Botany Profile

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New Series - Vol. 9 - No. 1New Series - Vol. 9 - No. 1New Series - Vol. 9 - No. 1New Series - Vol. 9 - No. 1New Series - Vol. 9 - No. 1 January-March 2006January-March 2006January-March 2006January-March 2006January-March 2006

The Plant PressThe Plant PressThe Plant PressThe Plant PressThe Plant Press

Department of Botany & the U.S. National Herbarium

By Gary A. Krupnick

Botanist Taps Rubber Relationships

In September 2005, Kenneth J.Wurdack joined the Department asResearch Scientist and Assistant

Curator of Botany. As the second newcurator hired in 13 years, he joins theDepartment just a month after Jun Wen(see Plant Press, vol. 8, no. 4; 2005).His research interest is mainly thesystematics and evolution of the rubberfamily, Euphorbiaceae, in the broadsense (sensu lato), but also the orderMalpighiales (to which euphorbsbelong), Thymelaeaceae, horizontal genetransfer, and ant-plant interactions. Inwhat is perhaps the first occurrence inthe Department, a curator’s offspring hasbeen hired as a curator. Wurdack is theson of John J. Wurdack (1921-1998),Melastomataceae specialist in theDepartment for 38 years.

Born locally in Washington, D.C. totwo botanists (his mother was a plantphysiologist by training), Wurdack wasimmersed in botany from the beginningbut turned to it rather late as a career. Hereceived his B.S. in Biochemistry fromthe University of Maryland, CollegePark in 1990. He started graduate workat the University of North Carolina atChapel Hill in the lab of Mark W. Chaseand received his M.S. in Biology in1994. After a two-year hiatus and therelocation of Chase to the Jodrell Labo-ratory at the Royal Botanic Gardens,Kew, Wurdack returned to UNC to con-tinue graduate studies under Clifford R.Parks and William Dickison, receivinghis Ph.D. in 2002. His doctoral disserta-tion focused on the molecular systemat-ics and evolution of Euphorbiaceae.

Wurdack has a long history associatedwith the Department. In addition toroaming the halls when he was a child, hewas a formal volunteer from 1985 to1990. During his final years as a graduatestudent (2000-2002), he worked as theLaboratory Manager in the Cullman Prog-ram for Molecular Systematic Studies atthe New York Botanical Garden. He thenreturned to the Smithsonian Institutionwhere he held a postdoctoral fellowposition in the Department of Botany andthe Laboratories of Analytical Biologyfor a year, and after that, with supportfrom the National Science Foundation,continued his research at the Smithsonianas a Visiting Scientist and a ResearchAssociate.

The scope of Wurdack’s work spansa wide range of taxonomic levelsto address questions on the biol-

ogy, evolution, systematics, and classifi-cation of Euphorbiaceae and to integratethem within a phylogenetic framework. Asbroadly and traditionally circumscribed,the Euphorbiaceae include ca. 336 generaand 8,000-9,000 species. They have beensubject to a dizzying array of complexclassifications and 20 proposed family-level segregates. The family has devel-oped the reputation of being taxonomi-cally “difficult” and consequently untilrecently has attracted few specialists. Thegroup is best known as a source ofimportant economic products includingnatural rubber (Hevea brasiliensis),cassava (Manihot esculenta), poinsettias(Euphorbia pulcherrima), wax (Euphor-bia spp.), and oils (i.e., Vernicia spp.,

Ricinus communis) and has notorietyfor the toxin ricin (Ricinus). Wurdack’soriginal interest in Euphorbiaceae wasinspired by the late Grady Webster(1927-2005), the preeminent and mostinfluential euphorb specialist of the pastcentury.

DNA studies are rewriting Euphor-biaceae systematics. Molecular datahave shown that the family is polyphyl-etic and contains seven lineages (Cen-troplacus, Euphorbiaceae s.s., Panda-ceae, Paradrypetes, Phyllanthaceae,Picrodendraceae, Putranjivaceae). Theselineages are still more or less closelyrelated within the order Malpighialesand Wurdack has broadened his researchto span the entire order to more fullyunderstand relationships and evolution-ary trends of all the euphorbs and theirsister groups. Presently, in collabora-tion with Charles C. Davis (HarvardUniversity), this work includes 165 taxa,8 genes and 14,000 bases of alignedDNA sequence data. These broad-scalephylogenies have revealed the relation-ships of two enigmatic genera, Parad-rypetes (now a member of the mangrovefamily Rhizophoraceae and not aprimitive Picrodendraceae as previouslythought) and African Centroplacusrecently placed in its own familyCentroplacaceae. Wurdack presentedthis work in July 2005 as a keynotespeaker at the International BotanicalCongress in Vienna, Austria. His workon the systematics of Euphorbiaceae atlower ranks includes the first generic-level phylogenies for each of the

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Chair of BotanyW. John Kress(kressj@si.edu)

EDITORIAL STAFF

EditorGary Krupnick(krupnickg@si.edu)

News ContactsMaryAnn Apicelli, Robert Faden, EllenFarr, George Russell, Alice Tangerini, andElizabeth Zimmer

The Plant Press is a quarterly publication providedfree of charge. If you would like to be added to themailing list, please contact Dr. Gary Krupnick at:Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, POBox 37012, NMNH MRC-166, Washington, DC20013-7012, or by E-mail: krupnickg@si.edu.

Web site: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/botany

The Plant PressThe Plant PressThe Plant PressThe Plant PressThe Plant Press

New Series - Vol. 9 - No. 1New Series - Vol. 9 - No. 1New Series - Vol. 9 - No. 1New Series - Vol. 9 - No. 1New Series - Vol. 9 - No. 1

Robert Faden traveled to Tifton,Georgia (11/28 – 11/30) to present a talkat the Tropical Spiderwort Symposium atthe University of Georgia, Tifton.

Maria Faust traveled to PacificGrove, California (10/2 – 10/8) topresent a paper at the 3rd U.S. HarmfulBloom Conference at the Asilomarconference grounds.

Vicki Funk traveled to Panama City,Panama (10/20 – 10/23) to present apaper at the plenary meeting of the Bio-diversity Science and Education Initiative;and to St. Louis, Missouri (12/6 – 12/8)to work on the Asteraceae in the her-barium at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

W. John Kress traveled to Miami,Florida (10/10 – 10/12) to attend ameeting of the IUCN Species SurvivalCommission; to Dublin, Ireland, andLondon, England (10/21 – 10/27) withGary Krupnick to attend the GlobalPartnership for Plant Conservation Con-ference at the National Botanic Gardensof Ireland, Glasnevin, and to attend abusiness meeting of Plant Talk magazineat the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew; and toDominica (12/5 – 12/13) with MichaelBordelon, Vinita Gowda, and Ida Lopezto conduct research on Heliconia andhummingbirds.

Mark Littler and Diane Littlertraveled to Ft. Pierce, Florida (12/15 – 2/16) to conduct on-going research at theSmithsonian Marine Station and SabaIsland.

Dan Nicolson traveled to Kansas City,Missouri (12/5 – 12/7) to inspect a giftof books about early botany donated byMrs. Stannard of Lawrence, Kansas.

Rusty Russell traveled to Cambridge,Massachusetts (10/11; 11/2 – 11/9) toattend a memorial for Mike Canoso, tomeet with the librarian of the HarvardBotany Library about digitizing earlyreports of the U.S. Exploring Expedition,to present a poster at the 2005 EarthwatchConference, and to conduct research onthe U.S. Ex. Ex. plant collections.

Alain Touwaide traveled to Worces-ter, Massachusetts (10/21 – 10/23) topresent a talk at the New England Medi-eval Conference; to Barcelona, Spain (11/4 – 11/5) to deliver a talk at the Mediter-ranean Editors and Translators meeting atthe Istituto Europeo de Estudios Mediter-raneos; to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (11/17) to speak at the annual meeting of theAmerican Schools of Oriental Research;

and to Rome, Italy (11/24 – 12/9) toconduct research at the National Libraryof Rome and at the Library of the BotanicGarden of Padua, and to deliver a talk atthe Institute for the History of Medicineof Padua University.

Warren Wagner traveled to St. Louis,Missouri (10/7 – 10/14) to attend theMissouri Botanical Garden SystematicsSymposium and to conduct Onagraceaeresearch; and to Bronx, New York (10/27– 10/28) to attend the Science AdvisoryCommittee meeting of the New YorkBotanical Garden.

Jun Wen traveled to Lima, Peru (11/7– 12/10) to conduct Nolana field workthroughout the country.

Kenneth Wurdack traveled to St.Louis, Missouri (10/3 – 10/6) to conductEuphorbiaceae research at the MissouriBotanical Garden.

