P
LANT
S
CIENCE
Bulletin
SPRING 2015 Volume 61 Number 1
In This Issue..............
New Editor-in-Chief
Mackenzie Taylor discusses
plans for the PSB......p. 5
Show your true love for plants -
Join in the Celebration .....p. 13
Can your research qualify you for a BSA Award.....?
Thank-you to BSA members who
help build a robust endowment
fund!.....p. 2
From the Editor
Spring 2015 Volume 61 Number 1
PLANT SCIENCE
BULLETIN
Editorial Committee
Volume 61
Kathryn LeCroy
(2018)
Biological Sciences, Ecology and
Evolution
University of Pittsburgh
4249 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
kalecroy@gmail.com
Lindsey K. Tuominen
(2016)
Warnell School of Forestry &
Natural Resources
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30605
lktuomin@uga.edu
Daniel K. Gladish
(2017)
Department of Botany &
The Conservatory
Miami University
Hamilton, OH 45011
gladisdk@muohio.edu
Carolyn M. Wetzel
(2015)
Biology Department
Division of Health and
Natural Sciences
Holyoke Community College
303 Homestead Ave
Holyoke, MA 01040
cwetzel@hcc.edu
Greetings! I am delighted to write to you for the first
time as Editor-in-Chief of the Plant Science Bulletin.
This year, 2015, marks the 60th anniversary of the PSB.
For more than half a century, the articles and editorials
in the PSB have documented the history of the Botani-
cal Society of America and chronicled the contempo-
rary concerns of practicing botanists. It is with great
pleasure that I step in as curator of this legacy.
It is my goal that, during my tenure, the PSB will be a
platform for lively discussions on the issues currently
facing us, as botanists. I hope that you will look to the
pages of this publication as a source for news, perspec-
tives, and inspiration, as well as for resources for teach-
ing and outreach. However, none of this will be possible
without your contributions. I encourage you to reflect
on the ideas and perspectives that you can bring to the
PSB and to let your voice be heard. You can read more
about my vision for the Plant Science Bulletin on page 5.
This is also a time of transition for the American Jour-
nal of Botany. Hear from Editor-in-Chief Pam Diggle on
page 8 and find a summary of new features rolling out
in 2015. I also want to draw your attention to a new
section of the PSB devoted to student news and per-
spectives. In its debut, this section features an interview
with 2014 Karling Award winner, Catherine Rushworth
(page 15).
Thank you to everyone on the BSA staff who has worked
to make my transition into this position as smooth as
possible, particularly Richard Hund, Amy McPher-
son, Beth Parada, and Johanne Stogran. These dedi-
cated people work tirelessly and skillfully behind the
scenes to produce a quality publication and have been
nothing but positive and patient while I have learned
the process of putting this publication together. I es-
pecially want to thank Marsh Sundberg for his ex-
ceptional work as PSB Editor-in-Chief over the last
15 years and for his help in showing me the ropes.
I look forward to guiding the Plant Science Bulletin
through the next five years and to reading your compel-
ling and insightful contributions.
1
Table of Contents
Society News
BSA Endowment Fund: The Fund that Keeps on Giving ..................................................2
BSA Endowment Fund Donors 2014 .................................................................................2
New Editor Mackenzie Taylor on the Future of the Plant Science Bulletin .......................5
Pamela Diggle, New Editor-in-Chief, Discusses the Future of the
American Journal of Botany ...............................................................................................8
BSA Science Education News and Notes
Raising the Next Generation of Botanists ........................................................................12
Fascination of Plants Day .................................................................................................12
Congratulations to Fall PlantingScience Star Project Winners! .......................................13
BSA Committees in Action
Public Policy News ...........................................................................................................14
Student Section
A Moment with Catherine Rushworth, Winner of the 2014 J. S. Karling Award ............15
Award Season Underway ..................................................................................................17
Announcements
New England Botanical Club 120th Anniversary Research Conference .........................18
Eagle Hill Institute Natural History Science Field Seminars ..........................................18
“Climate Change and the Future of Plant Life” Symposium Hosted by the
New England Wild Flower Society ..................................................................................18
The Oxford Plants 400 Project .........................................................................................19
Book Reviews
Bryological and Lichenological ......................................................................................20
Physiological ....................................................................................................................21
Systematics .......................................................................................................................23
Shaw Convention Centre - Edmonton
July 25 - 29, 2015
Abstracts and Registration Sites now open
www.botanyconference.org
2
Society News
BSA Endowment Fund:
The Fund that Keeps on Giving
The BSA’s Future is Secure Because
of Members Like You
By Joseph Armstrong, At-large
Director Development
A robust endowment is an essential component
of every nonprofit organization, and the case for a
strong endowment to ensure long-term financial
sustainability is vitally important to the BSA. As we
move forward in our mission,
Endowment Fund
contributions are critical to achieving the financial
flexibility necessary to continue supporting our
members with our many programs, publications,
awards, and education programs.
Only nine years ago, a small group of our long-
time members came together to establish this very
important fund by creating a Legacy Society. Their
foresight, generous donations, shared purpose,
and deep commitment to our mission set a very
powerful example—now, every year, the BSA
Legacy Society continues to grow in membership.
While members of our Legacy Society have
provided an important foundation for our
endowment, each year we encourage all of our
members to consider contributing to the fund so
that it may grow and sustain in perpetuity all that
we as a Society have built. Our Endowment Fund
is what allows us to plan for the future and secure
our mission.
If the BSA has assisted you during your botanical
career and/or the advancement of your science,
please consider contributing to our endowment.
Whether it is through publishing, sharing/
gathering research at meetings, receiving an award,
supporting your students, or importantly, having
fellowship with other botanists, we trust the BSA
has made more possible for you. Visit https://
donations.botany.org/endowment/ to make a gift.
We are grateful to each of our members who
now continue to provide yearly gifts toward the
endowment, and we would like to acknowledge
them and applaud the numerous first-time
contributors to the fund during 2014. It is through
your dedication to the vision and mission of the
BSA that we may thrive today and continue to
thrive in the future.
Thank you on behalf of every BSA member, and
our future members. For more information about
the Legacy Society, visit https://botany.org/legacy/.
To donate, please visit https://donations.botany.
org/LegacySociety/.
BSA Endowment Fund
Donors 2014
James Ackerman
Gregory Anderson
Annie Archambault
Joseph Armstrong
Tina Ayers
Nina Baghai-Riding
Amy Berkov
Lynn Bohs
Kyle Bolenbaugh
David Boose
Andrew Bowling
Winslow Briggs
Linda Broadhurst
M. Brooke Byerley
Diane Byers
Brenda Casper
Barbara Castro
Ronald Chaves
Gregory Cheplick
Lynn Clark
Wendy Clement
Edward Coe Jr.
Jim Cohen
Margaret Collinson
Joseph Colosi
Margaret Conover
Martha Cook
3
Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
Michele Correa
Suzanne Costanza
Nancy Cowden
Barbara Crandall-Stotler
William Crepet
Emily Crone
Wilson Crone
Quentin Cronk
Peter Curtis
Douglas Daly
John Danforth
Stephen Davis
Carol Dawson
Rebecca Dellinger-Johnston
Darleen Demason
Jennifer Dewoody
Stephen Dickey
Pamela Diggle
Alexa Dinicola
Andrew Doust
James Doyle
Jane Doyle
Michele Dudash
Bohdan Dziadyk
Shona Ellis
Norman Ellstrand
W Eshbaugh
Belen Estebanez Perez
Karen Fawley
Charles Fenster
Johannah Fine
Jack Fisher
Maura Flannery
Stephan Flint
Irwin Forseth
Ned Friedman
Alan Franck
Mark Gabel
Patrick Gallagher
Nancy Garwood
Ibrahim Gashua
Monica Geber
Patricia Gensel
David Gernandt
Lawrence Giles
Thomas Givnish
Doris Goldman
Carol Goodwillie
Morgan Gostel
Candice Groat
Yaffa Grossman
Benjamin Hall
Carolyn Hall
Gary Hannan
Sue Harley
Clare Hasenkampf
Christopher Haufler
Donna Hazelwood
Francoise Hennion
Ann Hirsch
Noel Holmgren
Patricia Holmgren
Kent Holsinger
Jodie Holt
Sara Hoot
James Horn
Harry (Jack) Horner
Shing-Fan Huang
David Inouye
Sarah Jacobs
Lawrence Janeway
Eugene Jercinovic
Judy Jernstedt
Kirsten Johnson
Cynthia Jones
Nisa Karimi
Elizabeth Kellogg
Colleen Kelly
Sharon Klavins
John Knox
Vanessa Koelling
Suzanne Koptur
Jamie Kostyun
Jean Kreizinger
Svetla Kukleva
Siro Kurita
Kitty Labounty
Rebecca Lamb
Roger Laushman
Julio Lazcano Lara
Elton Leme
Blanca Leon
Amy Litt
Stefan Little
Tatyana Livshultz
David Longstreth
Marilyn Loveless
Anne Lubbers
James Mahaffy
William Malcolm
Uromi Manage Goodale
Maria Mandujano
Greayer Mansfield-Jones
Karol Marhold
Amelia Mateo Jimenez
Mark Mayfield
Gloria McClure
Richard McCourt
Lucinda McDade
David McLaughlin
Nicholas McLetchie
Helen Michaels
Luke Moe
Brenda Molano-Flores
Arlee Montalvo
Jin Murata
Sandra Newell
Karl Niklas
Robert Noyd
Richard Nuss
Paulo Oliveira
Richard Olmstead
Barnabas Oyeyinka
V. Thomas Parker
Judith Parrish
Nuri Pierce
William Platt
Pamela Polloni
Elisa Porter
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Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
R. Brandon Pratt
Relf Price
Robert Price
Leonard Pysh
Tom Ranker
Jennifer Read
Jennifer Richards
Victor Riemenschneider
Diane Robertson
Paulo Ruas
Francis Russell
William Saucier
Carl Schlichting
Andrew Schnabel
Al Schneider
Edward Schneider
Tanja Schuster
James Seago
Cynthia Sechrest
Joanne Sharpe
Leila Shultz
Judith Skog
Laurence Skog
Erik Smets
Allison Snow
Pamela Soltis
Victoria Sork
David Spooner
Alice Stanford
Peter Stevens
Dennis Stevenson
Johanne Stogran
Sharon Strauss
Andrew Stuart
Susan Studlar
Frank Suarez
Marshall Sundberg
Mackenzie Taylor
Thomas Taylor
William C. Taylor
Irene Terry
Nicholas Tippery
Leslie Towill
Tommy Ultan-Thomas
Caroline Umebese
Garland Upchurch
Imena Valdes
Luis Valenzuela-Estrada
P. Leszek Vincent
Naomi Volain
Don Waller
Tom Waters
James Watkins
Linda Watson
Anton Weber
Catherine Weiner
Jacob Weiner
Elisabeth Wheeler
Richard Whitkus
Norman Wickett
Alex Widmer
Charles Williams
Joseph Williams
Robert Wise
George Wittler
Martin Wojciechowski
Paul Wolf
Andrea Wolfe
Anne Worley
Atsushi Yabe
Jingbo Zhang
Wendy Zomlefer
5
Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
New Editor Mackenzie Taylor
on the future of the Plant
Science Bulletin
Mackenzie Taylor, assistant professor at Creighton
University, has been a long-time reader of the Plant
Science Bulletin, so when she accepted the position
as its new editor, she saw an opportunity to honor the
past 60 years of publication while moving the PSB
into a new era. Marian Chau of Lyon Arboretum/
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa---and fellow former
BSA student representative along with Taylor---
spoke with Taylor about her vision for the next 5
years of the PSB.
