Issues #21 to #40 (January to June 1992)
OOPS !
From: AC
In the last BEN I described Chondrilla as having blue
flowers. Chondrilla's flowers are yellow. Otherwise, it
does look like a smaller (but yellow!) chicory.
I did not find any specimen of Chondrilla in the RBCM
herbarium, any donation of the duplicates would be
appreciated.
(BEN # 21 6-January-1992)
------------------------------------------
SAMBUCUS COERULEA ON VANCOUVER ISLAND
From: aceska@cue.bc.ca +
hans.roemer@prk.galaxy.bcsystems.gov.bc.ca
On a recent field trip to the Woodley Range near Ladysmith
Hans Roemer noticed two quite large trees of Sambucus, each
about 25 cm in diameter. On the second trip to this area
Hans and I examined the trees again and identified them as
S. coerulea. Trees grow side by side on a westerly exposed
sandstone cliff with Douglas-fir and arbutus.
Sambucus coerulea occurs on Vancouver Island in the
Duncan area usually grows in disturbed sites, along roads etc.
The Woodley Range site is the only site we know from an
undisturbed area. (Oluna reminded me of many dead Sambucus
trees on Sandy Island NW of Denman Island).
We would like to hear from anybody who has seen Sambucus
coerulea in relatively undisturbed habitats on Vancouver
Island.
(BEN # 21 6-January-1992)
------------------------------------------
STACION JATUN SACHA - ECUADOR
From: Adolf Ceska
Biological station Jatun Sacha (435 hectares, 75% of which
is primary forest) is situated in the upper Napo River
Valley (elev. 450 m) at the foothils of the Andes, about 20
km SE of the provincial capital city Tena. The station is
associated with the Missouri Botanical Garden, the
executive director is Dr. David Neill (see The National
Geographic, November 1990). The rain forest is one of the
richest in trees in the world. Dave and his helpers counted
250 species of trees (only those with diameter > 10 cm) on
a one hectare plot. About 440 species of birds were
recorded in and around Jatun Sacha.
The station can accommodate up to 24 visitors at a time.
Sleeping facilities consist of bank beds in "open-air
cabins." Bring your own sleeping bag or light blanket and
food. Cooking facilities, a gas stove and cookware are
provided. Station fees for North American and European
researchers are US $7.00 daily. Address: Jatun Sacha
Biological Station, Casilla 17-12-867, Quito, Ecuador.
Phone: (593-2) 433-937.
Jatun Sacha seeks donations for the Ecuadorian student
program. About US $600 will support a student for a
six-months research grant. Donations to the program are
tax-deductible (even in Canada, I was told), and may be
send to Dr. Enrique Forero, Missouri Botanical Garden,
P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166.
Donations are also sought to purchase additional land
adjacent to the present boundaries of Jatun Sacha (235 ha
out of 435 ha were bought in 1991). Tax-deductible
donations for the Jatun Sacha land acquisition program may
be sent to Green Ink, Inc., c/o Judith Kimerling, 23
Waverly Place, Apt. 4-F, New York, NY 10003.
(BEN # 21 6-January-1992)
------------------------------------------
RAINFOREST RESCUE PLAN
From: New Scientist 21/28 December, p. 7.
The World Bank, G7, and EC agreed to grant Brazil $250
million for conservation of the Amazon Basin. More than
$100 million are earmarked to support two science
institutes in the Amazon region (National Institute of
Brazilian Studies at Manaus and Goeldi Museum at Belem).
The program will also fund the establishment of national
parks, tribal reserves and new zones set aside for
nondestructive activities (rubber tapping & collecting
Brazil nuts).
In return for the money, Brazil conceded control of the
purse strings. All projects must be approved by the World
Bank. Brazil, however, is still considering to include into
the pilot program a large project to plant eucalyptus
trees across 10,000 square kilometers of former natural
forest land in the Carajas region.
(BEN # 21 6-January-1992)
------------------------------------------
NEW BOOKS
Schultes, R.E. & R.F. Raffauf. 1990. The healing forest:
medicinal and toxic plants of the northwest Amazonia.
Dioscorides Press, Portland, OR. 484 p. ISBN 0-931146-14-3
[hardbound] Price: US$59.95
"The most important book on South American ethnobotany ever
published." The book deals with 1,497 species representing
596 genera.
(BEN # 21 6-January-1992)
------------------------------------------
BOTANY POSITIONS
From: University Affairs, Jan. 1992, p. 35.
The Department of Botany at the University of British
Columbia is seeking applications to fill two tenure track
positions:
1) Bryologist, Phycologist or Mycologist whose research
interest emphasize biodiversity, systematics, evolution, or
evolutionary ecology to start January 1, 1993.
2)Developmental Botanist employing a variety of approaches
(molecular, genetic, cytological) to fundamental problems
in plant development to start July 1, 1992.
Application (deadline February 29, 1992) should be sent to
Dr. David H. Turpin, Head, Department of Botany, University
of British Columbia, #3529-6270 University Blvd. Vancouver,
B.C., V6T 1Z4
(BEN # 21 6-January-1992)
------------------------------------------
CONTRIBUTORS TO BEN 1991
I would like to thank all of you who contributed messages,
notes, and articles to BEN 1991. The contributors in the
last year were (the authors marked with an asterisk
originally wrote their contributions for another list):
Gerry Allen, * Steven R. Becker, William R Burk,
Ken Chambers, Roy Cranston, Alison Davis, Marten Geertsema,
Art Guppy, Cris Guppy, Andrew Harcombe, * J.A. Love,
Malcom E. Martin, Sherry Kirkvold, Rick Kool,
Andy MacKinnon, Del Meidinger, Bob Ogilvie, Jim Pojar,
* Louis Schmittroth, Gary Shearman, * Linda Sims,
Terry Taylor, Ed Tisch, and Nancy Turner.
(BEN # 21 6-January-1992)
------------------------------------------
JAN LOOMAN 1919-1991
Dr. Jan Looman was a specialist in grassland ecology, range
management and the prairie flora at the Agriculture Canada
Research Station, Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Jan was born in
Holland, where he did his undergraduate degree in phytosociology.
After moving to Canada he took his Ph.D. in grassland ecology at
the University of Wisconsin. This combination of a background in
Braun-Blanquet phytosociology and Curtis continuum ecology gave
him a unique approach to vegetation ecology. His research on the
grassland vegetation of western Canada was very detailed and
thorough. He carried out floristic surveys and plot analyses from
Manitoba to western Alberta and central B.C. He also grew
provenances of the major prairie species from which he obtained
data on their morphology, phenology, growth development and
productivity.
The following are some of his main publications on grassland
ecology: Classification of the grasslands of Saskatchewan, 1963,
Ecology 44; Fescue grasslands of western Canada, 1969, Vegetatio
19; Phytosociology of the Canadian prairies, 1977, Handbook of
Vegetation Science 13; Vegetation of the Canadian prairies, 1980-
1980, Phytocoenologia 8-9; Fescue grasslands of western North
America, 1982, Grassland Symposium-Kamloops. Besides this
research on grassland ecology he worked on several applied
aspects of range management: on forage production and carrying
capacity of rangeland, and on seeded pastures and hayland.
Jan was a pioneer in research on the lichen and bryophyte
flora of grassland vegetation (Ecology 45:1964; Bryologist 65,67:
1962,1964). He was co-author and author of two important prairie
floras: Flora of the Prairie Provinces - Looman & Best, 1979,
1981; and Identification of Prairie Grasses - Best, Looman &
Campbell, 1971, 1977, 1982). Jan was Curator of the Herbarium at
Swift Current, with approximately 10,000 specimens of prairie
vascular plants, lichens and bryophytes.
Jan was an active participant in the Saskatchewan Natural
History Society, and was very involved - behind the scenes - in
working for the establishing of a Grassland National Park in
southern Saskatchewan.
Jan Looman died August 28, 1991 at Swift Current.
- R.T. Ogilvie
(BEN # 22 12-January-1992)
------------------------------------------
FRIENDLY WEEVIL TO CONTROL CENTAUREA SOLSTITIALIS
From: rec.gardens
A friendly European weevil that attacks a notorious weed
has successfully established small, new colonies in
California, Oregon, and Washington yellow starthistle
patches. If these Eustenopus villosus weevils flourish at
their West Coast outposts, the quarter-inch long insects
could spread and may eventually help control yellow
starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis). ARS researchers in
Europe helped test the weevil to make sure it attacks only
starthistle, then last year shipped the insects to a
California laboratory for the first-ever outdoor release in
the U.S. More weevils, also collected in Europe, were
released in California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho this
year.
Reference: QUARTERLY REPORT OF SELECTED RESEARCH PROJECTS,
July 1 to September 30, 1991, 1. (U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Information
Staff, Beltsville, MD 20705.)
For more information, contact: Charles E. Turner, Plant
Protection Unit, Western Regional Research Center, Albany
CA, (510) 559-5975 OR Stephen L. Clement, Plant Germplasm
Introduction and Testing Research, Pullman, WA, (509)
335-1502 OR Sean Adams, Agricultural Research Service
Information Staff, Beltsville, MD, (301) 344-3108.
(BEN # 22 12-January-1992)
------------------------------------------
WILDFLOWER WEEK
Region 6 of the U.S. Forest Service will be showcasing
Washington and Oregon's wildflowers May 18-24, 1992, by
sponsoring Wildflower Week. It is a celebration of one of
our most beautiful and diverse natural resources. The
purpose of Wildflower Week is to promote conservation
management of native plants and their habitats, including
threatened, endangered and sensitive plants, through
enhancing awareness, support and appreciation of
wildflowers on the National Forests and Grasslands.
To accomplish this, several events are being planned,
including wildflower field trips, a photo contest and
wildflower shows and displays. Some of the forests are
developing wildflower viewing brochures. If you are
interested in being involved in Wildflower Week activities
or projects, call your local botanist or Native Plant
Society chapter president. Partnerships with interested
groups and individuals are currently being sought. There
are many ways organizations can participate. Partnerships
can involve matching monies, labor and equipment, sharing
technical skills, sponsoring activities or field trips.
For more information, please contact Kathy Ahlenslager,
Forest Botanist, Colville National Forest, 765 S. Main,
Colville, WA 99114; 509-684-7212.
(BEN # 23 15-January-1992)
------------------------------------------
BEN ON US FOREST SERVICE COMPUTER NETWORK
From: John DeLapp <anjls1@alaska.bitnet>
I'm employed by the Alaska Natural Heritage Program here in
Anchorage. I am working on the rare plants on the Tongass
and Chugach National Forests here in Alaska. I am connected
to the USFS computer network and have been taking the
liberty to distribute BEN across that network to Forest
Service botanists here in Alaska and in the Pacific
Northwest. I was asked by the FS regional botanist Dean
Longrie in Seattle to pass this announcement [Wildflower
Week] on to you.
(BEN # 23 15-January-1992)
------------------------------------------
SIMILKAMEEN RIVER HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT
A hydro power dam is planned on the Similkameen River about
13 km south (upstream) of Princeton, B.C. (near Copper
Mountain just south - upstream of the present mining
activities). The dam should be about 500 ft. high and the
reservoir will be 14 km long (the elevation of the crest
will be 3,070 ft.). The dam should provide 22 Megawatts to
the Tulameen, Princeton, Hedley, and associated regions.
This area is at the extreme western end of the present
supplier's (West Kootenay Power) distribution system and is
subjected to many supply problems.
The company proposing the project is Princeton Light &
Power Co., Ltd., contact: John Hall, Box 908, Penticton,
BC.C., V2A 7G1, Phone: (604) 492-3172, Fax: (604) 492-7323.
Environmental etc. study is done by Environment &
Socio-economic Consultants, contact: Tom Griffing, Ph.D.,
Griffing Consultants Inc., 4776 Cedar Tree Lane, Delta,
B.C., V4K 4G6, phone: (604) 940-0424, fax: (604) 946-5344.
(BEN # 24 21-January-1992)
------------------------------------------
CBA/ABC CONSERVATION POSITION PAPERS
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
The Canadian Botanical Association released three position
papers on topics related to the conservation.
1) Transplantation as a mean of preservation.
"The CBA is strongly opposed to the idea that transplanting
is a reliable method of conserving rarer species."
2) Gardening with wild plants.
"... planting of wildflowers or native shrubs must be done
is such a way that it poses no threats to the integrity of
natural communities." Guidelines for ethical wildflower
gardening are given in the paper.
3) Re-introduction to increase vegetational cover and
native species. "... only the native species should be used
for reclamation" and the goals of reclamations are:
a) protection of remaining natural areas, b) reconnection
of natural remnants, and c) enhancing survival of rare
species.
If you want the full text of the CBA Conservation Position
Papers, give me a call.
(BEN # 24 21-January-1992)
------------------------------------------
NEW SPECIES
From: George Douglas
Two new species for B.C. have recently been reported.
Gerald Straley informs me that a good voucher of Astragalus
spaldingii from Osoyoos Lake has been deposited at UBC.
The specimen was collected during 1990 by Trevor Goward.
Peter Achuff, botanist for the Montana Natural Heritage
Program, has sent me four collections (1991) of Agoseris
lackschewitzii from Mt. Assiniboine Prov. Park. This
species, described by Doug Henderson in 1990 from Idaho, is
readily separated from other Agoseris species. The BC
vouchers have been deposited at V and UBC.
(BEN # 24 21-January-1992)
------------------------------------------
RE: WILDFLOWER WEEK
From: Adolf Ceska
The Royal British Columbia Museum wants to join WA and OR
and plan activities similar to those proposed by the US
Forest Service for May 18-24. The Museum will be asking
people from and around Victoria for help. BENitos from the
Victoria area, please contact either me (ACESKA) or Roberta
Kremer (RKREMER), if you are on the governmental e-mail, or
send me a message to aceska@cue.bc.ca .
(BEN # 24 21-January-1992)
------------------------------------------
LITERATURE
B.C. Conservation Data Centre Newsletter # 2, published by
the B.C. Conservation Data Centre, c/o Wildlife Branch,
B.C. Environment, 780 Blanshard Street, Victoria, B.C.
V8V 1X5
[The issue brings an information on Data Compilation,
Salish Sucker - a fish, and above all the "BC Vascular Plant
Tracking List"]
Hansen, A.J., T.A. Spies, F.J. Swanson, & J.L. Ohmann.
