PLANT SCIENCE BULLETIN

March 1976 Volume 22 No. 1

Contents

Action of the Council and Business Meeting   2
Officers for 1976   3
Committees for 1976   6
Help!   7
Botanical Potpourri   7
Advice to Beginning Graduate Students   7
Meetings, Conferences, Courses   8
Professional Opportunities   9
Personalia   10
Activities of the Sections   10

Book Reviews
Flowering Time, Climate and Genotype. Y. Aitken.   (H. H. Lieth) 11
Flora of the Texas Coastal Bend. F. B. Jones.   (M. C. Johnson) 11
Tropical Ecological Systems. F. B. Golley & E. Medina (eds.)   (J. Ewel) 11
Plants in the Laboratory. W. J. Koch.   12
Plant Tissue Culture Methods. O. L. Gamborg & L. R. Wetter (eds.)   (M. Morselli) 12

2

ACTIONS OF THE COUNCIL AND BUSINESS MEETING

The Council of the Society met on August 17. 1975 and the business meeting was held on August 19, 1975 at Oregon State University, Corvallis in conjunction with the AIBS meeting. A synthesis of the various decisions of Council and of the membership is given below:

The following officers were elected: PRESIDENT (1976)-Barbara F. Palser; VICE-PRESIDENT (1976)-William A. Jensen; PROGRAM DIRECTOR (1976-1978)-Shirley C. Tucker; EDITORIAL BOARD, A.J.B. (1976-1978)-Donald R. Kaplan. The SECRETARY, Patricia Holmgren, and the TREASURER, C. Ritchie Bell. continue in office through 1976.

The "Guide to Graduate Study in Botany," revised by W. W. Payne of the Education Committee, is available and over 400 copies have been sold. The Career Booklet continues to have wide distribution with over 5,000 copies distributed since the last annual meeting. The 1973-1975 Yearbook was distributed to all members of the Society in the fall of 1974.

In the Treasurer's report, it was noted that membership decreased from 4,423 in June 1974 to 3.222 in June. 1975 and that there was a net loss of $25,000 for the year ending in June 1975. Thanks to an increase in dues and a reimbursement of the Society by the Journal for hack taxes, a net gain of $4,000 is projected for 1975. the first surplus in several years. The hope is to build a reserve of $65,000, i.e., a one year operating expenses. Full financial details were provided the Council and the membership by Dr. Bell, the Treasurer.

Dr. Richard A. Popham, Business Manager of AJB, presented a detailed written report on the financial status of the Journal. There was a net increase in 1974 of $25,000 to be used to build up a one year reserve and to increase the number of pages printed in an effort to reduce the back-log of manuscripts.

Dr. Ernest M. Gifford, Editor of the American Journal of Botany, reported that the acceptance rate of manuscripts is about 80% and the average time interval between receipt and publication is 11-12 months.

Dr. Augustus E. DeMaggio discussed the activities of the Program Chairman, noting cost-saving moves introduced for publication of abstracts.

Reports of Sections and Committees were inserted into the minutes of the Society and various awards were announced.

MERIT AWARD

This award is made to persons judged to have made outstanding contributions to botanical science. The first were made in 1956 at the 50th anniversary of the Botanical Society and one or more has been presented each year since that time. This year the Award Committee has selected three botanists who are eminently qualified to join the ranks of merit awardees.

Harlan P. Banks of Cornell University for his distinguished teaching of undergraduate and graduate students, numerous contributions to our knowledge of early land vegetation and services as a former President of the Botanical Society of America."

F. Herbert Bormann of Yale University "for his distinguished studies of nutrient and water flow through the Hubbard Brook Watershed, for his numerous important pronouncements on environmental hazards and for his responsible actions on behalf of the biological community."

William Campbell Steere of the New York Botanical Garden "for his fundamental contributions in the biology of the bryophytes and Arctic botany, and a long-term successful development in the administration of the New York Botanical Garden."

DARBAKER AWARD

This award is made for meritorious work in the study of microscopical algae. The two recipients are selected by a Committee of the Botanical Society which bases its judgement primarily on papers published during the last two full calendar years.

Sarah P. Gibbs of McGill University "for her significant contributions to our understanding of the Chrysophycean alga Ochromonas danica, including the fine structure of nuclear and cell division. She has concentrated on the autonomy and replication of mitochondria and chloroplasts, providing prima facie evidence that the DNA content of the chloroplast increases during development, with this development being regulated by chloroplast DNA as well as that of the nucleus."

Larry R. Hoffman of the University of Illinois "for his account of fertilization in the Chlorophycean alga Oedogonium, spanning plasmogamy, polyspermy and karyogamy. He has provided perhaps the most complete description of karyogamy in any alga to date. greatly adding to our information concerning this significant event in plants in general."

JEANETTE SIRON PELTON AWARD

The Jeanette Siron Pelton Award for sustained and imaginative productivity in the field of experimental plant morphology was established in 1969 by the Conservation and Research Foundation to honor the memory of the late Mrs. John F. Pelton. The Award consists of $1,000 given from time to time to a scientist nominated by the Botanical Society of America.

The fourth recipient of this Award is Dr. Peter Klock Hepler, whose penetrating analytical and experimental studies of the ultrastructure of differentiating cells have made a significant and lasting contribution to our perception of morphogenesis at the cellular level. In particular his work on the ultrastructure of differentiating xylem elements, on the roles of microtubules and microfibrils, and on the control of the orientation of mitotic spindles in differentiating cells have provided new insights which hold great promise for the future.

NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN AWARD

The New York Botanical Garden presents an award to the author of a recent publication making an outstanding

3

contribution to the fundamental aspects of botany. The recipient is selected by a committee of the Botanical Society.

Sol Bartnicki-Garcia of the University of California, River-side "for demonstrating that chitin cell wall microfibrils can be synthesized in vitro without a template and also for other past studies of fungal morphogenesis."

HENRY ALLAN GLEASON AWARD

The Henry Allan Gleason award of The New York Botanical Garden is made annually for an outstanding recent publication in the field of plant taxonomy, plant ecology, or plant geography.

This year the award is made to Dr. Daniel Janzen, an ecologist in the true sense, who considers whole ecosytems, not just plants or just animals. The paper is "Tropical agroecosystems," published in the issue of SCIENCE for December 21, 1973.

