Botany & Conservation A newsletter for alumni and friends of Botany and Conservation Biology Fall/Winter 2017 Unraveling the secret to the unique pigment of beets - page 5 The many colors of the common beet Mo Fayyaz retires Letters to a A virtual museum Contents 3 4 pre-scientist 6 reunion botany.wisc.edu conservationbiology.ls.wisc.edu NEWS & NOTES NEWS & NOTES Chair’s Letter Longtime botany greenhouse director Mo Fayyaz retires Adapted from a story by Eric Hamilton sense of inevitable change in the air. At Those seminal collections, intended hen the Iranian government plants. Fayyaz and his greenhouse staff overseeing the work himself. The garden the same time, autumn in Wisconsin to encourage interest in the natural Woffered Mo Fayyaz a full schol- have grown a dizzying array of plants organizes plants by their family rela- always evokes a feeling of comfort in the resources of Wisconsin, grew quickly arship to study horticulture abroad, a used by 14 lecture and laboratory courses tionships and features several unique familiar – botany students are once again and would ultimately serve as the cradle simple oversight meant the University as well as botanical research labs. The specimens, such as a direct descendent out trying to ID asters and goldenrods. of origin for most of the natural science of Wisconsin–Madison was not his top greenhouse climates range from humid, of Isaac Newton’s apple tree, said to have It’s that enigmatic sense of the familiar disciplines that have propelled UW- choice. tropical jungles nurturing orchids to arid inspired the physicist’s theory of gravity. coupled with a sense of change that Madison into an international research “I didn’t even know there was a state deserts brimming with cactuses. University members, area residents makes it such a pleasure to be part of powerhouse (UW-Madison currently called Wisconsin,” laughs Fayyaz, who In 2001, Fayyaz coaxed the notorious and schoolchildren visit the garden for our exceptional university. We continue ranks 28th in the world). Today, more retired in August after 33 years as the ‘corpse flower’, Amorphophallus titanum, informal and organized tours — or to to embrace our traditions, while at the than 150 years later, a generous grant distinguished director of the botany to bloom. He had rescued the plant from simply smell the flowers. same time fulfilling our state motto – from the Wisconsin Alumni Research department greenhouse and botanical the compost during greenhouse renova- Fayyaz always extended his mission Forward! The feature story in this issue Foundation is breathing new life into gardens. outside of the university walls. of the newsletter epitomizes this concept that 19th Century Cabinet using 21st “I even knew Kentucky!” He co-founded the Association perfectly. Century digital technology to re-unite Fortunately for the university of Education and Research them. The Department of Botany has and Fayyaz’s future students and Greenhouse Curators, which con- In 1849, the newly established UW colleagues, UW–Madison was the nects greenhouse staff at universi- Dear Alumni and Friends, Board of Regents proclaimed that “efforts a rich history steeped in tradition, but continues to collaborate, innovate, and first school to admit him. After ties and colleges to share knowl- Who knows where the time goes? It should be made at once to begin the earning his master’s degree in hor- edge and experience. Working seems just yesterday that the students formation of a cabinet of natural history.” advance – everything old is new again. On Wisconsin! ticulture, Fayyaz went on to gradu- with artists, he has designed returned to Madison, and here we are Without delay they commissioned ate with a Ph.D. in botany. A friend engrossing, educational posters already at the mid-term. I am sitting geological, zoological, and botanical Ken Cameron introduced him to his now-wife, a about plants and fungi, using the in the Botany Chair’s Office, which samples to be collected from around Chair nurse from Wausau, Wisconsin. proceeds to advance the green- I took over in July, and see the oaks Wisconsin. Mr. Increase Lapham donated While paying off his scholar- house mission. and elms on Bascom Hill starting to 1,500 plant specimens to establish the ship by teaching at the University Fayyaz received the 2017 transform color - there is a palpable cabinet’s herbarium; others followed. of Tehran, Fayyaz lived through Chancellor’s Award for Excellence the Iranian Revolution and Iran- in Service to the University for Iraq war. He was nearly bombed his contributions to the botany by Iraqi forces while traveling be- department and the university. tween university campuses. When Although Fayyaz prides himself Hugh Iltis Inducted into the Wisconsin Conservation Photo by Bryce Richter / UW-Madison This newsletter is published by Fayyaz returned to the safety of his on the renovations he has overseen Hall of Fame Adapted from the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame: wchf.org the Department of Botany at the wife’s home state, and to Madison, for