Chau: What made you decide to pursue the
Editor-in-Chief position for PSB?
Taylor: I have loved reading the Plant Science
Bulletin since I first became a member of the
Botanical Society of America. When I first started
considering the possibility of becoming editor of
the PSB, I got very excited because I firmly believe
that the PSB is an invaluable resource for BSA
members and the entire botanical community. I
knew that Editor-in-Chief Marsh Sundberg had
been working very hard, in cooperation with the
BSA staff, to continually refresh the PSB and keep
it relevant, even as the way we obtain information
changes. The idea of being able to contribute
directly to the legacy of the Plant Science Bulletin
and to shape the future direction of this publication
is extremely attractive to me.
As a long-time reader of the PSB, what have
you always liked about the issues? What features
have you always wanted to see more of?
There are many things that I like about the Plant
Science Bulletin. The PSB is, for me, a way to stay
connected to the botanical community year-round.
I appreciate that this publication is truly centered
around BSA members, highlighting the successes,
concerns, and activities of the membership. I enjoy
reading about the contributions that members are
making in the realms of education, outreach, and
advocacy. These activities often don’t receive the
recognition that they deserve, even though they
are, in my opinion, as important as contributions to
scientific research. I think it is essential that the PSB
showcase and promote these endeavors.
I also enjoy the variety of topics that each issue
covers. A particular issue might include an article
with a historical focus, followed by an article
discussing strategies for teaching, accompanied by a
profile of an award-winning member. Ideally, there
is something for everyone in each issue. Further, in
many cases, the articles and notes published in the
PSB focus on successes, either for the society or for
individual members. I find these positive features
refreshing and inspiring.
Over the next five years, I would like to see
input from an increasing proportion of the BSA
membership. Members of the BSA come from a
variety of professional settings and from all possible
career stages. They have diverse interests, face a
variety of professional challenges, and bring unique
and valuable perspectives to the society and to the
field of botany. I want to make sure that those voices
are heard in the pages of the PSB. With that goal
in mind, we are asking the student membership
to contribute to a dedicated section in each issue
and the student representatives have taken on the
challenge of organizing this section. I also want
to encourage post-docs and other early-career
scientists, as well as botanists who work outside
of the traditional academic setting, to consider
submitting articles and essays.
In the coming issues, I hope to facilitate even
more discussion regarding issues of public policy
and science advocacy. In today’s academic and
political climate, it seems especially important
that BSA members be equipped with information
and strategies for promoting botany, and indeed
science, at local, national, and international levels.
Mackenzie Taylor - The new PSB editor.
6
Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
I know being a Student Representative on the
BSA Board was a career-changing experience for
me. What did you gain from your experience as
the first BSA Student Representative that you can
apply to your position as PSB Editor-in-Chief?
I think that my experiences as the student
representative will be extremely beneficial as I
take on the responsibility of the PSB. I learned a
great deal about the governance of the Botanical
Society of America and gained a much deeper
understanding of, and appreciation for, the BSA
mission. As the student representative, I had many
conversations about the challenges facing students,
in particular, but also other early-career scientists,
and I was exposed to a variety of perspectives that
I might not have come to understand otherwise. I
think that these experiences will help me move the
PSB forward, while honoring its history.
The PSB has been around for 60 years now.
How do you maintain the legacy of a publication
like this while also staying current, looking to the
future, and engaging younger readers?
I believe that the key to maintaining the legacy
of the Plant Science Bulletin is staying true to its
original mission. When the PSB was established,
the goal of the publication was to unify the
botanical community. The original editor Harry
J. Fuller envisioned the PSB as a forum for
discussions about important issues facing botanists
and as a place where people could share an array
of information, including strategies for coping with
the academic environment, resources for teaching
and scholarship, information about conservation
activities, and discussions about issues of academic
freedom. The need for these types of discussions
hasn’t changed.
Staying current first requires that the issues
presented and discussed in the PSB be relevant to
the membership. It is my hope that we can engage
younger readers and others who aren’t currently
reading the PSB by including articles and notes
that are of interest to those demographics. We
will also employ strategies for reaching and
engaging readers who access information
in new and different ways. For example, we
plan to make short items, including news and
announcements, available electronically in a
more timely manner than is possible with the
quarterly publication cycle and, ultimately,
upgrade the PSB website so that content from
the print publication is more directly accessible
in a digital format.
Do you think the way we talk (and write)
about the discipline of botany has changed in
recent times? Does this affect the type of PSB
submissions you would like to see?
I’ve spent quite a bit of time reading the
back issues of the PSB and the significant issues
that concern botanists are strikingly similar
throughout the last 60 years. In my opinion,
the majority of editorials and articles published
in the first five volumes of the PSB easily could
have been written in the last five years, although
there are several references to playing Bridge
that are less culturally relevant.
For example, the first issue of the PSB
includes an essay entitled The Challenge to
Botanists by Sydney S. Greenfield, chair of
the Education Committee. In this article, he
sets out the challenges facing botanists in
1955, including a decline and elimination
of botany from undergraduate curricula, an
underrepresentation of botanists in biology
departments and among general biology
educators, and a lack of appreciation for botany
by the general public. If you read the issues from
the 1970s and 1980s, the same general themes
continually pop up and we continue to struggle
with these issues today.
I want to see PSB submissions that are useful
to the BSA membership. I firmly believe that
the Plant Science Bulletin should reflect the
“Members of the BSA . . . bring
unique and valuable perspectives
to the society and to the field of
botany. I want to make sure that
those voices are heard in the pages
of the PSB.”
“
I firmly believe that the Plant
Science Bulletin should reflect
the concerns of the current
membership
and
provide
resources that will help its readers
be more successful teachers,
scholars, and citizens.”
7
Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
concerns of the current membership and provide
resources that will help its readers be more
successful teachers, scholars, and citizens.
How does someone, especially an early-career
botanist, benefit from submitting an article to
you?
The Plant Science Bulletin is an excellent venue
for anyone who wants to communicate information
that doesn’t fall into the traditional scientific
research article format. We are especially interested
in publishing articles and essays that focus on
education, public policy, outreach, professional
resources, and history. Any botanist, including
those early in his or her career, may have an interest
in these areas, be particularly involved in outreach
or advocacy activities, or have developed course
materials or resources that might not be quite
appropriate for publication in an education journal.
The Plant Science Bulletin provides an outlet for
those types of scholarly outputs that might not be
published otherwise. Moreover, articles published
in the PSB as “Feature Articles” undergo peer
review. This elevates the quality of articles published
in the PSB and benefits the author, as these articles
should be considered peer-reviewed publications in
CVs and dossiers.
Publishing in the Plant Science Bulletin is also
a great way for early-career botanists to network
with colleagues who have similar interests and to
get their names out into the botanical community.
Articles and essays in the PSB have the potential to
reach the entire BSA membership, as well as those
with a passing interest in the botanical sciences.
The PSB also publishes book reviews and this
section is one of our members’ favorite features.
I would encourage everyone, particularly early-
career scientists, to consider contributing to this
section. If you are interested in reading a particular
book, why not go the extra step and prepare a review
of that title? You will receive a complimentary
review copy of the book, have the opportunity to
contribute to the scientific community, and have a
published book review for your records.
What if someone has an idea for an article but
isn’t sure about the next step?
If you have an idea for an article or essay, the
easiest first step you can take is to email me at psb@
botany.org. I will be more than happy to discuss
your idea and we can strategize about preparing the
article for publication in the Plant Science Bulletin.
You can also find information about the types of
articles we publish and instructions for authors
at https://botany.org/PlantScienceBulletin/. If you
already have an article prepared, you can submit it
directly for review using the submit button found at
https://botany.org/PlantScienceBulletin/.
What can readers look forward to in 2015?
What is your ultimate vision for the PSB?
Readers can look forward to regular
contributions from BSA committees, particularly
the public policy and education committees, as well
as the student membership. This increased focus on
the activities of BSA committees and other groups
is intended to keep the membership aware of what
is happening within the society.
As I mentioned earlier, we are experimenting
with new ways to deliver PSB content to the
membership that will supplement, not replace,
the print version of the Plant Science Bulletin. In
particular, we are working toward having URLs
for individual articles so that they can be accessed
directly and publicized on social media platforms.
Readers should also expect to see a fresh look to the
print PSB starting in 2016.
My vision for the Plant Science Bulletin is for it
to be the voice of the Botanical Society of America.
The PSB should feature content that reflects the
varied interests of BSA members, be a dependable
source for resources and perspectives, and provide
a forum for lively discussion and constructive
debate. However, the composition of the PSB is
ultimately in the hands of the BSA membership.
The PSB depends on member submissions and it
is those contributions that our readers are eager
to read every quarter. I am looking forward to
receiving those submissions and guiding the Plant
Science Bulletin forward through the next five years.
8
Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
Pamela Diggle, New Editor-
in-Chief, Discusses the Future
of the American Journal of
Botany
Pamela Diggle recently stepped into the role of
Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Botany,
and she has started to implement some changes for
AJB in 2015 while maintaining the journal’s legacy.
Nic Tippery,
from the University of Wisconsin–
Whitewater, recently spoke with Diggle about her
vision for the journal.