Elizabeth Zimmer traveled to Cam-bridge, Massachusetts (10/17 – 11/5) toconduct collaborative research at HarvardUniversity.

Alejandro Quintanar-Sanchez, RealJardín Botánico, Spain; subcosmopolitanKoeleria (Poaceae) (9/6-11/24).

Akiko Soejima, Osaka Prefecture Uni-versity, Japan; Vitaceae (9/28-3/25).

Francisco Cabezas Fuentes, Real JardinBotanico de Madrid; Palisota (Commeli-naceae) (10/7-10/24).

Ze-Long Nie, Kunming Institute ofBotany, Chinese Academy of Sciences;Eastern Himalayan conservation andbiodiversity, and molecular biogeographyof Northern Hemisphere disjunct plants(10/10-6/9).

Mauricio Diazgranados, HerbarioPontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá,Colombia; Cuatrecasas specimens andarchives (10/17-2/15).

Isabel Martinez-Ferrando, Independentresearcher; volunteer interview (10/17).

Annette Olsen, United States GeologicalSurvey; image storage (10/18).

Leigh Johnson, Brigham Young Univer-sity; Navarretia and Collomia (10/20-10/21).

Walter Holmes, Baylor University;Central and South American Mikania(Asteraceae) (10/21-10/28).

Vernie Sagun, Illinois Natural HistorySurvey; Flora Malesiana Acalypha(Euphorbiaceae) (10/25-10/27).

Clara Inez Orozco, Universidad Nacionalde Colombia; Brunelliaceae and Solan-aceae (10/26-10/28).

Stephen Blackmore, Royal BotanicGarden Edinburgh; Compositae pollen(11/2-11/6).

John Skvarla, Oklahoma University;Compositae pollen (11/2-11/6).

Alexandra Wortley, Royal BotanicGarden Edinburgh; Compositae pollen(11/2-11/6).

TravelTravelTravelTravelTravel

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Our conclusion today is that it is unconstitu-tional to teach Intelligent Design as analternative to evolution in a public school

science classroom.” So concludes the MemorandumOpinion issued by Judge John E. Jones III on 20December 2005 in the Tammy Kitzmiller, et al.(Plaintiffs) v. Dover Area School District, et al.(Defendants) court battle over teaching creationism inthe schools.

When I changed my major from philosophy tobiology as an undergraduate at Harvard, I neverexpected that thirty years later as Chairman of Botanyat the world’s largest natural history museum I wouldbe confronting the same debate that had taken place inmy own mind as a student. When I changed majors Idecided to pursue a career that would allow me toexplore the natural world and the origin of life from ascientific perspective rather than one based on beliefand philosophical evaluation. These two approaches tounderstanding the world were both valid, but separateavenues of inquiry. My time discussing with otherphilosophy majors questions such as “What is thepurpose of life?” and “How do we know?” came to anend. I fled to the biology labs to answer the samequestions, but this time using the scientific method tounderstand evolution. I have continued to this day withthat line of inquiry.

In his 139-page ruling, Judge Jones lays out thedifference between science and religion and wiselypoints out that the two can exist side-by-side withoutconflict. Some would respond that creationism is alegitimate response by religious fundamentalists totheir perceived attack by scientific materialism, asexemplified by the theory of evolution, on a belief-based society. However, Judge Jones reasoned thatreligious beliefs are not acceptable as scientificalternatives to well established scientific theories. Inthe case of the Dover area schools in Pennsylvania,the Court ruled that Intelligent Design (ID), as areligious belief, was not appropriate in the sciencecurriculum. In fact the ID policy was in violation ofthe Establishment Clause of the First Amendment ofthe U.S. Constitution (“Congress shall make no lawrespecting an establishment of religion…”) and alsofailed the “Endorsement Test” (“Government showsreligious favoritism or sponsorship”). The main bodyof the Jones’ Opinion is devoted to how the ID policyfailed the Endorsement Test. He addresses fourcentral questions: (1) Would an objective observerknow that ID is a form of creationism? (2) Would anobjective student view the ID statement as an OfficialEndorsement of Religion? (3) Would an objectivecitizen view the ID statement as an Official Endorse-ment of Religion? (4) Is ID science? As evolutionarybiologists, we should find the Judge’s commentsinformative and encouraging, especially with regards

to the last argument: Is ID science?“While ID arguments may be true,” states Judge

Jones, “ID is not science.” It fails to be science onthree levels. First ID violates the ground rules ofscience established in the 16th and 17th centuries byinvoking and permitting supernatural causation. Or asDoug Erwin in the Department of Paleobiology stated“Science doesn’t do miracles.” Second, the ID argu-ment of “irreducible complexity” employs the flawed,illogical and contrived dualism of creation science,i.e., “to the extent that evolutionary theory is discred-ited, ID is confirmed.” Irreducible complexity be-comes a negative argument against evolution, not aproof of ID. And third, ID’s negative attack on evolu-tion has been refuted by the entire scientific commu-nity. For Judge Jones, this last test is perhaps the mostimportant: not a single scientific society has endorsedID and no scientific papers supporting ID have beenpublished in peer-reviewed journals. Judge Jonesconcludes that “The goal of the Intelligent DesignMovement is not to encourage critical thought, but tofoment a revolution which would supplant evolutionarytheory with ID.”

The Memorandum Opinion by Judge Jones shouldbe read by everyone interested in the debate overteaching Intelligent Design in our schools and thepresentation of the theory of evolution in educationalinstitutions such as the Smithsonian Institution. TheJudge’s arguments are well balanced with detailedbackground on the issues. His most important conclu-sion is the affirmation of the distinction betweenscience and religion. I recognized that distinction backas an undergraduate when I moved my major from theDepartment of Philosophy to the Department ofBiology. As scientists we need to maintain an openmind on belief and facts, spirit and materialism, whilekeeping a firm distinction between religion andscience. Yet even more disconcerting than the scienceversus belief discussion is the increasing fuzziness intoday’s society between fiction and non-fiction,between recognizing fact from fantasy. The numberone book in the non-fiction category of the New YorkTimes Best Seller List is an autobiography that hasnow been shown for the most part to be made-up andfictionalized by the author, i.e. it is not fact but fiction.So what is real? Our job as scientists in a scientificinstitution is to present and interpret for the public thefacts about the natural world. This job seems to beincreasingly difficult.

Science on a Roll

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Awards &Awards &Awards &Awards &Awards &GrantsGrantsGrantsGrantsGrants

StaffStaffStaffStaffStaffResearch &Research &Research &Research &Research & Activities Activities Activities Activities Activities

Rusty Russell and W. John Kressreceived a grant from The EarthwatchInstitute for “Plants and People: Extract-ing Ethnobotanical Data from HistoricSpecimens,” to begin work on collectingethnobotanical information from speci-mens from the US National Herbarium.Three teams of Earthwatch participantswill visit NMNH during 2006 to work onthis project.

Russell also received a grant from theSmithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives.This is the second year of funding for theproject “Ethnobotanical Diversity in the

Robert Faden attended a meeting inTifton, Georgia on a naturalized speciesof dayflower that has become a signifi-cant agricultural weed in the southernU.S. in recent years. The meeting, “Sym-posium on Tropical Spiderwort (Commel-ina benghalensis): An Exotic InvasiveWeed in the Southeast US”, was held on29 November at the Conference Centerof the University of Georgia, Tifton.Faden’s talk was entitled “Natural Varia-tion in Commelina benghalensis (Com-melinaceae).” Commelina benghalensis,a native of the Old World tropics, hasbeen a weed in the southeastern U.S. formore than 70 years, but it did not becomea serious agricultural pest until afterRoundup (a chemical herbicide) resistantcotton was introduced into Georgia in1998. By 2000 it had become the mostserious weed in cotton in a small area ofsouthern Georgia, and since then it hasspread to more than 30 counties in thestate. Commelina benghalensis hasbecome invasive for a variety of reasons,including its own resistance to Roundup,which became the herbicide of choiceafter the new, genetically modified cotton

was introduced. Its spread has beenexplosive and it can only be controlled bythe use of other herbicides at increasedexpense to the farmers. It has not beendetermined how large an area in the U.S.is under threat, but the plant was recordedfrom North Carolina for the first time in2002, and it has been reported from SouthCarolina and Alabama as well.

Faden also gave a talk to the FourSeasons Garden Club on 16 November ata private home in Washington, DC. Thetalk was entitled “A Plant-collectingExpedition to Southern Tanzania.”

On October 20, Vicki Funk traveled toPanama to attend the first meeting of theBiodiversity Science and Education Initia-tive, a project organized by Under Secre-tary for Science Dave Evans and StephenHubbel. Funk is serving on Task Force 1,which is asked to answer the questions“What do we know about biologicaldiversity?” and “How do we fill the gaps?”

