Newsletter No.129 December 2006 Price: $5.00 Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 129 (December 2006) AUSTRALIAN SYSTEMATIC BOTANY SOCIETY INCORPORATED Council President Vice President John Clarkson Darren Crayn Centre for Tropical Agriculture Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney PO Box 1054 Mrs Macquaries Road Mareeba, Queensland 4880 Sydney NSW 2000 tel: (07) 4048 4745 tel: (02) 9231 8111 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] Secretary Treasurer Kirsten Cowley Anna Monro Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research Australian National Herbarium Australian National Herbarium GPO Box 1600, Canberra ACT 2601 GPO Box 1600 tel: (02) 6246 5024 Canberra ACT 2601 email: [email protected] tel: (02) 6246 5472 email: [email protected] Councillor Dale Dixon Councillor Northern Territory Herbarium Marco Duretto Parks & Wildlife Commission of the NT Tasmanian Herbarium PO Box 496 Private Bag 4 Palmerston, NT 0831 Hobart, Tasmania 7001 tel.: (08) 8999 4512 tel.: (03) 6226 1806 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] Other Constitutional Bodies Public Officer Hansjörg Eichler Research Committee Kirsten Cowley Barbara Briggs Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research Rod Henderson Australian National Herbarium Betsy Jackes (Contact details above) Tom May Chris Quinn Chair: Darren Crayn, Vice President (ex officio) Grant applications close: 14th Mar/Sep annually Affiliate Society Papua New Guinea Botanical Society ASBS Web site www.anbg.gov.au/asbs Webmaster: Murray Fagg Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research Australian National Herbarium Email: [email protected] Loose inclusions with this issue ● Annual membership fees form (see Newsletter envelope for what you owe) Publication dates of previous issue Austral.Syst.Bot.Soc.Nsltr 128 (December 2006 issue) Hardcopy: 1st November 2006; ASBS Web site: 2nd November 2006 Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 129 (December 2006) From the President By the time this Newsletter arrives we will be well the International Botanical Conference coming into the new year. I hope you and your families “down under” for only the second time in 2011, I have all got safely through the festive season. On am encouraging Council to give some thoughts to behalf of Council I would like to wish you all what the Society can do that year to be part of it. the very best for the year ahead. I know 2006 In the week prior to the Cairns conference was a particularly difficult year for a number of the establishment of the Australian Tropical members and their loved ones who have had to Herbarium (ATH) was formally announced. cope with serious health problems throughout the The ATH is a joint venture between CSIRO, year. My thoughts are with you. Hopefully 2007 Queensland Department of State Development, will be a much kinder year. Trade and Innovation, Queensland Environmental I would like to extend a special thank you to Paul Protection Agency, Commonwealth Department Gadek and his team in Cairns for hosting a very of Environment and Heritage and James Cook successful conference on behalf of the Society University. The new herbarium, which will in November and to Michelle Waycott and her be located with the Australian Tropical Forest small band of helpers for a very informative Institute (ATFI), is currently under construction class on molecular techniques. A full report of on the Cairns campus of James Cook University these appears elsewhere in this Newsletter. I am at Smithfield (for details see Web ref. 1). It will looking forward to seeing lots of you at the next bring together the specimens currently located ASBS conference which will be held in Darwin at the CSIRO Tropical Forest Research Station in September. Mark the week 24th to the 28th in Atherton (QRS), the Queensland Herbarium September in your diaries now. This coincides collection in Mareeba (MBA) and the James with the AVCC common week for Australian Cook University Herbarium from Townsville. universities and follows the CHAH/HISCOM The announcement brought to an end fears that meeting which will be held in Darwin the week the QRS herbarium would be lost to Far North before. The dates were chosen to provide as many Queensland by being transferred to Canberra. as possible with the opportunity to attend what The Society welcomes this decision. The newly will be the first ASBS meeting in the Northern appointed curator, Frank Zich, has already been Territory. The weather in Darwin should be very signed up as a member of the Society. In due pleasant at that time of the year, certainly a whole course I imagine Robyn or Bill will prevail upon lot warmer than in the southern states. I am sure someone to write up a short Newsletter article on Dale Dixon and his team will turn on some real the new facility. Top End hospitality. I value your thoughts on how the Society is We now have firm offers to host conferences progressing. If you have any suggestions do get for the next few