, led by molecular Gaynor Coley took up her position ecologists Martin Bidartondo (Kew/Imperial as Director of Public Programmes. College London) and Alessandro Desirò Collaboration between these three key (University of Turin) generated new DNA and roles of the Executive Board will bring electron microscopy data on species from exciting new times for Kew’s science around the world showing that hornworts and greater synergy between science, associate with a wider and more versatile horticulture and public engagement. fungal repertoire than other plants. This finding gives a new view of the early history Richard Deverell, Director of terrestrial ecosystems. Proc. R. Soc. B, in K. Field press, doi: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0207.

Contact: Dr Martin Bidartondo ([email protected]) A ‘wall’ of hornworts in New Zealand.

2 Sustainable Agriculture for Forest Conservation

Conversion of natural habitat to Alley-cropping of Inga on a unsustainable agricultural land, especially farm in Honduras shifting or slash-and-burn agriculture in tropical forests, is seen as one of the greatest threats to the survival of rare plant species and a major global contributor of climate-change gases. In the Neotropics a system of alley-cropping that permits good yields, permanently, has been developed using the legume Inga by Terry Pennington (Kew) and Mike Hands (Inga Foundation) over the last 20 G. Hernandez/Inga Foundation years. In the past year, Kew has initiated several projects seeking to replicate this success, in the Neotropics with Inga and in the palaeotropics using native species with similar attributes.

Inga agroforests in Bolivia Madagascar agroforestry Restoring Tropical Kew has received a Darwin Initiative award The Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre Forests: a Practical of £259k to develop Inga agroforests as has started the Madagascar Agroforestry Guide (by S. Elliott, tools for the rehabilitation of degraded cattle Livelihoods Project with £263,000 of funding D. Blakesley & K. pastures in the Bolivian Amazon. The aim is from the Darwin Initiative over the next Hardwick; Kew to reduce pressure on forests from slash-and- three years. The project is working with Publishing, 2013; burn agriculture through the establishment 30 communities in the Itremo Massif and ISBN 1 84246 442 of tree-based systems to ‘capture’ degraded Ambositra-Vondrozo Humid Forest Corridor 6; £32.00) is a pasture and then plant crops between rows of protected areas to establish alley-cropping, user-friendly guide specially selected Inga trees. Inga trees increase forest gardens and tree plantations as well to restoring forests soil fertility, suppress weeds and attract natural as restoring forest along the margins. The throughout the tropics. It is based on the biological control agents, enabling degraded main objective is to provide communities with concepts, knowledge and techniques pastures to be transformed into productive an alternative to slash-and-burn cultivation developed at Chiang Mai University’s forested land within two years. They do so by restoring agricultural productivity and Forest Restoration Research Unit. The book through microbial association with their roots, biodiversity on the deforested slopes near covers the general concepts of tropical the production of a copious, dense and rapidly to the villages. Kew’s project partners forest dynamics and regeneration, proven decomposing -litter and the presence of are Feedback Madagascar, local NGO restoration techniques and case studies of special insect-attracting nectaries on their Ny Tanintsika, Silo National des Graines their successful application, and research . The three-year project began in October Forestières and the Inga Foundation. It is methods to refine such techniques and 2013 and is a collaboration between Bolivian hoped that the agroforestry models developed adapt them to local ecological and socio- NGO Herencia, four forest communities, Kew during the project can be scaled-up and economic conditions. French and Spanish Associate and Inga specialist Terry Pennington applied throughout the humid forest regions editions are also available. and the Kew Tropical America Team. of Madagascar. Available from www.kewbooks.com Contact: Dr Alex Monro ([email protected]) Contact: Stuart Cable ([email protected])

