The Monograph of Daviesia (Mirbelieae)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Bean Bag A newsletter to promote communication among research scientists concerned with the systematics of the Leguminosae/Fabaceae Issue 64, Year 2017 CONTENT Page Letter from the Editor 2 Reports of 2017 Happenings 3 Good to Know 7 A Look into 2018 8 Legume Shots of the Year 11 Legume Bibliography under the Spotlight 15 Publication News from the World of Legume Systematics 20 1 Letter from the Editor Dear Bean Bag Fellow I hope your 2018 has been wonderful so far! Apologies for the delay in getting this issue to you. As you will see, this is another extra-large issue. The extension of the submission deadline seems to have done the trick! But then the BB webpage added an extra delay, as it is currently still unavailable. The Kew IT team is working on a new site that will be ready only in a few months. I will keep you posted. A lot has been going on in 2017 in the legume world, not to forget that the new Leguminosae subfamily classification was published in the journal Taxon, as reported in the previous BB Newsletter 63. This issue starts by remembering Mario Sousa, who many of the BB members have known personally, including myself. Afterwards, you will get to know everything on electronic access to data about Legumes. Then we will look forward into 2018, with the International Legume Conference in Sendai, Japan! Several beautiful photographs of Brazilian legumes will delight you. Those of the Australian Daviesia flowers will precede one of the highlights from the world of legume publications. You will certainly note the highlight with the funny cartoon! Concluding, as always, you’ll find the traditional (and long) list of legume bibliography. As a reminder, the Bean Bag Newsletter is sent out through the BB Google Group, which is the only purpose of this google group. For correspondence about the BB, members are invited to email at [email protected]. Finally, I am very grateful to Gwil Lewis and Leo Borges for their editorial assistance and to all contributors of this issue for sharing their news, insights, images and publication citations, making this probably one of the longest issues! Thank you for your attention, and I will be back with news about the webpage. Kind regards, Brigitte Marazzi The Bean Bag Newsletter in the Web The present and the most recent newsletters are made available for online download on the BB webpage, whereas issues 1-54 are found on the digital library: www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/122385#/summary Visit our Webpage (unavailable), join us on Google Group or find us on Facebook! 2 REPORTS OF 2017 HAPPENINGS MARIO SOUSA SÁNCHEZ (1940-2017) Communicated by Lulu Rico, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Mario Sousa in 2006 at the Instituto de Biología, UNAM. Photo courtesy of E.J. Lott. Professor Mario Sousa Sánchez of the Universidad Michoacana 600 ha. donated in 1966 by (b 19 Feb 1940, d 17 Jan 2017). de San Nicolás de Hidalgo. arrangements with the Mario Sousa served at the Additionally, he was Honorary Governmental Agriculture Instituto de Biología (UNAM) for Research Curator at the, Department in Mexico. Los 52 years, where he began as an Missouri Botanical Garden Tuxtlas remains an important academic technician in 1964, Herbarium. forest reserve where many fulfilling several responsibilities researchers and their students Sousa studied the vegetation over the course of his long and continue working. During his life regeneration of the Tuxtepec devoted career: researcher, he tirelessly carried on field work region in Oaxaca for his BSc editor, and twice Head Curator in Mexico and other Central thesis in the Facultad de Ciencias of the National Herbarium of American countries, despite (UNAM), under the supervision Mexico, among others. In 1989 various difficulties. Once in of Prof. Faustino Miranda, during the 100th Anniversary of 1980, after returning from an obtaining his degree in 1963. He the National Herbarium (MEXU), expedition in Panama, he was part of the Dioscorea UNAM (Universidad Nacional suffered a painful infection of Commission which surveyed this Autónoma de México), he was the parasite Dematobia hominis plant genus, especially D. awarded a special Merit Medal L.f. Luckily, he was well attended composita Hemsl., at that time for his dedication to MEXU; in and just scars of the larvae were recently discovered as a source 1993 he was recognized for his left on his forearm and head. of diosgenin and steroids for contributions to botanical pharmaceutical research. He During a study visit to Berkley, knowledge of the Yucatan played a key role, together with University of California, he made Peninsula; in 2010, he received Prof. A. Gómez-Pompa, in the acquaintance of Prof. Velva the Botanical Merit Medal from establishing ‘Los Tuxtlas’, the E. Rudd, who encouraged him the Sociedad Botánica de first tropical field station of