the garden and greenhouse, University of Wisconsin-Madison for The world lost a passionate con- conservation organizations to protect university hiring freezes and temporary tions and had to brush off skepticism that and the outreach he has championed alumni, colleagues and friends. servationist and we lost a Botany natural areas and promote environmental work provided new challenges for his it was worth pampering a mercurial plant with partners such as Edgewood College Department legend when Hugh Iltis died quality. His technical bulletin Atlas of the young family. that only rarely blooms. As the flower and Madison College, he is most proud Editorial team: Carmela Diosana, Eve in December 2016. This past Earth Day, Wisconsin Prairie and Savanna Flora co- When a position for director of the opened, Fayyaz welcomed 30,000 visitors of his record of safety. His efforts over Emshwiller, Ginny Jackson, and Sarah greenhouse opened up, Fayyaz saw an to the greenhouse night and day to get a the decades to move from chemical pest Friedrich. April 22, 2017, Hugh was posthumously authored by Theodore Cochran and pub- recognized for his efforts with a place lished in 2000 is still being used today. opportunity to stay as busy as he enjoyed whiff of its pungent stench. His idea to control to a program of integrated pest Chair: Ken Cameron in the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Nationally and globally, Iltis is being. livestream the blooming from a webcam management, which uses natural meth- Fame. best known for his work as Wisconsin “This job is just like juggling five, six set records for website hits and crashed ods like releasing beneficial insects, has Submissions are welcome. Please In 1960 he co-founded The Nature Herbarium Director, his efforts to protect balls at the same time,” says Fayyaz. “You university servers. helped protect the health of his green- send comments, ideas and photos to: Conservancy in Wisconsin and champi- biosphere reserves in Mexico and South cannot look to the side and let one go.” Fayyaz distributed the seeds he col- house staff. Fayyaz juggled the demands of lected to other greenhouses to grow, Fayyaz has many offers from differ- Alumni News Editor oned its efforts to protect natural areas by America, and his plant studies, including growing plant material for classes and display and study. The offspring of the ent horticultural and botanical societies UW Department of Botany serving on its Board, providing techni- the discovery in Mexico of Zea diplope- 430 Lincoln Drive cal and scientific advice on acquisitions, rennis, a perennial wild relative of corn, research, managing the botanical garden, UW–Madison corpse flower have now to consult in retirement. He also plans to Madison, WI 53706 and working with landowners to protect now being used for plant breeding. and reaching outside of the university to bloomed around the world. spend time volunteering for Habitat for some of Wisconsin’s most unique eco- ltis received numerous awards for his share his love of the plant world as widely Donation money from visitors to the Humanity. But his first task? Cleaning Phone: 608-262-0476 systems, including the Baraboo Hills and contributions to conservation including as possible. rare bloom was pooled with other grants out the basement at home. Fax: 608-262-7509 Chiwaukee Prairie. TNC’s highest honor – the Golden Oak Among Fayyaz’s many stories of his to undertake a massive renovation of the “The botany department is my second email: [email protected] In the 1960s he joined fellow citizen Leaf Award, and a Presidential Award adventures at the university is the time botany department garden at Mills Street family,” says Fayyaz, who, despite dislik- he masterminded an ambitious rais- and University Avenue. UW–Madison ing the climate, has found a home in a www.botany.wisc.edu activists to launch efforts to ban the use from the Republic of Mexico for his role of DDT in Wisconsin and the nation. He in establishing the Sierra de Manantlan ing of the greenhouse roof — it had to landscape architecture students submit- chilly state he once didn’t know existed. also worked with many other national Biosphere Reserve. be bent into place to fit after extensions ted designs and Fayyaz stretched the “I hate cold — these people kept me were added — to accommodate larger funds by paying student workers and warm.” 2 Botany and Conservation Biology Alumni Newsletter 3 NEWS & NOTES NEWS & NOTES Giving back, one letter at a time by Rachel Toczydlowski UW researchers discover an evolutionary stepping stone to beet-red beets Who doesn’t love getting a hand- “You can just feel the energy when By Eric Hamilton of beets developed the red and yellow analyzed the genomes of dozens of plant written letter in the mail? Rachel you walk into the classroom on a The color red is splashed across gar- betalains, and then turned off the redun- families, some that made betalains and Toczydlowski received four last year letter opening day.” “I would have dens, forests and farms, attracting pol- dant anthocyanins.