Alley-cropping in Congo Caatinga fuelwood The Inga Foundation and Kew, with support The results of the project ‘Sustainable from MPD Congo S.A., a prospective mining Management of the Caatinga Vegetation company, have begun a trial to evaluate for Firewood Production’, funded by CNPq native legume tree species for alley-cropping (Brazil) and the Clothworkers’ Foundation potential in the Republic of Congo. Candidate (UK), have been published in a 24-page species were screened for Inga-like attributes booklet in Portuguese, Cuidando da and are now growing well, despite extremely Caatinga (Caring for the Caatinga), aimed impoverished and acid (pH 4) soils. Funding at local smallholders, NGOs, decision is now being sought to continue the project makers, environmentalists and scientists in beyond 2014. The objective is an Inga- north-eastern Brazil. The booklet explains like system that can be taken up by local what the caatinga is and highlights its communities to address the slash-and-burn biodiversity, stating why it needs protection agriculture prevalent throughout the CEMAC and sustainable management. In particular (Congo Basin) countries, and beyond. Previous it concentrates on how to manage caatinga P. Gasson Conducting research on the sustainable agroforestry trials in Tropical Africa have used by coppicing, pollarding and crown- management of caatinga vegetation. exotic Neotropical species, which are potentially thinning four species of tree utilised for invasive. This seems to have been the first fuelwood and charcoal production – Croton The booklet is available from Associaçao time that native African forest trees have been sonderianus, ophthalmocentra, Plantas do Nordeste (APNE) in Brazil (www. employed for this purpose. M. tenuiflora, and Poincianella pyramidalis plantasdonordeste.org). Contact: Dr Martin Cheek ([email protected]) (often known as Caesalpinia pyramidalis). Contact: Dr Peter Gasson ([email protected])

3 Monocot Systematics Major clades of monocots

In the months leading up to ‘Monocots V: 5th International Conference on Comparative Biology of Monocotyledons’ (7 – 13 July 2013; New York Botanical Garden), Mark Chase collaborated on three papers on relationships among and within major clades of monocots. A paper in the book Early Events in Monocot

Evolution examined contrasting patterns of R. Wilford support among plastid genes for the major Tulipa saxatilis clades in analyses including nearly all families of monocots and data from 62 genes/regions Tiptoeing through the using maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood. Despite the large number of data, Tulipa (tulips; ) is a genus of T. gesneriana, is almost certainly a garden these analyses provided only weak support geophytes with about 76 species, occurring of hybrid origin (as T. ×gesneriana). for the position of some critical taxa, including from south-western Europe and North In a recent molecular phylogenetic study, Dasypogonaceae. A second paper (PLoS One Africa to Central Asia. The long history Tulipa emerged as monophyletic with 8, e59472; 2013) presented an analysis of of cultivation of the genus means that respect to Amana and Erythronium, and Asparagales, based on four plastid genes, using the taxonomy and classification of the four main clades were identified and a network approach. Relationships mirrored genus have been complicated by selection, are recognized as subgenera: Tulipa, those in many previous analyses, but some hybridization and the occurrence of Eriostemones, Orithyia and Clusianae problematic taxa, including Aphyllanthes and naturalized populations outside the (previously considered as part of subgenus Ixiolirion, were shown to have long edges, native range, notably in Western Europe. Tulipa). Original species descriptions potentially explaining the difficulty in placing As a result, aspects of Tulipa taxonomy and type specimens of as many names these robustly in analyses based on bifurcating come under both the International Code as possible were reviewed and a revised trees. The third paper (Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 172, 5; of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and checklist with full synonymy, typification 2013), examining family relationships in plants and the International Code of and distribution has been prepared. As using four plastid genes, suggested revised Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants, leading part of a collaboration with the Royal circumscriptions for Rhipogonaceae/Philesiaceae to problems in the interpretation of some Horticultural Society, the checklist includes and Calochortoideae (Liliaceae). The position of taxa and groups as either wild species or a proposed taxonomy for the neo-tulips the holomycotrophic Corsiaceae naturalized horticultural forms that have (including T. ×gesneriana). Bot. J. Linn. Soc. remains problematic. been given species names and which 172, 280 (2013).