1991. Conserving biodiversity in managed forests: lessons
from natural forests. BioScience 41 (No.6): 382-392.
[A good summary of Franklin's school of forest management
with over 50 references to the original studies.]
(BEN # 24 21-January-1992)
------------------------------------------
HAROLD ST. JOHN 1892-1991
Dr. Harold St. John, Professor Emeritus of Botany at
the University of Hawaii died at his home in Hawaii on
December 12, 1991.
Harold St. John's career is of interest to Canadian and
British Columbia botanists because of his early work both
on the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast. He is the
co-author of one our most common plants, our beloved
skunk-cabbage Lysichiton americanum Hulten & St. John. St.
John studied botany at Harvard University, where he took
his B.A. and Ph.D. degrees. Like many of his Harvard
botanical colleagues his interests took him into the
unknown parts of Atlantic Canada. In 1913 he made a
catalogue, published in 1921, of the flora of Sable Island,
those remote islands 100 miles of the coast of Nova Scotia.
In 1915 he carried out floristic studies on the north shore
of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which was published by the
National Museum of Canada in 1922.
St. John was Professor of Botany at the State College
of Washington (Washington State University) in Pullman from
1920 to 1929. He added many species records to the flora of
Washington and Idaho, and published the "Flora of
Southeastern Washington and Adjacent Idaho" in 1937. He
published floristic lists for Mt. Baker, Mt. St. Helens,
and Glacier Peak. Harold St. John also identified plants
sent to him by botanists in British Columbia, including the
Provincial Museum. W.B. Anderson sent him the first
collection of the magenta satin flower (Sisyrinchium
inflatum) from the B.C. interior, and this was discussed in
St. John's paper on Olneya vs. Sisyrinchium, 1931 (see BEN
No. 19).
While at WSU St. John was founder and editor of the
journal Research Studies of the State College of
Washington. He also befriended the pioneer plant explorer
Wilhelm Suksdorf, and sponsored him as a Research Fellow at
the College and later as the recipient of an Honourary
M.Sc. in Botany in 1928. St. John wrote a biography of
Suksdorf in 1955 - published in the Research Studies of the
State College of Washington.
A measure of St. John's long botanical career is his
flora of Glacier Peak. In 1921 and 1924 St. John went by
pack-horse to botanise Glacier Peak, a +10,000 foot peak in
the northern Cascade Mountains. The Washington Native Plant
Society published a special volume of three papers on the
flora of the North Cascades in 1986. St. John wrote up his
field notes and collections from 1921 and 1924 and
published an annotated list of 258 taxa from Glacier Peak.
It is an excellent paper, but after it was published St.
John wrote to the editor: "I do have objections to your
editing which was unusual. I was not sent either galley or
page proof, nor given a chance to order reprints. You
changed my taxonomy to conform to Hitchcock. Of course his
is a recent and well produced book, but his taxonomy is not
necessarily correct. On arctic plants he never agreed with
Hulten, nor on circumpolar plants with Fernald, our best
and wisest recent botanist." (Douglasia, 11(1):8, 1987).
Harold St. John moved from WSU to the University of
Hawaii in 1929, where he was Professor of Botany and
Chairman of the department until his retirement in 1958.
Since his retirement he pursued very active research on the
flora of the Hawaii Islands, Micronesia, and taxonomic
studies on Pandanus, right up to his death.
If Harold St. John's 99-year long life is amazing, his
80- year long career devoted to botany is even more
impressive.
- R.T. Ogilvie
(BEN # 25 2-February-1992)
------------------------------------------
OLD GROWTH DEPENDENT SPECIES
From: Doug Hopwood, Lasquetti Island, B.C. V0R 2J0
One of the duty I am charged with to prepare a summary of
all known or suspected old growth dependent species in
B.C. ... I would like to ask you for your help with this
task, with respect to vascular plants:
1) Are they any plant species that have been studied in
sufficient depth that you could confidently call them
old-growth dependent?
2) What is the nature of the species' dependence on old
growth?
3) What is the approximate range of the species?
4) What would be the elements of the "best guess"
conservation strategy for these species?
5) What would you consider the highest priority research
needs for the conservation of old growth dependent
plants?
[I was not able to come with any vascular plant species
that would occur only in old growth stands. Can you find any
spotted owl among our vascular plants? - AC]
(BEN # 25 2-February-1992)
------------------------------------------
COMING EVENTS IN VICTORIA
"The Tatshenshini River" [see BEN # 11] by Ken Marsden,
Tue Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m., Begbie Bldg. UVIC.
"After the Ice Age" by E. Chris Pielou, Wed Feb. 12, 7:30
p.m., Newcombe Auditorium.
Botany Group Field Trip to Mill Hill Park, Sat Feb. 8,
Meet at the Helmecken Park & Ride 9:00 a.m.
"Plants along the Dempster Highway, Yukon" by Sharon
Godkin, Tue Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m. Swan Lake Nature House.
"Lake Baikal" by Michael Tripp, Wed Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m.,
Newcombe Auditorium.
(BEN # 25 2-February-1992)
------------------------------------------
WHILE THE SUPPLY LASTS
Dr. David Wagner, P.O. Box 30064, Eugene, OR 97403 is
printing his own "Willamette Valley Nature Calendar" and
the 1992 edition is in fact the 10th anniversary edition.
This edition features 6 Oregon mosses and liverworts and
numerous notes on what to do in a garden, what to see in
the nature or at the skies. The last year's edition is a
real collection item: it contains drawings of 12 grapefern
species (Botrychium - Pteridophyta) reported from Oregon,
About four of these species have been only recently
described and the majority of illustrated species occur in
B.C. Cost: 1991 edition US$8.00, 1992 edition US$6.50.
(BEN # 25 2-February-1992)
------------------------------------------
NEW BOOKS
Kruckeberg, A.R. 1991. Natural history of Puget Sound
country. University of Washington Press, Seattle & London,
xxiv + 468 p. ISBN 0-295-97019-7 [hardbound] CAN $36.95
[This is a very interesting book. It covers a wide scope of
"natural history" - geology, plants and animals,
interactions with human - anything you want to know about
the Puget Sound area. The book was printed in Japan! It is
available in the Royal Museum Store.]
(BEN # 25 2-February-1992)
------------------------------------------
TELNET AND FTP REACHED THE B.C. GOVERNMENT
In BEN #14 Rick Kool called for DATASTROJKA - a
restructuring of the B.C. governmental e-mail network. One
of his demand was adding several Internet features,
especially TELNET and FTP, to the governmental
network. We have it now.
The B.C. Systems quietly added several valuable features
available on the Internet system, and TELNET and FTP are
among them. With TELNET you can log on to a remote computer
and interactively communicate with that computer. I am
using this service to access the MELVYL catalogue that
contains over 10,000 000 titles deposited in the libraries
of the University of California and the California State
Library. To get into that catalogue, you simply type
telnet melvyl.ucop.edu
at the $ prompt you get when you sign on the government
system. When you sign on the Melvyl, you will be asked for
the terminal, and ibmpc (no space) works as an
answer. The Library of Congress can be reached by
telnet dra.com .
In the Library of Congress you cannot search the
subject index (I was told by our librarian, that the
Library of Congress charges for the subject index
searches), in Melvyl you can.
To use FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is slightly more
difficult. With FTP you can browse through the directory of
a remote computer and download any available file into your
computer. I have been using this service to download files from
the TAXACOM data base and I am reprinting their instructions
in a separate article below. I brought this article in BEN
#14, and mentioned the DELTA files in BEN #17. Please note
the change in the TAXACOM FTP address. The TAXACOM system
was transferred from Buffalo to Boston.
I have no idea, how much the B.C. Systems charge for TELNET
or FTP. Ask your friendly computer people before you spend
all your budget wondering in or around remote computers.
There is an interesting article "Applying the Internet" in
the recent issue of the BYTE magazine (February
1992:111-118.) The article is quite technical, loaded with
information. I have to quote its last sentence: "The next
time you hear about the Internet, remember that you, too,
could be using it -- in your work, education, or community,
or to explore your personal interests."
(BEN # 25 2-February-1992)
------------------------------------------
HOW TO USE TAXACOM FTP SERVER ON INTERNET [BEN #14 update]
TAXACOM FTP Server allows Internet access to scientifically
oriented text files and programs, especially those dealing
with aspects of systematic biology. Available for
downloading is the journal Flora Online, the DELTA
taxonomic programs, the LABELS3 herbarium data management
programs, and other material of interest to systematic
biologists. Access is by "anonymous FTP."
From a computer connected to the Internet, start the FTP
program and use either the host name or IP address given
above as the destination, e.g. FTP huh.harvard.edu or FTP
128.103.108.123 Enter "anonymous" as the user id and
simply <return> for the password. "Dir" or "ls" lists the
files in the current FTP SERVER directory. "Cd" to change
directories; the TAXACOM files are located under the
subdirectory "pub" (once connected at the "FTP>" prompt,
type "cd pub"). To return to the previous parent directory
type "cd .." "Get <filename>" copies the remote file to
your computer, "mget" uses "*" as a wild card symbol to
copy multiple files in one operation. For help with other
FTP commands, type "help" at any FTP> prompt. When
downloading compressed (8-bit) files be sure to specify
"binary" or "image" at the FTP> prompt before issuing a
"get" or "mget" command, otherwise the files you retrieve
will be unusable. The programs you receive are generally
for MS-DOS microcomputers, so you should copy these to such
machines.
(BEN # 25 2-February-1992)
------------------------------------------
BOTANY B.C. 1992 - MAY 28,29,30,31
From: Ted Lea
BOTANY B.C. will be held at Lac Le Jeune May 28-31, 1992.
May 28 Evening arrival, registration and dinner
May 29 Morning Grassland Ecology talks
Afternoon -Lac du Bois field trip grasslands
May 30 Morning Weed and Grass species talks
Afternoon Parasitic and Saprophytic field trip
May 31 Field trip out on rare/endangered ecosystems
[This is a preliminary note about the 1992 BOTANY B.C.
meeting I got from Ted Lea. The registration form and other
more detailed information will be send to you by Del
Meidinger via snail mail. Del's e-mail address for people
outside the GEMS (Government e-mail system) is
DEL.V.MEIDINGER@for.galaxy.bcsystems.gov.bc.ca .
Write him, if you want to be included in the mailing list
of the Botany BC Working Group Newsletter. - AC]
(BEN # 26 6-February-1992)
------------------------------------------
HELP WANTED - ASIAN AND AFRICAN CULINARY HERBS
From: Brian D. Compton, Dept. of Botany, UBC
<USERCOMP@ubcmtsg.bitnet>
Is there anyone out there within reach of BEN who is
familiar with the Viet, Thai and/or botanical Latin names
of the types of Asian herbs found in some Vancouver markets
and restaurants? Also, is anyone out there at all familiar
with African, particularly Ethiopian, culinary herbs
(including their Amharic and/or botanical Latin names)? I
would appreciate any comments which may be directed to
USERCOMP@MTSG.UBC.CA.
(BEN # 26 6-February-1992)
------------------------------------------
CLIMATIC DIAGRAMS IN THE ISLAND GROWER
Hans Roemer published a series of climatic diagrams in the
February issue of The Island Grower (No 82, p. 16-22). Get
that issue ! (The Island Grower, R.R. 4, Sooke, B.C., V0S
1N0, phone: 604-642-4129.) Hans explains how to construct
and read climatic diagrams. (This technique was devised by
Walter @ Lieth and is used in every better book on
vegetation.) A long series of diagrams will show you the
similarity of the Victoria climate with the climates of
Portugal, Italy, and Greece and sharp contrast of our
climate with those of the Himalayas, eastern Canada and
central Europe. Congratulations, Hans. Thanks for spreading
the gospel!
(BEN # 26 6-February-1992)
------------------------------------------
MUSHROOM POISONING
Some species of Cortinarius contain a slowly acting poison
orellanin that destroys the kidneys. It may take a week or
two to act. The New Scientist cites a case of three
campers in Scotland who mistook Cortinarius speciosissimus
for chanterelle. Two victims had to get a kidney
transplant. [From "Stalking the safe mushrooms" by Barry
Fox, The New Scientist, 12 January 1992, No.1804, p.
38-44.]
(BEN # 26 6-February-1992)
------------------------------------------
UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA LIBRARY ON TELNET
From: Gary Shearman (shearman@cue.bc.ca)
I just discovered something interesting. If you telnet to
telnet victor.uvic.ca
and login with victor and password victor,
you can use the UVic library catalog. It works ok, except
I have yet to discover how to leave properly, they want a
"clear" key, and, even though I haven't discovered what that
is yet...
[The magical "clear" key to get out of the system is
Ctrl-C !]
P.S. Victor is an electronic catalogue of the University of
Victoria library. It was started several years ago and it
contains all new accessions. For the last half a year or
so, every book borrowed from the library was put into the
systems. The older books sitting on the UVIC shelves are
not on Victor yet! When you find the title in Victor, you
can see, if the book is in or out, if you don't find it,
you have to go to the old good card index catalogue in
order to be sure. - AC
(BEN # 26 6-February-1992)
------------------------------------------
HOW PEOPLE MOUNT HERBARIUM SPECIMENS
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
Our herbarium (V - Royal BC Museum, Victoria, B.C.) is
using Wilhold's "Glu-Bird White Glue" for strapping plant
specimens onto the mounting paper. Lately our glue has
become 'lyophobic'and when the stream touches the plant, the
strap parts and separates into two blobs on each side of the
stem, or whatever you are strapping. In order to secure
the plant, more glue has to be added. The straps resemble
blobs of candle wax and do not look nice.