Tippery: What inspired you to pursue the
Editor-in-Chief position for the AJB?
Diggle: Did you see my tweet? #Iamabotanist! I
am committed to research, teaching, learning, and
outreach about all things botany. The Botanical
Society of America and its flagship journal, the
American Journal of Botany, are central to all of
these activities, and the Editor-in-Chief position
provides an opportunity for me to support botany
and botanists.
What strengths do you think you can bring to
the position?
The Editor-in-Chief will need to understand
what areas of plant science research are growing,
what graduate students are interested in, what
people are teaching, and what societal issues are
relevant to research in plant science. My recent
experiences as a Program Officer at the National
Science Foundation and continuing service on
various NSF panels, and my leadership in two very
broad-based biology departments (Chair of one,
Associate Head of the other), provide me with a
profound appreciation of the depth and breadth of
science that should be encompassed within AJB. I
am also committed to exploring new opportunities
to remain abreast of developments in botanical
science. Attending scientific meetings of diverse
disciplines, and interacting with scientists who
attend them, will be an important activity that will
supply new ideas and focus.
The AJB just celebrated 100 years of
publication. How do you perceive the legacy of
the AJB?
AJB has a special role in the botanical sciences.
From its inception, AJB has been a forum for
scholarship from diverse areas of botanical research.
In this era of hyper-specialization, and organization
of academic departments and journals around
particular areas of research, AJB provides a venue
for publications that span levels of organization
ranging from molecules to ecosystems. Papers in
the American Journal of Botany are read by people
in the same field, but are also seen by readers from
diverse fields, with the potential to be incorporated
into new research programs, graduate discussion
groups, and graduate and undergraduate
coursework.
The spectacular series of Centennial Review
papers that began in 2014 perfectly embodies the
legacy of AJB (see www.amjbot.org/content/by/
section/AJB+Centennial+Review). To celebrate the
tremendous achievement of 101 years of influential
publication of the American Journal of Botany,
then Editor-in-Chief Judy Jernstedt invited leading
scientists to address long-standing questions in
botanical research. Each topic has a long history of
coverage in AJB, and the range of topics covered in
these reviews demonstrates perfectly the breadth
and impact of articles published in the journal.
They range from the very origins of multicellularity,
through phloem development and function, to
diverse aspects of evolutionary dynamics including
gene flow, hybridization, polyploidy, and many
others; these papers epitomize the high standards
that are the legacy of AJB: breadth of topics covered,
rigorous scholarship, innovative and insightful
analyses, and a view to emerging areas of interest.
The legacy of AJB also derives from the
dedication of the many people who work very hard
to ensure the quality of the journal, each and every
month. They include the professional editorial
staff, the Board of Associate Editors, the BSA
Director-at-Large for Publications, the Publications
Committee, the many, many reviewers, our authors,
and BSA members. The legacy of AJB is a legacy of
the commitment of the community that supports it.
Pam Diggle takes the reins of the AJB.
9
Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
What do you see as the main challenges to
publishing in 2015, and what strategies do
you think will benefit the AJB in the current
publishing environment? What challenges do you
anticipate the journal will face over the next ten
years? How are you addressing those challenges?
The primary challenge faced by AJB is the same
challenge faced by the publications of all scientific
societies: How will the Journal maintain relevance
in this rapidly evolving world of diverse outlets
for dissemination of science? As mechanisms for
distributing and accessing data and other types of
information become more diverse and immediate,
why will scientists need journals? Why should
authors and readers choose AJB?
As Editor-in-Chief, my job is to understand what
authors, subscribers, and society members want
from the journal. My most important first priority
has been to listen to and learn from that community.
I held a series of conference calls with small groups
of scientists––in collaboration with Sean Graham,
BSA Director-At-Large for Publications, and Amy
McPherson, Managing Editor of AJB––who have
very diverse research interests and are at different
career stages, for wide-ranging conversations about
publication in general and how we might enhance
the value and impact of the journal. The people we
spoke to valued rigorous, constructive, fair, and
timely review most highly out of all of the topics
discussed, and these will remain critical goals for
AJB as we move forward.
“Audience” is also widely considered to be an
important factor that scientists consider when
choosing a journal. Our participants valued the
broad range of readers that AJB brings, and it
is clear that enhancing our readership will be
a valuable asset in attracting new authors. AJB
currently serves authors and readers by publicizing
papers in multiple outlets: new papers are featured
on the society and journal websites, and promoted
via social media and press releases. Special Issues
and Special Papers also bring new authors and
readers to AJB. It will be important to continue to
develop exciting new ways to push our articles out
into the broader community of scholars.
As a result of our initial discussions with members
of the botanical community, I have already brought
some significant changes to the journal. Beginning
with the January issue, AJB now has a prominent
new “News and Views” section. In this section will
be a novel type of essay, “On the Nature of Things.”
These are short essays that concisely summarize
a new and exciting issue or research area, take
a new look at an established area, or explore
an idea or concept. I envision a single journal
page with a bit of background, a summary of
the current state of thought or data, and then a
brief explanation and thoughtful summary of the
unanswered questions or where the field might
be going. The most important element of these
essays is the forward-looking part. I hope readers
anticipate these essays every month to see what
their colleagues are thinking about--and that
they’ll want to share their own ideas. The first
article of this kind is from Ken Feeley (of Florida
International University) whose essay on the
pitfalls of predicting future species distribution
and the promise of new approaches just appeared
in the February issue of AJB (www.amjbot.org/
content/early/2015/02/03/ajb.1400545.full.
pdf+html)
“From its inception, AJB has
been a forum for scholarship
from diverse areas of botanical
research. In this era of hyper-
specialization, and organization
of academic departments and
journals around particular areas
of research, AJB provides a
venue for publications that span
levels of organization ranging
from molecules to ecosystems.”
AJB now also features a “Highlights” section
that summarizes selected articles in each issue.
These are intended to entice readers to want to
know more about the journal’s contents.
A second challenge to the future of society
publications like AJB is financial; AJB does not
have the deep pockets of a large publishing
company. Our operating budget comes largely
from library subscriptions, but library budgets
are shrinking and, as open access (for which
authors pay to publish via grants or their
personal funds) grows, librarians are loath to buy
what is available for free. The consequence is the
cost of publishing is shifting more and more to
authors. AJB has adopted multiple strategies to
shield our authors from this burden. Bill Dahl,
the Executive Director of the BSA, the BSA
Board of Directors, and the professional staff of
10
Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
the BSA and AJB monitor financial developments
within the publishing industry closely, and we are
in constant discussion about the financial security
of the journal. Meanwhile, make sure that your
libraries know how much you value AJB!
Do you have any suggestions for people who
might be thinking about submitting an article to
the AJB?
AJB aims to publish papers that make a significant
contribution to botanical sciences. Authors should
frame their papers so that the significance is
evident to the general (but well informed!) reader.
If in doubt, I encourage potential authors to contact
me for feedback.
How can BSA members contribute to
maintaining the AJB as a strong journal in our
field?
Send your best work and cite papers in AJB!
Volunteer to review manuscripts or to serve on the
publications committee of the BSA. Make sure that
your library subscribes to AJB. Participate in my
ongoing discussion about how we can enhance the
value and impact of the journal.
What is your ultimate vision for the AJB?
The AJB has changed dramatically over the past
century of publication and I will collaborate with
all of you to ensure that it continues to evolve in
exciting new ways. At the same time, the foundation
of the journal should remain unchanged. The
American Journal of Botany is one of the premier
outlets for all aspects of botanical discovery and
knowledge, with papers that stand the test of time,
and continue to shape the intellectual horizons of
our discipline. I look forward to leading AJB over
the coming five years, and I especially look forward
to reading your very best research papers there.
The American Journal of Botany Welcomes a New
Editor-in-Chief and Launches New Features
The January issue of the American Journal of Botany begins the tenure of new Editor-in-Chief Dr.
Pamela Diggle and outlines new features rolling out in 2015 as well as other upcoming developments.
Beginning in January, AJB features a new front section titled “News and Views,” which will
include editorials, commentaries, letters to the editor, and a new article type called “On the Nature
of Things” (OTNOT for short). These brief, open access essays—a hybrid of a blog-post and a mini-
review—are meant to provide succinct and timely insights into multiple aspects of plant science.
They will summarize the current state of thought, technology, or understanding, with the bulk
of the essay devoted to looking forward to what might be on the horizon for this issue, question,
or area of research. The feature debuted in the February issue with “Moving forward with species
distributions,” by Kenneth Feeley at http://www.amjbot.org/content/102/2/171.full, and has
continued with “Parasitism disruption a likely consequence of belowground war waged by exotic
plant invader” by Chris Martine and Alison Hale in the March issue at http://www.amjbot.org/
content/early/2015/03/02/ajb.1500025.full.pdf+html.
In addition to this new article type, AJB now includes a “Highlights” page at the beginning of each
issue. The Highlights point readers quickly to selected articles of interest. Visit http://www.amjbot.
org/content/102/1/1.full for a sample of this feature that debuted in January.
For more information on these features and more, see Dr. Diggle’s Editorial from January at http://
www.amjbot.org/content/102/1/3.full.l
In addition, AJB will focus on two special issues to be published later in 2015 and early 2016:
“Evolutionary insights from studies of geographic variation: Establishing a baseline and looking
to the future” and “The Ecology and Evolution of Pollen Performance.” More information will be
forthcoming—stay tuned!
11
Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
12
BSA Science Education
News and Notes
What first sparked your interest in science, and
in plants? Were you always science-minded, or
did you ever have to choose to pursue science over
competing fields of interest? Did you know from an
early age that botany would be a lifelong interest?
Or did you fall into studying plants later in your
science career, perhaps after meeting a botanist or
botany teacher who inspired you, joining an exciting
research project or coming across a particularly
intriguing plant? What fascinated you enough to
shift your research interests toward botany?
The mission of the BSA is to promote botany,
and inspiring interest in plants is a key part of
that mission. As Education Director, I’m keenly
interested in understanding when and how that
decision comes about, when children or adults
become fascinated with the plant world enough to
choose to make botany their life’s work.
The challenges of the 21st century ––climate
change, population increases, energy needs,
shrinking biodiversity––require a thriving
community of botanists who understand and
advocate for the plant world. Who knows what
contributions future colleagues will bring to the
field?
Inspiring the great thinkers of the next
generation and turning the interest of the science-
minded toward plant biology can be a challenge
when science, and especially plant science, is too
often such a small part of primary and secondary
education. The chance to experience science as a
process of discovery, and not just a set of formulas
and facts to memorize, can be instrumental.
