P
LANT
S
CIENCE
Bulletin
Spring 2013 Volume 59 Number 1
In This Issue..............
Susan Singer Wins Science
Prize ......p. 15
AJB explores Advances in
Plant Tropisms in new Special
Issue...p. 3
Join the Best in botany this Summer!
Six BSA members honored as new
AAAS Fellows.....p. 12
From the Editor
Spring 2013 Volume 59 Number 1
PLANT SCIENCE
BULLETIN
Editorial Committee
Volume 59
-Marsh
Elizabeth Schussler
(2013)
Department of Ecology &
Evolutionary Biology
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996-1610
eschussl@utk.edu
Christopher Martine
(2014)
Department of Biology
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA 17837
c
hris.martine@bucknell.edu
Carolyn M. Wetzel
(2015)
Department of Biological Sci-
ences & Biochemistry Program
Smith College
Northampton, MA 01063
Tel. 413/585-3687
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
“Is Botany a Suitable Study for Young Men?
An idea seems to exist in the minds of some
young men that botany is not a manly study:
that it is merely one of the ornamental branches,
suitable enough for young ladies and effeminate
youths, but not adapted for able-bodied and vig-
orous-brained young men who wish to make the
best use of their powers.”
—J.F.A. Adams, M.D. 1887. Science IX (209): 116.
I was reminded of this article from over 125 years
ago when I saw the front page of the Tuesday,
February 5, Science Times - Section D of the New
York Times. The article “Clues to a Troubling
Gap” summarized an international science test
of 15-year-olds that demonstrated girls in most
countries scored better than boys in math and sci-
ence, including in eight of the ten highest scoring
countries. A conspicuous outlier was the United
States, where boys scored almost 3% higher than
girls (only Lichtenstein and Colombia had scores
skewed more towards males---and yes, the U.S.
was not in the top 20 of overall scores).
It seems that in both 1887 and 2013, the prob-
lems are (were) the same cultural factors: stereo-
types, relevance, and opportunities. During the
past few decades great efforts have been made,
particularly in the biological sciences, to over-
come stereotypes and provide opportunities for
women. (Imagine the skew if the international
test excluded biology.) Nevertheless, the task re-
mains for us to engage, challenge, and excite all of
our students. But as the images in the past few
volumes of this journal imply, it may be time for
us to increase our focus on the young men in our
classes who seem to show less and less inclination
toward science in general and botany in particu-
lar. Now there’s a challenge!
1
Table of Contents
Society News ..................................................................................................
2
Letter to the Editor ..............................................................................................................2
New Issues of
APPS online ................................................................................................2
American Journal of Botany Publishes Special Issue on Advances in Plant Tropisms ......3
BSA seeks Editor-in-Chief for
American Journal of Botany .............................................5
BSA Science Education News and Notes .......................................................
6
Hearty Thanks and Hellos ..................................................................................................6
Opportunities to Contribute and Participate .......................................................................7
Editors Choice Review ...................................................................................
8
Announcements ...............................................................................................
9
In Memoriam - David E. Fairbrothers - 1925-2012 ...........................................................9
New AAAS Fellows .........................................................................................................12
Susan Singer Wins Science Prize for Web-Based Teaching Tool .....................................15
National Tropical Botanical Garden Honors Scottish Botanist ........................................16
Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art, Nashville, TN ....................................18
Ohio Invasive Plants Council Releases New Evaluation Protocol ...................................19
Reports and Reviews ......................................................................................
21
Developmental & Structural ............................................................................................21
Ecological .........................................................................................................................22
Economic Botany .............................................................................................................24
Mycological .....................................................................................................................25
Physiological ...................................................................................................................28
Systematics ......................................................................................................................30
Books Received .............................................................................................
32
Hilton Riverside, New Orleans, LA July 27-31, 2013
www.botanyconference.org
Abstract Submission Site &
Registration
Now Open
2
Society News
Letter to the Editor
On the Origin of Seed Plants
Contrary to the view of William Burger in his article, “Angiosperm Origins — Monocots First?” [Plant
Science Bulletin 58(4): 162 (http://botany.org/plantsciencebulletin/psb-2012-58-4.pdf)], the monophyletic
origin of seed plants is not a mere parsimonious view, but rather a firm conclusion based on sound evidence.
