No.No. 12 1211 DECEMBERDECEMBER 20042004 Price:Price: $5.00 $5.00 Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 121 (December 2004) AUSTRALIAN SYSTEMATIC BOTANY SOCIETY INCORPORATED Council President Vice President Stephen Hopper John Clarkson School of Plant Biology Centre for Tropical Agriculture University of Western Australia PO Box 1054 CRAWLEY WA 6009 MAREEBA, Queensland 4880 tel: (08) 6488 1647 tel: (07) 4048 4745 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] Secretary Treasurer Brendan Lepschi Anna Monro Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research Australian National Herbarium Australian National Herbarium GPO Box 1600 GPO Box 1600 CANBERRA ACT 2601 CANBERRA ACT 2601 tel: (02) 6246 5167 tel: (02) 6246 5472 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] Councillor Councillor Darren Crayn Marco Duretto Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Tasmanian Herbarium Mrs Macquaries Road Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery SYDNEY NSW 2000 Private Bag 4 tel: (02) 9231 8111 HOBART , Tasmania 7001 email: [email protected] tel.: (03) 6226 1806 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 GPO Box 1600, CANBERRA ACT 2601 Tom May tel: (02) 6246 5024 Chris Quinn email: [email protected] Chair: Vice President (ex officio) 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-leaf inclusions with this issue · Payment of ASBS membership fees (Membership Renewal) form · Application for Membership of ASBS form · Nominations for ASBS Council 2005/06 Publication dates of previous issue Austral.Syst.Bot.Soc.Nsltr 120 (September 2004 issue) Hardcopy: 19th Oct 2004; ASBS Web site: 18th Oct 2004 Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 121 (December 2004) ASBS Inc. business Hansjörg Eichler Research Fund Grants for 2004 Committee and Council wish both students every success with their studies and look forward to Council is pleased to announce the following two seeing their reports in the Newsletter in due students were successful in their application for course. support from the Hansjörg Eichler Research Fund in 2004. Closing date for first round of applications for 2005 David Maynard (BSc Hons., University of New Students and supervisors are reminded that from South Wales / Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. 2005 applications for grants from the Hansjörg A molecular phylogeny for the genus Eichler Research Fund will be assessed twice Elaeocarpus (Elaeocarpaceae) in Australia and each year. The first round for 2005 closes on the systematics of a putative new taxon. March 14. Information on the grants and the application form are available from the Society's Jillian Walsh (PhD, University of Sydney) The web page at www.anbg.gov.au/asbs/asbs.html or ecology and taxonomy of Fusarium species from the Secretary, Brendan Lepschi (see inside associated with Australian grasses. cover for contact details). Each applicant received the maximum grant of John Clarkson $1,000 each. Members of the Research Chairman of the Research Committee Planning Families of Australian Plants – new perspectives Canberra 27th July 2004 The workshop was convened to explore and Program develop concepts and plans for a conference and Keynote topics to include: review of APGII book on new perspectives on families of classification, Burbidge lecture, comparative Australian plants. It was attended by ASBS biology in relation to systematics and radiation of Council and some 20 members. the Australasian flora. The following is a summary of key outcomes of Key groups for review include: legumes (sens. the workshop, most (but not all) arrived at by lat.), restioids, Myrtaceae, Asteraceae, grasses, consensus. These ideas will be taken up by the Proteaceae, orchids, ferns, bryophytes, algae, respective organizing committees. Further input fungi lilies sens. lat., rainforest lineages, conifers, from members remains welcome. cycads, fern allies, endemic orders and families, weeds Conference and book/CD title: Families of Australian Plants – New Perspectives Call for conveners of half day organised sessions Geographical coverage: Australasian, focus on is to be made. Australia Organisms: native and naturalised green plants Local Organising Committee: Steve Hopper, and fungi, focus on seed plants Russell Barrett, others to be invited Theme: new perspectives – forward looking – National Advisory Committee: ASBS Council what has changed? How does the new plus Mike Crisp systematics inform understanding of plant biology and use? 2. Products for ASBS to publish 1. Conference (Perth, September 2005) Council aims are to raise some money for ASBS Timing: to coincide with an international but equally to get good quality relevant conference on flora conservation being organised systematic knowledge better disseminated. jointly by the Department of Conservation and Land Management and the Botanic Gardens and Perth conference proceedings Parks Authority. Also, spring in the southwest! Should be a separate product from a book/ CD – special issue of Austral. Syst. Bot? Organising Duration: three days Committee to pursue. 