PLANT SCIENCE BULLETIN
A Publication of the Botanical Society of America, Inc.
VOLUME 26, NUMBER 3, JUNE, 1980
Richard M. Klein, Editor, Department of Botany, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405
Editorial Board
Jerry D. Davis - University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, WI
Peter Heywood - Brown University, Providence, RI
Anitra Thorhaug - Florida International University, Key Biscayne, FL
Richard P. Wunderlin - University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
The Plant Science Bulletin is published at the University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405. Second class postage paid at Burlington, VT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Disconsolate Observations at Paper Sessions or The Unselling of Information
BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA, INC. COMMITTEES � 1980
BOTANY 80
MEETINGS, CONFERENCES, COURSES
PERSONALIA
BOTANICAL POTPOURRI
UPDATE ON THE NATIONAL PERIODICAL CENTER LEGISLATION
PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
BOOKS RECENTLY RECEIVED
BOOK REVIEWS
Disconsolate Observations at Paper Sessions or The Unselling of Information
Joe E. Winstead, Western Kentucky University
In a rare moment of industry to clean up my office and avoid suffocation from sheets of paper, I came across stacks of programs of meetings attended over the past 20 years. Systematically distributing the programs into stacks of those to keep and those to recycle refreshed fond memories of attending numerous papers presented by members of the Botanical Society. Reviewing titles brought to mind the too-often occurrence of events which tended to detract from the presentation or to give the impression of disinterest by presentor, audience, or both. Failing to heed the old adage that it takes just six years for a human to learn how to speak and the rest of one's life to learn when not to, I would like to comment on events that are repeated again and again at scientific paper sessions.
Violations by the Presentor - It never ceases to amaze me that individuals with scientific training can handa set of slides to the projectionist. (usually an undergraduate) expecting that person to know immediately how the slides are to be placed in the projector to appear on the screen. What happened to rehearsal time and the courtesy of marking slides by number and with indications of which corner is to face the projectionist? One or more slides often appear upside down or backwards and the speaker implies or states that the projectionist was at fault. Perhaps worse than the audience having to be positioned parallel to the floor to scan data is trying to make sense from information arranged to look like a table of random numbers. While it may be easiest to photograph a table full of significant numbers, it certainly is easier on the audience when tabular data has been summarized. I must also make mention of those individuals who assume that time limits are only for those of lesser reputation as they spend 18.5 minutes to give a 10 minute talk by disordering four minutes of information. Since the great majority of us presenting papers are involved in teaching, the ability of some of us to get our message across and the receipt of that message by students might be questioned if the practices observed at scientific meetings are indications of the state of the art. Another favorite gripe of mine refers to the seemingly important individual who usually storms into the lecture room being trailed by an entourage of lock-stepping graduate students and disciples just before his presentation. Upon completion of the presentation, the same crew noisily
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beats a hasty retreat as if urgently required to be elsewhere or leaving the impression that the frontiers of science would again encroach toward darkness if they took the time to listen to ideas other than their own. In fact, whole audiences appear to abandon the poor soul scheduled for the last presentation either before lunch or dinner as if the conversations in the hallway required their presence.
Moderator Mismanagement - Although present to a lesser extent than the problems mentioned previously, the moderator of a session can also contribute to negative impressions. While recognizing physical limitations of many lecture halls, a few items can be managed by the chairperson with minimal effort. A continuing classic is the door that can be opened or only unlocked from the inside. A casual check previous to the paper session could remind the moderator to either find a doorstop or obtain masking tape to block the lock. In some cases lectern and screen can be moved to avoid having the entrance to the room serve as a freeway exit in front of the speakers. How many times are movable chairs or desks arranged with no aisles, particularly along the edge of the room for easy entrance and exit? Perhaps some may feel that being the chairperson of a session is a lofty appointment not subject to janitorial duties, but I would argue that five minutes of preparation might enhance everyone's presentations. Finally, it seems to be rare to find a moderator who will take 30 seconds to commend the academic hostage who operated the projector by at least introducing them by name and, if a student, mentioning the major area of study. Having been a faceless non-identity in the old days, I feel a special kinship to those that have to hear every paper along with the moderator.
BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA, INC. COMMITTEES - 1980
The individual listed as chairman serves in that office for 1980. In parentheses following each name is the date of expiration of that individual's appointment to the committee.
Committee on Corresponding Members
Herbert G. Baker (1982), Chairman
William A. Jensen (1981)
Warren H. Wagner, Jr. (1980)
Merit Awards Committee
Harold C. Bold (1980), Chairman
L. G. Kavaljian (1981)
Kimball T. Harper (1982)
Ex officio: President
PAGE NINETEEN
Darbaker Prize Committee
Alfred R. Loeblich, III (1980), Chairman
Patricia L Walne (1981)
G. Benjamin Bouck (1982)
Election Committee
Deana T. Klein (1980), Chairman
Michael J. Wynne (1981)
Watson M. Laetsch (1982)
David E. Bilderback (1983)
Education Committee
Richard A. White (1980), Chairman
William J. Koch (1980)
Franklin F. Flint (1981)
Jean H. Langenheim (1981)
Samuel N. Postlethwait (1982)
Robert A. Schlising (1982)
Browning Award Committee
John H. Beaman (1981), Chairman
J. Giles Waines (1981)
Leslie Gottlieb (1980), ASPT representative
Elisabeth s. Sheldon (1980), SEB representative
Conservation Committee
Anitra Thorhaug (1980), Chairperson
John H. Beaman (1980)
David L. Dilcher (1981)
Robert F. Thorne (1981)
Rolf W. Benseler (1982)
Charles H. Uhl (1982)
Membership Committee
Barbara D. Webster, Chairperson
Ray F. Evert
John A. Romberger
Committee for Scientific Liaison with the People’s Republic of China
Peter H. Raven, Chairman
Peter Ashton
Bruce Bartholomew
Thomas S. Elias
Arthur W. Galston
J. William Schopf
Tom Scott
Jane Shen-Miller
William Tai
Charter Flight Committee
Joseph Arditti (1981), Chairman
Paul B. Green (1981)
Jerry W. McClure (1981)
L. Elliot Shubert (1981)
Anitra Thorhaug (1981)
Clinton fuller (1981), ASPP representative
Committee to Select a New Editor for Plant Science Bulletin (1981-1985)
Richard M. Klein (1980), Chairman
Jerry D. Davis (1980)
Knut J. Norstog (1980)
Alan R. Orr (1980)
Paul Silva (1980)
Committee to Initiate formation of a Genetics Section
Dennis M. Travis (1980), Chairman
Steven N. Handel (1980)
Paul Grun (1980)
Committee to Initiate Formation of a Bryological and Lichenological Section<
Shirley C. Tucker (1980), Chairperson
Lewis Anderson (1980)
Isabelle I. Tavares (1980)
Committee to Revise By-laws
John A. Romberger (1980), Chairman
Ray Evert (1980)
Patricia K. Holmgren (1980)
Dan Walker (1980)
Barbara D. Webster (1980)
Representatives to Various Organizations:
AAAS - Barbara D. Webster
AIBS - William A. Jensen (1980)
PAGE TWENTY
Biological Stain Commission - William A. Jensen (1980)
Corresponding Society of Assembly of Life Sciences - Carol C. Baskin (1984)
Department of Government Relations of AIBS - Richard S. Cowan (1980)
BOTANY 80
There will be six pre-conference field trips held in conjunction with Botany 80. Full details are on the registration forms which all members of the Botanical Society should have received. The trip to Queen Charlotte Islands will be offered a second time from 25-28 July for the benefit of botanists who are staying for the Second International Congress of Systematic and Evolutionary Biology. Several one-day field trips have been tentatively scheduled. Field Trip #7 will be on Thursday, 10 July to local mountains for fern collections and on Friday, 11 July to see the UBC collections. Field Trip #8 will be on Friday, 11 July to a salt marsh area. Field Trip #9 will be on Sunday, 13 July to local mountains for bryophytes and lichens.