Two weeks ago I asked subscribers of TAXACOMT list and all on
PTO (Plant Taxonomists Online) what glue they use for
mounting the specimens. Here is the summary of the answers:
1) Strapping with tape:
cloth tape (Smithsonian Institution; Harvard
Herbaria; Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver -
bulky specimens only), archival 3M polyester tape
(Australian National Univ., Canberra), linen tape
(University of Washington, Seattle; University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor), unspecified tape (Faculdad de
Ciencias, Coyoacan, Mexico)
2) Glueing the plant surface or parts of the surface
(dots, zigzag line on the underneath):
Wilhold's Glu-Bird Glue (University of Kansas),
Plastipad (Botany Institute, Christchurch, New
Zealand), Lepages White Glue (Univ. of Alberta,
Edmonton, Canada) Nicobond B (University of
Washington, Seattle)
3) Strapping with glue:
Selleys Aquadhere (CSIRO, Australia)
4) No mounting: (University of South New Wales, Kensington,
Australia)
5) Glue used, but I am not sure, if only for strapping or
for surface glueing:
North Carolina Biological Supplies brand (Univ. of
Alabama), Elmer's glue (San Francisco State University;
Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver),
bookbinders' glue (Uppsala), Evo-stick wood adhesive
(Reading, UK)
Users of the tape were adamant that their technique is the
best:
QUOTES
I know nothing of Wilhold's "Glue-Bird White Glue", but
in any case, it is time for you to throw away your glue, no
matter what kind it is. Your communications are up to
date, but your curation methods are not!
[It would be a lengthy chapter to explain that the curators
are not responsible for some our curation methods. - AC]
The quickest, most effective way to attach specimens to
sheets is to use tape. Specimens so attached can be easily
removed and replaced too, if a researcher needs to examine
the underside. Moreover, 3M produce an archival quality
tape with a dispenser which is convenient to use. The
details are as follows:
Archival tape: 3M polyester tape #8440, in rolls 6mm/3mm/2mm x 66m,
AUS$5.78 per roll (minimum order 32 rolls), 2 years ago.
3M 'Definite length dispenser' #M920. AUS$138.
Hope this information is useful
Mike Crisp [from CANB: Mike.Crisp@anu.edu.au]
SUPPORTING VOICE:
I am not responsible for the policy at CANB ... but I think
their approach is one of the best in terms of preserving
the specimen and allowing active research on the specimens:
i.e., the use of permanent but removable 3M tape. No glue
on the specimen. NSW uses nothing, which is great for the
researcher but only ok for the specimen. .... I would
strongly commend the use of the 3M tape (nothing is a
second best, and glue a poor last option).
Jeremy Bruhl [from CANB: BRUHL@RSBS1.anu.edu.au]
END OF QUOTES
I hope readers of BEN will find this information useful, I
do tend to look at the 3M archival tape CANB is using. If
you have any comments to this topic, please let me (and
BEN) know. - Adolf
(BEN # 27 23-February-1992)
------------------------------------------
AUXILIARY POSITION IN THE ROYAL B.C. MUSEUM
The Royal B.C. Museum will hire an auxiliary from May 1,
1992 to March 31, 1993. This auxiliary will be working in
the Herbarium with John Pinder-Moss. Regular duties will
include: accessioning plants, mounting, producing labels,
filing, inventory and maintenance, pulling specimens for
loans, etc. Pay will be at HRO 2, step 1 (currently
$1,099.58 bi-weekly).
If you know of an individual who is qualified and
interested in this position please have them forward a
resume to me ASAP. Closing date: April 10, 1992.
Jim Cosgrove, Chief, Biological Collections
Royal B.C. Museum, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8V 1X4
Phone: 387-3544 FAX: 356-8197
(BEN # 28 22-March-1992)
------------------------------------------
ABIES LASIOCARPA AS A CHRISTMAS TREE?
From: Art Guppy
A Christmas tree sold in December 1991 by a Victoria dealer as
a "B.C. Christmas tree" was an Abies lasiocarpa showing 19
growth rings where cut. Identification was based on the
upswept needles, the arrangement of the stomata, and the size
and position of the resin ducts, as described in Hitchcock et
al 1969. Does anyone with a knowledge of forestry practice in
B.C. know if these alpine trees, requiring about 20 years to
reach salable size, are farmed in B.C., or if such trees can
be legally harvested in the wild? Is it possible that these
beautiful, slow-growing trees are being cut illegally?
(BEN # 28 22-March-1992)
------------------------------------------
MONTIA AND/OR CLAYTONIA TIME AGAIN (CF. BEN ## 2,10 & 11)
From: Adolf Ceska
The best time to go and look for different Claytonia and
Montia species is just now! Plants with lanceolate leaves
or those conspicuously succulent, gray, reddish, etc.
should be collected. Take a rain gear and crawl through
rock depressions and seepages to find Montia howellii!
(BEN # 28 22-March-1992)
------------------------------------------
RE: OLD GROWTH DEPENDENT SPECIES (BEN #25)
From: Art Guppy
I suggest the saprophytic members of the Ericaceae may
collectively be a botanical spotted owl. While some
species probably can colonize second-growth forests, it
seems likely at least some would disappear from forests
periodically clearcut.
[Hans Roemer suggested the same and he mentioned Hemitomes
congestum as the best example. Hemitomes and other
saprophytic Ericaceae, however, do occur in second-growth
forests. - AC]
(BEN # 28 22-March-1992)
------------------------------------------
ANOTHER OLD GROWTH DEPENDENT MESSAGE
From: BETH WALTON:R06F06A via John DeLapp
<anjls1@alaska.bitnet>
Cheryl McCaffrey (Oregon State BLM botanist) says:
"The species that I have heard reference to and which are
now on the Eugene [Oregon BLM] list that appear to have
this dependency are:
Lobaria retrigeria, Lichen; ONHDB List 3, Low
elevation old growth canopy, Western Oregon Interior
Valley.
Nephroma occultum, Lichen; ONHDB List1, Old Growth
Canopy, West Side Oregon Cascades.
Oxyporus nobelissimus, Giant polypore fungus; Old
Growth Forest, West Side Oregon Cascades. Of course little
is known about these species, and as we do more inventory,
we may find they have a wider ecological amplitude than we
currently think." -- Nancy Wogen, BLM Eugene District
Office.
(BEN # 28 22-March-1992)
------------------------------------------
WILDFLOWER WEEK IN THE ROYAL B.C. MUSEUM, VICTORIA
Yes, there will be a Wildflower Week in the Royal B.C.
Museum. Curators will lead field trips to interesting areas
around Victoria and there will be special activities for
children (May 24). Dr. Gerald Straley will give a lecture
on protection of rare plants (Newcombe Auditorium, May 20).
The Week will be a part of the Newcombe Program, watch for
the details in their calendar.
(BEN # 28 22-March-1992)
------------------------------------------
NEW BOOK
Hartzel, H., Jr. 1991. The yew tree: a thousand whispers.
Biography of a species. Hulogosi, Eugene, Oregon.
xvi + 319 p. ISBN 0-938493-14-0 [paperback] Price $23.95
[Everything you wanted to know about yew. Excellent chapter
on taxol and taxol politics. The book is available in the
Royal B.C. Museum gift shop.]
(BEN # 28 22-March-1992)
------------------------------------------
IS THIS THE LAST BEN ?
I was preparing a special, light hearted April 1, issue of
BEN when I received two sad news:
The first was that Dr. Arthur Cronquist died. I am bringing
you the obituary as it appeared in the New York Times
downloaded from the TAXACOMT list.
The second was that the Museum is changing their e-mail
system. I have no idea, how the new system works, but it
should be much simpler and I guess that it will serve
mainly to the communication within the museum. The new
system will not support distribution lists such as that I
have been using for BEN.
I have been sending BEN to about fifty B.C. government
employees. About forty other subscribers are scattered
throughout the Pacific Northwest and North America and they
are served from my cue.bc.ca account. The latter group can
be served without any interruption, but the primary role of
BEN was to connect my botanically inclined colleagues in
the B.C. government.
As I stressed several times, the BEN was my crazy idea and
my employer, the Royal B.C. Museum, had nothing to do with
it. My supervisors only tolerated my use or misuse of the
governmental e-mail system. With changes in our e-mail
system I don't have too much hope that I would be able
to continue to distribute BEN on the governmental network.
I gathered together all I had for the next two issues of BEN
and here it is. I hope I will be able to get in touch with you
again. So long. - Adolf Ceska
(BEN # 29 30-March-1992)
------------------------------------------
ARTHUR CRONQUIST 1919 - 1992
From: The New York Times
Dr. Arthur Cronquist, a senior scientist at the New York
Botanical Garden and creator of an important system of
plant classification, died on Sunday March 26, 1992, while
doing research at the Brigham Young University Herbarium in
Provo, Utah. He was 73 years old.
He died of a heart attack, said Karl F. Lauby, the director
of public relations at the botanical garden, in the Fordham
section of the Bronx. Dr. Cronquist was widely recognized
for his extensive knowledge of the plants of the world and
his ability to synthesize data from the entire plant
kingdom in his classification system.
In 1968, Dr. Cronquist published "The Evolution and
Classification of Flowering Plants" (Scientific
Publications, the New York Botanical Garden), one of his
books outlining what became known as the Cronquist system.
In his system, Dr. Cronquist organized some 350 families of
plants by their evolutionary relationships, describing
which families are very closely related and which are more
distantly related. The system has been the most widely used
and accepted reference for botanists studying the evolution
of plants for nearly 25 years.
In deciphering the relationships of the families of plants,
Dr. Cronquist depended more on his intimate knowledge of
many species of plants from field, museum and library
studies than on the high-powered computer technology or
statistics more popular among his younger colleagues.
He also wrote the "Manual of Vascular Plants of the
Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada" (Scientific
Publications), known as the Green Bible. The manual is a
key that allows a person to identify flowering plants or
ferns from the region and is the basis for many popular
field guides. His two introductory botany textbooks, as
well as the manual, are widely used by botany students.
Dr. Cronquist was also a recognized expert on the plants of
the Western United States. He wrote or contributed to
nearly all the major works on plants of the region and was
at work on a six- volume series about the plants of the
intermountain west when he died. He was also an expert on
the sunflower family, one of the largest families of
flowering plants in the world.
Dr. Cronquist was born in San Jose Calif. He earned
bachelor's and master's degree's from Utah State University
and received his doctorate from the University of
Minnesota. After completing his graduate studies, Dr.
Cronquist was an assistant curator at the New York
Botanical Garden for two years.
He taught at the University of Georgia and the State
College of Washington (now Washington State University). He
later returned to the New York Botanical Garden, becoming
director of botany and finally senior scientist. He was
also an adjunct professor at Columbia University and the
City University of New York for more than a decade.
He received the Leidy Medal of the Academy of Natural
Sciences in Philadelphia, the Asa Gray Award from the
American Society of Plant Taxonomists and the Linnean Medal
for Botany from the Linnean Society of London. Dr.
Cronquist also served as president of the Botanical Society
of America and the American Society of Plant Taxonomists.
He is survived by his wife, Mabel; two children, John of
Placentia, Calif., and Elizabeth Crowe of Morrison, Colo.,
and four grandchildren.
(BEN # 29 30-March-1992)
------------------------------------------
MONTIA HOWELLII REDISCOVERED AT SUAVIE'S ISLAND, OREGON
From: Tom Kaye <kayet@orst.cgrb.edu>
Montia howellii has not been reported from Sauvie's Island,
Oregon, the type locality, since its original collection by
T.J. Howell in 1882, and a few other Howell collection in
the 1880's. On 26 March 1992 I visited an area of the
Island owned by the oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
and located a large population of the species growing in
disturbed areas in pastures. Most plants grew in and along
dirt roads, game trails, and shallow depressions.
Associated species included Poa annua, M. fontana,
Plagiobothrys scouleri, Myosurus minimus, Cerastium
viscosum, and Trifolium sp. Montia howellii was absent
from vernal pool habitat in the area, possibly because of
competition from perennial vegetation. For those who are
interested in finding the species in BC, I would suggest
looking along dirt roads through pastures. Good luck!
[Montia howellii occurs on Vancouver Island in heavily
trampled areas. Trampling eliminates introduced perennial
grasses, such as Lolium perenne, Holcus lanatus,
Anthoxanthum odoratum, Dactylis glomerata which otherwise
outcompete winter annuals. Botanists tend to underestimate
the role of disturbance in the protection of some elements
of our native flora. When I proposed Macoun's meadowfoam
(Limnanthes macounii) for the COSEWIC protection, my
proposal was questioned and scaled down, because "the plant
readily survives in urban areas around Victoria." - AC]
(BEN # 29 30-March-1992)
------------------------------------------
ALPINE FIR (ABIES LASIOCARPA) AS A CHRISTMAS TREE (BEN #28)
From: Richard D. Hallman, P.Ag.
Christmas Tree Industry Specialist
Abies lasiocarpa is harvested as a Christmas tree legally
in several areas of the province. Several thousand are
harvested each year. The Ministry of Forests issues
permits to cutting for Christmas trees in areas where
spruce is the preferred timber species. In some trees cut
near Merrit were retailing for $20 to $30 in the Langley
area during 1991. It is also cultivated on Christmas tree
plantations, although due to its slow growth and
inconsistency in the plantation it is not common. It have
been planted for trial in the Okanagan and Kootenay areas.
One grower in the Grand Forks area is doing some progeny
testing of seed sources in that area.
Abies lasiocarpa is very close in appearance to Abies
balsamea, the primary species grown for Christmas trees in
the Maritimes. It has good potential as a Christmas tree of
the future in B.C., but work must be done to identify the
best seed source for plantation Christmas tree production.
(BEN # 29 30-March-1992)
------------------------------------------
RE: TAPE OR GLUE (BEN # 27)
From: Joan Kerik
I agree entirely with the tape method! If done correctly it
is definitely the best for the researcher and the plant. It
is only a problem when the tape is not attached at all
stress points and tightly secured against both plant and
sheet. The sheet also should be heavy enough to help keep
the plant flat. I know that some herbaria cut corners by
going for the lighter weight paper but they pay in the end.
(BEN # 29 30-March-1992)
------------------------------------------
LARGEST MASS MUSHROOM POISONING IN NORTH AMERICA
From: Mushroom The Journal, Fall 1991, p. 34 [abbrev.]
On June 8, 1991, one of the best hotels in Vancouver,
British Columbia, hosted a retirement banquet for the city
chief of police. Much of the police force, some local
dignitaries and many spouses attended - in all, 483 were
there. The first course was an exotic pasta salad: three
colour forms of egg fettucine were mixed cold with raw
mushrooms (Agaricus brunnescens, Lentinus edodes, Morchella
angusticeps and Morchella esculenta) marinated in soy
sauce, oyster sauce, sambal sauce, sesame oil.