JESSE M. GREENMAN AWARD

The Jesse M. Greenman Award is presented each year by the Alumni Association of the Missouri Botanical Garden. It recognizes the best paper in plant systematics based on a doctoral dissertation published during the previous year.

The 8th annual award, in 1975, goes to Dr. James E. Rodman, Yale University Herbarium, Osborn Memorial Laboratory, New Haven, Connecticut for his paper "Systematics and Evolution of the Genus Cakile (Cruciferae)."

PALEOBOTANICAL SECTION AWARD

Annually an award is made to the author of the most outstanding paper presented at the annual meeting of the Paleobotanical Section of the Botanical Society of America.

This year's award is to Charles Daghlian, University of Texas, for his paper entitled "Leaf remains of Philodendron."

GEORGE R. COOLEY AWARD

The George R. Cooley Award is given annually by the American Society of Plant Taxonomists for the best paper presented at the annual meetings.

This year the Award is presented to William R. Anderson, University of Michigan, for his paper entitled "The nature and significance of cleistogamy in the Malpighiaceae."

Dr. Anitra Thorhaug presented the final report of the Charter Flight Committee for Dr. Joseph Arditti. A "profit" of $2,120.06 was recorded. This money was placed in the Dimond Award Fund for the next International Botanical Congress. The Council unanimously voted to thank the Committee for their efforts as did the membership at the Business meeting.

Dr. Harlan Banks, chairman of the Cookson Fund Committee, noted a gift of $3,000 from Isabel M. Cookson to establish a Paleobotanical Award for the best contributed paper in paleobotany presented at the annual meeting of the Society.

The Committee on Scholarly Communication with the People's Republic of China requested that the Botanical Society join them in their efforts. President Peter Raven appointed a committee, chaired by Dr. Arthur Galston, to develop a coordinated response for the Botanical Society.

OFFICERS FOR 1976

PRESIDENT:

*Barbara F. Palser

Department of Botany

Rutgers University

New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903

VICE-PRESIDENT:

William A. Jensen

Department of Botany University of California Berkeley, California 94720

SECRETARY:

*Patricia K. Holmgren (1975-1979) New York Botanical Garden

Bronx, New York 10458

TREASURER:

*C. Ritchie Bell (1973-1976)

Botany Department

Coker Hall

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514

PROGRAM DIRECTOR:

*Shirley C. Tucker

Department of Botany

Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE: Charles B. Beck (1974-1976) Department of Botany

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104

* Persons so marked are members of the Council.

Changes of Address: Notify the Treasurer of the Botanical Society of America, Inc., Dr. C. Ritchie Bell, Department of Botany, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 26514.

Subscriptions for libraries and persons not members of the Botanical Society of America are obtainable at the rate of $4.00 a year. Send orders with checks payable to "Botanical Society of America, Inc." to the Treasurer.

Manuscripts intended for publication in PLANT SCIENCE BULLETIN should be addressed to Dr. Richard M. Klein, Department of Botany, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt. 05401. Announcements, notes, short scientific articles of general interest to the members of the Botanical Society of America and the botanical community at large will be considered for publication to the extent that the limited space of the publication permits.

Material submitted for publication should be typewritten, doublespaced, and sent in duplicate to the Editor. Copy should follow the style of recent issues of the Bulletin.

Microfilms of Plant Science Bulletin are available from University Micro-film, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106.

The Plant Science Bulletin is published quarterly at the University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt. 05401. Second class postage paid at Burlington, Vermont.

4

Robert Ornduff (1975-1977) Department of Botany

University of California Berkeley, California 94720

Donald R. Kaplan (1976-1978) Department of Botany

University of California

Berkeley, California 94720

EDITOR, AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY: *Ernest M. Gifford, Jr.

Department of Botany University of California Davis. California 95616

EDITOR, PLANT SCIENCE BULLETIN:

*Richard M. Klein (1976-1980)

Department of Botany University of Vermont Burlington, Vermont 05401

BUSINESS MANAGER,

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY: *Richard A. Popham

Department of Botany

Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio 43210

SECTIONAL OFFICERS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS
FOR 1976

PAST PRESIDENT, 1975: *Peter H. Raven

Missouri Botanical Garden 2315 Tower Grove Avenue St. Louis, Missouri 63110

PAST PRESIDENT, 1974: *Theodore Delevoryas Department of Botany University of Texas Austin, Texas 78712

PAST PRESIDENT, 1973: *Arthur Cronquist

New York Botanical Garden Bronx, New York 10458

DEVELOPMENTAL SECTION:

Chairman (1976-1978) : *Howard T. Bonnett Department of Biology University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon 97403

Vice-Chairman (1976-1978): Peter B. Kaufman

Department of Botany

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104

Secretary (1976-1978): Barbara D. Webster

Department of Agronomy & Range Sciences

University of California Davis, California 95616

Representative to AJB Editorial Board (1975-1976) : William F. Millington

Department of Biology Marquette University Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233

HISTORICAL SECTION: Chairman (1972-1976): Jerry W. Stannard

Department of History University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas 66044

Vice-Chairman (1972-1976) : Harriet B. Creighton

Department of Biology

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts 02181

Secretary (1971-1976) : *Ronald L. Stuckey Department of Botany 1735 Neil Avenue

Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 43210

Representative to AJB Editorial Board (1973-1976) : Emanuel D. Rudolph

Department of Botany 1735 Neil Avenue

Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 43210

MICROBIOLOGICAL SECTION:

Chairman (1976) :

Robert W. Lichtwardt Department of Botany University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas 66044

Vice-Chairman (1976) :

Peter R. Day

Department of Genetics

Connecticut Agricultural Exp. Station New Haven, Connecticut 06504

Secretary (1975-1977) :

Annette Hervey

New York Botanical Garden Bronx, New York 10458

Representative to the Council (1973-1976) : "Ian K. Ross

Department of Biological Sciences

University of California

Santa Barbara, California 93106

Representative to AJB Editorial Board (1973-1976) : Peter R. Day

Department of Genetics

Connecticut Agricultural Exp. Station

New Haven, Connecticut 06504

PALEOBOTANICAL SECTION:

Chairman (1976) :

Tom L. Phillips

Department of Botany University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois 61801