have been treated as ‘neo-tulips’ by some Contact: Dr Maarten Christenhusz Contact: Prof. Mark Chase ([email protected]) authors. Notably the type of the genus, ([email protected])

Early Events in Cyperus relationships Snowdrop phylogeny Monocot Evolution The delimitation of the genus Cyperus Snowdrops (Galanthus, 20 spp.; (Ed. P. Wilkin & S. (nutsedge, papyrus; Cyperaceae) has long Amaryllidaceae) are cherished garden Mayo; Cambridge been contentious. Some workers treat it as plants and the world’s most traded wild- University Press, one ‘giant’ genus, whereas others recognise a sourced ornamental genus. Despite 2013; ISBN 1 107 number of segegrate genera around a group their popularity and economic importance, 01276 7) traces the of ‘core’ Cyperus species. Recent phylogenetic species delimitation is problematic and the evolution of one of studies by researchers in Belgium, South infrageneric classification uncertain. With the most ancient Africa and Kew suggest the former approach the aim of resolving these issues and to major branches is correct and that Cyperus is indeed a giant better understand the evolution within the of flowering plants. Through a series of genus. The main division in Cyperus is between genus, a new molecular phylogenetic study themes, it provides a detailed view of the taxa with C3 and C4 photosynthetic types. of Galanthus has been undertaken using taxa of the early monocot lineages, how The recent work focuses on the C4 group, sequences of nuclear ribosomal ITS and they diversified and their importance in which forms a well-supported clade nested in plastid matK, trnLF, ndhF and psbK–psbI monocots as a whole. C3 Cyperus. Other recognizable and well- for all currently recognised species and two supported clades correspond to segregate, naturally occurring putative hybrids. The morphologically specialised genera, i.e. resulting analyses supported seven named Ascolepis, Lipocarpha and Kyllinga. Species of clades (platyphyllus, trojanus, ikariae, elwesii, C4 Cyperus s.s. form a core grade in which the nivalis, woronowii and alpinus) and five major C4 segregate genera are embedded. Pycreus, clades. The data and analyses show that the the largest segregate genus composed of infrageneric classification of the genus requires c. 120 species, is not monophyletic as it revision and that some Galanthus species includes several C4 species of Cyperus s.s. This are in need of taxonomic recircumscription. study establishes a phylogenetic framework The putative natural hybrid, G. ×valentinei for revising the classification and studying nothosubsp. subplicatus, is supported,

D. Simpson character evolution in Cyperus s.l. Bot. J. Linn. whereas a hybrid origin for G. ×allenii is not. Soc. 172, 106 (2013). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 69, 205 (2013). Cyperus hemisphaericus Contact: Prof. Dave Simpson ([email protected]) Contact: Dr Aaron Davis ([email protected])

4 Orchid Evolution Climate change triggers evolution Kew researchers with colleagues in Swit- zerland investigated the effect of abiotic factors on the diversification of angiosperms in SE Asia using Sapindaceae as a case study. Palaeoclimatic data indicate that an abrupt climate change occurred at the Eocene–Oligocene (E–O) boundary affect- ing the distribution of tropical forests. The same period saw the emergence of SE Asia, caused by the collision of the Eurasian and B. Carlsward, E. Pacheco Australian plates. How the combination of these climatic and geomorphological factors affected the evolutionary history of angiosperms is poorly known. Biogeographi- cal and diversification analyses showed an