Because of the critical role that pollina-tors play in nature, over 100 internationalscientists, educators, and business leadersmet at the Smithsonian Institution’sNational Zoological Park on 20-21October to develop strategies aimed atprotecting pollinating species. Collec-tively known at the North American Pol-linator Protection Campaign (NAPPC),this year the consortium assembled todeploy task forces to undertake short-

term activities (e.g., bee importationissues, development of educationalprograms, creation of a pollinator conser-vation digital library), and to assembleadvisory committees to brainstorm issuesto be considered in the formulation offuture task forces. Gary Krupnick, amember of the NAPPC Steering Commit-tee, helped organize the meeting.

W. John Kress, with Ida Lopez, VinitaGowda, and Michael Bordelon, spent10 days in Dominica setting up an exper-imental Heliconia garden. They estab-lished nearly 70 30-gallon pots of variousforms of Heliconia in an enclosed shadehouse to conduct experiments on hum-mingbird behavior as pollinators of theseplants. This research was supported bytrust funds from the Under Secretary forSciences at the Smithsonian Institution.

On 3 October, Alain Touwaide andEmanuela Appetiti opened the Web site“Renaissance Herbals / PlantarumAetatis Novae Tabulae – A SmithsonianInstitution Libraries Digital Collection”at the National Library of Rome in Italy.During the program, Touwaide gave ademonstration of the Web site, which isnot yet available to the public, but will bein the near future.

From 7 November to 2 December, JunWen traveled throughout Peru for fieldstudies on Nolana (Solanaceae), Aralia-ceae, Vitaceae, and Prunus (Rosaceae).Some herbarium studies were done inLima, Oxapampa and Arequipa. The tripwas very fruitful with about 10 speciesdiscovered from Peru.

Vinita Gowda (left), Ida Lopez, and Michael Bordelon put finishing touches onan experimental Heliconia garden in Dominica.

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Global Partnershipfor PlantConservation

The Global Partnership for PlantConservation (GPPC), established tosupport the worldwide implementation ofthe Global Strategy for Plant Conserva-tion (GSPC), held its first conference“Plants 2010” at the National BotanicGardens in Dublin from 22 - 25 October.Cristián Samper presented the keynoteaddress, “The Challenge of Implementingthe GSPC a National and RegionalLevels.” The GPPC is composed of 20member organizations, including theNational Museum of Natural History. W.John Kress and Gary Krupnick repre-sented the Department at the meeting.

The Global Strategy was adopted bythe Conference of the Parties of theConvention on Biological Diversity(CBD) in April 2002, with the long-termobjective of halting the current and

continuing loss of plant diversity. Themost innovative element of the Strategy isthe inclusion of 16 broad outcome-oriented targets, aimed at achieving aseries of measurable goals by 2010. Afterthe GPPC conference, Kress andKrupnick attended the Plant Talk editorialboard meeting at the Royal BotanicGardens Kew in London, UK. TheDepartment is a sponsoring partner ofPlant Talk, a magazine that providesinformation, encouragement, and adviceon global plant conservation, supportingthe GSPC by addressing Target 14, whichcovers the promotion of education andpublic awareness about plant diversity.

Kress was recently appointed to thePlant Conservation Committee of theIUCN Species Survival Commission. TheCommittee consists of botanical expertsfrom around the world that work togetherto provide a plan for conserving plants andtheir habitats. In particular, the Commit-tee will address the completion of theconservation assessment of all species ofvascular plants as well as in situ conserva-tion measures. One outcome of themeeting is that Kress and Krupnick willwork in partnership with IUCN and otherkey botanical institutions around theworld (e.g., Royal Botanic Gardens Kew,Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh,Missouri Botanical Garden) on Target 2of the GSPC, which is to assign prelimi-nary global level assessments of theconservation status of all known plantspecies by 2010.

SmithsonianContributions toBotany on the Web

The Smithsonian Institution Librarieshave digitized the complete SmithsonianContributions to Botany series (vols. 1-91; 1969-2001), and have made allvolumes available on-line as single large-file pdfs or small-file pdfs at <http://www.sil.si.edu/smithsoniancontributions/

Botany/>. The Web page allows the userto navigate the series via title, volumenumber, or issue date. One can also selectan individual volume, search for a title, orsearch for an author.

The Smithsonian Contributions toBotany series reports on the scientific,technical, and historical research con-ducted by Smithsonian staff and theirprofessional colleagues, as well as on thecollections of the various Smithsonianmuseums.

The emphasis upon publications as ameans of diffusing knowledge wasexpressed by the first Secretary of theSmithsonian Institution. In his formal planfor the Institution, Joseph Henry articu-lated a program that included the follow-ing statement: “It is proposed to publish aseries of reports, giving an account of thenew discoveries in science, and of thechanges made from year to year in allbranches of knowledge not strictlyprofessional.”

The digitization project is part of alarger effort to digitize all SmithsonianInstitution publication series (see http://www.sil.si.edu/smithsoniancontributions/).Even though only the Botany series islisted at this point, authors and titles aresearchable for all SI series: Anthropol-ogy; Paleobiology; Earth Sciences;Marine Sciences; Zoology; FolklifeStudies; Air and Space; and History andTechnology.

As previously reported (see PlantPress, vol. 7, no. 4; 2004), the Contribu-tions from the United States NationalHerbarium series also has selectedvolumes available on-line (see http://www.nmnh.si edu/botany/pubs/CUSNH/).

Border Regions of U.S. and Mexico.”Funds will allow continued study of plantand ethnographic collections made byEdward Palmer from 1869-1911, theMexican Boundary Survey of 1849-1855,and the International Boundary Commis-sion of 1892-1894.

Alain Touwaide has been appointedGeneral Secretary of the InternationalSociety for the History of Medicine.

Jun Wen received a grant from theNational Science Foundation for hercollaborative work with Mike Dillon (theField Museum of Natural History) for“Phylogenetic Systematics of Nolana(Solanaceae) and Biogeographic Implica-tions for the Atacama and PeruvianDeserts.”

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“Island Archipelagos: Cauldrons of Evolution”In collaboration with the United States Botanic Garden and the National Tropical Botanical Garden

Information and registration at: http://persoon.si.edu/sbs/Fax: 202-786-2563 – e-mail: sbs@si.edu

“Artocarpus altilis” from the SocietyIslands by John Frederick Miller,

from Captain James Cook'sfirst Pacific voyage (1768-1771)

© The Natural History Museum, London

21-22 April 2006National Museum of Natural History

Island archipelagos have long been recognized as unique biological laboratories byevolutionary biologists. The classic observations by Charles Darwin on adaptive radiation infinches were made in the Galápagos archipelago and more recently ecological and evolutionaryinvestigations in the Hawaiian Islands, Eastern Caribbean, and Azores have increased ourunderstanding of evolutionary processes and the generation of biological diversity.Characterized by different degrees of isolation from continental floras and faunas, by equablemaritime climates, and by often reduced biodiversity and trophic structure, islands oftencontain unique biotas that experience different selective pressures from those that dominatemainland ecosystems.

Added to this mix of biological richness are two kinds of storms – physical storms in theform of hurricanes that regularly pass through the island chains and the “storm” of humanpopulation growth and development. The former storms, along with other types of naturaldisturbance such as volcanic activity, have played an important role in the evolution of thebiota. The latter “storm” now threatens the continued existence and ecological integrity of bothterrestrial and marine ecosystems of island archipelagos. The Symposium will explore the rolethat island archipelagos have played in our understanding of ecological and evolutionaryprocesses as well as the future conservation of these unique ecosystems.

The speakers at the Symposium will be Bruce G. Baldwin (University of California atBerkeley); Javier Francisco-Ortega (Florida International University); Ole Hamann (BotanicGarden, University of Copenhagen); Mike Maunder (Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden);Robert Ricklefs (University of Missouri-St. Louis); and Warren Wagner (National Museum ofNatural History).

A Copenhagen-Smithsonian Expeditionto Ethiopia

Gregory McKee, Department tech-nician and former assistant to retiredcurator of ferns David Lellinger, partici-pated on a fern collecting expedition toEthiopia. McKee was partially funded by asmall grant from the Office of theDirector, National Museum of NaturalHistory, to curator Robert Faden, whowas unable to travel at the time. As aresult of McKee’s field work 173 collec-tions will be added to the U.S. NationalHerbarium. The fern collections at US arethe largest in the United States and one ofthe largest such collections in the world.The new collections from Ethiopia willbe a significant addition to the Africanfern holdings. The following is McKee’saccount of the trip.