Raw morels performed well. Of 483 people present, at least
77 (i.e, 16 percent) experienced symptoms typical for the
raw morel poisoning. Paul Kroger, author of the article,
surveyed 24 victims: 20 of them reported nausea, 16
diarrhea, 12 vomiting, 7 cramps, 4 rapid and severe
sensation of bloating, 2 a hive-like rash. Other symptoms
reported were warms, intense thirst, clamminess and
numbness of the tongue. Only one person required
hospitalization; his wife wouldn't eat mushrooms so he ate
two portions. It is interesting to note that one of the
first victims affected was the city health officer.
[I would like to thank Paul Kroeger for kindly sending me
his article " 'Yumm,' said the police chief" published in
Mushroom the Journal (ISSN 0740-8161).
Mushroom address: Mushroom, Box 3156, University Station,
Moscow, Idaho 83843. One year subscription (4 issues) is
US$ 16.00 and they accept Canadian checks marked
"U.S. dollars." - AC]
(BEN # 29 30-March-1992)
------------------------------------------
PRODUCTS LIABILITY FOR A BOOK ?
From: Mary Whisner <whisner@u.washington.edu> via USENET
The latest issue of the Harvard Law Review has a "recent
case" that might be of interest to librarians. Plaintiff
bought The Encyclopedia of Mushrooms and used it to
identify edible mushrooms. He ate them and became
critically ill, needing a liver transplant. He sued under
Calif. products liability law. According to the student
author, the 9th Circuit held that the information in the
book was not a "product" and thus the law didn't apply.
(The student argued that a better approach would have been
to hold the publisher not liable for first amendment policy
reasons.) Recent Case, Products Liability Law -- Freedom
of Speech -- Ninth Circuit Holds That California's Products
Liability Law Does Not Cover False Statements in a Book --
Winter v. G. P. Putnam's Sons, 938 F.2d 1033 (9th Cir.
1991), 105 Harv. L. Rev. 1147 (1992).
[I remember reading about a recall of a mushroom book that
labelled poisonous Amanita as a choice edible mushroom.
I can attest that the authors who blunder in their
publications, don't usually do it just because they want
to exercise their "freedom of speech!" - AC]
(BEN # 29 30-March-1992)
------------------------------------------
NEW LEDUM COMBINATION - WHO READS BEN ?
From: A. Ceska
In BEN # 9 I suggested that a new combination was for grab,
if you wanted to treat Ledum decumbens as a subspecies of
Rhododendron tomentosum (i.e., Ledum palustre as a
"rhodie"). Gary D. Wallace published a new combination for
this subspecies: Rhododenron tomentosum subsp. subarcticum
(Harmaja) G. Wallace. I have suspicions that this name is
against the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and
that the readers of BEN may have still another chance.
Ref.: Wallace, G.D. 1992. Ledum in the New Jepson Manual and
a new combination for Ledum in Rhododendron (Ericaceae).
Madrono 39: 77.
(BEN # 29 30-March-1992)
------------------------------------------
"SPINACH AND CIVILIZATION" IN THE NEWCOMBE AUDITORIUM
The Newcombe Program will present a lecture [?] on "Spinach
and Civilization" by Adolf Ceska, the BEN publisher. This
will be his fourth attempt to get to the roots of spinach.
Stories on potatoes, pineapple and other oddities will be
added in this version of the history of food plants.
Newcombe Auditorium, Wednesday April 8, 1992, 7:30 p.m.
(BEN # 29 30-March-1992)
------------------------------------------
BEN IS SAFE, BUT CONTRIBUTIONS NEEDED
I tested our new e-mail system A1-LITE and it looks like a
demo version of All-In-One. We can communicate within the
B.C. government and I won't have any problems to send BEN
around to all of you, who are on my mailing list.
In order to keep BEN alive, I need your contributions.
DO NOT SEND CASH ! Send me any botanical news, questions,
reviews, etc., etc. Many thanks. If you are on
the B.C. government e-mail system, ACESKA will work, if you
are outside, use the address in the BEN header. Keep your
contributions short (max. 30-50 lines). Many thanks.
(BEN # 30 21-April-1992)
------------------------------------------
BOTANY BC 1992 REGISTRATION
It is time to register, if you want to come to BOTANY BC
meeting in Lac Le Jeune (May 28-30). If you have not
received your registration form, phone to Evelyn Hamilton
(604) 387-3650.
(BEN # 30 21-April-1992)
------------------------------------------
POSITIONS OPEN
1) NATURAL RESOURCE SCIENTIST 1 - BOTANY
Department of Natural Resources in Gull Harbor (near
Olympia, WA). Conducts surveys on endangered, threatened
and sensitive plant species, documenting population size
and location, site conditions, threats, and management
concerns. ... Project funded through May 31, 1994. Salary
US $2180-2782, application deadline April 29.
Washington Department of Personnel
600 South Franklin Street
P.O. Box 47561
Olympia, WA 98504-7561
Phone: 206/753-5368
Announcement No.: 6-2-025-OC-S JIM
2) ECOLOGIST, BIOLOGIST, OR OTHER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT EXPERT
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Gatlinburg, Tennessee
This is a supervisory interdisciplinary position. The
successful candidate will serve as the Head of the Science
Branch for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM)
and administer research activities at Uplands Field
Laboratory at GRSM in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Salary US$46,210-$60,070 per annum, application deadline
April 30.
Applications should be submitted to:
U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Building 600, Suite 341
Huntsville, AL 35801-5311
To contact OPM for further information or forms
Call 205-544-5803
Control Number: AHOO84 Position Number: GM-0408-13
(BEN # 30 21-April-1992)
------------------------------------------
PLEURICOSPORA FIMBRIOLATA IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
From: George Douglas
(c/o ANDREW.HARCOMBE@ENV.GALAXY.BCSYSTEMS.GOV.BC.CA)
Gary Wallace (Ericaceae expert), Natural History Museum,
Los Angeles, CA has recently informed me that a
B.C. collection of Pleuricospora fimbriolata has been found
at the Gray Herbarium. The collection was made in 'deep
fir woods' at Horne Lake, Vancouver Island by W.R. Carter
on July 21, 1916. Local botanists should keep an eye out
for this species--not previously known from B.C. This
epiparasite [?] has frimbriate leaves and a frimbriate corolla
(the latter hairless inside).
(BEN # 30 21-April-1992)
------------------------------------------
ORCHID GENUS PIPERIA ("HABENARIA") IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
From: Adolf Ceska
Some authors treat the orchid genus Habenaria in a broad
sense (cf. Hitchcock et al.), whereas others tend to split
it into about 14 different genera. A compromise concept
recognizes the following three genera within the Pacific
Northwest Habenaria s.l.: Platanthera, Coeloglossum, and
Piperia.
Morgan & Ackerman (1990) described two new species of
Piperia from western North America: P. yadonii from
California (Monterey Co.) and P. candida from
California to Alaska. Both new species are from the Piperia
unalascensis - complex, characterized by a short curved spur.
P. candida's "herbarium diagnostic features are the short
thick spur (narrower and longer in proportion to flower
in P. unalascensis), decurved triangular lip, decurved
triangular lip, color (lip and petals drying golden brown,
petals with dark midvein evident; in P. unalascensis, lip
and petals dry uniformly dark brown, contrasting more
markedly with the paler sepals), forward position and
spiral twist of lateral sepals, and relatively short,
usually secund raceme." Two specimens are cited from
British Columbia (Campania and Banks Islands, McCabe - UC),
colour photo in Moriya (1976) was a record from Alaska.
Ackerman (1977) and Morgan & Ackerman (1990) recognized the
following species: P. unalascensis, (*P. yadonii*),
*P. candida*, (*P. cooperi*), *P. transversa*, *P. elongata*,
P. elegans (asterisks indicate new species or new names,
taxa in brackets are not known from British Columbia).
According to this concept, P. elegans would contain plants
known as P. maritima (or P. greenei), coastal plants with
dense racemes, whereas Hitchcock's "Habenaria elegans"
should become P. elongata.
Ref.: Ackerman, J.D. 1977. Biosystematics of the genus
Piperia Rydb. (Orchidaceae). J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 75:245-270.
Morgan, R. & J.D. Ackerman. 1990. Two new Piperias
(Orchidaceae) from western North America. Lindleyana 5(4):
205-211.
Moriya, K. 1976. Alaska-no hana-to kafun. (Flora and
palynomorphs of Alaska) Kodansha Publishing Co. Tokyo.
(BEN # 30 21-April-1992)
------------------------------------------
THE LOG - FRIENDS OF ECOLOGICAL RESERVES NEWSLETTER
The first issue of The Log appeared in March 1992.
Thirty-six pages loaded with information on ecological
reserves and conservation issues in British Columbia.
Articles: Marbled Murrelet distribution and activity
in the Walbrun Valley (page 12-17), Sighting and counting
Sea Otters (20,21), The road through Mt. Tuam Ecological
Reserve (22,23), The impacts of logging the Lower
Tahsish-Kwois (24,25), etc.
The Log is published by the Friends of Ecological Reserves
in Victoria, B.C. and "distributed to members, affiliates and
volunteer wardens of ecological reserves."
Membership (individual $15, family $20) applications should
be sent to Friends of Ecological Reserves, Box 8477,
Victoria, B.C., Canada V8W 3S1
(BEN # 30 21-April-1992)
------------------------------------------
NEW BOOKS
Kuhlein, Harriet V. & N.J. Turner. 1991. Traditional plant
foods of Canadian indigenous peoples. Nutrition, botany and
use. Food and nutrition in human history and anthropology,
vol. 8. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, Philadelphia
etc. xi + 633 p. ISBN 2-88124-465-3 [hardcover] CND 108.00
[Description of Canadian food plants, their uses and their
nutrient values - Chapter 6 Nutrient values of traditional
food plants. pp. 341-473. Nice, but shockingly expensive!]
Straley, G.B. 1992. Trees of Vancouver. UBC Press,
Vancouver. xiii + 232 p. ISBN 0-7748-0406-8 [paperback]
CND 19.95
[A guide to common and unusual trees of the city. 86 colour
photographs on 15 plates, Gerald's own drawings throughout.
Available in the Museum gift shop.]
(BEN # 30 21-April-1992)
------------------------------------------
DR. SINSKE HATTORI (1915 - 1992)
Dr. Hattori passed away on May 12, 1992. He was a prominent
Japanese bryologist, specialist on the liverwort genus
Frullania, and a significant supporter and promoter of
bryology. Shortly after the war he established the Hattori
Botanical Laboratory and in 1947 he started to publish
The Journal of the Hattori Botanical Laboratory, "devoted to
bryology and lichenology." (Elva Lawton's 1971 "Moss Flora of
the Pacific Northwest" was published as a Supplement of the
"Journal.") He was a good friend of many bryologists all
around the world and he will be missed.
(BEN # 31 13-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
BOTANY B.C. - LAST CALL
From: Trish Hoffs (THOFFS on All-In-One)
or phone (604) 356-6813
Botany B.C. is just over 2 weeks away. Anyone interested,
who hasn't already sent in their registration form, should
contact me before the end of Thursday, May 14th, 1992 to
book any accommodation and meals you require at Lac Le
Jeune Resort. Lac Le Jeune requires this information so
they can start ordering the food, etc. After Thursday the
resort will charge a cancellation fee for any over
bookings.
(BEN # 31 13-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
THE CARIBOO MOUNTAINS SLIDE SHOW
From: Ocean Hellman - phone (604) 685-8269
Thursday, May 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Newcombe Theater in
Victoria, B.C.
The Cariboo Mountains Wilderness Coalition has been
fighting for the heartland between Bowron Lake Park and
Wells Gray Park of British Columbia. This remarkable area
supports high populations of grizzly bear, sockeye salmon,
woodland caribou and migratory waterfowl. This is a
critical land-use issue. The NDP government recently
deferred industrial development on 175,000 [out of 210,000
proposed] hectares of Cariboo Mountains Wilderness.
[Note: There was no logging planned in the deferred area
for the next few years, but the controversial non-deferred
area of the Blue Lead Creek is being logged now slightly
faster than before. - AC]
(BEN # 31 13-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
STUDENT FROM GERMANY INTERESTED IN OLD GROWTH BRYOPHYTES
From: Jan-Peter Frahm <hh216fr@unidui.uni-duisburg.de>
Recently it turned out that a student of mine will make
her thesis for her teachers exam on Vancouver Island. It
may sound somewhat strange, but she is very enthusiastic
for Canada and its nature, is studying geography also and
will be on a field trip next September in Western Canada.
Then she asked me for a subject for her thesis and I
proposed to make a comparative study of the bryofloras of
natural forest with planted forest of different kind and
age.
It should be interesting to know which species continue to
grow after cutting and new plantation, which come later
and which will never come back. This shall be also
discussed concerning life strategy, propagation methods
of the species involved, etc. I guess it should be
possible to confine such comparison to hectare plots or
smaller, and thought about Cape Scott Provincial Park and
the reforestations in the northern part of the island. I
will contact the provincial park office for the necessary
permits, and have also informed Dale Vitt in Edmonton
(where I have spent a sabbatical).
Are they any permanent plots in the UBC research forest?
(BEN # 31 13-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
NEW REFERENCE BOOK FOR BOTANISTS
From: "William R Burk" <WMRBURK@UNC.BITNET>
Although we have not yet received our copy yet, you might
be interested in knowing about a new botany reference book:
B-P-H/S; Botanico-Huntianum Supplementum. Edited by Gavin
Bridson. Pittsburgh, PA: Hunt Institute, 1992.
$95.00(U.S.).
This is a supplement to the standard B-P-H which is an
important tool in providing abbreviations (and full titles)
for botanical journals.
(BEN # 31 13-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
COMMON NAMES OF PLANTS
From: Jim Pojar
Adolf, there is a useful reference for connoisseurs of
common names: Kartesz, J.T., and J.W. Thieret. 1991.
Common names for vascular plants: Guidelines for use and
application. Sida Contrib. Bot. 14: 421-434.
Good advice, especially about "fanciful" names, which I
fancy. It also refers to a forthcoming Timber Press book
of common names by Kartesz. This will no doubt be
invaluable, but we must strive to protect the folk poetry
of some regional common names against the Amerikan [sic!]
monolith and melting pot.