Flowers of some orchid species in subtribe Oncidiinae (e.g. Otoglossum globuliferum, right) resemble those of some increase in the number of dispersals at the species of Malpighiaceae (e.g. Stigmaphyllon sagraeanum, left). E–O boundary, which intensified during the Miocene. This pattern has been associated with higher rates of emergence of new gen- Floral deception in orchids era. These results demonstrated that SE Asia acted as a tropical bridge across landmasses The great majority of plant species in the tropics pollination system, which involves a unique derived from Laurasia and Gondwana and require animals to achieve pollination, but the yellow colour with absorbance in the UV-visual allowed multiple contacts between lineages exact role of floral signals in attraction of animal range of the pollinating bees, has evolved at from these areas and enabled speciation. pollinators is often debated. In the orchid family least 14 times within the species-rich Oncidiinae The study supports the importance of the () pollination is almost universally throughout the Neotropics, which helps explain combined effect of geomorphological (the animal-mediated, but a third of species provide the extraordinary diversification of orchids emergence of most islands in SE Asia c. 30 no floral reward, suggesting that deceptive and highlights the complexity of plant–animal million years ago) and climatic (the dramatic pollination mechanisms are prevalent. interactions. The authors of the study include E–O climate change that shifted the tropical students and post-docs at Imperial College A new study has shown that species of belt and reduced sea levels) factors in shap- London and researchers at the University of subtribe Oncidiinae and rewarding species of ing angiosperm distributions. Ann. Bot. 112, Florida and Lankester Garden (University of Malpighiaceae are often more similar in floral 151 (2013). Costa Rica). Proc. R. Soc. B doi: 10.1098/ colour and shape than expected by chance, and rspb.2013.0960 (2013). Contact: Dr Sven Buerki ([email protected]) it is proposed that a system of multifarious floral mimicry operates in these orchids. The same Contact: Prof. Mark Chase ([email protected])

Phylogeographic structure Orchid flower in Neotropical orchids development

Phylogeographic studies provide a framework Orchid flowers for investigating the mechanisms operating show some highly during the earliest stages of speciation, as unusual features,

reproductive barriers can be examined among including Trigonachras postardanjeisin, C. Davidson an endemic Bornean species of divergent lineages in a geographical context. A congenital Sapindaceae recently described by Kew recent study has investigated the evolution of union of the researchers. Phytotaxa 88, 19 (2013). early stages of intrinsic post-mating isolation fertile organs Herminium monorchis, transverse section of Flora of China completed among populations and lineages of Epidendrum into a gynostemium. flower bud denticulatum, a Neotropical orchid distributed In many orchids, In September 2013 a major milestone in across different biomes in South America, using the gynostemium bears outgrowths that do Chinese botany was celebrated with the nuclear and plastid DNA markers. Reproductive not appear to correspond directly with any completion of the Flora of China, a 30-year barriers among divergent lineages were particular organ type; they can be interpreted project to produce the first English-language examined by analyzing seed viability following differently based on conflicting data from floral account of the country’s c. 30,000 wild reciprocal crosses. Strong phylogeographic development, vasculature, teratology plant species. The project was led by the structure was found with plastid DNA, indicating and genetics. Chinese Academy of Sciences and Missouri Botanical Garden; Kew was one of the that the species was restricted to multiple Kew scientists have reviewed these data using editorial centres and Kew scientists co- refuges during forest expansion events, but Herminium monorchis (musk orchid) as a authored many of the family accounts. The less structure was found for nuclear markers, model. Analogizing the deeply lobed orchid first volume was published in 1994, with suggesting higher gene flow by pollen than labellum with a compound leaf, they speculate the remaining 24 volumes published over by seeds. Seed set asymmetries were observed that KNOX genes could be implicated not 19 subsequent years. The Flora provides in crosses between plastid genetic groups, only in spur development but also in the baseline information on wild plants in a suggesting incompatibilities associated with characteristic lobed morphology of the orchid floristically megadiverse region that will be cytonuclear interactions. The results suggest labellum and the lobing of the median carpel vital for effective conservation planning. The an important role for outbreeding depression that differentiates some of the unusual Flora of China is available online at http:// during the early stages of lineage diversification. outgrowths of the gynostemium. PeerJ 1, flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/index.html Evolution 67, 2024 (2013). e26 (2013). Contact: Prof. Dave Simpson ([email protected]) Contact: Dr Mike Fay ([email protected]) Contact: Dr Paula Rudall ([email protected])

