covers 1-4 55(1)_covers 1-4 2/10/11 11:29 AM Page 1 Palms Journal of the International Palm Society Vol. 55(1) Mar. 2011 covers 1-4 55(1)_covers 1-4 2/10/11 11:29 AM Page 2 PALMS Knecht: Ray Baker Obituary Vol. 55(1) 2011 THE INTERNATIONAL PALM SOCIETY, INC. Ray came to memorize the exact location and Education was very important to Ray. He was even the accession number of each plant in the always willing to reach out to individuals and The International Palm Society Palms (formerly PRINCIPES) Arboretum, thus becoming intimately help them identify palms. He began teaching Journal of The International Palm Society acquainted with over 5000 species. He studied classes on palms, gingers, heliconias, aroids, Founder: Dent Smith their morphology and phenology, sharing his and Ficus at Lyon as early as 1982 and An illustrated, peer-reviewed quarterly devoted to findings with researchers around the world. continued doing so until 2010. He also led The International Palm Society is a nonprofit corporation He was fascinated by botanical diversity and many upper-Arboretum hikes for visitors. He engaged in the study of palms. The society is inter- information about palms and published in March, national in scope with worldwide membership, and the June, September and December by The International was unceasingly curious to learn new things organized the activities for volunteers and formation of regional or local chapters affiliated with the Palm Society, 810 East 10th St., P.O. Box 1897, about plants. Ray was an invaluable resource community groups at Lyon and spent international society is encouraged. Please address all Lawrence, Kansas 66044-8897, USA. to researchers, making himself available to weekends working with them to chip away at inquiries regarding membership or information about Editors: John Dransfield, Herbarium, Royal Botanic accompany visiting scientists and was very the herbaceous and woody weeds. His the society to The International Palm Society Inc., 6913 Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, United generous with material and data. He had a knowledge and supervision was essential when Poncha Pass, Austin, TX 78749-4371 USA. e-mail Kingdom, e-mail [email protected], tel. 44- [email protected], fax 512-607-6468. talent for facilitating the movement of it came to making sure that less knowledgeable 20-8332-5225, Fax 44-20-8332-5278. information and strengthening the ties among volunteers did not unwittingly pull up or chop OFFICERS: Scott Zona, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Florida International University (OE 167), 11200 SW 8 St., botanists, horticulturists and members of the down rare plants. community at large. Ray also designed much President: Bo-Göran Lundkvist, P.O. Box 2071, Pahoa, Miami, Florida 33199 USA, e-mail [email protected], tel. Ray’s deteriorating health forced him to retire Hawaii 96778 USA, e-mail 1-305-348-1247, Fax 1-305-348-1986. of the network of trails and pathways to make in September 2010. That same month it was [email protected], tel. 1-808-965-0081. the collections more accessible to visitors, and announced that he had taken the Associate Editors: Natalie Uhl, 228 Plant Science, chose the location of each new plant with an Vice-Presidents: Jeff Brusseau, 1030 Heather Drive, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 USA, e- extraordinary decision to create a fund to artist’s eye. Vista, California 92084 USA, e-mail mail [email protected], tel. 1-607-257-0885. Randal support the grounds and living collections of [email protected], tel. 1-760-271-8003. J. Moore, 15615 Boulder Ridge Ln., Poway, California One of Ray’s great loves was palms. His goal the Arboretum with a gift of $50,000 to start. Tobias W. Spanner, Tizianstrasse 44, 80638 Muenchen, 92064 USA, e-mail [email protected], tel. 1- Germany, e-mail [email protected], tel. 49-172-630- 858-513-4199. was to have all the palm taxa represented, and Ray leaves an incredible legacy in what he 7778. today the Arboretum holds approximately 167 cultivated and in the countless lives that he has Supplement Editor: Jim Cain, 12418 Stafford Corresponding Secretary: Horace O. Hobbs, 7310 genera and 801 species. He personally collected inspired through his work, but with this Springs, Houston, Texas 77077 USA, e-mail 34 different accessions of palms from the wild, generous endowment his dedication to the Ashburn, Houston, Texas 77061 USA, e-mail [email protected], tel. 1-281-558-6153. [email protected], tel. 1-713-890-1186. from Costa Rica, Ecuador and Venezuela, and collections is immortalized. It is hard to imagine how a person like Ray could have Administrative Secretary: Larry Noblick, Guidelines for authors are available on request from worked with Bob Hirano to bring in many Montgomery Botanical Center, 11901 Old Cutler Road, the Editors or on-line at: more. Ray cultivated relationships