Learning about plants from enthusiastic
professionals who are excited to share their life-
work can be much more impactful than learning
about plants from zoologists who see plants as a
backdrop for animal interactions, or from out-of-
field science teachers with no botany training and
who themselves have never had the opportunity to
learn how exciting plants can be.
So it is up to us, who find plants utterly
fascinating, to share that interest and excitement
with the next generation. And, because so many
young scientists make decisions about whether
they will be scientists at a young age, we need to be
sharing this interest and excitement not just with
our graduate students, or undergraduates, but with
secondary students and even primary students.
As Wandersee and Clary (2006) noted, “The
presence of a plant mentor earlier in one’s life
(someone who helped the mentee observe, plant,
grow, and tend living plants) is a key predictor
of that person’s awareness, appreciation, and
understanding of plants throughout the lifespan.”
Please consider reaching out, even in a small way,
to make a lasting impact.
Fascination of Plants Day
One perfect opportunity to share your fascination
with plants is through the upcoming Fascination of
Plants Day (FoPD) on May 18, 2015.
“FoPD is an internationally coordinated activity
designed to sow constantly germinating seeds
in the collective mind of the World Public to
appreciate and understand that plant science is
ofcritical significance to the social, environmental
and economic landscape now and into the future.”
Join other BSA members from around the world
in hosting a plant walk in your community on
May 18 and share your group’s discoveries with a
worldwide audience. University classes may be out,
but it is a perfect time to make a connection with
a local primary or secondary school, park, garden,
nature center, or museum.
Learn more about open events, get ideas for
By Catrina Adams,
Education Director
Raising the next generation
of botanists
13
Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
planning and sharing your own local events, and see
what initiatives are planned nationally (blog.aspb.
org/fascination-of-plants-day) or internationally
(www.plantday.org).
Congratulations To Fall
PlantingScience Star Project
Winners!
Through PlantingScience.org, the BSA promotes
plant biology and authentic science research for
students in middle and high schools around the
United States and world.
Each fall and spring, the most exemplary projects
are recognized in our Star Project Gallery. The fall
sessions’ winners included “The Bio Bunch” from
High Technology High School, who developed a
sophisticated proposal to determine the optimal
natural conditions for iris seed germination. The
team worked closely with their scientist mentor
Andrew Schnabel to generate ideas for a testable
question, craft a research prediction and research
design from their question, and prepare a full
proposal. In the process they learned a lot about
what it means to propose authentic research, and are
excited about conducting their planned research.
The Bio Bunch will carry out their ambitious
research proposal this spring session with their
mentor’s guidance. You can follow along with the
team’s progress at: http://tinyurl.com/biobunch.
All Spring projects are available to view at
plantingscience.org, using the “Research” tab.
If you would like to be a PlantingScience mentor
and help student teams discover the joy of scientific
discovery and become fascinated with plants, we
are now recruiting mentors for the fall session (mid
September – mid October). Register any time at
plantingscience.org/newmentor.
Anne and Arvind of PlantingScience star
project winning team “The Bio Bunch” collect
iris seeds for their experiment on optimal
conditions for seed germination.
PlantingScience star project winning team “The Bio Bunch” tackle iris seed
germination research project.
14
The start of 2015 has ushered in a major
change in the composition of Congress. Results
of the 2014 midterm elections mean that majority
turnover has taken place in the U.S. Senate and the
retirement and/or defeat of several Congressional
Representatives has meant that important
Congressional committees in the house are also
welcoming new faces. One change of particular
interest to scientists is that Senator John Thune (R-
SD) will be the new chair of the Commerce, Science,
and Transportation Committee (visit this link to
read more about specific committee changes: http://
www.aibs.org/public-policy-reports/2014_12_29.
html#034840). Federal funding for basic research
will be sure to face strong rhetoric in the 114th
Congress. The Public Policy Committee works to
provide you with the information you need to be
aware of including important votes, impending
policy changes, and communication networks
necessary to let your voice be heard. We need your
help to engage with politicians and other societies,
and advocate on behalf of botany!
How you can help:
Become involved with the American Institute for
Biological Sciences (AIBS) through their Legislative
Action Center (http://policy.aibs.org/) and sign
BSA COMMITTEES IN ACTION
up for public policy alerts every 2 weeks at http://
www.aibs.org/public-policy-reports/. Look out for
a survey from the Public Policy Committee with
questions regarding your specific policy interests.
We want to make sure we disseminate the policy
news that is relevant to our membership and the
only way we can do this is if we hear from you.
What we would like to do in the
future:
• Encourage proactive, rather than reactive,
policy involvement
• Help BSA members influence policy at
multiple levels (from local to national)
• Expand our interactions with other societies,
including a new collaboration with the ASPT
Environmental Policy Committee
• Offer AIBS Public Policy Workshops at future
meetings, including Botany 2015
Most importantly, we would like to develop a
charge to grow toward and in that regard, we’re
interested in what it is that you’d like to see from
the Public Policy Committee.
Upcoming policy events:
• May 13–14, 2015: Congressional Visits Day
hosted by the Biological and Ecological
Science Coalition. The BSA will sponsor two
awards in support of travel and lodging for
this event. The BSA has participated since
2012. The AIBS also sponsors an annual
award in support of travel and participation in
the CVD, which you can learn more about at
http://www.aibs.org/public-policy/eppla.html.
• Quarterly policy reports in the Plant Science
Bulletin.
• Upcoming BSA Member survey for Public
Policy Engagement. Please watch for this
survey in your email inbox! You can help guide
the future of the BSA Public Policy Committee
so that we can serve you better.
Public Policy News
by Marian Chau, and Morgan Gostel
Public Policy Committee Co-Chairs
BSA Public Policy Committee Overview
Since the formation of the Public Policy Committee in 2011, we have:
• Awarded six Public Policy Awards (2013 - 2015). We have already funded travel for six BSA student
and early career members to Washington, D.C.
• Partner with other societies, including the AIBS, ASPB, BESC, and ESA, in support of policy initiatives
for botany and federal funding of research.
• Author sign-on letters to Congress in support of sustained funding, in response to sequestration, and
in support of science policy efforts.
15
STUDENT SECTION
Beginning with this issue of the Plant Science
Bulletin, the student representatives to the
Botanical Society of America Executive Committee
will organize and contribute content for a
dedicated student section. It is our hope that these
articles will allow for more connectivity within the
student community of BSA, but it will also keep all
members informed on issues important to students
and the general news within the society.
In the future, we’d like to include short articles
about new methods and techniques, new
and interesting student-written publications,
iniormation about the annual meeting, and
interviews with noteworthy students.
If you have any ideas or suggestions on content
for future issues, we’d love to hear about them! Feel
free to contact Jon Giddens (gidd8708@gmail.
com) and Angela McDonnell (angela.mcdonnell@
okstate.edu), the current student representatives,
any time with your ideas. Alternatively, you can
connect with us on our Facebook group page by
searching for Students of the Botanical Society of
America.
A Moment with Catherine
Rushworth, winner of the 2014
J. S. Karling Award
Jon and Angela catch up with the fantastic Ms.
Catherine Rushworth of Duke University, who was
awarded the 2014 J. S. Karling Award for her top-
rated proposal titled “Insights into the origin and
persistence of apomixis in the Boechera holboellii
species complex.” Below, Catherine discusses her
thoughts on the BSA, her research, and how she stays
inspired.
Jon & Angela: When and why did you join
BSA?
Catherine Rushworth: I joined BSA at the
beginning of my grad school career. In my area of
research, most researchers are more stimulated by
the questions they’re asking than the organisms
they work with. I’m really a bit more organismal
in focus—my questions are motivated by the
peculiarities of a focal plant group. I love plants,
and I wanted to be part of an organization in which
the members love plants as much as I do!
What is your favorite thing about BSA?
My favorite thing about BSA is the enthusiasm its
members have for plants. At the conference in Boise
last year, it was so nice to meet other researchers
and enjoy an instant connection with them. Even if
their research was very distant from mine, we could
share excitement about the plants.
What is your research about?
I study the evolutionary factors maintaining
apomixis and sexual reproduction in populations
of the mustard Boechera. Apomicts are nearly
always polyploid and the result of hybridization,
but Boechera apomicts can be polyploid or diploid.
I focus on the diploid apomicts in order to eliminate
one confounding variable. I’m especially interested
in how sexual and asexual Boechera coexist in
populations. We know very little about how sexual
Catherine Rushworth
by Angela McDonnell and Jon Giddens,
Student Representatives
A Word from the Student
Representatives
16
Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
and asexual reproduction are maintained at the
population level in nature, and I’m lucky enough to
have a great study system to address these questions
in the field.
What has been the most challenging part of
your research?
I love doing fieldwork, but it can be really difficult.
Our lab spends 2-3 months every year living in
an RV park in rural Idaho. Working outdoors is
fantastic, but it’s hard to maintain forward progress
on your dissertation when you’re isolated for that
long with only a couple other scientists and a bad
internet connection! And, statistics is hard.
What has been the most rewarding part of
your research?
The most rewarding part is putting it all together.
I’m nearing the end of my dissertation and all my
experiments are nearly done. I’m learning how to
analyze my data properly and writing it up, and
amazingly enough, there are some answers to my
questions!
How has winning the J.S. Karling award
affected you and your research?
The J.S. Karling award has affected me in a couple
of different ways. First, monetarily, of course! It
enabled me to do an extra experiment this year that
I otherwise couldn’t have paid for, and I’m really
excited about the results. Second, I’m thinking
about postdoc projects, and having my face on a
giant screen definitely helped facilitate networking
with potential collaborators at the Boise meeting!
What advice do you wish someone would have
given you about graduate school?
There are too many things to list! But I wish
someone had sat me down on my first day of
grad school and said: “You are now a scientist.
Everything you do from here on out is your career,
so take it seriously and don’t discount yourself or
your abilities. You will meet a lot of smart people.
Don’t be intimidated by them, don’t be shy, and
don’t compare yourself to them; those things won’t
help you but will add stress to your life. This is
school, and you’re here to learn, so be prepared to
feel stupid a lot. Ask as many questions as it takes
until you figure a new concept out. And never
forget that you’re doing something you love!”
What do you do to de-stress?