Between August 22 and September 23,the University of Copenhagen sent anexpedition to Ethiopia for the purpose of

collecting ferns for the Flora of Ethiopiaand Eritrea. McKee accompanied theexpedition leader, Professor Ib Friis(University of Copenhagen Museum),assistant Assefa Hailu (University ofAddis Ababa Herbarium), and driverBerhanu Yitbara during the trip.

After a day in Addis Ababa gatheringsupplies, the expedition headed southwestto the town of Ambo (famous as the siteof Emperor Haile Selassie’s favoriteresort) which was used as a base for thenext few days while collections weremade in the nearby Tchelimu forest. Thenext leg of the trip was collecting alongthe way to the town of Nekemt, goingfrom ca. 2,800 meters to 1,650 meters,making a few lowland collections.

The next few days saw a number ofcollections from the wet valleys of thesurrounding rivers and swamps, but the

greatest diversity came from the south-western part of the mountains near thecoffee town of Teppe. These forestsconsisted of tall canopy trees with wildArabica coffee (Coffea arabica) under-story. One side trip brought the expedi-tion to a wonderful tall bamboo forestdraped with Canarina abyssinica (Cam-panulaceae) vines with red, bell-shapedflowers. As was the case with most of thetrip, the great majority of collectionswere epiphytes, in one case obtained onlyby the good graces of a fearless bee-keeper who scrambled up at least 20meters of sheer trunk before wiggling outto the end of a branch to snag a hugeHuperzia dacrydioides (Lycopodiaceae).

After spending the Ethiopian New Yearin the town of Jimma, the coffee capitolof Ethiopia, the expedition wound downtwisty Italian occupation-era roads acrossthe Rift Valley to the town of Gobaoutside of Bale National Park. Crossingthe Seniti plateau at 4,000 meters pluswas literally breath-taking, with gigantic

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Ethiopian beekeeper with Huperzia dacrydioides. (photo by Gregory McKee)

lobelias and Ethiopian wolves (Simienfoxes) fading in and out of dense mist.Collections were made on both sides ofthe plateau in the Ericaceae forests andpine forests lower down.

Heading back to Addis Ababa via theRift Valley road, the final total was 173fern collections in sets of 4 - 10, repre-senting an estimated 160 species. Whilethe specimens need to be more closelyexamined, at least one range extensionwas made (the treefern, Cyathea mannii)and some state records need to beconfirmed. Due to the political climate,the dryland ferns to the east in the AfarDepression and in the Awash Valley couldnot be collected; hopefully, a futureexpedition could fill in the gaps.

The collections will be named byFaden when they reach the Smithsonian.

Significant BotanyCollections of 2005

The U.S. National Herbarium acquiredmore than 13,500 botanical specimensduring 2005. Some of the more signifi-cant acquisitions are worth noting.

An unfortunate result of administrativeshuffling at the University of Nebraskawas the immediate availability of largeparts of the well established herbariumthere – unfortunate because well distrib-uted collections better serve the botanicalcommunity and provide more learningopportunities for students. Becausetropical collections are an especiallyimportant research focus in the USNH,Vicki Funk made special arrangements toacquire 9,413 plant specimens (lichens,bryophytes, ferns and flowering plants)that had been collected in the SouthPacific, Southeast Asia, Philippines andChina. These collections significantlyimprove already strong collections fromthe Philippines and the South Pacific,whiles others provide important re-sources for new research initiatives in

Southeast Asia and China.In November, 2001, a momentous

work on lichens, The Lichens of NorthAmerica, was published by Irwin Brodo,and Steve and Sylvia Sharnoff. In supportof their work, 1,600 lichen samples werecollected across the continent over manyyears. Last year, this entire collection wasdonated by the National Museum ofNatural Sciences in Ottawa, Canada to theUSNH. These collections form thefoundation of their research on everylichen species reported in their publica-tion. As such, these specimens are criticallinks that allow one to revisit the time,and place, and possible mindset of theauthors years from now. Providinghistoric reference services to researchersis an important function of the USNH.

An extremely important strategy in theDepartment’s current collecting plan is tofocus on acquiring plant collectionsthrough field collecting that significantlyimpact both the collections and our highquality research projects. One veryimportant program is the Catalogue ofNew World Grasses, a multi-year effortby Paul Peterson and collaborators toprovide a comprehensive list of grassspecies from the Western Hemisphere.Last year, Peterson traveled to Peru tofocus of the grass flora of that highlydiverse country, collecting 475 speci-mens that will provide important data to

the Catalogue and contribute to one of thelargest and most complete grass collec-tions in the world.

Since 1988, Deborah Bell has beencollaborating with the National CancerInstitute (NIH) on a multi-year programto collect and test plant species forcancer-active and AIDS-active compoundsin a search for effective treatments usingnatural products. Thousands of plantspecies have been collected by NCIcontractors and, for each bulk sample, avoucher specimen has been produced toprovide physical, unambiguous evidenceof the plant species being collected. Asingle, complete reference collection ofall these voucher specimens is currentlyhoused in the USNH. Last year anadditional 139 collections were made andprovided by Doel Soejarto, a pharmacog-nosist from the University of Illinois-Chicago collaborating with the FieldMuseum. These specimens have beenintegrated into the existing NCI collec-tion of over 25,000 that is managed atMSC by Linda Hollenberg.

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The Return of the TitanA big, rare, stinky event has happened

again! The gigantic plant, Amorphophal-lus titanum (commonly known as “titanarum”), part of the living research collec-tion of the Department, was put on displayin full flower at the U.S. Botanic Garden(USBG) Conservatory, the Department’s“Botanical Partner on the Mall.” On themorning of 8 November, the plant wasbrought from the Smithsonian BotanyResearch Greenhouses in Suitland, Mary-land, to the USBG Conservatory, where itwas provided with the optimal environ-ment for growth (very warm, bright, andhumid). The titan arum began its openingthe evening of 19 November and slowlybegan to close 21 November. The spadixcollapsed on 26 November. Raised fromseed by Michael Bordelon, Manager ofLiving Collections in the Department, thiswas the first time that this particular planthad bloomed. Pollen collected from the2003 flowering specimen (USBG) wasused to pollinate the plant. Pollinationwas successful and seeds are nowdeveloping. Pollen was also collected andpreserved by Dan Nicolson.

“This plant is a true wonder of nature,”said W. John Kress, who was interviewedby several media outlets. “The flower is afeast for the plant lover’s eye and willdelight the olfactory senses when in fullbloom.” Kress continued, “The plant isextremely rare and has only been seen bya few botanists in its native Sumatra.However, the titan arum is a spectacular

The glorious Amorphophallus titanum at maximum opening on 20 November2005 (left) and with fruit on 17 January 2006 (right) at the U.S. Botanic Garden.(photo by G. Sword, US Botanic Garden)

example of the evolutionary diversity ofcomplex organisms in the tropics. Inves-tigations of such species can help usunderstand the processes that have shapedbiodiversity on the Earth. And like manyspecies on the planet, we must preservethe titan arum’s rain forest habitats if it isto survive.”

The renown of the titan arum comesfrom its great size – it is reputed to havethe largest known un-branched inflores-cence. The plant is native only to thetropical rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia.Since the first recorded bloom in the U.S.in 1937, titan arums have been exhibitedin this country on just a few occasions.Many will recall that a titan arum ownedby the USBG bloomed, for its secondtime, while on display at the Conservatoryin July 2003, generating an enormousresponse of about 10,000 visitors on thepeak day. As small seedlings, the USBGplant and the Smithsonian titan arum weregiven to the two institutions in October1993 by Maryland arum enthusiasts Craigand Fanny Phillips. The Phillipses hadgrown the plants from seed collected in1991 by California physician James R.Symon, now deceased, who had searchedfor the titan arum during several journeysto Sumatra. (Symon later traveled inSumatra with Sir David Attenborough in1993, to find the plant for the filming of

the BBC production The Private Life ofPlants.)

The titan arum emerges from, andstores energy in, a huge underground stemcalled a “corm.” The plant blooms on anunpredictable schedule, when sufficientenergy is accumulated, usually afterseveral years. The developing inflores-cence initially appears as a pale green,bud-shaped structure composed of aspathe enclosing a central spike-likespadix. At first hidden inside the spathe,the spadix is revealed as the entirestructure swells. At full bloom, the spatheis fully unfurled to reveal a crimsoninterior. The ultimate height of the spadixdepends on the energy accumulated in thecorm, and the speed of the developmentdepends on day and night temperatures.The average recorded height of an inflor-escence is about 5 feet, and the largestone in cultivation was 9 feet, 7 inches. Intheir natural habitat, titan arums can growup to 12-feet tall. The maximum height ofthe Smithsonian’s titan arum was 52.5inches (4 feet, 4.5 inches); its cormweighs over 100 pounds. At full bloomthe inflorescence is well-known forsmelling like rotting meat, hence it hasanother common name, “corpse flower.”The odor is released in pulses and attractscarrion beetles and other pollinators inthe plant’s native Sumatra.