Scientific sessions will be held from Saturday, 12 July through Wednesday, 16 July. Seventy-six scientific sessions and numerous symposia are organized including poster sessions. The Physiological Section will have a symposium, "Enhancement Rehabilitation and Restoration of Plants in the Coastal Zone." The Economic Botany Section will have a symposium on "Plants and Energy." The all-conference symposium, "Indigenous Peoples" will be held on Saturday, 12 July. Other symposia include "Systematics and Ecology of Western North American Ferns, " "Ecological Genetics of Plant Populations, " "Biology and Chemistry of Plant Trichomes, " "Survival Strategies in the Algae, " "The Use of SEM and TEM in Bryological and Lichenological Research, " "Gametogenesis, Fertilization and Embryo Development in Angiosperms, " and "Algal Symbiosis: A Continuum of Interaction Strategies. " A panel discussion on "Botanical Archiving: Resources, Needs and Problems" will be featured.
Workshops include an evaluation of High Pressure Liquid Chromatography, a Laboratory Teaching workshop. Special lectures include "Ethnobotany of Some Pacific Marine Algae," ''The Study of the California Flora: Past, Present and Future," "Truffles, Trees, Beasts and Man: Interactions: in North America."
Complete programs will be mailed in June to registrants.
MEETINGS, CONFERENCES, COURSES
The 21st annual meeting of the Society for Economic Botany will be held at Indiana University, Bloomington on 15-18 June. Contact: Dr. Charles Heiser, Biology Dept., Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405.
The Plant Growth Regulator Working Group will hold its 7th annual meeting at the Dallas Sheraton Hotel on 13-16 July. Contact: Dr. Louis Nickell, Velsicol Chemical Corp., 341 E. Ohio St., Chicago, IL 60611.
The 32nd Annual school in Agricultural Science will be held at the University of Nottingham on 1-4 September. The topic will be effects of gaseous air pollution in agriculture and horticulture. Contact: Dr. M. H. Unsworth, School of Agriculture, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, Leics, LE12 5RD, ENGLAND.
PAGE TWENTY-ONE
The 5th International Congress on Photosynthesis will be held 7-13 September in Greece. Contact: Dr. G. A. Aroyunoglou, Greek Atomic Energy Commission, Nuclear Center Demokritos, Aghia Paraskevi, Attici, Greece.
The 2nd meeting of the Federation of European Societies of Plant Physiology will be held 27 July-l August in Santiago, Spain. Contact: Dr. H. Veen, Centrum voor Agrobiologisch Onderzoek, P. O. Box 14, 6700AA Wageningen, Holland.
A symposium on Mangrove Ecology will be held 25-29 August in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Contact: Prof. A. Nawawi, University of Malaya, SAM 1, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
PERSONALIA
Dr. Harlan P. Banks, Liberty Hyde Bailey professor of botany at Cornell University, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Andre T. Jagendorf, professor of plant physiology at Cornell University, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Arthur Galston, Eaton Professor of botany at Yale University, was the recipient of the New York Academy of Sciences Award for his researches on hormone action, production of cereal protop1asts, photobiology of plants and his work on botany in the Peoples Republic of China.
Richard M. Adams II, a graduate of Union College and a Ph.D. candidate in botany at Cornell University, received the student travel award of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta for his paper, "A case study of insights into the 'marketing' of basic research in botany."
Dr. Richard A. Howard received the Merit Award of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta in recognition of his distinguished achievements, for his administrative activities and for his service to the Association.
BOTANICAL POTPOURRI
At the April 1980 annual meeting of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta, Dorothy Hansell Awards were presented to organizations which displayed outstanding journalism or graphics design. The Botanical Garden of the University of British Columbia received an award for their publication, Plantae Occidentalis - 200 Years of Botanical Art in British Columbia. The Dawes Arboretum of Newark, Ohio was presented with an award for their "concise, factual, interesting and well-written press releases."
The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation is exhibiting selections of late 18th and early 19th century Indian botanical paintings. The show will run through 18 July 1980.