I try to take tiny breaks, even 30 seconds,
throughout the day whenever I need to mentally
shift gears. They’re kind of like little palate cleansers
between courses of a fancy dinner; it helps me
switch to a new topic and keep going. If I’m really
stressed, and I can afford to take a big break, closing
the computer for a bit and spending time with my
husband and our cat always helps. And going for
walks! Getting outside is important.
What are you reading right now that’s
inspiring?
Right now I’m not really reading anything
but papers, but recently I started listening to this
podcast called Meet the Composer. (www.wqxr.
org/#!/programs/meet-composer/) I’ve been struck
by the similarities of the creative process that both
composers and scientists go through. I love hearing
how composers conceive of new pieces and mesh
styles of music, and the own unique ways in which
they put them down on paper, and how they create
pieces for certain musical groups (quartets or
whatever) based on those musicians’ specific skills.
There is no right or wrong way to think and create,
and I find that very inspiring. Maybe we could start
encouraging a bit more diversity in this area in
science.
What are your future aspirations?
I have an “unconventional” background (i.e., I
didn’t major in Biology in undergrad) so I never
thought I’d be faculty member material. But I’ve
come to find that I love research, I love teaching,
Cathy’s research focuses on hybrid apomicts in the
genus Boechera. An example of one is shown here,
likely involving parental species B. sparsiflora and B.
retrofracta.
17
Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
I love taking on leadership roles and mentoring,
and I kind of like writing. So it seems like academia
would be a good fit for me, after all. After my
upcoming postdoc at UC Berkeley, I’m going for it!
Anything else you’d like to include?
Thanks for this opportunity! And thank you,
BSA!
Award Season Underway
Although the year is just beginning, it is
important to keep in mind that the award season
is open!
The J. S. Karling Award is one of many
awards made by the society to graduate student
members in support of their research. This award
is named for Dr. John Karling (1897-1995) who
was an internationally renowned authority in
mycology (fungi) from Austin, Texas. In 1924
he received his Ph.D. from Columbia University.
Following graduation, Dr. Karling had a long and
distinguished career at Purdue University where
he served as the Director of the Department of
Biological Sciences and was also Purdue’s first
John Wright Distinguished Professor of Biological
Sciences. After retirement, he was named Fellow of
the Indiana Academy of Sciences and co-founder
of both the Mycological Society of America and the
American Institute of Biological Sciences.
The J. S. Karling Award is awarded to the top-
ranked proposal that is submitted for consideration
for a Graduate Student Research Award. The
purpose of the Graduate Student Research Awards
is to support and promote graduate research in the
botanical sciences. In response to student feedback
in recent years, the number of these Awards given
by the society has greatly increased from just ten
awards in 2004 to twenty awards in 2014.
The BSA also awards up to seven Undergraduate
Student Research Awards to fund quality research
performed by undergraduate students.
The solicitation for the 2015 Graduate and
Undergraduate Student Research Awards can
be found on the BSA website under the “awards”
subheading (https://botany.org/awards_grants/
detail/bsagsra.php;
https://botany.org/awards_
grants/detail/bsaUNDERgsra.php). The deadline
for these awards is March 15. Be sure to start
writing your proposal early and have it reviewed
by your peers and your PI well before you intend
on submitting it. And, if you’re not a student and
you’re reading this, please remind the students you
know to apply! Good luck!
The Mitchell-Olds lab conducts field work in the Rocky Mountains of central Idaho. Shown here is the view
from one of their experimental gardens.
18
ANNOUNCEMENTS
New England Botanical Club
120th Anniversary Research
Conference
The New England Botanical Club is preparing to
celebrate its 120th anniversary by hosting a major
botanical research conference June 5-7, 2015, at
Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.
This conference will bring together members of
the many botanical clubs and organizations that are
active in northeastern North America, as well as
students, academic researchers, naturalists, citizen
scientists and professional botanists. The keynote
speaker is Dr. Pamela Diggle, Editor-in-Chief of the
American Journal of Botany and Past President, the
Botanical Society of America.
We invite you to contribute to the conference by
presenting a talk or poster on your activities. There
will also be display space in which you can highlight
your organization, your latest botanical discoveries,
and new initiatives you are pursuing. On Sunday,
June 7, we will host a “working breakfast” in which
officers of clubs and societies can gather and
strategize about ways to make botany relevant to
an expanded audience. A botanical foray of Smith
College’s MacLeish Field Station will follow.
We encourage you to submit your full conference
paper for publication in our peer-reviewed journal,
Rhodora. All accepted abstracts will be published
as well.
This conference, including all meals and a
reception, is free. A full conference program
and online registration are available at NEBC
Conference.
Space is limited; register and submit an
abstract now! The final deadline for registration is
April 1, 2015. Please visit
http://www.rhodora.org/
conference2015/
for more information or direct
questions and comments to conference@rhodora.
org.
Eagle Hill Institute Natural
History Science Field Seminars
Eagle Hill Institute, located on the eastern
coast of Maine, will host seminars and workshops
focusing on natural history during Summer 2015.
These workshops are in support of field biologists,
researchers, field naturalists, faculty members,
students, and artists with interests in the natural
history sciences.
Courses include Trees and Shrubs of Northeastern
North America: Identification and Ecology; Plant
Identification and Herbarium Techniques; Mosses:
Structure, Ecology, and Identification; Introduction
to Maine Seaweeds: Identification, Ecology,
and Ethnobotany; Lichens and Lichen Ecology;
Grasses of Northeastern North America: Practical
Identification for Field Biologists; and Taxonomy
and Biology of Ferns and Lycophytes, among many
others.
A full list of 2015 seminars and workshops, as
well as registration information, can be found
at
http://www.eaglehill.us/programs/nhs/nhs-
calendar.shtm.
“Climate Change and the
Future of Plant Life” Symposium
hosted by the New England
Wild Flower Society
Plants are the foundation of global ecosystems,
creating the habitats that nurture all other living
beings. How will plants respond to the predicted
changes in temperature and precipitation from a
warming climate?
At this symposium, hosted by New England
Wild Flower Society, five noted botanists and
ecologists will discuss new findings and current
research on the state of New England’s plants;
the historical patterns and current evidence of
climate-induced adaptation, migration, and loss;
and strategies for conserving and managing plant
species and natural communities in the face of
climate change. Speakers include Dr. Paul Smith,
newly appointed Secretary General, Botanic
Gardens Conservation International; Dr. Elizabeth
Farnsworth, Senior Research Ecologist, New
England Wild Flower Society; Dr. David R. Foster,
19
Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
Director of the Harvard Forest, Harvard University;
and Dr. Dov F. Sax, Associate Professor of Ecology
and Evolutionary Biology at Brown University
and Deputy Director (Teaching) of the Institute at
Brown for Environment and Society.
The “Climate Change and the Future of Plant Life”
symposium will be held Thursday, March 26 from
9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Microsoft New England
R&D Center, 1 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA.
For more information about the symposium and to
register, go to
http://www.newenglandwild.org/sym
or contact Lana Reed, New England Wild Flower
Society Public Programs Coordinator, at lreed@
newenglandwild.org, 508-877-7630, ext. 330.
The Oxford Plants 400 Project
The University of Oxford will mark 400 years of
botanical research and teaching on July 25, 2021.
In celebration of this upcoming anniversary, the
University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Harcourt
Arboretum, together with the Oxford University
Herbaria and the Department of Plant Sciences,
has launched the Oxford Plants 400 project. This
project will highlight 400 plants of scientific and
cultural significance, with one plant profiled each
week. Each profile includes images from Oxford
University’s living and preserved collections. Check
out these plants at http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/
bol/plants400 and at @plants400 on Twitter.
From the
PSB Archives
60 years ago:
The first issue of the Plant Science Bulletin is published under editor
Harry J. Fuller. The editorial board consists of George S. Avery, Harlan P.
Banks, Harriet Creighton, Sydney S. Greenfield, and Paul B. Sears.
The Darbaker Prize in Phycology, presented for meritorious work in the
study of microscopic algae, is established.
50 years ago: The bylaws for the new Historical Section, created at the 1964 Council
Business Meeting, are published.
Stanwyn G. Shetler of the Smithsonian describes a visit to the Komarov
Botanical Institute in Leningrad prior to the opening of the Tenth
International Botanical Congress in Edinburgh.
25 years ago: New PSB editor Meredith Lane asks for “assistance in making the
PLANT SCIENCE BULLETIN an active and interactive means of
communication within the Society” (a sentiment the current new editor
echoes).
In Memoriam notices are published for Ethel C. Belk and Louis Otho
Williams.
20
Book Reviews
Bryological and Lichenological
Flore des Bryophytes du Quebec-Labrador. Volume 1: Anthocerotes et Hepatiques. ..... 20
Physiological
Photosynthesis in Bryophytes and Early Land Plants ......................................................21
Systematics
Trees of Eastern North America .......................................................................................23
The Olmsted Parks of Louisville: a Botanical Field Guide ..............................................24
HAWS: A Guide to Hawthorns of the Southeastern United States ..................................25
The Genus Erythronium ...................................................................................................26
Plant Systematics: The Origin, Interpretation, and Ordering of Plant Biodiversity
(Regnum Vegetabile 156) .................................................................................................27
Bryological and Lichenological
Flore des Bryophytes du Québec-
Labrador. Volume 1: Anthocerotes
et Hepatiques
Jean Faubert
2012. ISBN-13: 978-2-9813260-0-3 (vol. 1)
Hardcover, C$80.00. 356 pp.
Société Québécoise de Bryologie, Saint-
Valérien, Québec, Canada
This is the first volume of a three-volume set
covering the non-vascular plants of Québec
and Labrador. The other two volumes, also by
Jean Faubert, deal exclusively with mosses (the
series was just completed in 2014). This volume
covers the remaining two lineages of bryophytes:
the liverworts and hornworts. It provides keys,
descriptions, habitat information, distribution
maps, and helpful hints to aid in identification for
all taxa present in Québec and Labrador; it also
includes several species that are not yet reported
from but are likely to occur in the area. In addition,
each genus is depicted by at least one illustration.
As pointed out in the preface, this work represents
the first since 1935 dealing exclusively with the
region, and the first-ever bryophyte flora exclusively
for Québec. Though in no way surpassing Rudolph
Schuster’s Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North
America in its thoroughness and usefulness to
professional and ardent amateur bryologists, this
work represents a much more affordable, accessible,
and practical work for amateur bryologists. In
addition, the literature on liverworts and hornworts
is generally scattered and inaccessible. Therefore,
this book potentially represents an important
resource for anyone in eastern or boreal North
America.