years. Adelaide will follow in touch. I would be glad to hear from you. Darwin in 2008 and Armidale the year after that. Web ref. 1. www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/ath-cairns/ath-info-kit.pdf I think this is a sign of a healthy society. With John Clarkson ASBS Inc. business Hansjörg Eichler Research Fund Application guidelines are available from the Society’s website Only two applications were received for the Darren Crayn September 2006 round. These were of a high standard and the Research Committee decided New members to fund one of these for the amount requested, Council is pleased to welcome the following new $2000: Jasmine Janes (University of Tasmania) members for 2007 to the Society: – The ecology and fine scale genetic diversity of Pterostylidinae (Orchidaceae) in Tasmania. On ● Mr Ashley Field, James Cook University, behalf of the Research Committee I would like to Townsville, Qld. wish Ms Janes the very best for her studies and ● Mr Matthew Flower, GHD Pty Ltd, Darwin, we look forward to seeing a report on her findings N.T. ● Mr John Gardiner, Wiluna, W.A. published in the newsletter in due course. ● Dr Hervé Sauquet, Royal Botanic Gardens, As always the expertise and enthusiasm of the Sydney, N.S.W. Research Committee (Barbara Briggs, Rod ● Mr Ned Wales, Gold Coast City Council, Qld. Henderson, Betsy Jackes, Tom May, Chris Quinn) ● Mr Frank Zich, Australian Tropical Herbarium, is gratefully acknowledged. Atherton, Qld. Potential applicants are advised that the closing Anna Monro, date for the next round is 14th March 2007. Treasurer 1 Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 129 (December 2006) Article Infra-specific variation in Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott (Araceae) A.E. Orchard Biosecurity Australia, GPO Box 858, Canberra ACT 2601 In Australia taro is generally treated as a esculenta, var. aquatilis and var. nymphaeifolia) unitary species, without infraspecific taxa (see, are recognised. Others to recognise varietal ranks for example, Hay 1996; APC 2006). It is my in this species recently include Hirai et al. (1989); understanding that this will also be the view Wilson & Siemonsma (1996); Onwueme (1999); adopted in Flora of Australia. It reflects the Bown (2000); Ivancic & Lebot (2000), Yoshino widespread view that the taxonomic varieties 2002; Chay-Prove & Goebel (2004); Hicks & recognised until recently are not entirely Nguyen (2004); Daniells et al. (2004); Tyagi et al. satisfactory. This is a valid view. However in 2004; Horsburgh & Noller (2005); and James et agronomic and horticultural contexts these al. (2007). The views of those such as Onyilagha varietal names are still frequently encountered, et al. (1987) who recognise two taxa at species and it seems useful to maintain them, if only rank (C. esculenta and C. antiquorum) seem to for their utility in these contexts. In addition, I have little or no support, believe that there are valid taxonomic reasons to maintain 3 varieties: C. esculenta var. esculenta, On the other hand, those who definitely reject var. antiquorum and var. aquatilis, and for those (rather than just ignore) recognition of formal that agree, I provide a summary of the resultant varieties in C. esculenta (other than the Floras synonymy below. For the most part, only names already cited) include Vinning (2003); Midmore that have appeared in Australian literature, or their et al. (2006) and Hay (1996). Of these, the only basionyms, are listed here. For a full synonymy, one to provide formal taxonomic arguments see Wunderlin & Hansen (2006). in support of abandoning formal taxonomic infraspecific classification was Hay (1996), and The most frequently cited taxonomic authority this is discussed below. Other authors relied on for Colocasia esculenta, at least in agronomic generalised arguments revolving around plasticity, works, is still Purseglove (1972). In this work doubts on the true ‘wild type’, and/or a desire to Purseglove recognised two varieties, C. esculenta use local cultivar names. (L.) Schott var. esculenta and C. esculenta var. antiquorum (Schott) F.T.Hubb. & Rehder. These Hay (1996) noted that the stoloniferous ‘wild equate with the broad “Pacific Taro”, “Dasheen” type’ taro is found from southern Japan through or “Large Corm Taro” (var. esculenta) and the Malesia to northern Australia, and cited evidence “Eddoe” or “Small Corm Taro” (var. antiquorum) that the populations in Australia and New of commerce. Other authors, particularly in Guinea are probably indigenous (see references archaeological fields, have recognised a “Wild in Hay 1996). Ivancic & Lebot (1999) argued Type Taro” with usually inedible corms and that some New Caledonian races may also be propagating by stolons. This is often referred to indigenous. Sauer (1993) considered that taro as C. esculenta var. aquatilis Hassk. reached the Pacific Islands with the Polynesians, who probably acquired it from the Melanesians Despite its great importance as a staple crop in the around 1500–1000 BC.