[P.S. For those of you who don't know, Jim Pojar is an
American-Canadian from Minnesota, living in Smithers, B.C.
and having his roots in South Bohemia. - AC]
(BEN # 31 13-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
ETHNOBOTANICAL DEMONSTRATION GARDEN
From: Brian D. Compton <USERCOMP@ubcmtsg.bitnet>
Does anyone have easy access to seeds or vegetative starts
of hemlock-parsley (Conioselinum pacificum) or other
unusual, little-known or otherwise interesting ethnic
plants of coastal or interior British Columbia? Or does
anyone have knowledge of the edibility of hemlock-parsley?
If so, please contact me. The gardener at the City Farmer
compost demonstration garden in Vancouver wishes to bring
some of these plants into cultivation in a small
ethnobotanical demonstration garden for education uses.
(BEN # 31 13-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
OLDEST TREE IN CANADA
From: Tom Keays <htkeays@IGC.ORG> in BIOSPH-L
/* Written 11:21 am May 9, 1992 by mlewis in
cdp:en.forestplan */
/* ---------- "Oldest Canadian Tree" ---------- */
This paragraph was published in the latest issue of the
Earth Island Journal (vol.7(2):3):
Vancouver - Last winter two dendrochronologists exploring a
logging clearcut in Caren Range [Sechelt Peninsula, SE of
Sakinaw Lake] discovered to their horror that Canada's
oldest known living tree had been cut down and left on the
ground as wastewood. The 1636-year-old Yellow Cedar - the
oldest verified tree in Canada - had been felled by the
Macmillan Bloedel Corp. The scientists discovered four
other ancient trees (the youngest of which was 1350 years
old) that had also been cut down and left to rot.
(BEN # 31 13-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
RE: ABIES LASIOCARPA AS A CHRISTMAS TREE (BEN #28)
From: DNORRIS (B.C. Ministry of Forests)
Christmas tree harvesting is done under permit, with
stumpage payable to the crown. Some Abies lasiocarpa may
be raised but a check of the several Christmas tree Grower
Associations in BC may be in order. Within
Rights-of-way,(or such like land tenures) permits may be
granted for commercial or private harvesting of trees,
which could include A. lasiocarpa. Russ Cozens at 387-8308
can provide further details.
(BEN # 31 13-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
DAVID DOUGLAS SOCIETY OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICA
From: Bill Young
The 1992 Annual Meeting and Banquet of the David Douglas
Society of Western North America will be held on December
7, 1992 in Portland, Oregon. Guests welcome. For
information phone Bill Young (604) 652-3002.
(BEN # 31 13-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
NEW BOOK
MacKinnon, A., J. Pojar & R. Coupe [eds.] 1992.
Plants of northern British Columbia. - B.C. Ministry of
Forests, Victoria & Lone Pine Publishing, Edmonton. 352 p.
ISBN 1-55105-015-3 [paperback] CDN$ 19.95
[Ten writers co-operated on this excellent guide to
lichens, mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants of
northern British Columbia. The publisher, Lone Pine
Publishing Ltd. (206, 10426 - 81 Ave., Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada T6E 1X5) did a marvelous production job. I
especially like the format used in the book. Pictures and
descriptions are intermixed with keys and comparison
tables. There are no strict rules, silhouettes of Geranium
leaves are given under the Buttercup family, because they
can be confused with buttercups. Everything is
user-friendly and a lot of fun. - AC]
(BEN # 31 13-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
COMING EVENTS IN VICTORIA, B.C.
June 3, 1992 - Swan Lake Nature Centre, 7:30 p.m.
Richard Hebda: "Model green city - Victoria"
June 16, 1992 - Newcombe Auditorium, 8:00 p.m.
Ron McBeath (Edinburgh Botanic Gardens):
"Plant hunting in China" - cost $5.00
(BEN # 32 24-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
ALASKA SPHAGNUM WORKSHOP
From: Stephen S. Talbot (c/o Sandra Talbot <ftslt@alaska.bitnet>
A three day workshop on Sphagnum identification will be conducted
by Dr. Richard Andrus, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, in Anchorage Alaska
on July 22-24, 1992. Cost is $140.00. Make checks payable
to the Alaska Native Plant Society, P.O. Box 141613, Anchorage,
AK 99514. Enrollment is limited to 12 individuals.
Contact: Stephen Talbot, USFWS, at 907-786-3381 or
Sandra Looman Talbot, ftslt@alaska.bitnet
for additional information.
(BEN # 32 24-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
HYPHOLOMA TUBEROSUM IN AUSTRALIA
From: The Mycologist 6(#1): 11,12. 1992.
An interesting mushroom - Hypholoma tuberosum - was first
described from mulch beds and compost files in Vancouver
by Scott Redhead and Paul Kroeger (Mycotaxon 29[1988]:
457-465). About at the same time, sclerotia of this fungus
was found in the peat and soil mixture in a nursery in
Sydney, Australia. Abundant fruiting Hypholoma tuberosum
in the sandy margins of the Georges Creek in Sydney were
observed in April 1990. There are numerous commercial
propagating nurseries in the vicinity of Georges Creek.
Some interesting questions arise from the discovery of
this agaric. What are its natural habitats? What role the
sclerotia play in its biology? What is the connection
between Vancouver, Canada and Sydney, Australia?
(BEN # 32 24-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
IBERIS UMBELLATA ON NANOOSE HILL, VANCOUVER ISLAND
From: A. Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
On May 16, 1992 the Botany Group of the Victoria Natural
History Society made a field trip to Nanoose Hill. Gary
Shearman came across a small annual crucifer that turned
to be Candytuft, Iberis umbellata. This a garden plant
originating from the Mediterranean region.
(BEN # 32 24-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
YEWSFUL STUFF
From: The Economist May 9th-15th, 1992
The Economist brought a nice review of the recent advances
in taxol research. This anticancer drug is
obtained from the bark of Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia) which
is a relatively rare tree. Promising trials have created a
great need to increase the supply of taxol. There are
three different ways to do this: make it, grow it or find
a new wild source.
Making taxol is stretching chemists to their limits.
Pierre Potier, of the Chemical Institute of Natural
Substances in Gif-sur-Yvette, France starts with baccatin
III (found in leaves of European yew trees) and produced
taxotere, similar to taxol, more soluble in water and
possibly even more effective than taxol.
Growing taxol in tissue or cell cultures has been achieved
by ESCAgenetics, of San Carlos, California, and Phyton
Catalytic of Ithaca, New York. Both companies are
extremely cagey about the conditions they use, but they
believe that they can start turning taxol by the
kilogramme sometime next year.
Harvesting taxol from a better natural source might be the
best solution. Himalayan yew trees (Taxus wallichiana)
accumulate taxol in their needles. Needles are harvestable
and renewable, Himalayan yew trees are abundant and the
people who would collect the needles would not demand
North American wages for doing so.
(BEN # 32 24-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
LOOKING FOR AN INFORMATION SOFTWARE
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
I am looking for the replacement of REFERENCE FILE,
the MS-DOS program I have been using for handling my
bibliographies, address books, gazetteers, notes,
collection lists etc. This program has the following
features:
1) Variable field length.
2) User definable fields that can be indexed for fast
retrieval.
3) The program is memory-resident (TSR), i.e., the
data can be accessed from any application, including
the communication software.
The REFERENCE FILE (once distributed by the Reference
Software Ltd. - producers of the popular style checker
GRAMMATIK) does not work with 286, 386 or 486 IBM PC systems.
(BEN # 32 24-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
WHAT IS BEN ?
From: Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
BEN, obs. pres.ind., subj. pl. and inf. of Be, v.
(BEN # 32 24-May-1992)
------------------------------------------
COMING EVENTS IN VICTORIA, B.C.
June 16, 1992 - Newcombe Auditorium, 8:00 p.m.
Ron McBeath (Edinburgh Botanic Gardens):
"Plant hunting in China" - cost $5.00
Tickets in Dig This, Ivy's Bookstore & Village
Books.
(BEN # 33 14-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
BOTANY BC 1992
The meeting took place in Lac le Jeune May 28 to May 30
and was very successful. The topic of the meeting was
Grassland ecology and the standard of all talks was
high. We saw some exceptional slides in contributions by
Don Gayton and Anna Roberts and in the evening "Slide Talk
Photo Essay" by Diana & Alex Inselberg. Thanks to Bob Scheer
and Wayne Erickson we had an opportunity to meet
Ecological Reserves Volunteer Wardens.
(BEN # 33 14-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
BOTANY BC 1993
The following topics were chosen for the next year meeting of
the BOTANY BC: Insects and plants, and Ethnobotany.
Organizational committee was asked to plan the meeting
somewhere in the Kootenay's (SE British Columbia).
(BEN # 33 14-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
POSITION OPEN
Contract Position: WETLAND ECOLOGIST
Term: Approximately 9 months
Duties: Work with the B.C. Conservation Data Centre,
Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, and the Ministry
of Forests on development of wetland vegetation types
(freshwater and estuarine) in B.C. Conduct literature
search of all wetland classifications in the province to
identify described wetland communities. Assemble plot
data from MoF, MoELP, and other sources into format
compatible with the biogeoclimatic correlation synthesis
programs. Determine areas of the province which have not
yet been studied. Code historical and new data, when
necessary. Correlate MoELP Habitat Classes with MoF site
association/site series classification. Arrange workshops
with regional experts to review the classification.
Prepare progress report and identify further
classification needs at end of term.
If interested, please submit a resume with covering letter
addressing qualifications and contract fees to the
following address, no later than Friday, June 19, 1992:
Carmen Cadrin
B.C. Conservation Data Centre
780 Blanshard St.
Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X5
(phone 604/356-0929)
(BEN # 33 14-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
MITELLA CAULESCENS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
From: Terry Taylor c/o <rtaylor@cue.bc.ca>
Beth Whittaker showed me the M. caulescens population in
the Chilliwack Valley. It is beside a small creek along
the edge of the lower part of the Elk Mountain trail. I
did not know that this species still occurred in B. C. It
is definitely M. caulescens, as Beth believed: flowers at
top of raceme, buds at bottom. Leaves on stems. Beth
Whittaker's plant list has just been published in the
latest issue of Discovery. The Mitella caulescens site
may be slated for logging.
(BEN # 33 14-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
RE: MITELLA CAULESCENS
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
Check the UBC herbarium, they may have several more
collections from the Chilliwack River Valley. About seven
years ago there was a student in the UBC who studied
Mitella caulescens distribution. On Vancouver Island we
have an old record of M. caulescens from Port Alberni. We
(Oluna & I) collected it with Bob Ogilvie & Hans Roemer on
Limestone Mountain and recently at the lower part of the
Nixon Creek (by the access road to the Walbran Valley).
(BEN # 33 14-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
TIARELLA TRIFOLIATA VS. T. LACINIATA
From: Terry Taylor c/o <rtaylor@cue.bc.ca>
The new Vascular Plants of B. C. suggests that Tiarella
laciniata is a hybrid of T. unifoliata and T. trifoliata.
I am sceptical of this conclusion. I have not observed T.
laciniata in sites geographically or altitudinally between
the other two, but rather it grows towards the seaward
direction of T. trifoliata, at least in the Lower Mainland
area. All three occur along the Howe Sound Crest Trail,
and T. laciniata reaches the 1000 meter level on Eagle
Ridge, above Buntzen Lake. It does not seem to be be any
farther east. On casual observation T. laciniata does not
seem intermediate with its deeply divided leaflets. In
fact T. trifoliata looks more like a cross between T.
laciniata and T. unifoliata.
RE: TIARELLA
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
Tiarella laciniata cannot be a hybrid of T. trifoliata x
unifoliata (see hybrid index calculations by Kern - cf.
Madrono 16 [1966]: 152-160).
The occurrence of T. laciniata on the B.C. Lower Mainland
is interesting and I would be interested in any herbarium
specimens you can send me. The Lower Mainland plants were
mentioned by D.B.O. Savile (Canadian Field-Naturalist 87
[1973]: 460-462), who also pointed out differences in
the pubescence of petioles:
"Tiarella laciniata petioles have abundant gland-tipped
white hairs, of which the longest are conspicuously
flexuous and often somewhat decurved. ... In T. unifoliata
and in typical T. trifoliata there is a modest production
of short to moderately long (but straight) hairs near
lamina; but for most of the petiole length there are only
short-stalked to sessile glands, and often these are so
sparse that the petiole may appear glabrous to the naked
eye."
The rank of our western Tiarella taxa is still open to
questions. Here I refer to them at the species level only
because I want to keep the names short. In Vascular Plants of
B.C. they are listed as varieties of T. trifoliata. Kern (see
above) recognized a single species (T. trifoliata) with two
subspecies (unifoliata and trifoliata) and treated
T. laciniata as T. trifoliata subsp. trifoliata var. laciniata.
(BEN # 33 14-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
DELTA PROGRAMS
From: Taxacom discussion list
New versions of the DELTA programs for MS-DOS are now
available on the Taxacom FTP server. The files are in the
directory /pub/delta/msdos of the anonymous FTP area at
huh.harvard.edu (128.103.108.123).
The distribution package consists of 3 text files *.1st, 6
self-expanding files *.exe, and 4 image files *.gif.
Download.1st contains this information about downloading
the files, changes.1st contains the revision history of
the programs, and delta.1st describes the procedure for
installing the programs on an MS-DOS computer. The files
must be transmitted in binary mode, set by the ftp command
`binary'. (Failure to do so will result in the error
message `HeaderC Error' when the .exe files are run.)
To install the programs on an MS-DOS computer, place the
---.exe files in the
directory C:\DELTA, and the .gif files in the directory
C:\DELTA\LEP. Then follow the installation procedure
described in delta.1st, but omitting the two XCOPY
commands.
The date of this release is 21 April 1992.
(BEN # 33 14-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN FIXATION ELECTRONIC NETWORK
BNFNET is the Biological Nitrogen Fixation Electronic
Network and currently has about 90 members (April. 1992)
from 25 countries, who can be reached via its mailing list
BNFNET-L
BNFNET-L provides a forum for the exchange of information,
experiences and scientific results on BNF. It has 6
discussion groups for e.g. Legume-Rhizobium, Nitrogen
Fixing Trees; Genetics/Biochemistry; Free-living nitrogen
Fixers; Culture Collections; and Computer Networking.
