Marking 150 issues of the Newsletter Newsletter No. 150 March 2012 Price: $5.00 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 150 (March 2012) AUSTRALASIAN SYSTEMATIC BOTANY SOCIETY INCORPORATED Council President Vice President Peter Weston Dale Dixon National Herbarium of New South Wales National Herbarium of New South Wales Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Mrs Macquaries Road Mrs Macquaries Road Sydney, NSW 2000 Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia Australia Tel: +61 2 9231 8142 Tel: +61 2 9231 8171 Fax: +61 2 9251 7231 Fax: +61 2 9241 3892 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Secretary Treasurer John Clarkson Frank Zich Department of Environment and Natural Resources Australian Tropical Herbarium PO Box 156 E2 Building, J.C.U. Cairns Campus Mareeba, QLD 4880 PO Box 6811 Australia Cairns, Qld 4870 Tel: +61 7 4048 4745 Australia Fax: +61 7 4092 2366 Tel: +61 7 4059 5014 Email: [email protected] Fax: +61 7 4091 8888 Email: [email protected] C ouncillor (Assistant Secretary - Communications) Councillor (Assistant Treasurer) Ilse Breitwieser Pina Milne Allan Herbarium National Herbarium of Victoria Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd Royal Botanic Gardens PO Box 40 Birdwood Ave Lincoln 7640 South Yarra, VIC 3141 New Zealand Australia Tel: +64 3 321 9621 Tel: +61 3 9252 2309 Fax: +64 3 321 9998 Fax: +61 3 9252 2423 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Other Constitutional Bodies Public Officer Hansjörg Eichler Research Committee Annette Wilson Bill Barker Australian Biological Resources Study Philip Garnock-Jones GPO Box 787 Betsy Jackes Canberra, ACT 2601 Greg Leach Australia Nathalie Nagalingum Email: [email protected] Christopher Quinn Chair: Dale Dixon, Vice President Affiliate Society Grant application closing dates: Papua New Guinea Botanical Society Hansjörg Eichler Research Fund: on March 14th and September 14th each year. Australian Conservation Taxonomy Award: ASBS Website on March 14th 2012 and March 14th 2013 www.anbg.gov.au/asbs Murray Fagg Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Re- Cover image: Alloxylon flammeum (Proteaceae), search reproduced with the permission of Australian National Herbarium David Mackay (the artist) and RBG Sydney. Email: [email protected] Publication dates of previous issue Austral. Syst. Bot. Soc. Nsltr 149 (December 2011 issue) ASBS Web site: 9th February 2012 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 150 (March 2012) From the President It is time to welcome most members back from those who have something to say (and most summer holidays and in some cases to say “well of us have) will take the trouble to put their done” for recently finishing and submitting thoughts on paper and send them to the applications to granting bodies. This message Society or the Editor. is especially aimed at those research students I think that Australian plant systematists who submitted applications to the Hansjoerg subsequently supported the newsletter Eichler Scientific Research Fund and/or for the handsomely by submitting articles much more Australian Conservation Taxonomy Award on enthusiastically than Everist had foreseen. or before 14 March. However, his comments got me thinking about A landmark for the ASBS Newsletter the role the newsletter now plays as a forum This issue of the Newsletter marks a special for the critical evaluation of publications anniversary, being issue number 150, a nice in our field. It does fulfil this function well round number. Our newsletter has come a through the book reviews section, a part of the long way since publication of the first issue Newsletter that is really flourishing thanks to back in March 1974, following foundation of John Clarkson’s enthusiastic pursuit of both the society in August 1973. ASBS Newsletter publishers and willing reviewers. However, it number 1 was a mimeographed document of seems to me that Australasian plant systematists 14 foolscap pages that were held together by disagree with each other’s opinions and a staple in the upper left hand corner. It looks conclusions to a much greater extent than an quaint and old-fashioned compared to issue innocent reader would gather from reading 150 but it makes fascinating reading for anyone the ASBS Newsletter. It would be great if the familiar with the personalities and questions newsletter hosted an opinion page even half as that dominated Australian plant systematics at vigorous as the “points of view” section that the time. Selwyn Everist, then Director of the made Systematic Zoology such compelling Queensland Herbarium, wrote the first article, reading back in the 1970’s. setting out the kind of material he thought the Our next conference in Perth newsletter ought to publish. He saw it as Members who visit the ASBS website often A medium for expressing ideas and opinions: will have noticed the announcement there of on such matters as disciplines involved in the