Genevieve Kline is working on the taxonomy of Agrimonia and would appreciate receiving vouchered seeds collected from plants of any Agrimonia spp. in the United States and Canada.
PAGE TWENTY-TWO
The Proceedings of the International Rhododendron Conference held at the New York Botanical Garden in 1978 is now available from the Publications Office, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458.
The Smithsonian Science Information Exchange announces information packages on research in progress in plant physiology. Contact SSIE, Room 300, 1730 M St., NW, Washington, DC 20036.
Drew University of Madison, NJ has announced plans for a 30 acre arboretum to be named in honor of Florence and Robert Zuck, professors emeriti of Botany at Drew University. The Zuck Arboretum will incorporate glacial ponds and a wide variety of plantings, both native and introduced.
The first volume of SystematicBotanyMonographs, the Monographic Series of the American Society of Plant Taxonomists, will appear shortly. It is printed from camera-ready copy and distributed by University Microfilms International. The first volume is "Taxonomy of Lygodesmia (Asteraceae)" by A. Spencer Tomb of Kansas State University. The estimated price is $7.50. Future volumes will contain "The Stipeae (Poaceae) of Canada" by Mary E. Barkworth of Utah State University and "The Genus Galium (Rubiaceae) in the Southeastern United States" by Cheryl A. Lawson, formerly at the University of Oklahoma. The Series editor is John H. Thomas (Stanford University) in association with Frank Almeda (California Academy of Sciences), Marshall R. Crosby (Missouri Botanical Garden), Amy Jean Gilmartin (Washington State University), David Fairbrothers (Rutgers University), Gerald Gastony (Indiana University), Lawrence R. Heckard (University of California, Berkeley), Stanley L. Welsh (Brigham Young University), and Robert L. Wilbur (Duke University). Volumes will be issued at irregular intervals and will be announced as early as possible. All orders for either individual volumes or standing subscriptions should be placed with University Microfilms International, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106.
UPDATE ON THE NATIONAL PERIODICAL CENTER LEGISLATION
Senate Bill 1839, as amended, would authorize the creation of a nonprofit corporation to "assess the feasibility and advisability of and if feasible and advisable prepare a design for a National Periodical System to serve as a national periodical resource for contributing to the preservation of periodical materials and by providing access to a comprehensive collection of periodical literature to public and private libraries throughout the United States." This bill for the publication and dissemination of scholarly writings may affect botanical and other learned societies.
PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
An Arboretum Director/Curator is being sought at the University of Nebraska. The Ph.D. is preferred and candidates with M.S. degrees in plant science or any field relating to natural resources will be considered. Responsibilities include administration of the University Herbarium, liaison among 18 arboretum sites that are members of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, plant acquisition and propagation, site development facilitation, development of educational programs and the continued growth of the Statewide Arboretum. Inquiries for application should be sent to Kim W. Todd, Campus Landscape Architect, 1340 N. 17th St., University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588.
The Department of Agronomy and Soils, Washington State University is seeking a Ph.D. for a Research Associate position in nitrate metabolism. Contact J. C. Engibous, Chairman, Department of Agronomy and Soils, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA 99164.
PAGE TWENTY-THREE
The Horticultural Printing Co. is seeking a photographer with a strong background in plant taxonomy. This individual is to take charge of the library of horticultural pictures. Desired person should be oriented to detail, semi-creative, a self-starter and enjoy limited travel. Contact Lee J. Alexander, Horticultural Printers, P.O. Box 18092, Dallas, TX 75218.
Postdoctoral fellows and Ph.D. students should note that positions are open for research in gibberellin binding to protein fractions. Background in plant physiology and some knowledge of analytical protein chemistry essential. Salaries negotiable; position starts in September 1980. Apply to Dr. L. M. Srivastava, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C. V5A lS6, Canada.
A tenure-track position as a vascular plant systematist at the Asst. or Assoc., Prof. level is open at the California State Polytechnic University. Teaching responsibilities include an undergraduate course in field botany of southern California, a Course in general biological systematics and an advanced course in the candidate's area of specialization. Participation in general biology and general botany courses may be required. Candidates are encouraged to conduct independent research and contribute to an active plant systematics program. A CV and statement of research interests should be sent to Dr. Gilbert D. Brum, Biological Sciences Department, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA 91768.