An introductory section by the author describes
the layout of the rest of the work including how
to interpret generic descriptions and maps.
Information is provided on how to appropriately
collect and dissect bryological specimens as
well as on the biology of bryophytes, including
the obligatory description of the alternation
of generations life cycle. One section of this
introduction includes a list of ways in which
bryophytes differ from vascular plants and includes
a factually tenuous statement that bryophytes are
“resistant to the pressures of natural selection” (p. 6).
The keys in this work are nothing special and use
qualitative characters typically used in works on
hepatics (thallose vs. leafy, incubous vs. succubous
leaves, etc.). Hornworts are covered first, followed
by thallose liverworts, and finally leafy liverworts.
For each genus, an effort is made to allow the user to
key a specimen down to the lowest taxonomic level
possible. For example, in most floras Marchantia
polymorpha would be keyable only to species with
perhaps a note on its morphological variability.
Here, the user is able to key M. polymorpha to
one of the three subspecies found in Québec. An
additional nice aspect of the treatment is that
Faubert takes into consideration recent evidence
from molecular phylogenetic studies. For example,
eastern North American Conocephalum was once
all placed in the circumboreal C. conicum. However,
Faubert correctly ascribes material in Québec to
the recently described C. salebrosum. An effort is
also made to tackle difficult taxa such as Riccia,
Lophoziaceae, and Scapania, while at the same time
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Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
cautioning the user that fertile material is usually
needed to confirm the identification.
As mentioned above, each species or subspecific
taxon is illustrated and a description and
distribution map are provided. Aside from the keys,
which are all typical ones that would be found in
a liverwort and hornwort flora, individual species
accounts are the most important aspect of a flora.
Unfortunately, this is the area where this book most
falls short. Three types of illustrations are used in
this work. First are typical line drawings. These
images are fine and make an effort to illustrate
diagnostic features such as the number of cells
per gemmae and trigones, although some species
might benefit from an additional illustration or two
for each species, especially for the hornworts where
spore characters are needed for identification but
no spores are depicted in this work. The second
type of illustration is an in situ depiction of the
plant. This is certainly useful in the field, but often
not as useful in the laboratory when plants, even
when rehydrated, may not look very similar to
these photographs. The large size (8.5 × 11 inches)
and dense glossy paper used in this book preclude
it from being taken in the field, and the immediate
utility of these illustrations is somewhat lost unless
the collector also takes photographs in the field.
The third type of illustration is a three-dimensional
rendering of plants solely for “aesthetic reasons to
show the beauty of bryophytes.” These illustrations
often look more comical than anything else (shoots
are often depicted on wood or granitic pedestals)
and do not serve any practical purpose. The
depictions of the plants in situ do so much more
to show the beauty of bryophytes. These three-
dimensional renderings would be much better
if they had been replaced by images taken of the
plants under a microscope as these images would
then have the potential to be both beautiful and
useful. One final issue with the treatment is that the
place of publication is listed for each species. This
is much better reserved for a monograph and just
wastes space here. One beneficial aspect of these
descriptions is that a bibliography of additional
resources is provided should one want to learn
more about a particular genus or confirm their
identification using another key.
The book concludes with an appendix of common
names in both French and English, although in some
cases the common names seem more complex and
harder to learn than the scientific names. Finally,
a glossary to bryological terms is provided. While
generally a good thing, this glossary falls short in
that it contains terms useful to the identification of
liverworts and hornworts but also contains moss-
specific terminology, which adds space and only
makes it more difficult for the user to find a specific
term.
Overall, this work represents a successful attempt
to provide a flora of Québec and is one of a handful
of accessible works on liverworts and hornworts of
eastern North America, especially as many of the
works are now out of print and expensive. However,
solely because the book is written in French, its
wider utility to those outside of Québec is limited
despite the fact that nearly all species may be found
in neighboring parts of Canada as well as the
northeastern United States. This book is therefore
recommended for those who can understand
French; those looking for illustrations would be
better served searching on used book websites or
should refer to Mary Lincoln’s
Liverworts of New
England: A Guide for the Amateur Naturalist (New
York Botanical Garden Press).
–Jeff Rose, Department of Botany, University of
Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Physiological
Photosynthesis in Bryophytes and
Early Land Plants
Advances in Photosynthesis and Respira-
tion, Volume 37
David T. Hanson and Steven K. Rice (eds.)
2014. ISBN-13: 978-94-007-6987-8
eBook, US$219.00; Hardcover, US$279.00.
342 pp.
Springer Science+Business Media, Dor-
drecht, The Netherlands
The Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration
series continues to grow with the addition of
Photosynthesis in Bryophytes and Early Land
Plants, the 37th volume in the series. Bryophytes
are fascinating organisms, in and of themselves,
that are also uniquely well suited for the study of
evolution and photosynthesis. Bryophytes contain
chloroplasts and a photosynthetic machinery
quite similar to their tracheophyte kin. However,
as they lack vasculature, a cuticle, stomata, and
aerenchyma tissues, photosynthesis in bryophytes
is very different indeed. In some respects, bryophyte
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Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
photosynthetic mechanisms are similar to those
in tracheophytes. In others, there are significant
differences. Those similarities and differences,
along with recent advances in the field, underlie the
need for this timely, full-volume treatment of the
subject.
The volume is logically arranged. An introductory
chapter by the co-editors titled, appropriately, “What
Can We Learn from Bryophyte Photosynthesis?”
lays out the basic questions to be addressed in the
body of the book. The first set of chapters (Chapters
2–4) takes a three-phase evolutionary approach
by addressing the algal to bryophyte evolutionary
transition (Chapter 2), adaptations of early
bryophytes to the terrestrial environment (Chapter
3), and the subsequent diversification of early land
plants (Chapter 4). These were among the most
intriguing chapters in the volume, with Chapter 4
being especially thoughtful and thought provoking.
Indeed, reading these three chapters provides a
clear and in-depth background for the uniqueness
of bryophytes and the value to be gained by their
further study.
The next group of chapters (Chapters 5–12)
encompasses a large territory around the
basic theme of carbon acquisition. Leaf-based
measurements of photosynthesis work well for
most tracheophytes, which has, among other
things, driven the design of infrared gas analyzer
(IRGA) cuvettes. However, bryophytes lack a
clearly defined photosynthetic organ. Therefore,
Chapter 5 establishes the methods for measuring
photosynthesis at multiple scales. Chapter 6 covers
CO
2
concentrating mechanisms, a substantial
predicament for plants whose photosynthetic
surface is more often than not coated with water, not
air. The water layer has substantial consequences
for gas diffusion. Bryophytes can be found in light
environments ranging from deep shade or full sun;
therefore, responses to irradiance level are discussed
in Chapters 7 (photoprotective mechanisms) and 8
(chloroplast movement). The latter chapter is rather
heavy on higher plant examples, but that is where
the more relevant literature may be found and the
comparison to what is known in bryophytes is
revealing. The next two chapters are closely related
in that they deal with the scaling of light harvesting
in the moss canopy (Chapter 9) and a structural and
functional analysis of the canopy itself (Chapter
10). These chapters relate directly to Chapter 5,
which dealt with the practical aspects of measuring
photosynthesis at the different canopy scales and
structures discussed in Chapters 9 and 10. Chapter
11, “Genetics and Genomics of Moss Models,” is
well done, but somewhat limited in scope. It, or
an accompanying chapter, could have perhaps
expanded on how recent advances in genomics
have impacted studies of bryophyte photosynthesis,
limited though they are (as noted by the co-editors
in the introductory chapter, section IIIE, and the
final chapter, section IIB). While a minor criticism,
that absence does leave a gap.
The six chapters of the final section cover the
ecology and physiological ecology of bryophytes
across a wide range of ecosystems—aquatic,
peatland, tropical, and Antarctic. Collectively, they
cover various aspects of water relations, desiccation
tolerance, temperature and light responses, and
mineral nutrition. Chapter 12, the longest chapter
in the volume, is a very comprehensive treatment
of photosynthesis in aquatic bryophytes and covers
everything from light capture to carbon storage,
before and beyond. Chapters 13 and 14 concentrate
on peatland bryophytes. Chapter 13 has a particular
focus on Sphagnum photosynthesis, respiration,
and growth and production under stress conditions,
while Chapter 14 broadens the treatment to include
other bryophyte species and various controls
on photosynthesis, respiration, and succession
in contrasting peatland ecosystems in northern
latitudes. Chapter 15 studies the ecophysiology of
tropical bryophytes and explores the intriguing
phenomenon of the disparity in bryophyte biomass
between lowland (low biomass) and montane (high
biomass) rainforest ecosystems. Chapter 16 deals
with bryophytes at the other end of the hydration
spectrum, the dryland biocrust mosses. In addition
to heat and desiccation, fluctuating wet-dry cycles
that accompany sporadic rainfall patterns are an
environmental stress that is unique to dryland
bryophytes. Finally, Chapter 17 takes the volume
to another habitat extreme, the Antarctic, where
bryophytes are the dominant flora. In addition to
the obvious challenges with water availability and
temperature, polar regions are undergoing some
of the most prominent and precipitous climatic
change on the planet. High-latitude bryophytes are
under particular environmental stress and are likely
to see their environment change substantially in the
time to come.
An important aspect of Chapters 12–17 is that all
six highlight concerns of the future impact global
climate change will have on these ecologically
distinct bryophyte communities. It takes little to
upset the delicate balance of life when living on the
edge and, indeed, bryophytes occupy some of the
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Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
harshest environments on Earth. They will suffer
some of the first consequences as weather patterns
change and climate shifts become more extreme.
Although each of the 17 chapters proposes
specific suggestions for future research, the
volume culminates, correctly so, with Chapter
18, “Opportunities in Bryophyte Photosynthesis
Research,” by co-editors Rice and Hanson.
Forward thinking, it highlights eight prospects
for future research directions: (a) linkage between
photosynthesis and production, (b) application
of genomics, (c) mechanism and ecological
significance of mixotrophy, (d) understanding
symbioses, (e) scaling across levels of organization,
(f) carbon and water dynamics of canopies, (g)
complexity of respiratory processes, and (h)
characterizing functional diversity. The co-editors
have constructed a valuable road map for future
studies involving bryophytes.
Similar to the other volumes in the Advances
in Photosynthesis and Respiration series,
Photosynthesis in Bryophytes and Early Land Plants
is aimed at researchers, graduate students, and
advanced undergraduates. I recommend this well-
designed volume for those scientists, or indeed for
anyone interested in the current status of bryophyte
research.