A number of structural features that appear in the primitive ovules of Paleozoic gymnosperms also appear
in some extant angiosperms (e.g, Trifolium repens, Magnolia grandifolia, Limnanthes douglasiia) and more
prominently in the bel1-3 mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana. These shared features provide the phylogenetic
link between extant angiosperm ovules and those of gymnosperms from the Late Devonian Period. In
addition, evidence from extant gymnosperms and angiosperms makes clear that: (1) the nucellus is a
sporangiophore of cauline origin which bears a single, terminal megasporangium; (2) the integument
evolved by the fusion of both sterile and fertile (megasporangia bearing) telomes, which retained a
measure of fertility after the fusion; and (3) heterospory in seed plants is uniquely dissimilar to heterospory
elsewhere in vascular plants in that energy required for gametogenesis is derived throughout the process
rather than solely from energy sources previously accumulated in the megaspores and microspores. [see
American Journal of Botany 82(4): 547-564. 1995 for details (http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/2445703.
pdf?acceptTC=true.)
-J. M. Herr, Jr., Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
BSA’s new, online-only, open access journal, Applications in Plant Sciences (APPS), premiered on the
BioOne platform on 2 January 2013. The inaugural issue included 11 articles: an editorial, four protocol
notes and six primer notes. One highlighted article describes a new method for PCR amplification of
recalcitrant DNA that allows researchers to overcome some of the inhibitory plant compounds that prevent
successful PCR. Samarakoon et al. added a reagent to the PCR mixture that contains three ingredients:
trehalose, bovine serum albumin, and polysorbate-20 (all three abbreviated TBT-PAR). “Unlike several
other studies, TBT-PAR works at the PCR stage instead of at the DNA extraction stage, so it has promise
for pigeon-holed and half-forgotten extractions that previously failed to be amplified using PCR,” says
Samarakoon. (Read more about the Samarakoon et al. paper at http://www.bioone.org/doi/pdf/10.3732/
apps.1200236.) Other highlights from the issue include a paper by Morawetz presenting a technique to
effectively clear plant tissue for subsequent examination and an article by Roschanski et al. introducing a
protocol for the annotation of transcriptome sequence data and the identification of candidate genes. The
entire table of contents may be found at http://www.bioone.org/loi/apps.
The February issue published online on February 7 (http://www.bioone.org/toc/apps/1/2).
Featured in the February issue is an article by Stull et al. (http://www.bioone.org/doi/pdf/10.3732/
apps.1200497) describing a new sequencing method that will allow potentially hundreds of plant chloroplast
genomes to be sequenced at one time. This new method relies on efficient separation of chloroplast DNA
from other DNA in the cell using short DNA “baits” that were designed from chloroplast genomes that
have already been sequenced. These molecular baits effectively concentrate the chloroplast DNA before
sequencing (a process termed “targeted enrichment”), dramatically increasing the number of samples that
can be sequenced at once. Greg Stull, a graduate student at the University of Florida and lead author of
the study, summarizes the versatility of the new system: “With this method, it should be possible for
New Issues of APPS online
3
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
American Journal of Botany
Publishes Special Issue on
Advances in Plant Tropisms
Elementary school students often learn
that plants grow toward the light. This seems
straightforward, but in reality, the genes and
pathways that allow plants to grow and move
in response to their environment are not fully
understood. Leading plant scientists explore
one of the most fundamental processes in plant
biology—plant movement in response to light,
water, and gravity—in the January Special Issue of
the American Journal of Botany.
Plant movements, known as tropisms, are
crucial for plant survival from the second a plant
germinates to how a plant positions its flowers
researchers to cheaply sequence hundreds of
chloroplast genomes for any flowering plant group
of interest.”
(Read more about the Stull et al. study at http://
www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/ajob-
sho013113.php.)
BSA members are encouraged to contribute to
the success of BSA’s new journal by submitting their
research. The editorial board especially encourages
submissions of new protocols and methods
that improve investigations in any area of plant
biology, including methods on genetic markers,
morphological, physiological, biochemical,
anatomical, and ecological data collection. As
Editor-in-Chief Theresa Culley notes in her editorial
in the January issue, “APPS will help further [the
BSA’s mission of promoting botany] by fostering
communication within the botanical community,
and by encouraging the forward movement of
the plant sciences through the sharing of newly
developed tools and protocols.”