Secretary-Treasurer (1975-1977): *David L. Dilcher

Department of Plant Sciences Indiana University

Bloomington, Indiana 47401

Representative to AJB Editorial Board (1976-1977) : Thomas N. Taylor

Department of Botany

1735 Neil Avenue

Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio 43210

5

PHYCOLOGICAL SECTION: Chairman (1974-1976): *J. Robert Waaland

Department of Botany University of Washington Seattle, Washington 98195

Secretary (1975-1977): Richard B. Searles

Department of Botany Duke University

Durham, North Carolina 27706

Representative to AJB Editorial Board (1974-1976): Karl Mattox

Department of Botany Miami University

Oxford, Ohio 45056 PHYSIOLOGICAL SECTION :

Chairperson (1973-1976) :

Jerry W. McClure

Department of Botany Miami University

Oxford, Ohio 45056 Vice-Chairperson (1973-1976):

Anitra Thorhaug

Department of Microbiology School of Medicine University of Miami 10 Rickenbacker Causeway Miami, Florida 33149

Representative to AJB Editorial Board (1973-1976) : Arthur W. Galston

Department of Biology

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut 06520

PHYTOCHEMICAL SECTION: Chairman (1976) :

*David Siegler

Department of Botany University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois 61801

Vice-Chairman (1976): David B. Dickinson Department of Botany University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois 61801

Secretary (1975-1976): Daniel J. Crawford Department of Botany University of Wyoming Laramie, Wyoming 82071

Treasurer (1976-1977): Mark W. Bierner

Department of Botany University of Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee 37916

Representative to AJB Editorial Board (1975-1976) : Yaakov Shechter

Department of Biological Sciences

Herbert H. Lehman College Bronx, New York 10468 PTERIDOLOGICAL SECTION :

Chairman (1974-1976): Richard A. White

Department of Botany Duke University

Durham, North Carolina 27706 Secretary-Treasurer (1975-1977) : Gerald J. Gastony

Department of Plant Sciences Indiana University

Bloomington, Indiana 47401

Representative to AJB Editorial Board (1974-1976) : Warren H. Wagner, Jr.

Department of Botany University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104

STRUCTURAL SECTION : Chairman (1975-1976) :

Paul Mahlberg

Botany Department

Indiana University

Bloomington, Indiana 47401

Vice-Chairman (1975-1976): Richard C. Keating

Biology Department

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Illinois 62025

Secretary-Treasurer (1975-1977):

*Donald R. Kaplan Department of Botany University of California

Berkeley, California 94720

Representative to AJB Editorial Board (1975-1977): Natalie W. Uhl

Bailey Hortorium 467 Mann Library Cornell University Ithaca, New York 14850

SYSTEMATIC SECTION: Chairman (1976-1978): *Marshall Johnston

Department of Botany University of Texas Austin, Texas 78712

Secretary (1976-1979) : Janice C. Coffey

Department of Botany Queens College

Charlotte, North Carolina 28207

Representative to AJB Editorial Board (1976-1979) : William D'Arcy

Missouri Botanical Garden 2315 Tower Grove Avenue St. Louis, Missouri 63110

TEACHING SECTION:

Chairman (1976) :

William A. Jensen

Department of Botany University of California Berkeley, California 94720

Vice-Chairman (1976) :

Franklin Flint

Biology Department

Randolf-Macon Woman's College Lynchburg, Virgina 24503

Secretary (1976-1978) :

*Leroy G. Kavaljian

Department of Biological Sciences California State University

Sacramento, California 95819

6

Representative to AJB Editorial Board (1976-1980) : S. N. Postlethwait

Department of Biological Sciences

Purdue University

West Lafayette, Indiana 47907

NORTHEASTERN SECTION: Chairman (1976) :

Mrs. Eugene Walker

14 Chestnut Street

Concord, Massachusetts 01742

Secretary-Treasurer (1973-1976) : 'Mathilde P. Weingartner

Staten Island Museum

75 Stuyvesant Place

Staten Island, New York 10301

PACIFIC SECTION:

Chairman (1976) :

Fred R. Rickson

Department of Botany and Plant Pathology Oregon State University

Corvallis, Oregon 97331

Vice-Chairman (1976) : Robert F. Thorne

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden

1500 N. College Avenue Claremont, California 91711 Secretary-Treasurer (1974-1976):

'Edward F. Anderson Department of Biology Whitman College

Walla Walla, Washington 99362

Councillor (1976) :

W. M. Hess

Department of Botany Brigham Young University Provo, Utah 84601

SOUTHEASTERN SECTION: Chairman (1974-1976) : Albert E. Radford

Department of Botany University of North Carolina

Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514

Secretary-Treasurer (1975-1977) : *Dana Griffin I1I

Department of Botany

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida 32601

Chairman of Activities Committee (1974-1976) : Gwynn Ramsey

Biology Department

Lynchburg College

Lynchburg, Virginia 24504

   COMMITTEES FOR 1976

Committee on Corresponding Members

Peter H. Raven (1978), Chairman

Theodore Delevoryas (1977) Arthur Cronquist (1976)

Merit Awards Committee

W. Gordon Whaley (1976), Chairman

Alexander Smith (1977) Charles B. Heiser, Jr. (1978) Ex officio: President

Darbaker Prize Committee

Elisabeth Gantt (1976). Chairwoman Robert Hoshaw (1977)

Larry R. Hoffman (1978)

New York Botanical Garden Award Committee Robert E. Cleland (1976), Chairman

Joseph Ewan (1976)

William A. Jensen (1976)

Warren H. Wagner, Jr. (1976)

Jeanette Siron Pelton Award Committee

Paul B. Green (1977), Chairman Virginia E. Walbot (1977) Donald R. Kaplan (1977)

Election Committee

Knut J. Norstog (1976), Chairman James A. Quinn (1977)

Thomas N. Taylor (1978)

Loran C. Anderson (1979)

Ex officio: Secretary

Education Committee

S. S. Tepfer (1976), Chairman

R. F. Scagel (1976)

Janice C. Coffey (1977) Robert S. Platt (1977) Daniel J. Crawford (1978) Charles R. Curtis (1978)

Browning Award Committee

Thomas W. Whitaker, Chairman John B. Hanson

Robert Bandurski

Conservation Committee

Bruce MacBryde (1977), Chairman Jean H. Langenheim (1976)

Norton H. Nickerson (1976)

James E. Rodman (1976)

Membership Committee

Samuel N. Postlethwait, Chairman Thomas K. Wilson

C. Ritchie Bell

Committee to Investigate Relationship between the Society and the Biology Alliance for Public Affairs Howard S. Irwin (1976)

Committee for Scientific Liaison with the People's Republic of China

Arthur W. Galston (1976), Chairman

Edward S. Ayensu (1976) Thomas S. Elias (1976) John B. Hansen (1976) Richard M. Klein (1976) Anitra Thorhaug (1976)

Representatives to various organizations

AAAS Representative Howard S. Irwin (1978)

AIBS Governing Board Representative Theodore Delevoryas (1977)

Biological Stain Commission Representative William A. Jensen (1976)

Corresponding Society of the Assembly of Life Sciences Patricia K. Holmgren (1979)

7

HELP !