next ASBS conference, to be held in Perth, making taxonomic judgements and for at the University Club of Western Australia notification of and comments on published and Western Australian Conservation Science work. Centre from 23 to 26 September 2012 (see Everist went on to pointedly note that: www.anbg.gov.au/asbs/conferences.html). Unlike fairy godmothers, editors are unable The conference has its own web site (www. to conjure up articles out of thin air, although asbs2012perth.com), which will have been sometimes they are forced to try. The value linked to the ASBS conference page by the time of this Newsletter will depend on whether you read this. The theme of the conference, Australasian Systematic Botany Society Inc. Council Elections In accordance with the Society’s Rules, nominations are hereby called for positions on the Council for the 2012–13 term of office. Council consists of the following positions: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and two (2) Councillors. Note: Nominations must be received by the Secretary, John Clarkson, PO Box 156, Mareeba, Qld before 5 pm Tuesday 31st July. Nomination forms are on the ASBS Website www.anbg.gov.au/asbs. 1 Australasian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 150 (March 2012) “Local knowledge, global delivery”, was Meeting to be held at the National Herbarium prompted by the radical changes that were of New South Wales in Sydney on Tuesday 3 made to the nomenclatural code (including its July, at which the proposed rule changes will name) at last year’s International Botanical be discussed, and if the meeting so decides, Congress in Melbourne. The organisers see modified. Please read my article elsewhere in these innovations as heralding a new era in this newsletter discussing these proposals and which systematists will increasingly become arguing why such changes to our rules are immersed in biodiversity informatics, web- necessary. based collaborations, electronic publishing and Another important matter on the AGM agenda eFloras. Presentations and posters dealing with is of course the election of members of ASBS these areas as well as any other current work Council. I will be retiring as president at this in Australasian plant systematics, particularly meeting, having served the maximum three local endemism, pollination and biodiversity year term allowed by our constitution. Vice threats, are welcomed. The conference will President Dale Dixon will be ineligible to step be followed by a two day guided field trip to into my shoes because he will have served the Lesueur National Park, a significant centre maximum six year term allowed as a Council of endemism within one of the world’s most member. So, we need at least two ASBS spectacular biodiversity hotspots. It is time to members who are interested in nominating start organising ourselves to participate in this for the leadership positions of President and important meeting at a botanically exciting Vice President. I strongly encourage aspiring venue. nominees to discuss these roles with me or Our next AGM other members of Council. We are particularly On the afternoon of Tuesday 25 September, the interested in receiving nominations for the society’s Annual General Meeting will be held position of President from members who have at the University Club of Western Australia. previous experience on Council. Nominations This meeting will deal with several important for positions on ASBS Council are due by 25 matters. One of these will be the determination May 2012. of special resolutions to change the society’s Peter Weston rules. This vote will follow an earlier General ASBS Inc. business Proposed ASBS Rule Changes 2012 I am in receipt of a letter dated 29 February Voting mail out, then determination at AGM 2012, signed by 4 financial members of the in Perth on 25th September Australasian Systematic Botany Society Inc., in The proposals, unless withdrawn, with any which a number of changes to the Rules of the modifications, will be sent to all members by 1st Society are proposed. August 2012 together with appropriate voting Special General Meeting on 3rd July in papers. These voting papers should be returned Sydney to the Secretary by midnight (EST) on 5th September 2012 or presented with unchanged Pursuant to Rule 34 of the Society, I am directed particulars to the Secretary at the annual general by Council to advise you that a general meeting meeting of the Society to be held on Tuesday of the Society will be held on Tuesday 3rd July 25th September 2012 at the University Club 2012 in the Caley Room, National Herbarium of Western Australia, Hackett Drive, Crawley, of New South Wales, Mrs Macquaries Road, WA beginning at 4:00 pm (WST). The special Sydney, NSW beginning at 12:00 pm (EST). At resolution will be determined at this meeting. this meeting the proposals, which are attached, will be will be placed on the agenda to be dealt A full explanation follows in this Newsletter.