Amorphophallus titanum fruit (photoby G. Sword, US Botanic Garden)

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Curating the collections of José Cuatrecasas Arumí(1903-1996)By Vicki A. Funk

José Cuatrecasas (in Spain in 1923 , left, and at the Smithsonian in the 1970s).

A new project spearheaded by VickiFunk has begun to make available inherbaria and through hard copy publica-tion (and eventually documents on theweb), the specimens, photographs andnotebooks of José Cuatrecasas A. Thegoal of this specific sub-project is tocurate 75 percent of the remainingspecimens of the Cuatrecasas collectionsand to complete work on organizing thephotographic slides. Cuatrecasas, aprolific collector and world renownedscientist, died in 1996 and although someprogress has been made, three-fourths ofhis material remains to be processed.Many of the collections and slides ofCuatrecasas are central to ongoingresearch projects in Colombia and aregreatly needed by researchers. Because offunding constraints this project must bedone in stages.

The career of Cuatrecasas extendsfrom his birth, 19 March 1903, in Cam-podrón (Gerona), Spain, through hisstudies in Barcelona and Madrid (1924-1931), graduate work in Berlin (1930-31)where he knew Adolph Engler, time at theJardin Botánico de Madrid (1933- 39),the years in Colombia (1939-47) and inChicago (1947-1955) to his years inWashington at the Smithsonian Institution(1955-1996). In 1939 he was on a trip toSouth America and if he had not beenwarned about the Spanish Civil War,before returning to Spain, his botanical

career might have ended almost 60 yearsearlier. Cuatrecasas never returned toSpain until after the death of dictatorFrancisco Franco. Since the death ofCuatrecasas, the Herbario Nacional Co-lombiano (COL) in Bogotá, located at theUniversidad Nacional de Colombia, hasbeen named in his honor, and the libraryfrom his home has been reconstructedand is on display at the Institut Botánic deBarcelona (BC) in Spain.

Cuatrecasas’ first publication was in1924 and his last one is still in press.Over the years he published 265 papersmost of them single authored. For 73years he published something nearlyevery year, missing only 1939, 1974, and1983; an incredible accomplishment. Hewas an author or coauthor of two sub-tribes and many genera of the Composi-tae. A quick check of Index Kewensisgives a list of 2,391 records with Cuatre-casas in the author field of which anastounding 1,307 are Compositaerecords. Few taxonomists can work in thefamily Compositae without making use ofhis work. At the time of the 1985festschrift in his honor, Cuatrecasas waslisted with B.L. Robinson, S.F. Blake, A.L.Cabrera, and H. Merxmüller, as individu-als who had made truly constructive andinsightful contributions to the study ofthe Compositae in the first three quartersof this century.

Cuatrecasas collected extensively andin areas that were difficult to reach. Overthe years many new taxa have been

described based on his collections andmany have been named after him, includ-ing eight genera in five families(Cuatresia A.T. Hunziker, Solanaceae;Cuatrecasea Dugand, Palmae; Cuatreca-sasiella H. Robinson, CuatrecasanthusH. Robinson, Joseanthus H. Robinson,and Neocuatrecasia R.M King & H.Robinson, all in the Asteraceae; Cuatre-casasiodendron Standley & Steyermark,Rubiaceae; and Quadricasaea Woodson,Apocynaceae). A list of species honoringCuatrecasas shows species in mosses,liverworts, ferns, and in 37 plant families.Tributes of this type will inevitablycontinue as the many collections byCuatrecasas continue to be processed bythe US National Herbarium and sent forstudy to specialists around the world. Inaddition, Cuatrecasas was an excellentphotographer and his research filescontain numerous photographs, (many onlarge format negatives that were printedon glass plates) dating from his field workin Colombia in the 1930s and 40s. Manyof the Cuatrecasas photographs arepriceless because they are from highelevation areas that have since beendestroyed.

In August we were successful inobtaining funds for the first part of theproject. The Collections Improvementcommittee headed by Carol Butlerprovided a grant to hire a researcher forfour months to work on the photographsand Compositae specimens. The Depart-ment of Botany also provided supplemen-tal funding from the Cuatrecasas Fund.Finding the right person to do the jobmight have been difficult but the Directorof the National Museum of NaturalHistory, Cristián Samper, came to therescue and identified Mauricio Diazgrana-dos C., Director Herbario, InvestigadorUNESIS, Departamento de Biología,Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universi-dad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C., Colombia.Diazgranados turned out to be perfect: heis fluent in both Spanish and English, heknows Colombia and he is an expert in theCompositae. He arrived in October andhas worked hard to complete much of thegoals of the sub-project. Linda Hollen-berg, Carol Kelloff, MarjorieKnowles, and Harold Robinson have

Continued on page 10

Page 10

Mauricio Diazgranados C. in the US National Herbarium (photo by MarjorieKnowles)

also helped with the projectAs one might expect the work was

more difficult and more interesting thanwe had anticipated. During the first phaseof the project, Diazgranados worked onorganizing the photographic archives.Photography was a passion of Cuatrecasasand during his life he took over 20,000pictures, about 12,000 of which are hereat the museum (the others are missing).These photographs, many taken in remoteareas, have enormous potential forscience and social commentary. Inaddition to taking photographs Cuatre-casas kept detailed notes as to where theywere taken and who or what was in them.The photographic material housed at themuseum has been placed in archivalsleeves and notebooks. The journals havebeen copied onto archival paper and anoverview of what is housed here at themuseum has been prepared. Other fundswere used to scan about 400 slides and weare exploring various ways to use them.Plans are also underway for otherresearch projects. Additional slides andphotographs have been found and arebeing incorporated into the folders. Thisphase is more or less finished. Severalthousands of the large format negativeswill eventually be scanned for digital

accessibility.During Phase 2, Diazgranados has

been working on the specimens. Duringhis life Cuatrecasas collected over40,000 plants and he received thousandsmore as gifts for determination. Diaz-granados is trying to reduce the backlogof unprocessed material by identifyingmaterial and checking it against ourcurrent holdings. So far he has curated allunfiled specimens of the Espeletiinae(the group of particular interest toCuatrecasas). In addition he has roundedup and processed nearly 1,200 unmountedspecimens that were Compositae but notEspeletiinae. During this processing ofmaterial he found many mistakes as wellas plants without labels or otherwisedisorganized and he was able to straightenout most of these. The duplicates weresegregated into groups to be sent toMuseo Argentino de Ciencias NaturalesBernardino Rivadavia (Buenos Aires),Real Jardín Botánico (Madrid), FieldMuseum of Natural History (Chicago),New York Botanical Garden, Universidadde Los Andes (Merida, Venezuela),Universidad Nacional de Colombia(Bogota), and other herbaria, according aprevious established flowchart. Thisactivity is not finished yet but will becompleted soon.

Diazgranados has only a few days ofwork left but he departs with the goals of

his sub-project completed. And there ismore good news, Diazgranados isapplying to graduate schools in the USAand he hopes to study the one genus,Espeletiopsis (Espeletiinae), thatCuatrecasas did not cover in his mono-graph. All in all it has been a pleasureworking with Diazgranados and we hopehe will be able to come back soon andcontinue to work on this most interestinggroup of plants.

Guido Mathieu, Ghent University,Belguim; Peperomia (11/3-11/17).

Tara Massad, World Wildlife Fund; re-strictive range plant families (11/8-12/20).

Teresa Woods, Kansas State University;Lespedeza (Fabaceae) (11/15; 11/18).

Yolanda Herrera-Arrieta, InstitutoPolitécnico Nacional, Durango, Mexico;Muhlenbergia (Poaceae) (11/20-12/18).

Melissa Luckow, Cornell University;Leguminosae (11/21-11/26).

Gale Robertson, Independent re-searcher; volunteer interview (11/21).

Jamie Whitacre, Independent re-searcher; contractor interview (11/30).

Curry Keide, Maryland Department ofNatural Resources; seagrasses (12/1).

Cindy Skema, Cornell University;Dombeya (Sterculiaceae) (12/12-12/16).

Steve Popovich, United States Depart-ment of Agriculture - Arapaho andRoosevelt National Forests, Fort Collins,Colorado; grass identification (12/13).

Michael Nee, New York BotanicalGarden; Solanaceae (12/20-12/22).

Andrew Henderson, New York BotanicalGarden; Arecaceae (12/27).