of trust and been any more dedicated to and deeply Miami, Florida 33156 USA, e-mail www.palms.org/palms_author_guidelines.cfm reciprocity with commercial palm growers and invested in a cause. Ray’s ashes were deposited [email protected], tel. 1-305-667-3800 Annual membership dues are US$45.00 for seed collectors such Jeff Marcus, Rolf Kyburz at the buttressed base of his favorite Ficus ex 104. Individuals (or US$120 for three years) and include a and De Armand Hull, resulting in the addition variegata at the arboretum. In the words of his Treasurer: Michael L. Merritt, PO Box 492463, Keaau, subscription to the Journal. Donor memberships are of over 700 accessions to the Arboretum. With wife Joyce, “His spirit lives on in all the Hawaii 96749, USA, e-mail [email protected], tel. US$500 per year. Individual Lifetime memberships Ray as the driving force, Lyon Arboretum staff plantings, all the rocks and streams, in the 1-808-966-4825. are available for a one-time fee of US$1000. became heavily involved in the IPS Seed Bank very air of his beloved Arboretum.” We will Benefactor memberships require a one-time payment Directors: 2008–2012: Lyle Arnold, California; Philip of US$2500. Subscription price is US$45.00 per year in the early 1990s. Thousands of seeds were miss you, Ray. collected from Lyon’s mature fruiting trees, Arrowsmith, Australia; Bill Baker, Texas; Jeff Brusseau, for libraries and institutions. Dues include mailing of Contributions to the Ray Baker Fund at Lyon California; Jim Cain, Texas; John DeMott, Florida; the Journal by airlift service to addresses outside the cleaned, and shipped around the world. As Arboretum can be made in two ways. Funds for Haresh, India; Tom Jackson, California; Leland Lai, USA. Dues may be paid on-line at www.palms.org. fruit of this participation 133 more palm California; Jill Menzel, Brazil; Michael Merritt, Hawaii; immediate needs can be made at: accessions were integrated into the garden. In Kathryn Morgan, Louisiana; Larry Noblick, Florida; Change of Address: Send change of address, www.uhfoundation.org/RayBaker. Funds in 2009, Don Hodel named Pritchardia bakeri, a Michael L. Merritt, Hawaii; John Rees, California; Sue phone number or e-mail to The International Palm support of the permanent endowment can be Society Inc., 6913 Poncha Pass, Austin, TX 78749- species from the Ko’olau Mountains on O’ahu, Rowlands, California; Grant Stephenson, Texas; Scott made at: www.uhfoundation.org/RayBaker Zona, Florida. 2010–2014: Elena Beare, Uruguay; 4371 USA, or by e-mail to [email protected]. to honor Ray. Norman Bezona, Hawaii; Faith Bishock, Florida; Endowed. For further information, please Kimberley Cyr, California; Larry Davis, Florida; John Claims for Missing Issues: Claims for issues not Ray served on the Boards of both the contact Emily Fay at the University of Hawai’i Dransfield, United Kingdom; Ray Hernandez, Florida; received in the USA should be made within three International Palm Society and Heliconia Foundation (808) 956-5665 or e-mail months of the mailing date; claims for issues outside Horace Hobbs, Texas; Bo-Göran Lundkvist, Hawaii; Don Society International (HSI). He was a founding [email protected]. Martin, California; Santiago Orts, Spain; Fernando Roca, the USA should be made within six months of the member of HSI in 1985 and worked to make Peru; Toby Spanner, Germany; David Tanswell, Australia. mailing date. The author thanks Joyce Baker, Liz Huppman, the Arboretum a major repository in Hawai’i Karen Shigematsu, David Orr, David Lorence Bookstore: temporarily unavailable Periodical postage paid at Lawrence, KS, USA. for most of the world’s species from this group and John Mood for their help in composing Postmaster: Send address changes to The (the Zingiberales). His intensive work with this Chapters: See listing in the Supplement. International Palm Society Inc., 6913 Poncha Pass, this obituary. group helped him become and international Website: www.palms.org Austin, TX 78749-4371 USA. expert on Zingiberales. He also worked closely JACOB KNECHT PALMS (ISSN 1523-4495) with other botanists to care for and study the Berkeley, California Mailed at Lawrence, Kansas 16 March 2011 many accessions of rare and endangered © 2011 The International Palm Society gingers brought to the Arboretum. FRONT COVER The full text of PALMS is available on EBSCO The colorful infructescences of Oenocarpus bacaba were Publishing’s database. seen on a tour of Amazon palms. See article by B. Emery and M. Smukall, p. 27. Photo by Jack Sayers. This publication is printed on acid-free paper. 51 TOC 55(1)_Table of contents 2/9/11 12:03 PM Page 3 PALMS Vol. 55(1) 2011 CONTENTS The Palms of Monserrate, Sintra, Features 5 Portugal G. L UCKHURST Palm News 4 Advertising 26 New Palm Hosts for the Red Palm 15 Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus , Obituary 50 in Sicily S.