The Peace Corps has issued an urgent call for volunteers proficient in math, biology and French who wish to use their skills in the developing world. Biologists are needed to teach science in Ghana and Belize. Contact Peace Corps/Action, Washington, DC 20525.
Civil Service announcements have appeared for a research geneticist in grass and turf research (GS-440-11), plant physiologists for water and soil resources research (GS-0435-11-l3) and grasslands production and protection research (GS-408-11-13), a botanist to work on vegetation of steep banks and toxic spills (GS- 430-11), a plant physiologist to work on fruit ripening (GS-435) and a plant physiologist for tobacco research (GS-0435-l2-l3). Information can be obtained from the U. S. Civil Service or from the Life Science Research branch, U. S. Department of Agriculture.
BOOKS RECENTLY RECEIVED
Moh1enbrock, R. H. 1980. Flowering Plants: Willows to Mustards. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale. $18.00
Smith, L. B. & R. J. Downs. 1979. Flora Neotropica. Bromelioidaea (Bromeliaceae). Monograph 14, Part 3. New York Botanical Garden, New York. $65.00
Smith, K. C. (ed.). 1979. Photochemical and Photobiological Reviews. Volume 4. Plenum Press, New York. $35.00
Hawtin, G. C. & G. J. Chancellor (eds.). 1979. Food Legume Improvement and Development. International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas, Ottawa, Canada.
Ellenberg, H. et al. (eds.). 1977. Progress in Botany. Volume 39. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. $45.10
Woolhouse, H. W. (ed.). 1979. Advances in Botanical Research. Volume 6. Academic Press, London. $33.25.
Little, R. J. & C. E. Jones. 1980. A Dictionary of Botany. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York. $18.50
PAGE TWENTY-FOUR
Kirk, P. W., Jr. (ed.). 1979. The Great Dismal Swamp. University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville.
Johnson, H. 1979. The Principles of Gardening. Simon & Schuster, New York. $29.95
Dehgan, B. & G. L. Webster. 1979. Morphology and Infrageneric Relationships of the Genus Jatropha (Euphorbiaceae). Univ. California Press, Berkeley.
Lowy, B. 1980. Flora Neotropica. Tremellales. New York Botanical Garden, NY. $4.50
Becker, K. M. 1979. A Monograph of the Genus Lasianthaea (Asteraceae). Memoirs N. Y. Botanical Garden, NY. $6.50.
Seddon, G. 1980. The Pocket Guide to Indoor Plants. Simon & Schuster, N. Y.
Bicknell, A. 1980. Dr. Greenfinger's RX for Healthy, Vigorous Houseplants. Crown Publishers, N. Y. $12.9
Williams, B., et al. 1980. Orchids for Everyone. Crown Publishers, N. Y. $15.95
BOOK REVIEWS
DORMER, KARL J. Fundamental Tissue Geometry for Biologists. Cambridge Univ. Press. 1980. 149 pp., illust.
Why are orthic tetrakaidecahedra never found in nature? This book provides, among other things, a rather complete reworking of the questions surrounding Kelvin's idealized cell; picking up a tradition of inquiry which has been somewhat neglected since D'Arcy Thompson's book: On Growth and Form. Starting from the simplest self-evident and undeniable rules for the partitioning of cells seen in two or three dimensions, the author defines an undifferentiated tissue, where each cell deviates from a defined norm only on a random basis. He then proceeds to build a bookkeeping scheme for division activity in terms of the flow of new edges and facets into and out of the tissue. In the end he produces a method with limited but clear-cut geometrical predictive power, totally insulated from questions of biochemical mechanism.
This little book wades in where others have feared to tread. Unfortunately, the metaphor of wading may seem all to apt for all but the most devoted biogeometers, for the diffuse and chatty style also seems to hark back to the more ponderous exposition of Kelvin's time.
Philip M. Lintilhac, University of Vermont