5 Developmental Evolution New grants Bee health Bees provide essential pollination services for conservation and crop production worth over 200 billion dollars annually worldwide. However, recent declines in managed and wild bees have been reported due to environmental pressures including diseases. Nectar and pollen, consumed by bees, can also contain toxic plant chemicals to which bees are therefore exposed. The effects of these chemicals on bee health and disease have been overlooked. Kew is a partner on a new US National Science Foundation Swainsona formosa (scanning G. Prenner, RBG Kew electron micrograph, false coloured). project in collaboration with Massachusetts An inflorescence (red) is formed in the University, US Dept Agriculture and axil of a subtending leaf (dark green) and two massive stipules (bright Dartmouth College (USA) that will examine green). Scale bar = 0.4 mm. the effects of floral chemicals on bee health and disease loads in bees, and their common Inflorescences diseases as representative models to determine which species exacerbate disease Research at Kew on inflorescences in various with colleagues from Moscow (Ann. Bot. and whether any can ameliorate their effects. angiosperm lineages, including 112, 1553; 2013) focuses on the evolution Contact: Prof. Phil. Stevenson and monocots, fosters our understanding of racemose inflorescences in monocots. The ([email protected]) of the morphology and evolution of these occurrence of a terminal flower or flower- important structures. like organs is labile among early-divergent MedPlant monocots. Flower-subtending bracts (FSB) can Two recent studies are part of a special issue be reduced either by complete suppression Kew scientists will be participating in on inflorescences in Annals of Botany. A or by the formation of a ‘hybrid’ organ by a new European Commission-funded study of inflorescences in papilionoid legumes overlap of the developmental programmes of initiative to train early-career researchers (Ann. Bot. 112, 1567; 2013) highlights the FSB and the first abaxial organ formed on in new approaches and technologies for special inflorescence morphologies in this the floral . selection and sustainable use of natural group. In Swainsona formosa, pendulum resources for discovering promising drug symmetry is associated with distichous Finally, a detailed comparative study of leads. Coordinated by the University of phyllotaxis, whereas Cicer arietinum shows inflorescences in the twinflower clade Copenhagen, MedPlant (www.medplant. strong reduction tendencies. Based on Linnaeeae (Int. J. Plant Sci. 172, 200; 2013) eu) involves leading European research studies of Abrus precatorius, the papilionoid represents part of an ongoing PhD thesis groups, companies and public and non- pseudoraceme is reinterpreted as a compound by Kew botanist Sven Landrein. This clade public organisations. Kew will be hosting raceme with condensed lateral axes. From includes the famous Linnaea borealis, named two PhD studentships investigating Abrus-like inflorescences, other types can after the father of binomial nomenclature, phylogenetic frameworks for understanding be derived via reduction in flower number Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778). the diversity among medicinal plants. and synchronisation of flower development. Contact: Dr Olwen Grace ([email protected]) Another study undertaken in collaboration Contact: Dr Gerhard Prenner ([email protected]) Pesticidal plants Stomatal patterning Kew has been awarded a four-year McKnight Foundation project in Stomata possess immense ecological collaboration with the University of significance in land plants; they are crucial Greenwich, the Nelson Mandela Institute for gas exchange to enable respiration and of Science and Technology (Tanzania) and photosynthesis with minimal water loss. Bunda College (Malawi) to continue work A perceived inverse relationship between on optimizing pesticidal plant use that is atmospheric CO2 concentration and stomatal farmer relevant and can reduce crop losses index (ratio of stomata to epidermal cells) is to pests. Plant applications will be optimized widely used to reconstruct palaeo-atmospheric and simplified to improve efficacy, reliability, environments. Stomatal patterning is indirectly safety and cost. The technologies will be linked to stomatal index and has implications based on widely distributed and easily for the diversity of key structural and RBG Kew cultivated species such as Tephrosia vogelii, physiological pathways. Tanacetum cinerariifolium and Dysphania ambrosioides and indigenous woody plants Recent studies using Kew’s extensive Ginkgo biloba, transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of stoma. including africana and Securidaca living plant collections explore stomatal longepedunculata. Technical capacity will mature stomatal phenotypes can result from ultrastructure and development, focusing on be built through the supervision of masters contrasting morphogenetic factors, such as phylogenetically pivotal taxa such as Ginkgo students and the establishment of pesticidal loss or gain of asymmetric divisions in stomatal (a gymnosperm) and Amborella (an early- plant value chains to improve potential for development. Int. J. Plant Sci. 173, 849 (2013); divergent angiosperm). Since fossil taxa are commercialization. almost unknown for stomatal development, New Phytol. 200, 598 (2013); Ann. Bot.112, 1031 (2013) Contact: Prof. Phil. Stevenson ‘fossil fingerprints’ were sought to identify ([email protected]) the condition in ancestral seed plants. Similar Contact: Dr Paula Rudall ([email protected])