VisitorsContinued from page 2

CuatrecasasContinued from page 9

Page 11

A Visit from aSchomburgkThe Schomburgk brothers, M. Richard andRobert H., organized large expeditions

Richard M. Schomburgk (left) and his great-grandson Ian Schomburgk. (photoby Marjorie Knowles)

Botany’s TypeCollectionBy Rusty Russell

In the world of plant taxonomy, typespecimens are fundamental to understand-ing the link between a plant species andits published name. They are the physicalmanifestations of authors’ speciesconcepts and they allow us to revisit thework of earlier scientists as new informa-tion or newer technologies becomeavailable. The Department has assembledone of the finest collections of typespecimens in the world and it has been thesubject of many innovative developmentsover the years.

In 1966, under the stewardship ofMason Hale (deceased) and StanwynShetler (emeritus), a groundbreakingeffort was begun to digitally collect allthe taxon and collection information fromthe tens of thousands of type specimens.This careful and methodical enterpriseincluded an effort to confirm the typestatus of each specimen by checking thepublished original description of eachspecies name. The result, in 1983, was afully verified, completely databasedcollection of 82,500 plant type speci-mens that became a standard for system-atics collections around the world. Eachyear between 500 and 1000 new typespecimens are added to the Type Collec-tion. A couple of years later, RustyRussell, initiated the first use of barcodes in any systematics collection.Tracking, reconciliation and accountabil-ity was improved as a result and, again, themuseum was leading the way amongbiology collections.

In 2000, Russell outfitted a digitalimaging studio in the Department andbegan to create high resolution digitalimages of each type specimen. The goal,since realized, was to make these imagesavailable on the Internet so that scientists,researchers and students around the globewould have immediate access to thesecritical resources. Through the support ofthe a National Science Foundation grantawarded to W. John Kress and colleaguesat Columbia University and the Universityof Maryland to develop an electronicfield guide to plants based on the typeimages, the task was completed in thespring of 2005. About 80,000 scaled-down type images of vascular plants are

now available on the Department’s Website <http://www.nmnh.si.edu/botany>.Additions occur every week as new typespecimens are included and older typesare returned from loan. One unexpectedoutcome of this project is that the lendingof our type specimens has been reducedby about 80% as more scientists find theanswers to their questions online. Withreduced handling, the Department isbetter able to preserve each specimenwhile continuing to provide a high level ofaccess. The Department can also fulfillrequests for the full size digital image,which is now a 62mb TIF file. These largeimage files become even more critical inthe event of any unfortunate specimenloss or damage.

As soon as the imaging project wascomplete, Russell began to assemblecountry subsets of the high resolutionimages so that he could send themdirectly to the countries in which theywere collected. The first sets of typeimages are being sent to Mexico, Colom-bia and the Philippines and image sets willbe distributed on DVDs to the world’sherbaria and biodiversity centers.

into the hinderlands of Guyana from1835-1843. Their botanical collectionsare one of the most important contribu-tions to the exploration of the Neo-tropics. After Guyana, Richard Schom-burgk moved to Australia and became theDirector of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens(1865-1891). This October, while inGuyana, Carol Kelloff met a group ofAustralian’s retracing the footsteps of theSchomburgk brothers in the southernRupununi area. One member of theexpedition was Ian Schomburgk (age 72),the great-grandson of M. Richard Schom-burgk. Since he was passing throughWashington, D.C., on his return trip,Kelloff invited Ian Schomburgk to visitthe Department. Schomburgk met andspoke with Vicki Funk, Laurence Dorr,Dan Nicolson, Pedro Acevedo, MarkStrong, and John Clark.

Page 12

Euphorbiaceae s.l. segregates. His recent2005 paper on the phylogeny of Euphor-biaceae s.s. included classificationchanges with the recognition of two newsubfamilies. His work now proceedstowards a full generic reclassification ofthat group as he recently did for Phyllan-thaceae in collaboration with PetraHoffmann (RBG Kew) and HashendraKathriarachchi (University of Colombo,Sri Lanka).

Wurdack’s Malpighiales ordinal workalso confirmed the recent claim by

WurdackContinued from page 1

A Quiet ManBy Heijia L. Wheeler

Daniel Grant is a quiet man. Yourfirst impression is that he is shy, intelli-gent, thoughtful, and very serious. As youget to know him, it becomes clear that heis a multi-faceted, multi-talented manwith many interests, energy and a greatsense of humor.

Most of us can only dream of visitingfar off lands and cities, but Grant has livedall over the world. He worked for theDepartment of State in the ForeignService for 30 years and was posted toPakistan, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Korea,Haiti and Paris. The average posting lastedabout three years. In his various foreignassignments, Grant wrote reports on localeconomic conditions, promoted U.S.positions on economic issues in discus-sions with local government officials, andassisted U.S. business representatives inoperating in the host country. His expo-sure to foreign cultures also gave him achance to study a number of languages; hespeaks French and German and has anodding acquaintance with Indonesian,Vietnamese, Korean, and Urdu. ForeignService positions are very competitiveand only a small number of candidates arechosen. There are many hurdles beginningwith a difficult written exam, oral exam,interviews, medical exams, and securitychecks. Only one or two percent of theinitial applicants are selected.

When Grant retired from the StateDepartment in 1997, he already had akeen interest in computers and at thetime, the coming of the new millenniumwas creating a huge crisis: the Y2Kproblem. Most of the major computersystems were written many years ago inCobol, a language that is considered a bitarchaic. Most of the analysts who wrotethe programs were retired and the demandfor those who knew that language washuge. Grant saw the opportunity, tookcourses in Cobol and was hired byNASDAQ as a computer administrator attheir Rockville facility. Two years later,Grant truly retired, but still wanted to stayinvolved.

He began volunteering for the Smith-sonian Institution in 2002. He began atthe Smithsonian Botany Research Green-house in Suitland, where he enters intothe KE EMu database (collections

management software) the necessaryinformation for each of the specimensthat are brought back from collectiontrips by the curators and research scien-tists. He does similar data entry onpressed specimens at the museum. Everyplant grown in the Research Greenhouseis given a unique number; informationsuch as the scientific name, name ofdonors, and other information are enteredinto the database.

At the museum, he converts the vastphotographic slide collection made by W.John Kress to digital images and entersthem into a separate data base. The Kresscollection of eight families of the Zingi-berales consist of about 8,000 records inMicrosoft Access, 5,000 in KE EMu and2,000 accessions growing in the green-house. When rhizomes of the Zingibera-les are collected from all over the world,they are planted and grown, sometimesfor several years. When they bloom, theyare vouchered. Grant enters pertinent dataon each new specimen, and upon request,photographs the plant including inflores-cences. He works closely with Ida Lopezand it is clear that she admires anddepends on him for this work. Grant isable to manipulate the KE EMu data,extract the necessary information and putit in a usable form for analysis. Lopezdescribes Grant as a perfectionist wholikes to solve problems in creative ways.

She admires his ability to analyze a taskwhen given a set of parameters and comeup with a process to get the job done.

If all that sounds a bit too serious,Grant has other interests and talents. Afterretirement, he decided to learn to play thepiano. He had never studied music nor hadhe played before. He says that he startedwith simple melodies and now has movedon to Beethoven, Bach, and Handel. Healso is an accomplished photographerwith an artistic eye. He likes to bike tokeep fit and finally he is an accomplishedchef. His repertoire is rather eclectic buthe especially likes to cook French andItalian food. With any luck, we may get totaste some of his creations.

Daniel Grant. (photo by Leslie Brothers)

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Barkman et al. in 2004 that Rafflesiaceaes.s. is a member of Malpighiales. Raffle-siaceae are best known to contain aspecies with the world’s largest flower(Rafflesia arnoldii) but their reducedparasitic lifestyle has long made classifi-cation difficult and most affinities havebeen suggested to be with other parasiticplants. Davis and Wurdack not onlyconfirmed that Rafflesiaceae belong toMalpighiales, but also discovered a caseof horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Thisfinding was reported in 2004 in Scienceand was the first documentation of host-parasite gene transfer, in this caseinvolving the transfer of a mitochondrialgene to Rafflesiaceae from their Vitaceae(Tetrastigma) hosts. They have uncoveredseveral other remarkable examples ofHGT including a gene transfer between afern and an angiosperm. Wurdack saysthese examples extend the recent para-digm shift in regard to acceptance of thebiological reality of HGT in plants and itis now convincingly established that HGTdoes indeed occur (i.e., it is not a labora-tory or analytical artifact), involves avariety of genes, and can transfer genesbetween widely separated lineages.