BNFNET-L also serves as an electronic newsletter and
provides information on forthcoming conferences, recent
publications and research profiles of organizations, etc.
To join BNFNET-L, send the listserv command:
SUBSCRIBE BNFNET-L <your name>
to LISTSERV@FINHUTC (Bitnet)
or LISTSERV@FINHUTC.HUT.FI (Internet)
(BEN # 33 14-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
EDITORIAL
The main objective of BEN is a fast distribution of
botanical news from the west coast of North America,
particularly British Columbia. If you have any news,
requests, questions etc. related to any field of botany
(and at least vaguely related to our Pacific area)
send me your contribution.
I started BEN as a joke by sending botanical news to
colleagues on the British Columbia governmental e-mail.
Later I was offered to use cue.bc.ca system to distribute
BEN outside the B.C. governmental network. (During the
last two or three weeks our cue.bc.ca has misbehaved and
has been down more often than running, and our e-mail has
been disrupted. I hope that the problems are fixed, if you
tried to reach me with no answer, please, try again!)
Recently, BEN has been "syndicated" and is available on
PLANTBIO/bionet.plants news group and on EcoNet plants.news
conference/newsgroup. You can subscribe to BEN directly by
sending a request to aceska@cue.bc.ca, or you can
subscribe the above mentioned new groups (see a note
below).
I apologize for occasional slips in my English. English
is my "second" language, but I don' want to go through my
ghost writers and editors; BEN would lose its promptness
and expediency and also my Bohemian touch.
(BEN # 34 28-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
COMING EVENTS IN VICTORIA
Tuesday, July 7, 1992 - Meeting of the Garry Oak Meadows
Society - Swan Lake Nature House, 7:30 p.m.
(BEN # 34 28-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
NORTHERN RANGE EXTENSION FOR WESTERN RED CEDAR
(THUJA PLICATA)
From: </S=B.PAWUK/OU=R10F02A/PRMD=USDA.FS.X400
/ADMD=TELEMAIL/C=US/@ sprint.com>
A single tree of western red cedar was found at Farragut
Bay, in southeast Alaska (57 degrees-10 min N and 133
degrees-8 min W). The tree is on the mainland on the
Stikine Area of the Tongass National Forest. It is
believed to be the most northerly record for this species.
The tree, about 8 meters tall with a dbh of 20.8 cm, is
growing on a low productive site and is associated with
Tsuga heterophylla, Tsuga mertensiana, and Picea
sitchensis. The understory is composed of Vaccinium
alaskense, V. ovalifolium, V. vitis-idaea, Menziesia
ferruginea, Empetrum nigrum, Sphagnum spp. and other bog
related species. The nearest known stand of red cedar is
on Kupreanof Island and is about 45 km west and 20 km
south of Farragut Bay. The nearest stand of red cedar on
the mainland is about 95-100 km southeast of the Farragut
Bay tree. The relatively small size of the tree and its
location of about half of a km from salt water suggests
that others may be present in the area. Twig samples with
cones were collected and are filed in the U.S. Forest
Service's herbarium at Petersburg, Alaska.
(BEN # 34 28-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
RE: WETLAND ECOLOGIST POSITION (BEN #33)
From: Pekka Pakarinen <PAKARINEN@cc.Helsinki.FI>
Dear Colleague;
Thanks for the latest issue of B.E.N. (June 15). The
announcement of a wetland ecologist's position is
interesting as it indicates that vegetation research is
proceeding strongly on BC wetlands/peatlands (I assume
peatlands are included in the concept "freshwater
wetlands" as in the recent, 1988, book edited/coordinated
by C. Rubec). Based on this book (chapter coauthored by A.
Banner, R.J. Hebda, E.T. Oswald, J. Pojar and R.
Trowbridge) and also on the presentations given in 1987 in
Edmonton (Banner, Pojar & Kimmins; Pojar & Roemer),
British Columbia probably has the greatest diversity of
wetland/peatland site types in Canada. Therefore, it is
very good that further work is planned to develop the
classification for conservation and other purposes. I have
had a chance to look into some Alaskan peatlands a couple
of years ago, and although there are no immediate plans, I
hope also to do some vegetation or moss ecological
research in W Canada as well. I was wondering, if it has
been possible to use Coenos in MoF or MoELP (?) databases
mentioned in the announcement.
Best regards,
Pekka P.
AC: Thanks for mentioning Coenos. MoF (Ministry of
Forests) uses their own program for writing vegetation
tables (VTAB - see BEN #13) which includes some elements
of the Ceska-Roemer program (Vegetatio 23[1971]: 255-277).
The main obstacle of Coenos seems to be its simple input
format - most North American vegetation data are coded in
the Cornell format, in British Columbia in the BCF [orest
Service] format.
(BEN # 34 28-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
BALSAMORHIZA DELTOIDEA SEED AVAILABLE
From: Bill Merilees
Recently I collected a fair supply of Balsamorhiza
deltoidea seed from the Campbell River estuary population
threatened by the harbour development. I would like to
make this available to any interested party who may wish
to try growing this in a suitable sandy-gravel site.
Last year I had a 50% success with a few seeds planted in
navyjack in a flower pot. As we speak three of these have
a single leaf about 5cm high and one has two leaves. This
tells me they grow slowly!
I also hope to get some 'plots' set up in protected areas
eg. Little Qualicum Wildlife area, Rathtrevor Beach (?),
Island View Beach (?), - habitats similar to that at
Campbell River. Suggestions welcome.
Interested parties can contact me at 248-3931 (work) or
758-1801 (evenings). Thanx - Bill Merilees
(BEN # 34 28-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
RE: BALSAMORHIZA
Bill, I don't think that it would be correct to plant
balsam root on sites where it did not grow (such as Island
View Beach). Any comments or suggestions from the readers ?
(BEN # 34 28-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
BEN ON BEN
Do you know Ben ? I mean Dr. Benito Tan, a bryologist and
a good friend of many British Columbia botanists ?
I just got a note from him from the Farlow Herbarium:
"Thank you for the inclusion of my name in your BC botanical
newsletter ... " Benito Tan's e-mail address is
btan@huh.harvard.edu
and he will be glad to hear from all his friends.
(BEN # 34 28-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE PLANTBIO OR ECONET
PLANTBIO is accessible, I hope, from USENET. (I ventured
into USENET several times, but was always overwhelmed by
the large number of conferences I had to skip in order to
get something useful.) You can
subscribe to PLANTBIO/bionet.plants directly by mailing a request
to <biosci@genbank.bio.net>.
EcoNet is a foundation-sponsored net in San Francisco.
Many bulletin boards, and access to most USENET boards.
For subscription info (it's cheap!) sent an Internet
message to support@igc.org and ask for info on EcoNet.
Please note, that this is not the free-of-charge Econet
that disappeared from the e-lists in March (merged with
BIOSPH-L).
(BEN # 34 28-June-1992)
------------------------------------------
PHANTOM ORCHID (EBUROPHYTON AUSTINIAE) IN VICTORIA
From: A. Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
This year was a bumper crop year for phantom orchid in the
Victoria area. We counted 34 to 39 plants on one site, and
two and six plants on two other sites. In spite of this
abundant occurrence all flowers fell off without setting
fruit. We are at the northern limit of the phantom orchid's
distribution and I wonder, if we lack its pollinator(s).
I have not done my homework (literature search etc.) and
I would greatly appreciate any suggestion, literature
citations, observations you can give me.
(BEN # 35 5-July-1992)
------------------------------------------
AROUND VANCOUVER - HEMITOMES & CAREN RANGE
From: Terry Taylor c/o <rtaylor@cue.bc.ca>
Last Sunday I saw two populations of Hemitomes congestum
[gnome-plant] beside two separate trails on the lower
slopes of Grouse Mountain. Eric Damer at Golden Ears Park
reports 3 populations flowering there - the well- known
one at the Spirea Nature Trail, beside one of the
campgrounds, and beside the trail to the Viking Creek
Lookout. During the last few years it is being reported
in this area much more often.
The Heritage Tree Society asked me to go to the Caren
Range [see BEN # 31] and make a plant list, which I did on
July 1. Although there did not appear to be any rare
species, I was very impressed with the incredibly open
forest floor of this Tsuga heterophylla-Abies amabilis old
growth forest. It is densely covered by Rhytidiopsis, and
very large, flat patches of Sphagnum girgensohnii, with
extensive Listera cordata growing in the Sphagnum. I do
not recall ever seeing a forest area with this overall
appearance, and hope it will be possible to prevent the
logging of this site.
(BEN # 35 5-July-1992)
------------------------------------------
PROCEEDINGS NEED HELP
From: A. Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
The Proceedings of the Conference on Endangered Species &
Habitats in British Columbia (Vancouver 1991) is about
to be published. Due to the lack of money only about
200 copies will be printed and they are all reserved for
the two contributing B.C. Ministries (Forests & Environment),
or the authors. It is sad to see a publication being out of
print even before it is printed. The cost of a volume will
be about $15.00 to 20.00.
The botanical contributions: Rare aquatic vascular plants
of B.C. (A. Ceska), Conservation status of marine plants
and invertebrates in B.C (M.W. Hawkes), Endangered and
threatened plants species of the Southern Interior of B.C.
(E.C. Lea & G.W. Douglas), Rare and endangered alpine
plants in B.C. (R.T. Ogilvie), Epiphytic lichens (T.
Goward). A wide variety of zoological topics, problems of
strategies and legislation for the protection are also
discussed.
I would like to find, how many people would like to buy a
copy of the Proceedings. I would also be grateful, if you
could give me some advice on where to look for the "seed
money," in order to get more copies printed.
(BEN # 35 5-July-1992)
------------------------------------------
RE: HYBRIDS - TIARELLA (BEN # 33)
From: Don Norris (DNORRIS on BC gov network)
Bill Parker of Lakehead University used to do chemical
taxonomy and his results on spruce hybrids and balsam
hybrids indicated that there were macroscopic integrades
between members of the same genus, indicating
hybridization; but when chemically analyzed, all
specimens were clearly belonging to one group or the
other. I believe he obtained similar results in black vs
white spruce "so called hybrids". Perhaps Jack Maze at UBC
could shed some more light on this technique.
AC: Hybrids usually have the sum of all compounds
found in the respective parents. E.g., if one parent has
compounds ACDFG and the other parent BCGHL then the hybrid
would have ABCDFGHL and sometimes something more. Anna
Picman and Bruce Bohm studied flavonoids of Tiarella
(Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 10[1982]: 139-143)
and they found that T. laciniata has in fact fewer
compounds than either T. trifoliata or T. unifoliata. I
did not want to bring up this evidence, because the
authors sampled only one population of T. laciniata.
(BEN # 35 5-July-1992)
------------------------------------------
NITROGEN FIXATION IN SUGAR CANE
Cross-posted from BNFNET-L list <BNFNET-L@FINHUTC.BITNET>
Gary Stacey:
I have just returned [May 1992] from the American Society of
Microbiology meeting that was held in New Orleans, LA.
During this meeting, I had occasion to listen to the talk
of Johanna Dobereiner concerning her work on nitrogen
fixation in sugar cane in Brazil. She reported on the
isolation of an endophytic Acetobacter strain that appears
to play a significant role in providing nitrogen to sugar
cane. During this talk, she made the surprising statement
that Brazil is now recommending that sugar cane farmers
not, yes not, use any nitrogen fertilizer on their crop.
She showed a table that indicated that with specific
cultivars (this effect was cultivar specific) there was no
drop in yield between cuttings when the plants were not
given nitrogen fertilizer. I was very impressed with
these data and I wonder if I am missing something or if
others have heard of this.
Eric Triplett:
Hello Gary. Yes, I have had many conversations with Dr.
Dobereiner on her discovery of nitrogen-fixing sugar cane.
IT IS VERY EXCITING! The data is very impressive and is
supported by very solid N15 data. I first heard this story
2 years ago when I visited Rio. ... Shortly after
learning this story in Rio, I heard a seminar by Anne
Vidaver. She has found that perfectly healthy corn and
sorghum plants contain lots of bacteria. She has no idea
what they are doing.
We should make a big push in the USA to get nitrogen-
fixing corn. I think it is no longer "pie in the sky"
research.
The Brazilians have also noticed a significant cultivar
effect with their endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Those lines of sugar cane which were bred under high
nitrogen fertilizer conditions do not fix nitrogen with
Acetobacter.
[For more information on the nitrogen-fixing Acetobacter
see Plant and Soil 108(1988): 23-31 and 137(1991): 111-
117. - AC]
(BEN # 35 5-July-1992)
------------------------------------------
NEW PUBLICATIONS
Barth, F.R. 1991. Insects and flowers: The biology of
partnership. Princeton Science Library, Princeton
University Press, Princeton, NJ. 408 p. [paperback]
ISBN 0-691-02523-1 Cost: CDN$ 17.95
[This is a paperback edition of the English 1985 translation
from German 1982 book "Biologie eiener Begegnung: Die
Partnershaft der Insekten und Blumen." The author is
Professor of Zoology in the University of Vienna.]
(BEN # 35 5-July-1992)
------------------------------------------
TRULY CANADIAN DEFINITION OF A TRUE BOTANIST
"The true botanist knows a tree as soon as he sees it.
He learns to distinguish it from a vegetable by merely
putting his ear to it." -- Stephen Leacock
(BEN # 35 5-July-1992)
------------------------------------------
PROCEEDINGS SAVED (RE: BEN #35)
From: Susanne Rautio c/o aceska@cue.bc.ca
The Proceedings of the Symposium on the B.C.'s Threatened and
Endangered Species have found a sponsor. They will be published
and distributed by the B.C. Federation of Naturalists, 321-1367
W. Broadway, Vancouver, B.C., V6H 4A9. Many BEN readers were
interested in the Proceedings and some suggested that the
Proceedings should be made available as an electronic file.