to research the genus México; in 2011 was awarded a UNAM. The station comprises Lonchocarpus under the super- Botany Doctor Honoris Causa at 3 Mario Sousa at the Inst Ecol Patzcuaro Mich. Photo courtesy of the Archives of the Instituto de Biología, UNAM. vision of B.G. Schubert at years it went from c. 80,000 ancillary collections for which Harvard University (1968- specimens to more than the Instituto de Biología was a 1972). Rudd and Schubert, 300,000, and in 1985, when he repository, such as: pollen, both specialists on the left his first period as Head photography slides, etc. Among Leguminosae, were his Curator, MEXU had those worth highlighting is the teachers, friends, and incorporated more than wood collection, started by F. eventually advisers for several 400,000 specimens. In his Miranda in 1949, officially decades to both Mario and his capacity as Head Curator, registered in Index Xylariorum; students. In his long, and Mario Sousa, with his nowadays, two databases of exceptionally dedicated career, characteristic diligence, raised this are available, one at he published important works the Herbario Nacional, MEXU, CONABIO and the other in on Legume taxonomy and to international standards and UNIBIO, at the Institute of diversity (Sousa 1993, 2001 a & saw it registered in Index Biology server (Lynch & b, Sousa & Delgado 1993, Lavin Herbariorum. Under his Gasson, 2010). Another & Sousa 1995); as well as direction during a second important collection is that of chapters for several books period as Head Curator (1994- seeds and fruits. In 1974 Mario (Sousa et al. 2004, 2007, Sousa 2003), MEXU grew to more Sousa started to collect drift 2010) and described at least than one million specimens. He seeds and fruits along the coast 159 species new to science promoted intensive field work of the States of Oaxaca and within 29 genera, especially in for specimen collections and Veracruz. He knew the the former tribe exchange with other importance of these, the study Lonchocarpinae and in the institutions, both national and of, but also for plant dispersal Millettieae (among some are international (see Dávila & and biogeographical research. Sousa & Peña de Sousa 1981, German 1991), and obtained Sousa supported the growth of Sousa 2005, 2009); at least 32 donations or purchased the departmental botany taxa have been dedicated to historical herbarium sets (Rico library by increasing the him (Grether 2017, Rico & & Grether 2017). exchange of materials, Grether 2017). especially those regarding During his administration, he floras, nomenclature, Returning to UNAM after his acquired grants, outside the taxonomy, and microfilms with years at Harvard University, in UNAM, aiming to make a the cooperation of the late 1975 he became Head Curator bigger and better MEXU. He librarians Raymundo García of MEXU; then, under his knew of the importance of and Armando Butanda. He influence, the National ancillary collections, such as often said that without a Herbarium began a period of those of Asa Gray in the USA, library, it was not possible to exponential growth. In five and he formalized several 4 have an Herbarium. He served botanists because he realized remembered for his warm as editor of the Boletín de la as a student that many older welcome to MEXU visitors and Sociedad Botánica de México herbarium specimens did not his frequent collaborations (1973-1979) and the Anales have complete collection data. with botanists from other del Instituto de Biología, To find the localities of plants countries who shared his zeal UNAM (1993-1994), but his of his interest, he researched for knowledge and most notable editorial botanist’s diaries and built up appreciation of the flora of contribution was for the Flora itineraries, georeferencing the Mexico. Mesoamericana Project of sites as much as possible by He spoke, although somewhat which, in 1980, he was one of use of maps and gazetteers reluctantly, at many fora. His four founders along with Gerrit (Purata 1981, Sousa 1969, last in 2016, in a Symposium at Davidse (Missouri Botanical 1979). the XX Mexican Botanical Garden, USA), Arthur Chater In October 2015 he celebrated Congress, celebrating the 75th and Christopher Humphries at his 50 years’ service in UNAM. Anniversary of the Sociedad the British Museum (Natural During his tenure he Botánica de México where he History, London). supervised at least 23 theses, stressed the research impact In Sousa’s office there is a eight with honors and prizes of the 1960s “Commission of cabinet full of published or given by the Sociedad Botánica Dioscorea” in the knowledge draft papers on biographies de México (Rico & Grether of Mexican tropical rain and itineraries of major 2017). He also will be forests. He also described to III Congreso Mexicano de Botánica, 14 0ct 1966 - M. Sousa, A. Carter, F. Gonzalez Medrano and Mason (third, fourth and fifth left to right). Photo courtesy of the Archives of the Instituto de Biología, UNAM.