The archive set of back issues of the Plant Science Bulletin is missing Volume 11, #3. If any member has a copy, would you loan it to the Editor for photocopy?

THE CACTUS FIELD BOOKS OF DAVID GRIFFITHS. For preparation of The Cacti of the United States and Canada (in press, Stanford University Press), I am curating the David Griffiths' collection of cactus specimens, mostly prickly pears. These were prepared at the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the Burbank cactus boom and bust at the turn of the century. The collection passed to the Smithsonian Institution and for many years was stored at the U.S. National Herbarium. In 1956, I was invited to curate the collection, the original set to be deposited in the National Herbarium and the first set of duplicates in the Herbarium of Pomona College. The original specimens were returned to the Smithsonian in 1970 and those from Mexico are still under study.

Griffiths' specimens are good ones, but many have no labels because the field books have not been found. Griffiths kept meticulous records; the book covering earlier studies at the University of Arizona gives complete field records of all collected specimens. The question is, "What has happened to the later field books?" The labelling of perhaps half the thousands of specimens is impossible with-out further data.

Data for many of the collections have been obtained by hook or crook. Garden record books found at the Smithsonian provided at least place names for some labels, and some data were supplied from the accession cards of the Plant Introduction Garden at Chico. California. But there is still a large residue of specimens well pressed and ready for mounting with no information except field numbers. In view of the back-breaking work necessary to obtain and press thousands of cacti, the value of salvaging these potentially valuable specimens can be appreciated. Several obvious possible sources have failed to uncover the note-books. Dr. Griffiths' secretary during the period of cactus investigation, his family and various institutions in Washington have not been able to locate the field books. I appeal to anyone who may he able to supply information concerning the Griffiths' field books. Any help will be appreciated by Pomona College where the unlabelled specimens occupy several herbarium cabinets, by the Smithsonian Institution and by all interested in the study of Opuntia. Please contact Lyman Benson, Department of Botany, Pomona College, Claremont, Calif. 91711.

BOTANICAL POTPOURRI

JEFFERSONIA is a newsletter devoted to all aspects of Virginia botany. We welcome all articles dealing with history, biography, and bibliography as well as scientific papers concerning botany in Virginia.

The newsletter is published quarterly by the University of Richmond and subscriptions are $2.00 per year. Manuscripts and requests for information should be sent to: Howard M. Smith, Editor, Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Virginia 23173.

The American Society of Plant Taxonomists announces the formation of a new journal, SYSTEMATIC BOTANY, which will begin publication in 1976. It is intended that a minimum of 400 pages per yearly volume will be published, the issues to appear quarterly. The editor will be Dr. William Louis Culberson, Department of Botany, Duke University, Durham, N.C. 27706. Membership in the ASPT is welcomed from all persons interested in biological systematics, reproductive and evolutionary biology, biogeography, chemotaxonomy, numerical taxonomy, or paleontology.

A limited number of the following monographic issues of the Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society are available at $5.00 per copy: W. C. Coker, The Lactarias of North Carolina; W. C. Coker, The Amanitas of the Eastern United States; and H. C. Beardslee, The Russulas of North Carolina. Copies of the volume entitled Mycological Studies Honoring J. N. Couch are available at $10.00 each. Make check payable to the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society. Address all orders to the Executive Editor, Department of Botany, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27514.

The GUIDE TO GRADUATE STUDY IN BOTANY FOR THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA, 1974, published by the Society, lists 98 plant science departments in the U.S. and 20 in Canada which offer the Ph.D. Each departmental listing includes the name and address of the institution, name of department with number of faculty, current graduate enrollment, fields of specialization and titles of recent Ph.D. theses. The GUIDE is invaluable in assisting students in making choices of graduate schools. It is available at $3 from Dr. Patricia Holmgren, Secretary, Botanical Society of America, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, N.Y. 10458. Checks should be made pay-able to The Botanical Society of America, Inc. and should he included with the order.

Advice to Beginning Graduate Students

1. DO introduce yourself to departmental office personnel, and then get out of the office.

DON'T hang around the office. It's full of cranky old women who are out to get you or with pretty young women—ditto.

2. DO stay within the confines of your assigned hole which is in keeping with your station in life.

DON'T put your bottom in the chief's chair and day-dream of occupying it.

3. DO write or type your own letters.

DON'T think that secretaries have been put on earth for the pleasure and convenience of graduate students.

4. DO accept only those departmental keys which are necessary to sustain life, i.e., access to your hole, laboratory and building.

DON'T acquire, borrow, find or duplicate any other keys. Eventually some fugitive from the CIA will find out about it and then all the locks will be changed with consequent paranoia all around.

5. DO run your own errands and offer to pick up whatever the "girls" want. You're young and the exercise will do you good.

DON'T bother me — I can't cope.

6. DO offer to fill teaching emergencies. Faculty may not even thank you . . . but they remember.

DON'T think that your time is as valuable as that of a professor. It really may be, but you won't find anyone beside yourself who will agree with you.

Nancy Briggs
College of Medicine
University of Vermont

8

Meetings, Conferences, Courses

The Advance Registration Application form for the 1976 A.I.B.S. Meeting at Tulane University will appear in the February issue of BioScience. Forms are also avail-able from the American Institute of Biological Sciences, 1401 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va. 22209.