Authors wishing to contribute papers to APPS
should review the newly expanded Instructions
for Authors (http://www.botany.org/apps/APPS_
Author_Instructions.html) for article types,
editorial policies, and submission guidelines.
APPS is part of BioOne’s Open Access collection
and shares with BioOne “the common goal of
maximizing access to critical research.” To sign up
for eTOC alerts, citation alerts for specific content,
and saved search alerts for the search terms of your
choice, visit http://www.bioone.org/loi/apps and
click the links for eTOC alerts and/or RSS feeds.
for pollinators and seed dispersal. “They are basic
processes that underlie all of plant physiology and
growth,” says Sarah Wyatt, Associate Professor in the
Department of Environmental and Plant Biology
at Ohio University. Plants adapt and acclimate
to their surroundings using tropisms, including
moving in response to light (phototropism), water
(hydrotropism), and gravity (gravitropism).
To inspire cutting-edge research on plant
tropisms, Sarah Wyatt and plant biologist John
Kiss, Dean of the Graduate School at the University
of Mississippi, co-edited the special issue and
invited plants scientists worldwide to write 24
articles that advance and summarize the field.
(Their introduction to the issue is available at
http://www.amjbot.org/content/early/2013/01/01/
ajb.1200591.full.pdf+html.) “Tremendous progress
has been made in the field of tropism research in
the past decade,” comments Kiss. “This issue was
an opportunity to bring the community together,”
adds Wyatt, “and highlight some truly incredible
science that has been ongoing ‘under the radar’ if
you will and often under difficult circumstances.”
Research in outer space is just one difficult
circumstance by which scientists study how plants
move. Growing plants in space has become a reality.
“The International Space Station is now complete
and the U.S. is committed to its utilization until
at least 2020,” Kiss says. Food and replenishing
breathing air are vital functions plants can play on
the ISS, and space flight experiments help scientists
understand basic mechanisms plants use to grow
and move because of gravity, or lack thereof.
Back on Earth, work on gravity and other
tropisms is important for understanding plant
growth, development, and responses to changing
climates. Basic tropistic mechanisms in response
to water and light could also enhance agricultural
4
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
must adopt a new program of acclimation,” they say.
Wang and Folta explore new findings about how
plant species use gene expression and physiology to
cope and survive in green-enriched environments.
The special issue continues with articles tackling
how gravitropism works. Recent discoveries of
plant hormones and the proteins that transport
them have reinvigorated scientists to investigate the
pathways plants use to perceive gravity. Original
research in this special issue begins to “untangle the
complex interactions” of plant growth regulators
like plant hormones, proteins, and organic
compounds, explain Wyatt and Kiss.
Wyatt and Kiss hope to inspire young scientists
to conduct research on the fundamental field of
plant tropisms on Earth and in space. “Remember
the seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down
and the plant goes up and nobody really knows
how or why,” quotes Wyatt of Robert Fulghum’s All
I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.
“This is the wonderment that is inherent in tropistic
responses—tropisms capture the imagination.”
References
Migliaccio, F., P. Tassone, and A. Fortunati. 2013.
Circumnutation as an autonomous root
movement in plants. American Journal of
Botany 100(1): 4-13.
Wang, Y., and Folta, K.M. 2013. Green-light
contributions to plant growth and development.
American Journal of Botany 100(1): 70-78.
Wyatt, S.E., J.Z. Kiss. 2012. Plant tropisms: from
Darwin to the international space station.
American Journal of Botany 100(1): 1-3.
Wyatt, Sarah E. and John Z. Kiss. 2013. Plant
tropisms: From Darwin to the International
Space Station. American Journal of Botany
100(1): 1-3.
practices, explains Kiss, since crop plants
experience environmental stressors like drought
and overcrowding.
Tropisms have captured the interest of scientists
for centuries. The way plants move can appear so
eerily human that in the late 1700s and early 1800s,
Dr. Erasmus Darwin, Charles Darwin’s grandfather,
predicted that plants have multiple brains that can
communicate with muscles to tell plants how to
grow.