6 New typology of seed development Conservation on Islands Scientists at Kew and the University of conservation New species for the Reading have identified a new typology of in Madagascar Falkland Islands seed development in late winter-flowering A new endemic , Nassauvia temperate woodland plants, such as some In 2012, Mijoro Rakotoarinivo from the falklandica R. Upson & D.J.N. Hind species of Galanthus and Narcissus. The seeds Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre won (Compositae), has been found in the of these species are dispersed while still moist funding from the Conservation Leadership remote hills of the Falkland Islands, one of and immature, and the embryo continues its Programme (supported by Conservation the UK Overseas Territories. The discovery development within the seed in the humid International, Birdlife International, Flora and description of this restricted range, conditions of the forest floor following and Fauna International, and the Wildlife Critically Endangered sub-shrub has been closure of the forest leaf canopy. Germination Conservation Society) to undertake a a collaborative process between staff occurs with the drop in temperature in the one-year project studying the two endemic and volunteers at Falklands Conservation autumn. The capacity of the seeds to survive palms of the Itremo Massif Protected Area in and Kew. Nassauvia falklandica grows in desiccation to the low moisture contents the Central Highlands of Madagascar. The exposed, sparsely vegetated upland sites, and routinely used in seed banking is limited project has mapped all known populations microscopic investigation revealed a potential and only evident just prior to seed shed. of Dypsis decipiens and D. ambositrae and adaptation to this harsh environment. Identifying this typology of seed development predicted their potential distribution now Uniquely within the genus, the stomata of aids the successful conservation of the seeds and under future climate change models N. falklandica are only found on the sunken of these species in the Millennium Seed Bank. using GIS and niche modelling techniques. surfaces of hair-filled pits on the underside Ann. Bot. 111, 945 (2013). Other aspects of the project were a public education and engagement project across of its tiny leaves; this arrangement most Contact: Dr Rosemary Newton ([email protected]) the Itremo region (including a school-based likely reduces water loss. The discovery of N. poster design competition and distribution falklandica brings the number of Falkland of leaflets about conservation in the area in endemics to 14 and shows the value of Malagasy language) and a seed collection and continuing baseline botanical surveys in an R. Newton germination project, culminating in the ex situ archipelago that contains remote, unstudied propagation of the palms in a purpose-built areas. Kew Bull. 68, 317 (2013).