Students will be accepted into a tutorial program in COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY OF ALGAE scheduled from June 21 to August 1, 1976 at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Mass. 02543, to acquaint them with the organisms and the types of questions they can be used to answer. A series of coordinated seminars on algal physiology, biochemistry, genetics, development, ecology, macro, micro and molecular morphology and related subjects with evolution serving as the unifying concept serves to introduce problems of current importance and future potential. The laboratory provides lectures, projects and field experience in the taxonomy, morphology and ecology of algal groups, enrichment of microalgae, and experimental work on the physiology, biochemistry and development of individual organisms. Several scholarships will be awarded based on talent and need. Catalogs and applications can be obtained from MBL (address above) and should be returned to the Laboratory together with supporting materials by March 15, 1976.

The first circular describing the Second International Mycological Congress has been mailed to interested per-sons throughout the world. For the purpose of preliminary planning, this circular had a December 15, 1975 return date. However, the second circular will not be mailed until the summer of 1976 and there is ample opportunity for all to contribute to the program. Contact Dr. Melvin S. Fuller, Secretary IMC2, Department of Botany, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602.

The Northeastern Section of the Botanical Society will hold a field meeting on June 14-17, 1976 at Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire. Contact Miss M. Weingartner at the Staten Island Museum, 75 Stuyvesant Place, Staten Island, N.Y. 10301.

The University of Virginia will again be offering short courses on Taxonomy of Seed Plants, Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecology, Pteridology and Ecological Genetics at its Mountain Lake Biological Station. Contact J. J. Murray, Jr. at the Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va. 22901.

Dr. Thomas Hodges of Purdue University is organizing the plant part of a symposium on "Water Relations in Membrane Transport in Plants and Animals" to be held in conjunction with the meetings of the American Physiological Society in Philadelphia on August 15-20, 1976.

The American Institute of Biological Sciences and the U. S. National Park Service are co-sponsoring a "National Conference on Scientific Research in the National Parks" to be held in New Orleans on 9-13 November, 1976. Papers will be accepted in areas including aquatic Biology, Geology, Meteorology, Paleobotany and Terrestrial Biology. Contact Lorraine Tucker, AIBS, 1401 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va. 22209.

The annual meeting of the Canadian Botanical Association will be held at Bishop's University, Lennoxville, Quebec on June 6-10, 1976.

The annual meeting of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America will be held in Houston, Texas on November 28-December 3, 1976. Additional information can be obtained from Mike Holmberg, Amer. Soc. Agron., 677 S. Segoe Road, Madison, Wisc. 53711. These societies are co-sponsoring, with the Tennessee Valley Authority, a symposium on "The Role of Phosphorus in Agriculture" at Muscle Shoals, Alabama on June 1-3, 1976.

Bishop's University will offer "The Jenckes Foundation Program in Field Biology" for the third consecutive summer. The dates are July 5-August 13. The course carries 9 university credits. Registration is limited to 30 students. Tuition is $195.00. Bursaries are available to well-qualified and highly recommended applicants. Participants will study a wide range of distinctive habitats. Living organisms will also be brought to the laboratory for further study. The program will be intensive and full-time. This program is useful to ecologically oriented biology undergraduates and graduates who wish to extend their familiarity with organisms in the field. Instructors will include Dr. Donald F. J. Hilton (host-parasite-vector specialist), Dr. James Hull (plant ecology-allelopathy) and Dr. Arthur N. Lang-ford (plant ecology and general botany) as well as visiting specialists. Correspondence and requests for application forms should be directed to Dr. Douglas F. Brown, Chair-man, Department of Biological Sciences, Bishop's University, Lennoxville, Quebec JIM 1Z7.

The International Atomic Energy Agency and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations will sponsor the International Symposium on Soil Organic Matter studies, Braunschweig, Federal Republic of Germany, September 6-10, 1976. There is enclosed an information sheet on the meeting. The Energy Research and Development Administration will coordinate the U.S. participation and serve as the official government channel for the Symposium. Inquiries on participation should be directed to John H. Kane, Special Assistant for Conferences, Office of Public Affairs, MS; A1-5216.

Interest in returning disturbed lands to productivity has intensified recently as more lands are being disrupted in the search for energy. A group of scientific organizations has organized a symposium on "Reclamation of Drastically Disturbed Lands" which will bring together experts from several disciplines to summarize what is known about reclamation and to identify areas where more information is needed. The symposium will be held at the Ohio Agri-cultural Research and Development Center in Wooster, Ohio, August 9-12, 1976, sponsored by the American Society of Agronomy. Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Society of American Foresters, Society for Range Management, Soil Conservation Society of America, The Institute of Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. For additional information, contact the chairman of the planning committee, Dr. Paul Sutton, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Route 6, Caldwell, Ohio 43724 or the American Society of Agronomy, 677 South Segoe Road, Madison, Wisconsin 53711.

The Northeast Algal Symposium will be held at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543. The Symposium will begin at 1:30 p.m., April 30th and terminate at 5:00 p.m., May 1st; registration of attendants will be from 8:00-12:00 a.m., Friday, April 30th in the main lobby of the Woods Hole Swope Conference Center. Contact Robert T. Wilce, Department of Botany, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass. 01002.

The W. Alton Jones Cell Science Center announces four technique courses on "Tissue Culture Techniques for Plant Propagators" to be held April 12-13, April 14-15, September 20-21 and September 22-23. Drs. Toshio

9

Murashiga and Donald K. Dougall are co-directors of the courses. Additional information can be obtained from the Course Secretary, W. Alton Jones Cell Science Center, Old Barn Road, Lake Placid, N.Y. 12946.

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

The Botany Department, University of British Columbia, has one opportunity for graduate work in the following areas:
Amino acid sequence studies on plant proteins; Germination and early growth of Alnus rubra.

Inquiries, including a letter outlining the nature of interest to the selected area, should be addressed to Dr. I.E.P. Taylor, Botany Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1W5.

RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS IN POLLEN MORPHOLOGY

Applications are invited from students wishing to pursue post-graduate work, leading to the M.Sc. degree, on pollen morphology and its applications in taxonomy. For further information contact Dr. J. K. Morton, Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1.

FAIRCHILD TROPICAL GARDEN

The Fairchild Tropical Garden, Miami. Florida will have a full-time, permanent position available for a plant taxonomist to work at the Garden beginning July 1, 1976. The position involves carrying out an active research pro-gram in cycads, curatorial work in the herbarium and participating in the day-to-day taxonomic activities of a tropical botanical garden.