(BEN # 36 10-August-1992)
------------------------------------------
GROVE OF BIG WESTERN HEMLOCK TREES
From: Adolf Ceska and Hans Roemer
A grove of big western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) was reported
to us by two employees of the MacMillan Bloedel Company. The
grove is situated in a subalpine bowl at 750 to 950 m elevation
and has near record-size hemlock trees scattered in the
amabilis fir forest. Two biggest trees had DBH 2.52 and
2.38 m and height 38.71 and 52.12 m, respectively. The British
Columbia record tree has DBH 2.59 m and height 54.88 m. The
grove is at the headwaters of the Cous Creek SW of Port Alberni
on Vancouver Island. The MacMillan Bloedel wants to log a part
of the grove in 1993, but we recommended to protect it as
"pocket wilderness."
(BEN # 36 10-August-1992)
------------------------------------------
GEUM CALTHIFOLIUM
From: Terry Taylor c/o rtaylor@cue.bc.ca
On July 16 I discovered a small population of Geum calthifolium
at the base of the West Lion, and made a small collection which
I gave to Olivia for the U.B.C. collection. They had some
previous material collected by Fred Perry and John Davidson in
1914 and 1915, but no later collections from this far south.
(BEN # 36 10-August-1992)
------------------------------------------
THREATENED STAND OF GARRY OAK IN DUNCAN
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
An interesting Garry oak site in Duncan (Vancouver Island) is
threatened by a near-by subdivision. Although the stand
bears signs of heavy grazing (dominant ground cover is orchard
grass - Dactylis glomerata), it has some interesting native
plants, such as a large population of upland yellow violet
(Viola praemorsa). On the transition between the forest edge and
wetlands we found a large population of tall woolly-heads
(Psilocarphus elatior - the 3rd extant population in B.C. I
know) and a smaller population of needle-leaf navarretia
(Navarretia intertexta - less than 10 populations known in
B.C.).
(BEN # 36 10-August-1992)
------------------------------------------
ANCIENT EVIDENCE SHREDDED
From: Times-Colonist @ Ring
Last year the Capitol Regional District (CRD) drained Heal Lake
in the Victoria Highlands in order use it as a garbage dump.
The peaty deposits of the lake bottom offered a long
palaeobotanical and dendrochronological record for the last
12,000 (or so) years. In order to assist Dr. Richard Hebda with
the work on Heal Lake, the CRD gave him a small grant. What they
did not give him, however, was the time needed for collecting
dendrochronological data. One day logs from the lake were
hauled to a heap and few days later were shredded for hog fuel.
(BEN # 36 10-August-1992)
------------------------------------------
TWO RECREATION BRANCH TECHNICAL REPORTS
From: Terje Vold, BC Forest Service, Recreation Branch
We've just completed two reports which may be of interest to BEN
viewers:
1. An inventory of undeveloped watersheds in BC (larger than
5000 ha).
2. Undeveloped watersheds on Vancouver Island larger than 1000
ha.
If any one would like a copy, give me a call at (604) 387-8482.
(BEN # 36 10-August-1992)
------------------------------------------
AGRIMONIA REQUEST
From: Naohiro Naruhashi, Toyama, Japan
I would greatly appreciate seeds of Agrimonia striata and of any
other Agrimonia from your area for our cytological studies of
Agrimonia. Dr. Naohiro Naruhashi, Department of Biology, Faculty
of Science, Toyama University, Gofuku, Toyama 930, Japan.
(BEN # 36 10-August-1992)
------------------------------------------
PINK AGOSERIS IN THE ROCKIES (see BEN #24)
Bill van Dieren reported pink Agoseris (A. lackschewitzii) from
Bald Hills above Maligne Lake. Agoseris lackschewitzii was
described in 1990 by Henderson & Moseley (Henderson, D.M., R.K.
Moseley & A.F. Cholewa. 1990. A new Agoseris (Asteraceae) from
Idaho and Montana. Systematic Botany 15(3): 462-465).
Agoseris lackschewitzii is related to A. aurantiaca and A.
glauca :
A. lacksch. A. aurantiaca A. glauca
outer villous ciliate villous
phyllaries obtuse acute acuminate
eglandular eglandular glandular
beak < body > body < body
anther tube 1.2-1.8 mm 1.5-3.0 mm 3.5-6.0 mm
flowers pink orange yellow
Agoseris elata (not in B.C., but south) has a beak longer than
the achene body and glandular trichomes on outer phyllaries.
(BEN # 36 10-August-1992)
------------------------------------------
AGROPYRON & BOUTELOUA PUZZLE
From: Don Gayton, BC Forest Service, Nelson
As a BC and a BEN neophyte, I don't have a contribution but
rather a question.
As a recent prairie emigre, I am puzzled about the distribution
of two grass species, and wonder if anyone has any hypothetical,
plausible, logical or even factual explanation for the
following: why do the Rockies seem to form an absolute western
boundary for blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) and an absolute
eastern boundary for bluebunch wheatgrass (Agropyron spicatum),
when theoretically their niches should overlap?
(BEN # 36 10-August-1992)
------------------------------------------
PUBLICATIONS
Douglas, Sheila. 1992. Trees and shrubs of the Queen Charlotte
Island: an illustrated guide. Published by Islands Ecological
Research, Box 970, Queen Charlotte City, B.C., V0T 1S0. 99 p.
ISBN 0-9695550-0-8 Price: CDN$ 14.50 [paperback]
[Nice little book with over 30 plates of line drawings by
the author. I missed little tidbits of information relating to
the Queen Charlotte Islands, such as a note on the famous Golden
Spruce. - AC]
(BEN # 36 10-August-1992)
------------------------------------------
TRISETUM WOLFII - NEW GRASS FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA
From: George Douglas
Recently, Steve Darbyshire (Agriculture Canada, Ottawa) sent me
a xerox copy of a B.C. collection of Trisetum wolfii Vasey.
This is a first record for B.C. and, according to the maps in
Flora of Alberta (Packer 1983) and the Rare Plants of
Saskatchewan (Maher et al. 1979), is a fourth record for Canada.
The B.C. collection was taken in 1968 by George Scotter (CWS) in
the alpine zone (2690 m) in Mt. Assiniboine Provincial Park. It
is quite likely that other B.C. collections of this awnless
Trisetum are hidden in various collections. The species is
relatively frequent in the western U.S. from E WA and MT south
to NM and CA.
(BEN # 37 26-August-1992)
------------------------------------------
LOOKING FOR STUMPS OF BROAD-LEAVED TREES IN VICTORIA
From: Meindert de Jong <VLINDERS@RCL.WAU.NL>
Chondrostereum purpureum is a commonly occurring fungus which
will probably be developed as a biological silvicide to con-
trol stump sprouting in hardwoods. It is a wound invader of
broad-leaved trees. Common presence of this Basidiomycete in
nature causes a natural infection danger. The intended biocon-
trol may cause an added risk to non-target plants besides the
already occurring natural risk. To estimate the natural infec-
tion pressure, I want to perform a survey of the natural
occurrence of basidiocarps of this fungus in the woods nearby
Victoria.
Accordingly, I would like to inspect some one year old stubs of
deciduous trees, when I visit Victoria (in September?). If you
happen to know some one year old clearcuts of deciduous forests
(especially with Populus spp.), botanical gardens with much
pruning of broad-leaved trees, stumps of felled roadside trees
in the surrounding of Victoria, then I would greatly appreciate
to know the exact location!
(BEN # 37 26-August-1992)
------------------------------------------
ERADICATION OF MILKWEED versus PROTECTION OF MONARCH BUTTERFLY
I came across an interesting posting in BIOSPH-L on a possible
conflict between the protection of monarch butterfly and listing
milkweed as a noxious weed. I solicited answers from Roy Cranston,
weed specialist, and from Cris Guppy, entomologist. - AC
biosph-l:
The Monarch butterflies winter in a very small area of Mexican
forest, which is in danger from illegal logging and intrusion by
squatters. In the past few weeks the Mexican government has
made steps to extend the Monarch butterfly's land reserves.
Canada is also being urged to re-think it's classification of
the Milkweed as a noxious weed. The milkweed is an essential
plant to the Monarch Butterflies survival. The current act
requires land owners to destroy all milkweed they encounter.
Roy Cranston, weed specialist:
Milkweed is not listed as noxious in the Seeds Act and
Regulations administered by Agriculture Canada nor is it
considered noxious under Weed Act legislation in British
Columbia or Alberta. According to Bhowmik and Bandeen, Can.
Journal of Plant Science, Biology of Canadian Weeds Series, July
1976, milkweed is classified noxious in Ontario, Manitoba,
Quebec and Nova Scotia.
I don't know what the situation is in other provinces.
Cris Guppy, entomologist:
Monarchs breed in southern BC, with the larvae eating milkweed.
However, even if all milkweed was eliminated from the province,
I do not think that the overall Monarch population would be
greatly affected because too few adults are produced in BC. The
Monarch population west of the Rockies overwinters in California
and Baja.
The Monarch population east of the Rockies overwinters in
northeastern Mexico, and is the one which overwinters in the
threatened forests mentioned in your memo. There were newspaper
reports of a very severe (30%?) die off of overwintering
Monarchs this past winter, apparently due to logging of the
forests exposing the butterflies to winter storms and freezing.
The eco-tourism idea has proven to have a significant protective
value for the overwintering Monarchs, because the dollar value
to the local villages is much higher than that received from
logging. Eco-tourism has only been developed for a couple
overwintering sites however.
Monarch breeding in southern Canada east of the Rockies probably
results in a highly significant contribution to the
overwintering population. Hence reduction in the amount of
milkweed available for use as a larval food plant is likely to
result in a significant reduction in the size of the
overwintering Monarch population, which is likely to make
overwintering deaths much more significant. Ontario and Manitoba
have the largest breeding populations of Monarchs, so their
designation of milkweed as a noxious weed is especially
significant, but some breeding occurs in every province that has
milkweed.
As an added note, milkweed is a very significant source of
nectar for many species of butterflies and moths, as well as
wild bees and other insects. It is recommended as a nectar
source in all books on butterfly gardening.
Milkweed is also the only larval food source for a number of
insects, so if milkweed becomes rare in a province, the insects
are likely to become endangered in that province.
(BEN # 37 26-August-1992)
------------------------------------------
WHEN COMETH THE NEW FLORA OF CALIFORNIA ?
From: Art Guppy
I hear that the new version of Jepson's Manual of the Flowering
Plants of California will be published this year. Has anyone any
information on this? Title? Publisher? Price?
(BEN # 37 26-August-1992)
------------------------------------------
DR. BARBARA McCLINTOCK (1902-1992)
Dr. Barbara McClintock, 1983 Nobel Prize Winner in genetics,
died September 3, 1992. She received the Nobel Prize for her
discovery that certain genes can change their position on the
chromosomes of cells. She worked with maize and her discoveries
of gene transpositions and jumping genes were accepted only
after the progress in molecular biology had provided rational
explanations for her findings.
Ref.: Keller, E.F. 1983. A feeling for the organism : the life
and work of Barbara McClintock. W.H. Freeman, San Francisco.
xix + 235 p.
Kittredge, M. 1991. Barbara McClintock. Chelsea House
Publishers, New York. 103 p.
(BEN # 38 4-September-1992)
------------------------------------------
BIODIVERSITY NETWORK NEWS - FIELD NOTES BRITISH COLUMBIA
From: IGC Conservation Biology Desk <consdesk@igc.apc.org>
One of British Columbia's rarest plants, Lupinus lepidus, has
been located in only four places. The largest population
(upwards of 200 plants in some years) leads a precarious
existence on a 10 x 60 m strip between railroad tracks and the
main highway just north of Duncan, British Columbia. The
British Columbia Conservation Data Centre botanist, George
Douglas, learned recently of plans to dig a trench for a fibre
optics transmission line along the railroad right-of-way. It
looked like the line might go right through the population of
Lupinus lepidus so George contacted the BC Telephone Company,
who own the fibre optics line. Within a few days, the company's
environmental officers met with George on site and assured him
that they would not disturb the tiny lupine population since the
line would be located on the other side of the tracks.
(BEN # 38 4-September-1992)
------------------------------------------
MYSTERY OF THE HERBARIUM POLYESTER TAPE SOLVED (BEN # 27)
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
In my survey of herbarium mounting techniques (BEN # 27),
Mike Crisp from Australia strongly suggested 3M polyester tape
# 8440 for strapping herbarium specimens. Nobody in North America
has ever heard about a 3M tape with this number. After
the correspondence with Australian 3M companies, we found a North
American equivalent. It is made by the 3M and it is called
Scotch Brand Number 5 Electrical Tape. No, it is not that black
smudgy stuff that sticks to your fingers when you do "home
improvements" - it is clear and has excellent parameters.
The Herbarium Supply Company read about 3M tape #8440 in BEN and
did their own independent search for the identity of the tape.
They came to the same result, requested all possible
documentation and testing results from the 3M Company, and
concluded that the tape would indeed be ideal for herbarium
purposes. They will be supplying the tape in 66 m rolls. They
will have rolls custom cut and I recommended the widths used in
the Canberra Herbarium, i.e., 3 mm, 4.5 mm and 6 mm. The
Definite Length Tape Dispenser (readily available from the 3M
Co. for over $100) is highly recommended and will also be
supplied by the Herbarium Supply Co.
The address of the Herbarium Supply Company is:
Herbarium Supply Company
3483 Edison Way
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Phone/FAX (415) 366-8868
(800) 348-2338
The owner and manager is Mr. Casper (Cap) Offutt III.
(BEN # 38 4-September-1992)
------------------------------------------
THE LYCOPSIDA: A SYMPOSIUM
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 79(3) (Summer 1992)
This excellent issue of the Annals of the Missouri Botanical
Garden can be ordered from:
Department Eleven
Missouri Botanical Garden
P.O. Box 299
St. Louis, MO 63166-0299, U.S.A.
The issue costs US$ 30.00 (+ shipment $2.00 in the U.S., $3.00
non-U.S. destinations), make check or money order payable to
Missouri Botanical Garden. The payment should accompany the
order, for institutional orders add $1.00 invoicing fees, if
payment is not enclosed.
This publications covers many aspects of palaeobotany of
Lycopsida, as well as the recent taxonomical problems. This is an
indispensable publication for anybody who is interested in
pteridophytes. If you are from Missouri, you can check it in the
nearest library that carries the Annals of the Missouri
Botanical Garden.
(BEN # 38 4-September-1992)
------------------------------------------
BIODIVERSITY DISCUSSION LIST
BIODIV-L was established to help with the workshop "Needs and
Specifications for a Biodiversity Network" that was held in
Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil, in July 1992.