nursery in Itremo for reintroduction to the Contact: Dr Rebecca Upson ([email protected]) Galanthus nivalis capsules in different stages of opening wild. A fourth component of the project, a population genetics study of the two palm Seed conservation Native Seed Science species, is currently being undertaken at Kew in the Caribbean Initial Training Network by Lauren Gardiner. A Darwin Plus project awarded to Kew Contact: Dr Lauren Gardiner ([email protected]) From early in 2014, Kew is leading the this year will enable partners from all five science programme of a new, four-year EU Island alien gains Caribbean UKOTs to collect and bank FP7-People project on native seed science, seeds in-country for the first time. A technology and conservation of European endemic status workshop in October 2013, hosted in the plants (NASSTEC). This pan-European project As part of a study of Solanum subgenus Turks and Caicos Islands, brought together spans the Atlantic, Continental, Alpine Leptostemonum, an Old World clade of project partners for training in making and and Mediterranean eco-geographic areas. spiny solanums with species extending across processing seed collections for banking. NASSTEC will train 11 Early Stage Researchers Africa, Asia and Australia, the Solanum The remainder of the two-year project will (ESRs) and one Experienced Researcher species from offshore African islands were focus on a collecting programme, with in native seed science, so that future examined. This revealed that a species partners targeting native seed-bearing environmental mitigation and adaptation occurring on the Cape Verde Islands off the species for banking and use locally, as well projects can have increased impact. The west coast of Africa and considered to be as duplicating collections at the Millennium project will connect the public and private an introduced species from the New World Seed Bank in the UK. Partners in the project sector through the establishment of a multi- was actually a member of the Old World are the Departments of Environment in disciplinary European ‘doctoral’ school with clade. The species is identified as S. rigidum, Anguilla, Montserrat and the Cayman the aim of integrating knowledge in plant and it is probably endemic to the islands. Islands, the Department of Environment and ecology, molecular biology, conservation, Collections from the Caribbean are likely to Maritime Affairs in the Turks and Caicos seed biology and horticulture. This knowledge have been introduced from the Cape Verde Islands and the National Parks Trust of the will be transferred across the network and to Islands on slave ships. The conservation status Virgin Islands. industry through an e-learning environment. of S. rigidum needs to be reassessed in light Contact: Tom Heller ([email protected]) Kew seed conservation staff will be lead- of its new status. PhytoKeys 25, 35 (2013). supervisors for three of the ESR PhD student Contact: Dr Maria Vorontsova ([email protected]) projects under the overall co-ordination of the Museo Delle Scienze in Trento, Italy. Mediterranean workshop Contact: Prof. Hugh Pritchard ([email protected]) As part of the project led by Kew on The Genus Betula (by K. Ashburner ‘Ensuring the survival of endangered plants C. Clubbe/RBG Kew & H. McAllister; Kew Publishing, 2013; in the Mediterranean’, 60 delegates attended £68), the latest in the Botanical Magazine an international workshop at L’Orto Botanico Monograph series, is the first monograph di Catania, Sicily (18 – 20 April 2013), to published on the genus, the species of discuss the integration of ex situ and in situ conservation measures and advances in seed which have been notoriously difficult to Acacia anegadensis, a British Virgin Islands endemic, identify. In addition to the species accounts, banking. The workshop presentations are flowered for the first time at Kew in August 2013. This available from the project website at legume tree is Critically Endangered in the wild, and the extensive fossil record and recent Kew horticulturists have established protocols to grow molecular work are reviewed. www.medislandplant.eu. and cultivate the species from seed, whenever this is needed. Seed is stored in the Millennium Seed Bank. Available from www.kewbooks.com Contact: Teresa Gil Gil ([email protected]) Contact: Marcella Corcoran ([email protected])