Mitochondrial genes are rarely usedfor plant phylogenetics, as they evolve

slowly – often too slowly to yield goodphylogenies. Some of the most excitingand high-profile current research in plantmolecular evolution, however, involvesthe mitochondrial genome. Mitochondrialwork was the focus of Wurdack’s post-doctoral research. He examined HGT inan intron in mitochondrial cox1 and wasable to demonstrate the utility of genomicinformation (i.e., structural changes in themitochondrial genome) to probe deep-level questions that could not be ad-dressed with standard molecular phylog-enies.

Another area of molecular evolutionthat Wurdack has investigated is the originof the toxin ricin. Ricin, a protein in theseeds of the castor bean (Ricinus commu-nis), is one of the most toxic naturallyoccurring substances, but little has beenpreviously understood about how thetoxin evolved. Wurdack uncovered newrelatives of Ricinus and has examined theevolution of ricin-like genes (homologs)in them.

Wurdack’s research also involves DNAbarcoding in plants. DNA barcodes areshort stretches of DNA that can be usedto identify species. In plants a standard-ized method has remained elusive but lastyear in a paper in the Proceedings of the

National Academy of Sciences, Wurdackand his collaborators, including W. JohnKress and Elizabeth A. Zimmer, proposeda solution to DNA barcoding in plants.

Wurdack enjoys working with her-barium collections, especially makingdeterminations on unidentified euphorbsthat have yet to be assigned a genus. As henotes, the greatest challenges and themost interesting novelties can lay waitingamong such collections as gems to beuncovered. A backlog of undescribed orproblematic euphorbs already fills a casein Wurdack’s office. Wurdack’s work withcollections has not unexpectedly broughtto light a number of new species. Somehe had brought to the attention of othersactively working on groups (e.g., Tragiaguayanensis L. J. Gillespie, Dendrothrixwurdackii Esser) and others he isdescribing, including new species inPausandra, Dalechampia, Tetraplandra,Tetrorchidium, and Aparisthmium. Wherepossible (i.e., collections with usableDNA), molecular phylogenetic studieshave been done in conjunction withtaxonomic descriptions. The Aparisth-mium was first assigned to that genusbased on his DNA work.

Wurdack also has an interest in bio-geography and his research has uncoveredmany unexpected patterns in Alchornea,Stillingia and Croton. Croton, furtherdeveloped in collaboration with PaulBerry (University of Michigan) and hisstudents, appears to have a single OldWorld introduction from the New World,whereas Wurdack found the reverse inAlchornea.

Another research interest of Wur-dack’s is the Daphne family, Thymela-eaceae, which were at one time associatedwith Euphorbiaceae based on putativelyshared unusual pollen (crotonoid pollen)and chemistry (phorbol esters). It is nowknown that these two families are un-related (Thymelaeaceae is in Malvales).He unexpectedly found that the GuyanaHighland endemic family Tepuianthacaeaewas related to Thymelaeaceae and incollaboration with James Horn (DukeUniversity) is reclassifying it as a sub-family of Thymelaeaceae. Wurdackcontinues to work, most recently incollaboration with Zachary Rogers(Missouri Botanical Garden) on develop-ing a complete generic-level phylogenyof Thymelaeaceae. They have already

Three generations of euphorbiologists: Kenneth J. Wurdack (right) with GradyWebster (center) and Gordon McPherson. Taken 6 October 2005 at theMonsanto Center, Missouri Botanical Garden three weeks before Websterpassed away. (photo by Zach Rogers) Continued on page 14

Page 14

PublicationsPublicationsPublicationsPublicationsPublications

Acevedo-Rodriguez, P. 2005. Sapinda-ceae. Pp. 46-66; 75-98. In: Steyermark,J.A., E. Berry, K. Yatskievych and B.K.Holst (eds.). Flora of the VenezuelanGuayana. Vol 9. Rutaceae-Zygophylla-ceae. Missouri Botanic Garden Press, St.Louis.

Acevedo-Rodriguez, P. and M.T. Strong.2005. Monocots and gymnosperms ofPuerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.Contrib. U.S. Nat. Herb. 52: 1-416.

Adey, W. 2006. Lessons learned from theconstruction and operation of micro-cosms and mesocosms. P. 30. In: Precht,W. (ed.). Restoration of Coral ReefEcosystems. CRC Press, Boca Raton.

Athanasiadis, A. and W. Adey. 2006. Thegenus Leptophytum Adey (Melobesioi-deae, Corallinales) on the northernPacific Coast of North America. Bot.Mar. 49(1): 134.

Beltrán, H. and H. Robinson. 2005. Anew species of Aequatorium (Astera-ceae: Senecioneae) from Peru. Composit.Newsl. 42: 5-7.

Berry, P.E., A.L. Hipp, K.J. Wurdack, B.Van Ee and R. Riina. 2005. Molecularphylogenetics of the giant genus Crotonand tribe Crotoneae (Euphorbiaceae sensustricto) using ITS and trnL-trnF DNAsequence data. Am. J. Bot. 92(9): 1520-1534.

Bordelon, M. and W.J. Kress. 2005.Tropical ginger cultivation in NorthAmerican temperate climates. Sibbaldia3: 83-91.

Clarke, H.D. and V.A. Funk. 2005. Usingchecklists and collections data to investi-gate plant diversity. II. An analysis of fiveflorulas from northeastern South Ameri-ca. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 154: 29-37.

Davis, C.C., W.R. Anderson and K.J.Wurdack. 2005. Gene transfer from aparasitic flowering plant to a fern. P. Roy.Soc. B. 272(1578): 2237-2242.

Davis, C.C., C.O. Webb, K.J. Wurdack,

C.A. Jaramillo and M.J. Donoghue. 2005.Explosive radiation of Malpighialessupports a mid-Cretaceous origin ofmodern tropical rain forests. Am. Nat.165(3): E36-E65.

Dorr, L.J. and P.E. Berry. 2005. Tiliaceaeand newly segregated Muntingiaceae. Pp.342-343. In: Berry, P.E., et al. (eds.).Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana 9.Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St.Louis.

Dorr, L.J. and W. Meijer. 2005. Tilia-ceae. Pp. 343-362. In: Berry, P.E., et al.(eds.). Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana9. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St.Louis.

Faust, M.A., R.W. Litaker, M.W. Vander-sea, S.R. Kibler and P.A. Tester. 2005.Dinoflagellate diversity and abundance intwo Belizean coral reef-mangrovelagoons: a test of Margalef’s Mandala.Atoll Res. Bull. 534: 1-28.

Finot, V.L, P.M. Peterson, F.O. Zuloaga,R.J. Soreng and O. Matthei. 2005. Arevision of Trisetum (Poaceae: Pooideae:Aveninae) in South America. Ann. Mo.Bot. Gard. 92(4): 533-568.

Fu, Y.B., B.E. Coulman, Y.S.N. Ferdinan-dez, J.Cayouette and P.M. Peterson.2005. Genetic diversity of fringed brome(Bromus ciliatus) as determined byamplified fragment length polymorphism.Can. J. Bot. 83(10): 1322-1328.

discovered that the neotropical generahave an especially complex biogeography.

In addition to lab work, Wurdack hasexperience in the field, including manytrips in Venezuela and the southern UnitedStates. His fieldwork encompasses over3,000 personal collection numbers andranges from general collecting tospecialty collecting of Malpighiales. Inthe field he has found many new plantdistribution records, studied floralbiology and pollination, and helped set uppermanent plots for plant ecology studies.Wurdack has an interest in floristics andthe euphorbs are a large component ofmany tropical floras. He is especiallyinterested in producing Euphorbiaceaetreatments for the floras of Ecuador andthe Guianas with contributions fromhimself and other experts.

Finally, Wurdack has had a longinterest in botanical history, especially ofthe southern United States. His interestsin historical botany were inspired by andrelate to the collections at the U.S.National Herbarium. They were alsoinfluenced by noted botanical historianJoseph Ewan who spent a period ofresidence in the Department in the 1980sas a visiting scholar. Wurdack’s historicaltopics include the history and types of theBiltmore Herbarium (25,000 sheets givento US), and biographical sketches onJoseph Herman Simpson (Florida collec-tor), Hardy Bryan Croom (1797-1837,botanist in Florida and North Carolina),and Alvan Wentworth Chapman (1809-1899, Florida botanist). Wurdack’shistorical expertise on these subjects hasbeen sought by a number of individualsand acknowledged in over 10 publicationsincluding two books (E.O. Rothra,Florida’s Pioneer Naturalist: The Life ofCharles Torrey Simpson, 1995; G.Fishman, Journeys Through Paradise:Pioneering Naturalists in the Southeast,2000). The importance of supplementaryhistorical detective work on the UScollections can be seen with the Biltmorespecimens that often have poor documen-tation coupled with the idiosyncraticpractices of Biltmore Herbarium staff.He most recently chronicled the historyof the rare southeastern United Stateseuphorb Croton alabamensis.