From Erasmus and Charles Darwin to modern-
day scientists and techniques, the biology of plant
tropisms has come a long way. Some of the special
issue articles review the history of plant tropisms
to the present day, whereas others move the field
forward through new research. New genetic and
molecular tools, for example, are used to shed light
on the mechanisms plants employ to respond to
water and gravity. Many articles focus on the famous
model organism in plant science, Arabidopsis
thaliana. Other articles on gravitropism include
work on cereal grasses important for agriculture
as well as the aquatic-dwelling fern Ceratopteris
richardii.
The issue kicks off with a broad review article
about how roots revolve and bend, known as
circumnutation. Vines that wrap around objects
as thin as wooden stakes or as thick as tree trunks
all use circumnutation to climb. Research on
circumnutation in stems is common, points out
Dr. Fernando Migliaccio of the Institute of Agro-
Environmental and Forest Biology in Italy. But as in
all plant sciences, rigorous work about what goes on
below the surface of the soil is scarce, even though
root behavior below ground could be essential for
understanding how plants establish and survive in
agricultural and natural settings.
Time-lapse photography has popularized the
most famous tropism—phototropism, or how plants
move toward light. Phototropism may be the most
well-studied tropism, but one relatively unexplored
area of phototropism is how plants grow and move
in green light, as studied by graduate student Yihai
Wang and his advisor Kevin Folta at the University
of Florida. Light becomes greener when it passes
through nearby plants. A plant growing in a shady
spot under a tree receives less sunlight, and it also
receives different wavelengths of light that change
its growth patterns. Scenarios like this happen
every day in the natural world, explain Wang and
Folta. “Oftentimes a plant cannot possibly compete
by out-growing or over-reaching a neighbor, and it
5
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
BSA seeks Editor-in-Chief for
American Journal of Botany
The Botanical Society of America (BSA) is soliciting nominations for
the position of Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Botany (AJB) to
serve a five-year term, beginning January 2015. Both self-nominations
and nominations of others are welcomed.
This is a rare leadership opportunity to contribute to the future of
scientific publishing and the evolution of the AJB. We seek someone
with a desire to pursue innovation and explore new horizons in plant
science and journal publication practices.
Duties of the Editor-in-Chief include both aspirational
responsibilities (helping shape a strategic vision for the Journal in
a fast-changingenvironment; working with the editorial board and
publications committee to shape editorial policies), as well as operational
responsibilities (working with Journal staff to process manuscripts,
overseeing their professional review, maintaining a strong editorial
board and recruiting new members as necessary). Qualities of candidates
should include a successful research career in the plant sciences, a strong
commitment to the Journal, and excellent communication skills.
The Editor-in-Chief will be assisted by a professional staff, including
a managing editor, a production editor, and several copy editors, as well
as a team of dedicated, volunteer Associate Editors. The Editor-in-Chief
receives an annual honorarium and works in collaboration with the BSA’s
Executive Director, AJB Managing Editor, and the Executive Committee
to establish and work within the Journal’s operating budget.
Review of nominations will begin March 15, 2013. For the first stage of
the review process, please submit a brief letter of nomination and a detailed
vita of the nominated individual to the following email address: ajb-eic@</p>
botany.org.
The committee will request additional information from candidates as
the search process progresses. If you have questions or comments, please
contact Carol Goodwillie, Chair, AJB Editor-in-Chief Search Committee
(goodwilliec@ecu.edu).
-AJB Editor-in-Chief Search Committee: Carol Goodwillie (Chair), Cynthia
Jones, Elizabeth (Toby) Kellogg, Amy McPherson, Stephen Weller, and Qi-
uyun (Jenny) Xiang
6
BSA Science Education
News and Notes
BSA Science Education News and Notes is a quarterly update about the BSA’s education efforts and the
broader education scene. We invite you to submit news items or ideas for future features. Contact: Claire
Hemingway, BSA Education Director, at chemingway@botany.org or Marshall Sundberg, PSB Editor, at
psb@botany.org.