1 Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 121 (December 2004) Handbook and CD Which treatment? APGII as the baseline Families of Australian Plants – new perspectives – interesting biology, key references, keys down Main partners: ABRS, CHAH, ASBS, AD to genera for seed plants. Potential publishers: CSIRO, Rigby, Uni Working short title: Australian Plants (may treat Presses, Blackwells, Kangaroo Press, New families in some groups, orders or subfamilies in Holland – marketing and distribution important. others) Risks Content: primarily an illustrated account of the · Constraints on ASBS as a volunteer biology and uses of Australasian seed plant organisation with limited funds families, with smaller sections within each family · Scope of project too big? treatment devoted to systematics, habitats, map, · Contributors failing to deliver and possibly keys to genera; bryophytes, algae · Alternative taxonomies – explicit, liaise with and fungi to be handled as introductory essays CHAH only. · Financial risks – seek $$ partners – no copyright fees to be paid – make this clear at Key issues: ASBS capacity to deliver on both? the start – find an underwriter– ASBS cannot Key partners? Able to be updated? Need to avoid pay for fully duplication of electronic products on families · Time blowout already available. · Editorial burnout · Need for business plan – aim for retail Timeline: 3 years minimum, possibly staged, <$100/unit, print run of 2000 with taxonomy and keys first. Next steps Target audience: interested public, ecotourists, · Steve Hopper to draft outcomes of the tertiary students, botanists, landcare groups, workshop, Council to vet, corrected ms to SGAP, scientists, high school students, libraries Newsletter Editors for publishing. · Perth 2005 Conference Organising Committee Editorial Committee: Steve Hopper and Russell to be convened. Action: Steve Hopper Barrett offered to serve as primary editors, with · Editorial Committee of Families of Australian advice/help from ASBS Council members plus Plants – new perspectives to develop a Mike Crisp business plan and seek funding partners prior to getting Council’s approval to proceed. Sources of copy: Text for family systematic treatments – invite Members interested in convening a half day authors to use ABRS as a start; APG II. Keys, session at the Perth Conference or with other uses, habitat, maps – Morley & Toelken (1983) ideas relevant to the above are invited to contact with approval. Images – line drawings from the undersigned: Morley & Toelken, CHAH member institutions. Steve Hopper Photos – Australian Plants II Workshop facilitator/convener Email: [email protected] ASBS Sales Officer With Katy Mallett’s leaving ABRS, Helen Her quiet achievements were reflected in her Thompson of the same organisation has agreed to being forgotten in acknowledgment in many take over her role as ASBS Sales Officer. This is Council annual meetings, including those in very helpful in that book stocks remain at ABRS. which the present Editors participated. Details have been changed inside the back cover of this issue. Thanks from us all, Katy, and thanks to Helen for willingly stepping into her shoes. Katy performed a sterling effort with no fanfare. Payment of annual Membership fees nowThe dueEditors Annual membership fees and Council nominations It is the time of year to pay your annual fees. The amount you owe is on the envelope with this issue of the Newsletter. A payment pro forma is enclosed. You are encouraged to consider nominations to Council. A pro forma is also enclosed. 2 Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 121 (December 2004) Articles 50th birthday celebration of the Northern Territory Herbarium Philip Short On the 28th of October, celebrations hosted by Dr although early herbaria had been started in the Chris Burns, the Minister for Parks & Wildlife, Northern Territory none survived World War II were held at Parliament House to mark the 50th and that things stayed this way until July 1954 anniversary of the establishment of a permanent when George was appointed to the Animal herbarium