–Robert R. Wise, PhD, Department of Biology, Uni-
versity of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, Wisconsin,
USA. wise@uwosh.edu
Systematics
Trees of Eastern North America
Gil Nelson, Christopher J. Earle, and Richard
Spellenberg
2014. ISBN-13: 978-0-691-14591-4
Flexibound, US$29.95. 720 pp.
Princeton University Press, Princeton, New
Jersey, USA
This book is composed of several short introductory
sections giving concise information about the
book, the plants it describes, and some common
species, followed by an impressive collection of
descriptions with consistent and informative
illustrations, followed by a glossary and index. The
text itself is well put together for the medium- to
advanced-level woody perennial identifier, but
would be unsuitable for those just beginning tree
identification. It is not a key.
The introductory sections are concise and
thorough. They are useful to those of modest to
expert levels of plant identification skill, especially
the illustrations and definitions of botanical and
biological terms. The descriptions of taxonomy,
gymnosperms, angiosperms, and forest structure
in the introduction are also well done (I would
describe them as skillfully abbreviated). The
only sections of the introduction that I am not
impressed by are the winter twig section and the
leaf key section. Neither is useful as a key in the
field (regardless of the titles of these sections in
the table of contents), and both generally include
illustrations that already exist on the pages of the
species they refer to (if the illustrations are not
included on any of the species pages, they should
be). This section would greater serve the reader if
it were instead devoted to a dichotomous key to
the families, so that users of the book could narrow
their search when confronted with an unfamiliar
family.
I want to stress that this book does not claim to
be a key, and that’s fine, but the fact that no true
dichotomous key exists means these two sections
(leaf key and winter twig key) are misleading in
the table of contents. This could be particularly
harmful to the buyer who decides whether to buy
based on the table of contents. If the authors wish to
include a key, let it be a true dichotomous key that
serves the reader who is interested in having access
to the entirety of the book, regardless of familiarity
with all the families included.
I am greatly impressed with the thoroughness of
the collection of species cataloged. There are few
trees that I encounter in my state (New Jersey) that
are not included in the text. As far as the species
collection goes as a whole, I have very little to say
to the negative. I would only suggest that future
volumes pay particular attention to groups of
species found in the eastern United States that are
very similar. If several members of a group are
present in the eastern United States (and are not
extremely rare), each member should be included
with distinguishing characters so that all species
found here may be told apart. For instance, Cedrus
deodara (deodar cedar) and C. libani (cedar of
Lebanon) are included, but C. atlantica (atlas cedar)
is not. Cedrus atlantica is a popular ornamental in
many parts of the eastern United States due to its
“glauca” variety, so it is unusual that it would be
excluded when C. deodara and C. libani are present.
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Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
year. Additionally, it includes enough information
and illustration to give the user some confidence
in his or her knowledge of the tree described. I am
extremely satisfied by this guide, and it has become
my go-to book for attempting to identify trees I am
unfamiliar with in the field, or when I need to brush
up on my knowledge of distinguishing characters
between similar species in the field. It has been my
great pleasure to review this book, and I am very
happy to have it in my collection.
–Kieran Hunt, Department of Ecology, Evolution,
and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, Rutgers,
New Jersey, USA.
The Olmsted Parks of Louisville: A
Botanical Field Guide
Patricia Dalton Haragan
2014. ISBN-13: 978-0-8131-4454-2
Paperback, US$50.00. 456 pp.
University Press of Kentucky, Lexington,
Kentucky, USA
Late in his career, Frederick Law Olmsted, popularly
known as the designer of New York’s Central Park,
was commissioned to design a network of parks in
Louisville, Kentucky, and the result is considered
by many to be one of his greatest accomplishments.
Patricia Dalton Haragan now brings the botanical
world of these parks to light in her beautiful book,
The Olmsted Parks of Louisville: A Botanical Field
Guide.
The purpose of the book seems narrow at first
glance: to aid in the identification of and spark an
interest in some of the key plants found in five of
the largest of Louisville’s Olmsted-designed parks.
Haragan has succeeded at this task masterfully, but
the book has value beyond these parks and the city
they grace. The plants included are found broadly
across the surrounding region, and this field guide
can be a valuable tool to those interested in plant
identification in the region even if they don’t spend
a lot of time in Louisville parks.
The book begins with a beautifully written preface by
Daniel H. Jones that speaks inspiringly to the value
of field guides in helping us decipher the natural
places around us and the stories held within them.
This is followed by a very informative introduction
by Susan M. Rademacher that provides historical
context about Olmsted and the landscapes he
shaped in Louisville. Haragan then introduces the
book herself by explaining its structure and the
As far as descriptions of the plants themselves are
concerned, the book is well-worded, thorough,
and generally useful in its worded and illustrated
descriptions. Some things to consider for future
editions are:
Where there is a character described for one of
several similar species within a genus, it should be
described for all so we know whether it is a shared
character. For instance, Aesculus flava and A. glabra
are very similar species. Aesculus flava is described
as having 10 or more overlapping scales on the
buds, but the number of scales is not mentioned
for A. glabra. Similarly, A. glabra is noted as having
an unpleasant smell when the twig is bruised, but
no mention of twig smell exists in the entry for A.
flava. These would be especially useful characters
in the “Similar Species” sections where they are
different, but I feel it is important to stress that
shared characters described for one species within
a genus should be described for all included species
sharing that character within the genus, regardless
of whether they are true synapomorphies (and
perhaps especially if they are).
Where there is a visible character that helps
distinguish between two or several species within
a genus, illustrations of that character (or its lack
thereof) for all relevant species within the genus,
included side by side and to scale, would be
extremely useful. This would allow readers to easily
see the difference(s) noted and make the text a
more useful field guide for quickly distinguishing
between similar species (a job that the book’s level
of detail and vastness of species coverage make it
generally capable of). Indeed, the “Similar Species”
section is exactly this sort of useful quick field
distinguisher, and it is incredibly useful where
characters are noteworthy enough and do not share
too much overlap, but it is wanting within certain
genera.
My final suggestion is to avoid using overlapping
characters to distinguish between species. For
instance, where two species within a genus are
described, if one has leaves that are 3–6″ long and
the other has similar leaves that are 4–8″ long,
another character would be helpful (if possible) in
distinguishing between the two. This is not always
possible. I do not have a specific example earmarked
from the text at this time, but I remember being
confounded by this in the field.
In general, this text has proved remarkably useful
in the field. It usually includes necessary characters
to get down to the species level, often at any time of
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Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
information contained in the individual species
entries, and by providing good clear illustrations
of the botanical terminology used within. She also
describes each of the five main parks, their natural
distinctions, and historical contexts.
The bulk of the book consists of one-page entries
covering 384 plants selected to represent the
botanical world of the Louisville parks. These
entries include good botanical breadth of vascular
plants: ferns and fern allies, and herbaceous and
woody angiosperms including grasses, sedges,
and rushes. The author has chosen to give a lot of
information about a limited number of species, but
a good number of common species as well as some
that are rare or of particular interest are included.
The entries are arranged in a way that should make
the book easy to use—based upon plant type,
flowering time, and flower color—but the lack of
any kind of identification key is an unfortunate
omission.
Each entry is well organized and informative.
Common and scientific names for species and
family are listed as well as origin. Descriptions
include information about plant form, leaves,
flowers, fruits, and distribution. Haragan also
indicates within which of the Olmsted parks and
which of the three major Kentucky physiographic
provinces species are found. Lastly, she includes
various notes of interest that may include
ethnobotanical uses, ecological information, life
histories, medicinal uses, or name origins. Some
entries also include specific comparisons/contrasts
to similar species for assistance in distinguishing
them. The species descriptions are written for the
nonprofessional botanist and are accessible to non-
scientists, but the author doesn’t shy away from
botanical terminology; instead, she sets out to
guide her reader into learning and being able to use
this distinct language.
All entries include at least one color photograph
to illustrate the species. These photographs
are beautiful, and they clearly illustrate the
distinguishing characteristics of the flowers of each
plant. However, many of the photographs do not
show leaves and vegetative characteristics well, and
these characters can be invaluable in identification
among similar species.
I would encourage any botanist or natural
historian—professional or amateur—who lives in
or frequents Louisville to acquire this beautiful and
informative work. It is a quality tribute to America’s
greatest landscape architect, these parks he created,
and especially the plants that thrive there. More
broadly, those looking for good field guides for the
larger region of eastern deciduous forests may also
find it useful for its depth of species information
and clear illustrations.
–Amy E. Boyd, Department of Biology, Warren
Wilson College, Ashville, North Carolina, USA
HAWS: A Guide to Hawthorns of the
Southeastern United States
Ron Lance
2014. ISBN-13: 978-0-9903689-0-8
Paperback, US$29.95. 518 pp.
Published by the author, Mill River, North
Carolina, USA. www.floramontivaga.com
The genus Crataegus, predominantly represented
by shrubs and small trees and belonging to the
family Rosaceae, is native to the northern temperate
areas of the continents of North America, Europe,
and Asia. The plants belonging to this genus are
commonly known by several vernacular names
such as haw, hawthorn, hawberry, thornapple,
hawapple, whitethorn, and May-tree. The taxonomy
and identification of the genus Crataegus has
been extremely challenging and complex; a large
number of plants have been placed loosely under
this genus, which has been a major source of error
and confusion for proper identification. Hence,
there has been a historic need for the detailed
investigative analysis of several hawthorn species.
The current volume is an excellent monograph
on the hawthorns (Crataegus) of the southeastern
United States by noted biologist and forester
Ron Lance. This comprehensive volume is the
painstaking effort of an outstanding botanist and
serious researcher who, over two decades, has spent
countless hours in the field, gardens, herbaria, and
libraries observing and documenting the amazingly
complex world of hawthorns. The volume is truly
a passionate outcome of the serious hard effort
of an individual to fill a vacuum by providing,
for the first time, comprehensive information
about different species under this genus and their
variations, hybrids, and putative hybrids reported
from the distinct ecoregion of the southeastern
United States.
The volume is ornamented with over 700 high-
quality color photographs and approximately
120 line drawings of hawthorns with color-coded
distribution/range maps, summary tables, excellent
identification keys, detailed natural histories,
biogeography, botanical anecdotes on different
species, taxonomic descriptions, and a bibliography.