Hearty Thanks and Hellos
We wish to thank here Susan Singer and
Beverly Brown for their invaluable leadership
and contributions to education endeavors as
their service to the Botanical Society of America
currently comes to a close. Susan steps down
as the second BSA Education Director-at-Large
while she assumes a new position at the National
Science Foundation. Beverly steps down as chair
after a stalwart commitment leading the Education
Committee’s activities to support the society’s goal
to provide resources and projects that create a
greater understanding and appreciation of botany,
especially through our educational system.
We welcome Phil Gibson as Education
Committee Chair. Phil served as chair of the
Teaching Section 2001-2002. He and his wife have
co-authored three high school level reference books
on Plant Diversity, Plant Ecology, and Natural
Selection. He also conducts science pedagogy and
education research with a focus on Tree Thinking
and the integration of evolution across a course.
Resources are available at http://www.ou.edu/
gibsonlab.
From the Education
Committee Chair
by J. Phil Gibson
Regardless of where we are in our careers,
we all can appreciate that science education
has undergone tremendous changes recently.
PowerPoint presentations and document cameras
have joined chalkboards as essential tools in the
classroom. Clickers, course management software,
and computers are now common parts of day-to-
day student and instructor life. While these tools
can make teaching and learning easier (or more
frustrating, depending on whether the technology
cooperates or not), it does not change our goal
to provide students with exciting, meaningful,
and effective learning experiences in botany. We
should explore using new technologies as they
are developed, but
we should balance
this with careful
consideration of
how we use them
and their benefits to
students.
The science
we teach is also
changing. With new
discoveries come
difficult decisions
about what new
material to include in a class, and what topics to
cut. Needless to say, these are challenges to both
new and experienced teachers. Fortunately, none
of us is in this alone. The BSA has a strong, vital,
and enthusiastic group of people who are willing
to think abut these issues and share their ideas,
opinions, and experiences to help us educate better.
My goal as Chair of the Education Committee
is to promote thought and discussion of how we
can teach our branch of science better, as well as
how we botanists fit into the larger picture of
science education overall. There are numerous
opportunities where we can make a difference in
our own classrooms, our institutions, and at the
national level. I want to do whatever I can to help
us do that, because what could be more enjoyable
than teaching someone about plants? I am excited
and honored to have the opportunity to serve the
BSA membership in this position. If you have
any thoughts, questions, concerns, or ideas about
botany education, please send them to me. I look
forward to hearing from you. See you in NOLA!
- Phil Gibson, University of Oklahoma
7
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
Opportunities to Contribute
and Participate
Planning Ahead for 2014 USA
Science and Engineering Festival
The BSA Education Committee asks for your
involvement in sharing the excitement of learning
about plants with the public. The BSA will host
a booth at the 3rd USA Science & Engineering
Festival Expo to be held April 25-27, 2014 at the
Walter E. Washington Convention Center in
Washington, DC. http://www.usasciencefestival.
org/
Do you have ideas for hands-on activities or
giveaways to engage youth (and their parents/
teachers) at the BSA booth? Would you like to help
plan this outreach activity?
Members in the Washington area would be
particularly helpful in staffing the booth. No matter
your location, if you have booth ideas or would
like to help plan the activity, please contact Claire
Hemingway (
chemingway@botany.org
).
The Role of Mentors to Prepare
for the Next Generation Science
Standards
The release of the second draft of the
Next Generation Science Standards (http://
www.nextgenscience.org) coincides with
President Obama’s proclamation of January
as National Mentoring Month (http://www.
nationalmentoringmonth.org). This convergence
of events presents an excellent opportunity to
profile how PlantingScience mentors can serve
to help teachers prepare for the Next Generation
Science Standards. The new standards intentionally
integrate core disciplinary ideas, cross-cutting
concepts, and scientific practices. Science practices
are second nature to practicing scientists, but
students and classroom teachers often have
minimal experience with (1) Asking questions,
(2) Developing and using models, (3) Planning
and carrying out investigations, (4) Analyzing
and interpreting data, (5) Using mathematics
and computational thinking, (6) Constructing
explanations, (7) Engaging in argument from
evidence, and (8) Obtaining, evaluating, and
communicating information.