Applicants must hold the Ph.D. degree with a major in plant taxonomy or biosystematics. Preference will be given to those who have had post-doctoral training or experience at a major center of taxonomic research. The salary level is related to training and experience.

Applicants should send a resume including a statement of pertinent experience and research interest, together with copies of official transcripts and three letters of reference to Chairman, Selections Committee, Fairchild Tropical Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Miami, Fla. 33156; telephone 305-667-1651. Deadline for applications: May 1, 1976.

The New York Botanical Garden, a private, non-profit institution, located in the Bronx, New York, is seeking applications for the position of Assistant Plant Information Officer. The function of this position is to assist with and supplement the work of the Plant Information Office to provide information on botanical, horticultural and related topics in response to inquiries from the general public, business and industry and from governmental agencies. This person will answer telephone, written and personal inquiries on a daily basis. He will be expected to assist in the development of publications, public education program and other informational and educational devices in cooperation with the staff of the Education Services Division under the direct supervision of the Plant Information Officer.

A master's degree in Botany or Horticulture with emphasis on Plant Taxonomy is required. Preference will be given to applicants with doctoral level training or attainment. This is a full-time (12 month), permanent position. Salary is $11,000 and up. The position will be open on

December 1, 1975. Please send full, written resume to Dr. Frank Polach, Plant Information Officer, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York 10458.

The successful applicant for the Forest B. H. and Elizabeth D. W. Brown Postdoctoral Fellowship in Botanical Sciences will work for one year in some aspect of botany with a faculty member in the Department of Biology at Yale University. Tenure must begin between July 1, 1976 and July 1, 1977. Send resume to Administrative Assistant, 102 Kline Biology Tower, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520.

Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas announces its search for Chairman and Professor, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. The department offers curricula in field crops, soils and horticulture leading to B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees. The candidate must possess the Ph.D. degree in the area of Crops, Soils, Horticulture, or a very closely related field. Demonstrated evidence of administrative capability or potential in academic programs is necessary. Salary is open.

Interested candidates must apply or nominations must be made by March 15, 1976. Candidates should send professional resume and a list of a minimum of 3 references to Dr. W. F. Bennett, College of Agricultural Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409; telephone 806-742-4271.

Faculty position is open for a Plant Ecologist-Morphologist at Juniata College. This person will be responsible for teaching undergraduate plant ecology and morphology units and must be capable of developing advanced units of a departmental or interdisciplinary nature. The applicant should also be willing to participate in an undergraduate advising program and, to a limited extent, in a general education program. Although emphasis will be on teaching responsibilities, interest in research, especially with under-graduate participation, is desirable. A Ph.D. in botany or related sciences is required; some teaching experience is desirable.

The position will start at a rank of instructor or assistant professor. The starting date is September 1976. Annual contracts are renewable. Address inquiries to Dr. Robert P. Zimmerer, Chairman, Biology Department, Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania 16652.

THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION—PEACE CORPS ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM is seeking applications from botanists, biologists and plant pathologists for a variety of two-year teaching, research or administrative assignments overseas. Sample assignment: BOTANIST, NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDEN OF THE PHILIPPINES. Responsibilities include assisting in the layout and management of the garden; working with the scientific collections including a new medicinal plant collection, a nursery for propagating ornamentals and forest seedlings, and an experimental area to study forest pests and diseases; and conducting research in selected areas. Requirements: M.S. or Ph.D. in plant ecology, nature conservation, plant taxonomy or forestry, with field experience in tropical forests desirable. For information on this and other assignments, write to Dr. James A. Sherburne, Smithsonian—Peace Corps Environmental Program, Dept. P-2, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560.

The Herbarium of the University of California, Berkeley, has established a small fund to support collection of botanical specimens in selected parts of Mexico, Central and South America, the Antilles, and the Pacific Basin (including Southeast Asia). Botanists (or biologists doing

10

botanically related studies) who wish to supplement their field expenses and who are willing to collect labeled, but not necessarily identified, herbarium specimens from these areas for the University Herbarium are eligible to apply for subsidies from this fund. Grants will generally be less than $500. Applicants should include a curriculum vitae, their planned itinerary, approximate quantity and kind of collections to be made (plant group(s), general vs. specific), and a statement of anticipated costs not met by other funding. Applicants should also arrange to have a letter of recommendation sent separately. Application and supporting letter should be sent to Robert Ornduff, Director, University Herbarium, Department of Botany, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720.

Position open for Assistant Professor in September 1976. Botanist/Biologist with interest in undergraduate teaching. Diversified training with competence in plant development, systematics, and general biology. Ph.D. preferred. Send resume, with names of three references, and graduate transcripts to Dr. Daniel J. Bean, Department of Biology, Saint Michael's College, Winooski, Vermont 05404.

Plant Physiological-Ecologist. Applications and nominations are invited for a position beginning September 1976. Preference will be given to those with research interests in plant physiological ecology but consideration will be given to strong applicants in Photobiology and other areas of experimental botany. Rank and salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. Deadline for applications is March 15, 1976. To apply send complete curriculum vitae and names of three references to Dr. R. A. Paterson, Head, Department of Biology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va. 24061.

Assistant Professor, Laboratory of Plant Hardiness. The Laboratory of Plant Hardiness, Department of Horticultural Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Minnesota will receive applications by April 23, 1976 for a position at the assistant professorship level. Applicants must have the Ph.D. in biophysics or physical chemistry with strong interests in horticulture and biochemistry or other plant science or a Ph.D. in horticulture with working skills in biophysics and physical chemistry. Address inquiries to Dr. C. Stushnoff, Department of Horticultural Science, 326 Alderman Hall. University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn. 55108.

PERSONALIA

Following the appointment of Professor J. E. Cruise to the Directorship of the Royal Ontario Museum, Dr. John Grear has been appointed to the position of Curator of the Vascular Plant Herbarium of the University of Toronto (TRT) .

Peter H. Raven, director of the Missouri Botanical Garden and professor of biology at Washington University, has been named George Engelmann Professor of Botany. With this appointment, he becomes the fourth botanist to be so honored since the Engelmann chair was established at Washington University in 1885. Previous Engelmann professors, all of whom were or became directors of the Missouri Botanical Garden, and their periods of tenure as Engelmann Professor include: William Trelease (1885-1909) ; George T. Moore (1909-1937) ; and Edgar Anderson (1937-1966).