The volume is divided into a helpful introduction
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Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
followed by seven chapters on: the distribution of
hawthorns, an introduction to the ecoregion of
southeastern United States, anatomy, taxonomy,
natural history, horticulture, and identification of
hawthorns. There are four separate sections with
detailed keys for the series (section 1) and the taxa
(section 2); summaries and species accounts (section
3); and hybrids and putative hybrids (section 4). In
addition, there are three superb indices dealing
with southeastern Crataegus taxonomy (index A),
names (index B), and colloquial names (index C);
a useful glossary of important botanical terms; and
a comprehensive reference section for serious and
advanced researchers.
The author has achieved a balance in making this
a helpful handbook that includes the necessary
technical details, but at the same time, has
created an engaging volume with an elegant yet
straightforward style. This delicate balance of a
serious taxonomic treatment of different species,
interspersed with information about the related
botanists, biogeography, ecology, economic
importance, and horticultural information, makes
this volume of interest to both serious researchers
and nature enthusiasts. Numerous photographs,
line drawings, and images of herbarium sheets are
greatly appreciated; the color plates are a valuable
addition for the purpose of correct identification.
The keys and tables are well organized and extremely
helpful as references in the field, and a section
dedicated to hybrids also serves as an important
resource. One possible improvement to the volume
would be the inclusion of color plates of anatomical
slides showing transverse and longitudinal sections
of important diagnostic characters, as well as some
additional scanning electron micrographs of key
characters. Because such resources are not easily
available on hawthorns, it would greatly benefit
researchers working on this taxonomic group.
Overall, this is an excellent and comprehensive
volume presenting valuable information on the
hawthorns of the southeastern United States. The
volume will be useful for researchers and students in
the disciplines of botany, taxonomy and systematics,
phytogeography, biogeography, economic botany,
horticulture, and forestry. The volume will cater to
the interests of both serious academic researchers
on hawthorns as well as amateur naturalists who
are passionate about plant life.
–Saikat Kumar Basu, University of Lethbridge,
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
The Genus Erythronium
Chris Clennett
2014. ISBN-13: 978-1-84246-492-2
Hardcover, US$85.00. 158 pp.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Distributed by
The University of Chicago Press.
This volume is another in a series of Botanical
Magazine Monographs being produced
by Kew. This series has covered Lavandula
(Lamiaceae), Betula (Betulaceae), and Epimedium
(Berberidaceae), among others. It appears that
this work is part of (and contains) the author’s
PhD work on the phylogenetics of Erythronium
(Liliaceae), recently published in the Botanical
Journal of the Linnean Society (Clennett et al.,
2012). The book is authoritative and exhaustively
researched throughout. It is apparent that the
author has a passion for the biology and cultivation
of these plants and covers them in great detail.
Erythronium is a small genus of geophytes found
in North America and Eurasia. It is most diverse
in the western United States where many narrow
endemics occur. It should be well known to
botanists and hikers alike as early-blooming
wildflowers that brighten otherwise drab spring
woodlands. The species have many common names
including trout-lily, fawn-lily, and dogtooth violet.
The often mottled, somewhat leathery leaves have
inspired some of the evocative common names.
Topics covered include history of the genus,
phytogeography, morphology, phylogenetics,
ecology, cultivation, hybrids and cultivars, and
a full taxonomic treatment. The text is nicely
illustrated with photographs of every species, many
from cultivated plants but others in their natural
habitats. There are also 14 watercolor paintings (one
of which adorns the cover) spread throughout the
text. These are of the same style as those presented
in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine. They were produced
by five artists and are of varying degrees of quality.
Some appear blurry, which could be an artifact of
printing.
The taxonomic treatment is well done for the most
part. There is a key to the genus, which worked well
with the two species we have here in Wisconsin. My
biggest complaint with this chapter, and the book in
general, is the distribution maps. The maps appear
to show vegetation types in a style seen on satellite
maps; i.e., the eastern United States is green, the
western United States is primarily brown or red.
Why this is done is not explained. There are no state
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Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
or provincial borders in the respective U.S. and
Canadian parts of the maps. I find this particularly
awkward because it is hard to tell which states a
species actually occupies from the map alone. As
all but four of the species in the genus occur in
North America, it would be beneficial to have this
depicted.
Species distributions within the maps are displayed
with large white dots, but what the dots represent
is not explained either. Clennett lists specimens
he examined, but they do not necessarily match
the locations of the dots. In many cases, the dots
are piled atop one another, making their meaning
completely obscured; e.g., the state of Michigan is
completely covered with 20+ dots for E. albidum.
Worst of all, the distributions are wrong. Looking
at the two species that occur in Wisconsin (E.
americanum and E. albidum), one would be led
to believe that both are rare in the state, with E.
americanum known from only one locality. A quick
search of our state herbarium’s webpage shows that
it is recorded from 50 of our 72 counties with well
over 200 specimens. It probably occupies many of
the unmapped counties but perhaps has not been
collected due to its ubiquity in most places across
the state. The maps also lack dots for entire states
where species are known to occur, e.g., no dots for E.
americanum in Maine, despite it occurring in every
county. Both the treatment of Erythronium in Flora
of North America and the maps compiled by the
Biota of North America Program (BONAP) should
have been consulted for this work. If the maps in this
work had the aforementioned borders with even
simple shading to show distributions, they would
be much better. The author does give sometimes-
verbose explanations of the distributions; i.e.,
describing the range of E. mesochoreum and
inexplicably listing the 32 counties that it occupies
in Missouri. However, these do not make up for the
poor quality of the maps themselves.
If one is extremely interested in this genus from a
horticultural or evolutionary standpoint, this is a
good book. But, you will need to look elsewhere to
understand its phytogeography.
–John G. Zaborsky, Botany Department, University
of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA;
jzaborsky@wisc.edu
LITERATURE CITED
Clennett, J. C. B., M. W. Chase, F. Forest, O. Maurin,
and P. Wilkin. 2012. Phylogenetic systematics
of Erythronium (Liliaceae): Morphological and
molecular analyses. Botanical Journal of the
Linnean Society 170: 504–528.
Plant Systematics: The Origin, In-
terpretation, and Ordering of Plant
Biodiversity (Regnum Vegetabile
156)
Tod F. Stuessy, Daniel J. Crawford, Douglas
E. Soltis, and Pamela S. Soltis
2014.
ISBN-13: 978-3-87429-452-2
Hardcover, US$147.50. 425 pp.
Koeltz Scientific Books, Königstein, Germany
This book is focused on process, and its viewpoint is
very modern. Its core is dedicated to methodology
of phylogenetic reconstruction, analysis of support,
character evolution, and calibration of evolutionary
rates. There is also substantial coverage of major
themes in plant population and reproductive
biology, including speciation, hybridization, and
related topics essential to an understanding of
evolution in plants. While the authors are careful
to be inclusive, their emphasis, as is current in the
field they are summarizing, is very much on the
genetic and genomic.
Neither the title nor the short preface sufficiently
apprises the prospective reader of what to expect
or, more to the point, what not to expect of this
authoritative work. The authors make clear that they
wish to provide an advanced-level textbook that
covers the multiple dimensions of the evolutionary
process and the systematization of its products.
Many readers, however, will not anticipate that
this treatise, focused on the theory and practice
of plant systematics, gives no attention at all to the
results of that theory and practice. It presents no
current classification scheme, no overview of broad
evolutionary trends or discussion of relationships
among the major groups of angiosperms or
embryophytes, and certainly no outline of the
major plant families. Presumably the reader will
obtain this information from other sources. One
would therefore much more easily imagine this
work used a reference source for those engaged
in plant systematics research than as a primary
textbook for classroom-based teaching.
28
Plant Science Bulletin 61(1) 2015
Indeed, the limited attention to pedagogy in the
organization and presentation of this book suggests
that students are not really the target audience.
After two very brief introductions outlining the
importance of biodiversity and classification, the
authors proceed to several chapters on “systematic
data.” These describe in turn the structural, genetic,
molecular, phytochemical, and reproductive-
system characters that have been utilized in
plant biosystematic studies. A plant systematist
beginning a new project may find that perusal of
these chapters provides a useful overview of the
range of traits that might be considered for analysis.
Ample references are supplied, with numerous
figures from contemporary works. But the text
here is often devoid of conceptual background,
and a less specialized reader not searching for
characters to analyze may find this catalog of traits
to be an unenlightening and off-putting entry into
the subject matter of plant systematics. The most
persistent readers will eventually discover that this
book does, in fact, provide a very good introduction
to the field, in its chapter entitled “Approaches
to Systematics.” Astonishingly, the authors have
chosen to place it near the end of the volume
(Chapter 18). There one finds a thoughtful history of
classification approaches, which, otherwise placed,
might provide a rationale for reading the rest of
the book. This chapter helpfully clarifies important
concepts potentially confusing to non-systematists,
such as the difference between a phenogram and a
cladogram. Included are definitions of such basic
terms as plesiomorphic, apomorphic, synapomorphy,
homoplasy, convergence, and cladogram (!), which
were abundantly used without clarification in many
of the preceding chapters. One can only surmise
that the authors—distinguished professors as well
as researchers—simply did not conceive of this
work pedagogically. Their targeted reader would
appear to have abundant genetics but little botany
under the belt. Thus, the informative chapter on
genetic diversity in plant populations includes
a schematic flower with sepals, petals, anthers,
ovary, stigma, style, etc., all dutifully labeled for
the unenlightened, while elsewhere terms such as
homoploid, bivalent, multivalent, and homoeologous
are used without any accompanying clarification.
No glossary is provided. The literature list, on
the other hand, is almost ninety pages long and
includes over 4000 cited works, an impressive show
of scholarship by any measure. This volume seems
destined to become a significant reference for those
actively involved in plant systematics research,
but may be less likely to figure prominently on the
shopping list of other botanists.
–William B. Sanders, Department of Biological
Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers,
Florida, USA
Plant Science Bulletin
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promote botany, the field of
basic science dealing with the
study & inquiry into the form,
function, development, diversity,
reproduction, evolution, & uses
of plants & their interactions
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ISSN 0032-0919
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Plant Science
Bulletin
Spring 2015 Volume 61 Number 1
Cover image courtesy of Catherine Rushworth.
Cathy's research focuses on apomictic hybrids in the genus
Boechera. Hybrids in her study area can represent up to 14
different species, including the mat-forming B. microphylla
(shown here). Learn more about Catherine and her research on
page 15.
July 25 - 29, 2015
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