Planting Science Moves Ahead
Mentors in the PlantingScience program help
secondary school students think through all the
above aspects. If you are already volunteering as an
online mentor, thank you! Your online connection
with student teams helps students make sense
of science investigations. It also serves to inspire
interest in plants and science. The Spring 2013
session will run Feb. 4 – Mar. 29. We invite you to
join the fun at www.PlantingScience.org.
A reminder about email addresses for
PlantingScience mentors: If you’ve changed email
addresses since you last participated in a session,
please be sure to login to the website and update your
email and any other profile information.
8
Editor’s Choice Review
Growth of a Pine Tree
Rollinson, Susan Wells. 2012. American Biol-
ogy Teacher 74 (9): 620-627.
The timing for this article was perfect (November/
December issue) because it is all about activities with
Christmas tree cookies—cross-sections through
successive internodes of “used” Christmas trees. It
is designed for high school level, but the concepts
can be easily scaled both down to elementary
levels and up into college. There are all kinds of
quantitative opportunities here, including growth
correlations and environmental correlations. And
if you don’t have time to gather your own materials,
scans are available online.
some
thoughts
to
ponder
“A few months in the laboratory can save a few hours in the library.”
- Frank Westheimer’s Law
“Unvouchered plant research is about as memorable as Whistler’s
father.” - Art Tucker’s Law
“That an average citizen can recognize one thousand brand names
and logos but fewer than ten local plants is not a good sign.” - Paul
Hawken
“Humans seldom value what they cannot name.” - Elaine Brooks
“Academia, where politics are so vicious precisely because the
stakes are so small.” - Henry Kissinger
“Practice safe eating - always use condiments.” - Arthur O. Tucker
9
future wife Marge while in school, and they married
in 1949. He graduated in 1950 and immediately
enrolled as a graduate student in Botany at Cornell
University, under the direction of Robert T. Clausen.
David worked in the area of grass systematics,
completing a Master’s degree (A Cytotaxonomic
Investigation within the Genus Echinochloa) in
1952, and his Ph.D. (Relationships in the Capillaria
Group of Panicum)
1
in 1954. David was recruited
for a faculty position at Rutgers University by
the eminent plant morphologist and head of the
Graduate School, Marion L. Johnson. David began
his 34-year career at Rutgers, the autumn semester
of that year. He was the department’s taxonomist
and Director of the Chrysler Herbarium; during his
tenure, its collections increased from 37,000 to over
140,000 specimens.
His successful career at Rutgers was marked
by two traits: (1) an intimate knowledge of plant
and habitat diversity in the small but biologically
rich state of New Jersey; and (2) an interest in
employing new and multiple techniques (perhaps
influenced by his earlier use of cytogenetics) in
plant systematics. He was in the right place at the
right time. Rutgers was the home of the Serological
Museum, which had contributed significantly to
advances in zoological systematics, particularly
among birds, from the leadership of Alan Boyden
and his junior colleague Ralph De Falco.
2
With
the help of Marion Johnson, David learned the
immunological techniques Boyden and De Falco
had used in studying animals, and they applied
them to problems in plant systematics.
3
Boyden
died in 1962, and Johnson in 1964; Fairbrothers
then developed an independent research program
in plant molecular systematics that used a growing
arsenal of techniques, starting with immunology,
adding polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE)
and isoelectric focusing, and secondary compounds
(terpenoids and flavonoids) to a range of taxonomic
problems, from population variation within species,
to hybridization and introgression between closely
related species, and to phylogenetic relationships
among different families. This laboratory operated
until his retirement in 1988, and it was the setting
for the training of 29 graduate students.
David was an excellent mentor, supportive of
students and always available for discussions. His
students will treasure the memories of field trips
in his station wagon, cruising up the New York
ANNOUNCEMENTS
In Memoriam
David E. Fairbrothers
1925-2012
David E. Fairbrothers, a long-time Rutgers
professor and eminent botanist and systematist,
passed away on October 29, 2012, after a lengthy
illness. He had a distinguished academic career in
the field of plant molecular systematics, and he was
a leader in the conservation of plants and natural
areas, particularly in his home state of New Jersey.
David was born and raised in Absecon during the
depression years, as part of a family of commercial
fishermen and duck hunters, and he grew up close
to nature. Soon after graduating from high school
in 1943, he joined the Army when he turned 18.