Engelmann, a former WU professor, physician, botanist and meteorologist, was the man who served as advisor to

Henry Shaw when he set about to create what is now known as "Shaw's Garden." As Shaw's emissary in 1857, Engelmann purchased the Bernhardi herbarium in Erfurth, Germany, a 40,000-species collection which formed the nucleus of the present-day herbarium at the Missouri Botanical Garden, one of the most important in the world. Through the efforts of these iwo men, the Missouri Botanical Garden was founded in 1859.

University of Texas System Regents approved the appointment of Dr. Harold C. Bold, UT-Austin professor of botany, as the first C. L. Lundell Professor of Systematic Botany. The Lundell Professorship of Systematic Botany was established by a gift to the University by Dr. and Mrs. C. L. Lundell in 1972. Among the many professional and academic organizations in which Dr. Bold is active are the Botanical Society of America, Phycological Society of America, the Southwestern Association of Naturalists and the Texas Academy of Science. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

On September 20, 1975 Dr. Scott Mori began a two year appointment as a research associate at The New York Botanical Garden. Dr. Mori is working with Dr. Ghillean Prance on a monograph of the New World Lecythidaceae for eventual publication in Flora Neotropica. Volume I will include treatments of Asteranthos, Gustavia, Grias, Allantoma, and Cariniana and is scheduled to he completed by September 1977.

ACTIVITIES OF THE SECTIONS

News of the Developmental Section

In connection with the meeting at Oregon State University in August 1975, the Developmental Section held a luncheon meeting. The great minds elected the following officers: Chairperson: Howard Bonnett (Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Oregon, Eugene 97403) ; Vice-Chairperson: Peter Kaufman (Dept. of Botany, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48194): Representative to the American Journal of Botany: William Millington (Dept. of Biology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wis. 53233): and Secretary-Treasurer: Barbara Webster (Dept. of Agronomy and Range Science, Univ. of California, Davis, Calif. 95616, AC 916-752-2468).

It was decided that abstracts submitted to annual meetings of the Society to the Developmental and to the Structural Sections should be integrated in order to achieve a more coordinated program. Accordingly, Don Kaplan (Secretary to the Structural Section) and I have worked together to schedule presentations for the forthcoming meetings at Tulane. We received a total of 78 abstracts.

Members of the Development Section raised the question of NSF funding within the Developmental Biology Program at the annual meeting in Corvallis. I am passing along the data sent me for fiscal year 1975. Forty of 104 (38.5%) proposals with a botanical orientation were funded compared to 76 of 197 (38.6%) proposals with a zoological orientation. This included proposals for small supplements, conferences, etc., as well as competitive re-search proposals. It excluded proposals for work with Dictyostelium, Physarum, bacterial sporulation, etc. On the basis of these data, botanists appear to be competing equally for grant support.

11

There are 2 vacancies for Corresponding Members of the Botanical Society. According to the by-laws of the society, "Corresponding Members shall be chosen from authors of important contributions to the science of botany." The Developmental Section does not have a defined procedure for the nomination of persons for corresponding membership, but the following guidelines are suggested: 1) any member interested in the nomination of a person for corresponding membership should send name and vitae of the nominee to Howard Bonnett, requesting sponsorship of the Developmental Section for the candidate; 2) the member should then send bibliographic information, including a list of publications of the nominee, to members of the Developmental and other Sections, requesting their support in the form of a letter of recommendation. Sup-porting letters on prospective Corresponding Members should be sent to Dr. Peter Raven, Chairman, Committee on Corresponding Members, Missouri Botanical Garden, 2315 Tower Grove Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63110. I think you will be pleased to know that Dr. Elizabeth Cutter, a member of the Developmental Section, was elected as a Corresponding Member by the Society at its 1975 meeting.
Barbara Webster, Secretary

BOOK REVIEWS

AITKEN, YVONNE. Flowering Time, Climate and Genotype. Melbourne Univ. Press. 1975. 193 pp. $29.70.

The book by Yvonne Aitken represents an excellent report of her research program on flowering of several agricultural plants over a wide range of geographical latitudes and climates. The plants for which development and flowering seasonality were mainly investigated were: wheat, peas, subterranean clover, red clover, oats, ryegrass, and barley; all from two important families: grasses and legumes. Auxiliary information is provided for 45 more species. The generalizing title of the book is further justified by the introductory 20 pages of history of phenology and plant development and climate. The chapters following carry similarly generalized titles but cover basically the subject platter with regards to the crop plants mentioned: Plant development and shoot structure (20 pp.), climate and growing season (42 pp.), maturity genotypes (various aspects and chapters, 86 pp.), and application of develop-mental analysis (26 pp.).

Ms. Aitken studies especially the maturity genotype concept under different climatic constraints like growing season length. temperature, photoperiod. The discussions demonstrate the enormous amount of field work that has gone into this book. It is impossible here to cover the many aspects of seasonal development that were investigated. The book is a bonanza for modelers searching for excellent data. Fifty-four figures, many with several individual blocks, excellently drawn, illustrate the data gathered. Numerous tables back up the statements contained in the text. This explains the price of almost $30 for a book of 193 pages.

The book is a substantial contribution to plant development and seasonality research. It should certainly be respected by all agricultural climatologists and crop ecologists. The many examples presented invite the use of the book as reading material in developmental biology. Text-book writers should consult this book for its excellent graphs to demonstrate evidences for seasonality, temperature vs. photoperiod effects. etc. The authoress should he highly commended for this major contribution to phenology.

Helmut H. Lieth University of North Carolina

JONES, FRED B. Flora of the Texas Coastal Bend. Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation. P.O. Drawer 1400, Sinton, Texas 78387. U.S.A. January, 1975. 1 vol. i-xxxvi, 1-262. $7.80.

The vascular plants of a coastal area approximately 150 km long by 100 km wide, centered around the city of Corpus Christi, are treated. Included are 1,321 species in 585 genera in 135 families. Clear and concise dichotomous keys and short descriptions and distributional statements are given. Topography, climate and vegetation are summarized briefly. One new species, Boerhavia rrrathisiana Jones. is described in Latin and English. A few very well done line drawings by Evelinc Jackson are presented.