The intention of this list is to discuss technical
opportunities, administrative and economic issues, practical
limitations and scientific goals, leading to recommendations for
the establishment of a biodiversity network.
In order to subscribe to the list, send a message to:
listserv@bdt.ftpt.ansp.br
and within the message type text:
subscribe biodiv-l your_first_name your_last_name
(BEN # 38 4-September-1992)
------------------------------------------
NEW PUBLICATION
Gates, Phil. 1992. The aliens are coming. - Plant life and
greenhouse effect. Puffin Books, London, New York, etc. 126 p.
ISBN 0-14-034636-8 Cost: CDN$ 4.99 [paperback]
This is a book for children (of any age). It deals with introduced
plants and problems related with them. The author suggests many
simple experiments that will teach children, how the plant lives
and what makes introduced weeds so aggressive. The book was
reviewed in the New Scientist some time ago.
(BEN # 38 4-September-1992)
------------------------------------------
POST-DOCTORAL POSITION -- WATERSHED MODELLER
Adapt and extend hydrologic models to analyze effects of land
use and climate change on peak and low streamflows in mountain
watersheds. Ph.D. in hydrology or related field, experience
with computer modelling required. Full-time, fixed-term
12-month position, $25,000-$30,000 depending on experience.
Full benefits. Send letter of application, complete resume,
transcripts of university work, and three letters of
recommendation by Sept. 25, 1992 to: Dr. Logan Norris, Head,
Dept. of Forest Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
97331-5705. For more information, contact Dr. Gordon Grant
(503- 750-7328; grant@fsl.orst.edu) or Dr. Julia Jones
(503-737-6578; jjones@fsl.orst.edu).
(BEN # 39 7-September-1992)
------------------------------------------
POST-DOCTORAL POSITION -- QUANTITATIVE FLORISTICS
The Department of Botany at Oklahoma State University seeks
candidates for a 9-11 month postdoctoral position for United
States Forest Service-funded research on quantitative
floristics. Familiarity with conservation biology, botanical
nomenclature, library methods, computer spreadsheets,
statistical methods, and word processing is essential. For full
consideration, applications must be received by November 1,
1992. Anticipated starting date is January 1, 1993. For
application and position details, please contact Dr. Michael
Palmer, Department of Botany, Oklahoma State University,
Stillwater OK 74078 USA, Bitnet: BTNYMWP@OSUCC, Phone:
405-744-7717. Mike will be out of the country from Sept. 1 -
Sept. 18, so please inquire after Sept. 18.
(BEN # 39 7-September-1992)
------------------------------------------
WHEN COMETH THE NEW FLORA OF CALIFORNIA? (BEN # 36)
Tom Rosatti <rosatti@arbutus.Berkeley.EDU>:
Thanks for the e-mail concerning The Jepson Manual. I served as
a scientific editor of that project from December of 1987 until
May of 1992, when I became project coordinator of SMASCH, about
which Tom Duncan has recently informed you via this same medium.
[The goal of this project is to implement a data model and begin
the development of a database of California collections held in
California herbaria. - Tom Duncan] The last I knew, final text
was planned for submittal to the publisher (UC Press, I think)
in October of this year, with the book due out in early 1993 at
a cost of $55. You should contact Stone or Vorobik, each of whom
is still working on the project, to confirm these and other
details.
Sean O'Hara <SAOUC%UCCMVSA.bitnet@uccvma.ucop.edu>:
A call to the Jepson Herbarium at UCB reveals that they are just
finishing it up now, and it will go to UC Press soon.
Apparently this is a TOTAL, LIKE WOW MAN!! redo still according
to Jepson's original ideas, but with new illustrations,
groupings, etc., Some interest in pre-ordering has been
expressed throughout California, but nothing is yet set up, nor
has a price even been set. It is expected to be out in
December/January. Inquiries SHOULD NOT BE MADE TO THE ALREADY
OVERWORKED HERBARIUM STAFF (my emphasis as I know what pressure
they are under!), but might be made to U.C. Press
(1-(800)-822-6657), though they do not have any real information
at the moment. You might try in late fall to see if things are
more concrete.
(BEN # 39 7-September-1992)
------------------------------------------
PERGAMON & ELSEVIER PRICE INCREASES
From: Peter Brueggeman <brueggep@sandnet.UCSD.EDU>
[cross-posted from <iamslic@ucsd.edu>]
Scripps Institution of Oceanography Library is analyzing
price increases for its subscriptions and has examined its
Elsevier and Pergamon titles. I thought others might find
this analysis interesting....Peter Brueggeman
Our 33 Pergamon subscriptions are increasing from a total
expenditure of $32,336.97 for 1992 to $41,840.50 for 1993,
an overall increase of 29.39%. The spread for price
increases ranged from 9.4 to 55%. We used Pergamon's quote
of $1.90/pound sterling which they are honoring through Dec.
31.
Our 39 Elsevier subscriptions are increasing from $39,621.51
to $52,484.65, a 32.45% increase. The spread ranged from 8%
to 91%. We used Elsevier's quote of 1.66 Guilders/$1.00.
Titles with large increases are supposed to have increased
numbers of pages for 1993.
[Peter Brueggeman lists the price increases for each journal. If
you are interested in the full listing, send me a note:
aceska@cue.bc.ca]
(BEN # 39 7-September-1992)
------------------------------------------
NEW LIST: ECOSYS-L
From: Joachim Benz <benz@gsf.de>
The ECOSYS-L mailing list is intended to provide a forum to
discuss problems in the fields of ecosystem theory and
modelling. In addition there should be discussed the current
state of the art and future of standardization and documentation
of mathematical descriptions for ecological processes.
ECOSYS-L can be used also as a forum to discuss results of the
just started research project 'Analysis of existing models of
nutrient-cycles in agro-ecosystems'. One of the main tasks of
this project is, to built up a database of documentations of
mathematical description of ecological processes (ECOBAS).
Information can be requested from ECOBAS via E-mail. (We are
interested to put through this project with a broad discussion
with other researchers. Further information about this project
can be requested from Joachim Benz <benz@gsf.de>.)
To subscribe, send the following command to LISTSERV@DEARN
(bitnet) or LISTSERV@vm.gmd.de (in the BODY of e-mail):
subscribe ECOSYS-L firstname lastname
After subscribing, messages may be sent to
the list by sending to:
ECOSYS-L@DEARN (bitnet) or ECOSYS-L@vm.gmd.de.
Owner: Joachim Benz <benz@gsf.de>
(BEN # 39 7-September-1992)
------------------------------------------
NEW PUBLICATION - BARBARA McCLINTOCK BOOK (re: BEN # 38)
Fedoroff, N. & D. Bolstein [Editors]. 1992. The Dynamic Genome:
Barbara McClintock's Ideas in the Century of Genetics.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 422 p., illus. indexes,
Cloth $65 (+ $5.50 postage) ISBN 0-87969-422-X
Nina Fedoroff's book on McClintock's work has just become
available. It is an eclectic collection of memoirs and
technical reviews of McClintock's ideas, personality and
scientific contributions, most composed by intimate
acquaintances on the occasion of B.M.'s 90th birthday.
Call toll-free: 1-800-843-4388 (continental U.S. and Canada) or
Call 516-349-1930 (all other locations) FAX: 516-349-1946
(BEN # 39 7-September-1992)
------------------------------------------
AQUILEGIA SEEDS WANTED
From: Scott Hodges <Doug_Bush@axon.rutgers.edu>
I am currently working on the genus Aquilegia and would like to
receive seed of species in your area. Ideally, seed from
different individuals should be kept separate. I am particularly
interested in seed from A. brevistyla though seed from any
species would be helpful.
My address is:
Scott Hodges
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Rutgers University
101 Warren St.
Newark, NJ 07102 USA
E-mail: Doug_Bush@axon.rutgers.edu
(BEN # 40 23-September-1992)
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POSITION OPENING: COMPUTER SPECIALIST
The California Academy of Sciences, located in Golden Gate Park,
San Francisco, has a full time opening for a Computer Specialist
in the Botany Department. This position is funded by grant money
and is for a two-year period.
This position is to undertake and complete the preliminary stages
for a project to computerize all the collection data for the
California specimens housed at the herbarium of California
Academy of Sciences (CAS and DS) as part of the Specimen
MAnagement System for California Herbaria (SMASCH) which is an
inter-institutional project involving also the herbaria of the
University of California at Berkeley (UC) and Rancho Santa Ana
Botanic Garden (RSA). The holder of this position will have to
work closely with botanical and computer staff at all three
institutions. An additional duty of this position is the
responsibility for connecting all the Academy's research
departments and associated research library to NSFNet.
Application deadline: October 9, 1992
For more information (skills, qualifications, etc.) contact:
Bruce Bartholomew <casbot@sfsuvax1.sfsu.edu>
(BEN # 40 23-September-1992)
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SAD NEWS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA
Jack Dietrich died of heart attack last week in Germany. Jack
was a photo lab technician and later a boss of the electron
microscope utility at the Biology Department of UVIC. He retired
several years ago, but he retained his interest in photography
and his last trip to his native Germany was to attend a
photographic show. He was always ready to help anyone and he
will be warmly remembered by all of us who knew him. - AC
(BEN # 40 23-September-1992)
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WORKSHOPS IN METHODOLOGY OF BIODIVERSITY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
The Wildlife Branch of the B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands
and Parks published the Proceedings of a workshop of February
27, 1992. ("Methodology for monitoring wildlife diversity in
B.C. forests." BC MELP, Victoria. 77 p. ISBN 0-7726-1579).
Almost all contributions dealt with animals and vegetation and
plants were mentioned only as a part of the "habitat."
The Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks is preparing a
second Biodiversity Methodology Workshop at Tigh-na-Mara south of
Parksville (Vancouver Island) on January 20-21, 1993. The next
workshop will focus not just on wildlife and habitat, but also
plants.
If you have any comments, or if you are interested in further
information, contact Trudy Chatwin <tchatwin@galaxy.gov.bc.ca>.
(BEN # 40 23-September-1992)
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LEPYRODICLIS HOLOSTEOIDES (CARYOPHYLLACEAE) "NEW"
TO NORTH AMERICA
From: Madrono 39(1992): 240-242.
This interesting note by Richard K. Rabeler and Richard R. Old
reports the occurrence and distribution of Lepyrodiclis in Idaho
and Washington. L. holosteoides (C. Meyer) Fenzl ex. Fisch. & C.
Meyer resembles some species of Stellaria, but has two styles
and two entire capsule valves (like Minuartia). It was first
found in Nez Perce County, Idaho in 1959 and has become a
serious weed problem in green pea and wheat fields there and in
Whitcom County, Washington. The plant is native in the Caucasus
region of the ex-USSR and in Pakistan.
(BEN # 40 23-September-1992)
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FLORA OF AUSTRALIA - LICHENS
The Flora of Australia will describe all the indigenous and
naturalised plants found in Australia and its territories. There
are keys for identification, notes, illustrations, maps of
distribution, and bibliographic information.
Volumes 1 to 50 will cover vascular plants, and volume 51
onwards will deal with non-vascular plants. To date thirteen
volumes of the Flora of Australia have been published.
Volume 54 deals with Lichens: Introduction and Lecanorales 1. It
contains introductory chapters on lichens in Australia,
including their structure, chemistry, ecology and
classification, as well as history of their discovery.
The Flora is published by the AGPS Press and further information
can be obtained from AGPS Mail Order Sales, GPO BOX 84, Canberra
ACT 2601, Australia.
(BEN # 40 23-September-1992)
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NEW NETWORK LISTS
FOREST
is an international electronic mailing list has been set up for
forest researchers. The mailing list is intended to be a
general-purpose forum for all issues that can be fitted into
email and are raised within IUFRO members and other parties
interested in forestry sciences.
You can join the list by sending a subscription to:
mailserver@nic.funet.fi
The subscription should contain only four words on one line:
subscribe forest <your first name> <your last name>
Physically, the mailing list resides at the State Computing
Centre, Espoo, Finland. The same computer nic.funet.fi hosts
one of Europe's largest software archives accessible with ftp.
We are connecting the list to some usenet groups, but his will
not be available globally for now.
If you want to reach the administrator of the list, please send
email
to:
forest-request@nic.forest.fi
Please do not send administrative material to the list and all
its members. The mailserver is still somewhat experimental, but
we try to solve possible problems quickly.
What is suitable material to the list? Almost anything that is
not personal and has at least some general interest among
forest scientists. Announcements of events and positions are
maybe the most interesting ones. If you have questions that you
do not know whom to ask, go ahead on the list. These questions
include such as "what is a recommended book to learn of
something?", "is anybody using software package A to solve a
particular problem?", and so on. We hope that this mailing list
will see lots of activity. Please spread the word among your
colleagues.
(BEN # 40 23-September-1992)
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BIBSOFT
BIBSOFT is an international electronic forum for anyone
interested in discussing software designed for personal
bibliographic database management.
Some examples of relevant topics for BIBSOFT:
How to choose a program
Comparisons of programs
Downloading from library catalogs and other databases:
It sounds so easy; why is it so hard?
Standards and formats for bibliographic information
Citation formatting -- how well does it work?
etc., etc
(These topics are just suggestions to indicate the scope of
BIBSOFT.)
BIBSOFT is not restricted to a particular software program or
hardware platform. The following programs are examples of
dedicated bibliography software. The electronic mail addresses
following some programs are for computer conferences devoted
to that program.
To subscribe, send the following message:
SUBSCRIBE BIBSOFT First-name Last-name
to: LISTSERV@INDYCMS.BITNET or to: LISTSERV@INDYCMS.IUPUI.EDU
BIBSOFT is not moderated! Any message you send is sent
directly to the entire membership list. Please make sure
your messages are intended for public consumption!
(BEN # 40 23-September-1992)
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DON'T DRY YOURSELVES !!!
Adolf, perhaps this is of use in BEN! - Rick Kool
In drying plants, botanists often dry themselves.
Dry words and dry facts will not fire hearts.
John Muir
Rick, John Muir obviously did not know Bohemian botanists. They
don't dry themselves. On the other hand, I have to press myself
hard to press plants. And I have pressed quite a few.
No wonder one has to get depressed once a while. - Adolf
(BEN # 40 23-September-1992)