7 Red List for British fungi Red Data Lists (RDLs) provide a widely used Impacts of large and small herbivores format for publicising the relative extinction risk faced by various taxa. Although British fungal RDLs were published in 1992 and 2006, neither of these achieved official (JNCC) approval, thereby diminishing their effectiveness in conservation decision-making. To remedy this, Boletaceae were chosen in 2012 to establish a template for fungal conservation status assessments. The aim was to facilitate production of British RDLs conforming to international (IUCN) standards and published by JNCC. Working with Natural England, the managers of two national fungal databases (ABFG and BMS) and a team at Cardiff University, Kew mycologists produced the first official fungal RDL for Great Britain, which was published online by JNCC in 2013. Of the 68 taxa studied, 13 were assessed as threatened and 37 are now ‘red-listed’. In a departure from traditional record-based assessments, the project used DNA V. Savolainen sequencing of fungarium specimens to verify Excluding large herbivores, such as elephants, lowers plant species diversity in the Kruger. occurrences of selected species at selected sites. One of the more surprising outcomes of this Large herbivores in Small herbivores in approach was that no authentic Boletus regius (royal bolete) sequences were recovered from savanna ecosystems temperate grasslands the British specimens so-named. This legally- The assembly of organisms into communities A study has found that slug herbivory is protected is apparently not British and so is influenced by a variety of factors. An probably an important factor influencing its conservation status could not be evaluated. international team led by Vincent Savolainen seedling recruitment at temperate grassland Contact: Dr Martyn Ainsworth ([email protected]) (Imperial College/Kew) and the African restoration sites. Researchers from Newcastle Toad stool: Boletus immutatus is one of the fungi now on Centre for DNA Barcoding looked at University and Kew assessed slug feeding the official British Red List. the impacts of large herbivores on plant damage to seedling monocultures of 23 communities in the Kruger National Park, meadow species and ranked each species one of the world’s largest nature reserves. for their acceptability – and hence potential There has been much debate on the impact vulnerability – to slugs in meadows. Species of large herbivores on biodiversity, especially disliked by slugs were mainly forbs associated given that these mammals are becoming with the target grassland and included locally extinct. Reconstructing the phylogeny Geranium sylvaticum (wood cranesbill),

M. Ainsworth of all the tree and shrub species in the park Rumex acetosa (common sorrel), Leontodon from DNA data, the researchers compared hispidus (rough hawkbit) and Anthoxanthum the structure of communities under various odoratum (sweet vernal grass). Species pressures of herbivory, using experimental preferred by slugs included Trifolium pratense Kew Bulletin is the science journal of RBG plots spanning several decades. The results (red clover), an important functional species Kew, focusing on plant and fungal taxonomy, showed that exclusion of large herbivores in meadow restoration as mature plants systematics and conservation. In 2013 it was results in impoverished species diversity have strong fungal root associations that selected for coverage in the Science Citation in restructured communities. This work act to reduce residual soil fertility within Index Expanded and will receive its first impact challenges current views on preventing large meadows previously managed intensively factor in 2015. The journal is online at herbivores, such as elephants, from foraging with the addition of inorganic fertilizer. The link.springer.com/journal/12225 and in nature reserves. J. Ecol. 101, 614 (2013). study concluded that seedlings of highly www.jstor.org/journals/00755974.html or Contact: Prof. Vincent Savolainen acceptable species may be less likely to survive follow on Twitter @kewBulletin. ([email protected]) slug herbivory and contribute to seedling Contact: Prof. Dave Simpson ([email protected]) recruitment at restoration sites. Selective slug herbivory, influenced by acceptability, Kew magazine is now available as an iPad may influence community-level processes if edition, published three times a year along seedling recruitment and establishment of with the print edition. With one-touch links key functional species, such as red clover, are to slideshows, films, events, courses, reduced. Ann. Bot. 112, 721 (2013). blogs and plant profiles, it is an alternative Printed on uncoated, way of viewing the magazine, including Contact: Dr Sarah Barlow ([email protected]) S. Barlow additional content. The field slug, Deroceras reticulatum, is a selective Available from the App Store seedling herbivore in UK grassland. 100% Kew Scientist Editorial advisory team Editor Dr M. Fay Dr W. Baker, Dr C. Clennett, Dr C. Clubbe, Dr F. Forest,

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, recycled paper. Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB. Production Editor Dr G. Kite P. Griffiths, Dr R. de Kok, Dr G. Lewis, N. McGough, M. Ramsay, Tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5000 Design Design & Photography, N. Rothwell, Dr P. Rudall, Prof. M. Simmonds, Dr P. Toorop, R. Wilford Fax: +44 (0)20 8332 5310 RBG Kew Internet: www.kew.org Published in Spring and Autumn.

RBG Kew receives about half its funding from the UK Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

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