This is a superb local flora of the kind one wishes were available for every region. Mr. Jones is to be warmly congratulated.

Marshall C. Johnston University of Texas, Austin

GOLLEY, F. B., and E. MEDINA (editors). Tropical

Ecological Systems: Trends in Terrestrial and Aquatic

Research. Ecological Studies 11. Springer-Verlag. N.Y.

1975. 398 pp.

This volume contains papers presented at a 1973 symposium in Caracas. All 25 papers are in English and the 42 contributors represent 11 countries; more than half the contributors are from temperate latitudes. The book is divided into eight sections, each section preceded by a brief and almost information-free introduction by the editors. The papers are of much more uneven quality than one would normally expect to find in a volume of this sort. They include literature reviews, premature data papers, and, happily, six or eight papers which are outstanding examples of high quality tropical ecological research.

Almost half of the titles are of interest to tropical ecologists whose interests are primarily botanical. Hart-shorn gives a lucid review of his application of l.efkavitch's population model to Pentaclethra macroloba, an important tree in the wet Atlantic lowlands of Costa Rica. Knight examined various ages of second-growth on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, and adds to the scant literature on succession in tropical American forests. In a monograph-length paper. Montgomery and Sunquist report their studies dealing with sloths, including their feeding behavior and impact on the forests. Haines provides new data on nutrient concentration by leaf cutting ants and its effect on seedling and root growth. Klinge et al. summarize (again) their biomass and forest structure data from Central Amazonia. Huttel makes a valuable addition to the tiny amount of data available on root distribution under tropical evergreen forest. A paper by Malaisse et al. makes available in English some of their detailed observations on litter fall and de-composition in miombo forest in Zaire. Lugo et al. report on a series of metabolic diurnals in which they measured photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration in various compartments (canopy leaves, trunks, prop roots, etc.) of three mangrove species in Florida. The oustanding paper in the volume is the 44 page review by l.amotte, in which he summarizes the studies of his group on a Borassu.s palm savanna at Lamto, Ivory Coast. The whole ecosystem is dissected for us: primary producers, vertebrates, inverte-

12

The papers cover such a wide range of topics and are of climate and fire.

The papers cover such a wide range of topics and are of such variable quality that the whole volume will be of interest only to a handful of readers. The better papers might have received wider distribution had they been published in the usual journals. Only the few ecosystem-level summaries which might not have otherwise appeared in English carry the rest of the volume.

Jack Ewel University of Florida

KOCH, WILLIAM J. Plants in the Laboratory. The Macmillan Company, New York. 207 pp. 1973.

This manual and text is designed to be used in courses that cover the study of a broad range of plants. The book is divided into four parts each with several projects. Directions are excellent for allowing a student to proceed in-dependently. The variety of projects is intended to show the student that understanding of plants comes from a number of different approaches. The use of living material is emphasized and methods of collection are given. Also included are sources of prepared material for use if living material is not available or to supplement living material.

Part 1 deals with collection, identification and culture of plants. Thorough directions for culture of all groups from bacteria through seed plants are given. Included are formulae and methods of preparing a number of media and basic techniques of culture and isolation. A list of references for the identification of all groups of plants is included. Although not complete, it is fairly representative.

Part 2 introduces the student to microtechniques. Included are directions for the use of the microscope, preparation of slides, formulae for killing agents and stains, smear techniques for studying chromosomes, and the preparation of replicas of leaf surfaces.

Projects in Part 4 constitute a survey of the plant kingdom in evolutionary sequence. As the author states, these are the heart of the laboratory work in most introductory plant kingdom courses." All of the main groups of plants are treated with the same format, facilitating comparison. The discussion in each project includes sections on taxonomy, importance, occurrence, vegetative features, asexual reproduction, and sexual reproduction. Directions are complete but leave questions for the student. The projects not only include directions for morphological and anatomical observations but for observations of the reactions and development of living plants. The introductory material includes an outline of major plant groups showing various systems of classification, a geological timetable with the important events in plant evolution, a map showing primary productivity of the biosphere, and a list of references.

The text is enhanced by drawings of methods, implements, and plant structures and by photographs of representative species.

This manual promises to be excellent for plant kingdom survey courses. The wealth of material available allows for considerable flexibility in its use. The teacher will also welcome the collection in one manual of cultural methods for a wide variety of plants.

GAMBORG, O. L. and L. R. WETTER (eds.). Plant

Tissue Culture Methods. Available as NRCC 14383

from Publications N.R.C.C., Ottawa, Ont., Canada

K 1 A DR6. 1975. 110 pp. illus. Can. $6.00 paperbound.

"Plant Tissue Culture Methods" is the result of a group effort by the laboratory staff of the Prairie Regional Laboratory and the Biology Department of the University of Saskatchewan. They have, in a very compact form, put together a manual on plant cell cultures, procedures and application. This book is not a complete monograph on plant tissue culture methodology since it deals only with plant cell culture lines that have been started since 1963 in the Prairie Regional Laboratory. Every method is described, but the authors make very clear that the required conditions for each plant species vary and must be ascertained experimentally. This may even sound a little too optimistic because we know that some plant species have not been successfully cultured or differentiated and propagated in vitro. But the detailed procedures in each chapter may help researchers to sharpen their own methods to obtain successful cell culture lines of plant species which so far have been quite stubborn.

A table of contents opens this most useful manual, a well prepared index closes it. Each of the 17 chapters is conveniently divided in 5 parts: A. Equipment; B. Materials and Reagents; C. Procedures; D. Discussion; and E. References. The book is illustrated with diagrams and photographs. Most of the references for each chapter are from publications of the Prairie Regional Lab., but Appendix VIII is a relatively extensive bibliography on technology and application of plant tissue and organ cultures and includes many books, papers, and reviews published up to 1974. The appendices with media recipes, dry weight and mitotic index determinations, lists of suppliers of purified enzymes for protoplast production, and of laboratory equipment and glassware are very welcome. Thanks to Gamborg and Wetter for a most needed handy manual which is worth adding to our lab methodology references.

Maria franca Morselli University of Vermont

PLANT SCIENCE BULLETIN DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT BURLINGTON, VERMONT 05401