Wurdack has set high research goals

WurdackContinued from page 13

for his continuing work on the Euphor-biaceae, DNA barcoding, and historicalbotany of the southeast United States.

Page 15

Funk, V.A. and C.L. Kelloff. 2005.Preface. P. ix. In: T. Hollowell and R.Reynolds (eds.) Checklist of the Terres-trial Vertebrates of the Guiana Shield.Bull. Biol. Soc. Wash. no. 13.

Funk, V.A., R.J. Bayer, S. Keeley, R.Chan, L. Watson, B. Gemeinholzer, E.Schilling, J. L. Panero, B.G. Baldwin, N.Garcia-Jacas, A. Susanna and R.K. Jansen.2005. Everywhere but Antarctica: Using asupertree to understand the diversity anddistribution of the Compositae. Biol. Skr.55: 343-373.

Funk, V.A., P.C. Hoch, A. Prather andW.L. Wagner. 2005. The importance ofvouchers in science. Taxon 54: 127-129.

Givnish, T.J., J.C. Pires, S.W. Graham,M.A. McPherson, L.M. Prince, T.B.Patterson, H.S. Rai, E.H. Roalson, T.M.Evans, W.J. Hahn, K.C. Millam, A.W.Meerow, M. Molvray, P.J. Kores, H.E.O’Brien, J.C. Hall, W.J. Kress and K.J.Sytsma. 2005. Repeated evolution of netvenation and fleshy fruits among mono-cots in shaded habitats confirms a prioripredictions: evidence from an ndhF phy-logeny. P. Roy. Soc. B. 272: 1481-1490.

Hollowell, T. and R.P. Reynolds, eds.2005. Checklist of the TerrestrialVertebrates of the Guiana Shield. Bull.Biol. Soc. Wash., no. 13.

Hollowell, T. and R.P. Reynolds. 2005.Introduction. Pp. 1-6. In: T. Hollowell andR. Reynolds (eds.) Checklist of theTerrestrial Vertebrates of the GuianaShield. Bull. Biol. Soc. Wash. no. 13.

Kathriarachchi, H., P. Hoffmann, R.Samuel, K.J. Wurdack and M.W. Chase.2005. Molecular phylogenetics ofPhyllanthaceae inferred from five genes(plastid atpB, matK, 3'ndhF, rbcL, andnuclear PHYC). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol.36(1): 112-134.

Kibler, S.R., M.A. Faust, M.V. Vandersea,S.M. Varnam, R.W. Litaker and P.A. Tes-ter. 2005. Water column structure andcirculation in the Main Channel, TwinCays. Atoll Res. Bull. 535: 1-24.

Kite, G.C., P. Hoffmann, D.C. Lees, K.J.Wurdack and L.J. Gillespie. 2005. α-Homonojirimycin and other polyhydroxy-alkaloids in Suregada Roxb. ex Rottl.(Euphorbiaceae). Biochem. Syst. Ecol.33(11): 1183-1186.

Lapointe, B.E., P.J. Barile, M.M. Littler,D.S. Littler, B.J. Bedford and C.T.Gasque. 2005. Macroalgal blooms onsoutheast Florida coral reefs: I. Nutrientstoichiometry of the invasive green algaCodium isthmocladum in the widerCaribbean indicates nutrients enrichment.Harmful Algae 4(6): 1092-1105.

Lapointe, B.E., P.J. Barile, M.M. Littlerand D.S. Littler. 2005. Macroalgalblooms on southeast Florida coral reefs:II. Cross-shelf discrimination of nitrogensources indicates widespread assimilationof sewage nitrogen. Harmful Algae 4(6):1106-1122.

Littler, D.S. and M.M. Littler. 2005.Study of living algae in the tortugasproduced the “Bible” for identifying thoseof the tropical Atlantic. P. 36. In: Shinn,E.A. and W.C. Jaap (eds.). Field Guide tothe Major Organisms and ProcessesBuilding Reefs and Islands of the DryTortugas: The Carnegie Dry TortugasLaboratory Centennial Celebration(1905-2005). University of MiamiRosenstiel School, Miami.

Littler, M.M., D.S. Littler and B.L.Brooks. 2005. Extraordinary moundbuilding Avrainvillea (Chlorophyta): thelargest tropical marine plants. CoralReefs 24(3): 359.

Lorence, D.H. and W.L. Wagner. 2005. Arevision of Psychotria (Rubiaceae) in theMarquesas Islands (French Polynesia).Allertonia 9(1): 1-37.

Motley, T.J., K.J. Wurdack and P.G.Deprete. 2005. Molecular systematics ofthe Catesbaeeae-Chiococceae complex(Rubiaceae): flower and fruit evolutionand biogeographic implications. Am. J.Bot. 92(2): 316-329.

Pandey, A.K., J. Wen and J.V.V. Dogra(eds.). 2006. Plant Taxonomy: Advancesand Relevance. CBS Publishers &Distributors, New Delhi. 541 pp.

Robinson, H. 2005. New species andnew combinations in the tribe Vernonieae(Asteraceae). Phytologia 87(2): 80-96.

Robinson, H. 2005. Parapolydora(Asteraceae), a new genus of Vernonieaefrom South Africa. Phytologia 87(2): 75-79.

Robinson, H. 2005. Validation of the

Supertribe Asterodae. Phytologia 87(2):73-74.

Robinson, H. and N.E. Woodley. 2005. Anew species of Harmstonia from Bolivia(Dolichopodidae: Diptera). P. Entomol.Soc. Wash. 107(2): 436-440.

Saarela, J.M., P.M. Peterson and J.Cayouette. 2005. Bromus hallii (Poa-ceae), a new combination for California,U.S.A., and taxonomic notes on Bromusorcuttianus and Bromus grandis. Sida21(4): 1997-2013.

Samper, C. 2005. Foreword. P. vii. In: T.Hollowell and R. Reynolds (eds.) Check-list of the Terrestrial Vertebrates of theGuiana Shield. Bull. Biol. Soc. Wash. no.13.

Samuel, R., H. Kathriarachchi, P. Hoff-mann, M. Barfuss, K. Wurdack, C.C.Davis and M.W. Chase. 2005. Molecularphylogenetics of Phyllanthaceae: evi-dence from plastid matK and nuclearPHYC sequences. Am. J. Bot. 92(1): 132-141.

Strong, M.T. 2005. Two new species ofRhynchospora sect. Tenues (Cyperaceae)from the Guianas, South America. Novon15(3): 479-483.

Terrell, E.E., H.E. Robinson, W.L. Wag-ner and D.H. Lorence. 2005. Resurrec-tion of genus Kadua for Hawaiian Hedyo-tidinae (Rubiaceae), with emphasis onseed and fruit characters and notes onsouth Pacific species. Syst. Bot. 30(4):818-833.

Wagner, W.L. 2005. Honckenya. Fl. N.Amer. 5: 137-140.

Wagner, W.L. 2005. Wilhelmsia. Fl. N.Amer. 5: 136-137.

Wen, J. and A.K. Pandey. 2006. IntiatingDNA molecular systematic studies in adeveloping country. Pp. 31-43. In: Pan-dey, A.K., J. Wen and J.V.V. Dogra (eds.).Plant Taxonomy: Advances and Rel-evance. CBS Publishers & Distributors,New Delhi.

Wurdack, K.J., P. Hoffmann and M.W.Chase. 2005. Molecular phylogeneticanalysis of uniovulate Euphorbiaceae(Euphorbiaceae sensu stricto) usingplastid rbcL and trnL-F DNA sequences.Am. J. Bot. 92(8): 1397-1420.

Page 16

In addition to AliceTangerini, other illustra-

tors, such as CathyPasquale, are often

contracted out to dospecial projects for the

Department. Tragiaguayanensis was uncov-

ered among unidenti-fied Euphorbiaceae

collections and recog-nized as undescribed by

Kenneth J. Wurdack.Lynn Gillespie (now at

the Canadian Museum ofNature, Ottawa) was

studying Tragia and itsallies while as a post-

doctoral fellow at the USNational Herbarium and

found this plant wasunusual enough to

deserve placement in anew monotypic section

of Tragia (see Gillespie,Novon 4: 330-338; 1994).

Drawing by CathyPasquale.

Tragia guayanensis L.J. Gillespie

Department of BotanyPO Box 37012NMNH, MRC-166Washington DC 20013-7012

Official BusinessPenalty for Private Use $300

Art by Alice TangeriniArt by Alice TangeriniArt by Alice TangeriniArt by Alice TangeriniArt by Alice Tangerini