An excellent marksman as a young man, he became
a Sergeant Rifleman and Squad Leader of the L
Company, 376
th
Regiment of the 94
th
Infantry
Division. Landing at Utah Beach on the second day
of the Allied invasion, his company fought its way
across France and was in the middle of the infamous
Battle of the Bulge during the bitterly cold winter of
1944-45. In a frozen pothole during that battle, he
suffered severe frostbite of his lower legs and barely
escaped having both of them amputated, injuries
that affected him the rest of his life. After hospital
recuperation, David was stationed in Prague; after
the German surrender on May 8, 1945, he helped
supervise train convoys of starving and ill refugees
returning to their homes.
David was discharged from the Army in February
of 1946 at the age of 20, and he took advantage of
the G.I. Bill to enter Syracuse University. He met his
10
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
Thruway as David ticked off the names of roadside
grasses and composites. The lab was also the
temporary home of nine faculty members visiting
on sabbaticals, and six post-doctoral fellows. The
majority of his 122 peer-reviewed articles were
in the field of plant molecular systematics. This
body of research, along with the laboratory at
the University of Texas, formed the backdrop for
the revolution in systematics that came with the
application of techniques for the analysis of DNA,
starting with DNA hybridization (actually quite
reminiscent of the serological research) and then
sequencing.
4
Although David is considered by most
to be a flowering plant taxonomist, his interests
were actually more eclectic as evidenced by his co-
authorship of the Ferns of New Jersey and, at the
time of his illness, his interest in and study of the
marine algae of the state parks in New Jersey.
Two of David’s close friends were Arthur
Cronquist (1919-1992) of the New York Botanical
Garden and Armen Takhtajan (1910-2009) of the
Komarov Institute in St. Petersburg. Whenever
Armen was in New York, David visited Armen there
and/or he travelled to Rutgers. David frequently
attended the Torrey Botanical Club meetings at
the New York Botanical Garden accompanied
by Rutgers students. He and the students often
went for the day and thus the students could use
the herbarium and interact with other botanists.
David met Art Cronquist for discussions about
Art’s system of classification and David’s deep
knowledge of the New Jersey Flora when Art was
revising Gleason and Cronquist’s Manual of the
Vascular Plants of North-eastern United States and
Adjacent Canada. As part of his commitment to
northeastern botany, from 1990 to 1998, David
Fairbrothers served as the Torrey Botanical Club
representative on the Botanical Science Committee
of the Board of Managers at the New York Botanical
Garden. He was also a long-time mentor for the
Flora of New Jersey Project (
www.njflora.org
),
which has close links with both NYBJ and the
Torrey Botanical Society.
David’s deep knowledge of New Jersey botany
was a mother lode for projects that his students
pursued, and some of them involved work on
endangered species and habitats. In time, he
became more focused on practical issues of
endangered species and habitat management, and
this coincided with the environmental movement
of the 1970s. For decades, the Chrysler Herbarium
had grown in the range of collections, particularly
of endangered species and habitats. It eventually
became the resource that allowed Fairbrothers and
the herbarium manager, Mary Hough, to complete
(to our knowledge) the first state description of
threatened and endangered plant species.
5
This
publication was influential in the modification
of the Endangered Species Act, first passed by
Congress at the end of 1973 and modified in 1975,
to include plants, and to stimulate other states to
conduct similar surveys.
Figure 1. David with long-time friend Armend
Takhtajan at Rutgers University in 1968.
As a south Jersey native, David had great
affection for the Pinelands and deep knowledge
of its plants and natural history; he worked with
others to protect this special area. He helped
prepare “A Plan for a Pinelands National Preserve,”
and presented it to the U.S. Senate (through its
Parks and Recreation Sub-Committee) and assisted
substantially in the passage of the act authorizing
it in 1978. His study of endangered and threatened
plants in the pinelands led to two publications
that were instrumental in the establishment of the
comprehensive management plan for the reserve,
6,7
which explicitly mentioned the initial 54 species to
be protected.
This act established the first Federal
Reserve, similar in intent to the Catskills and
Adirondack Parks in New York, but partly under the
umbrella of the National Park Service and managed
by the state of New Jersey. Later, the pinelands were
added to the Federal Natural Preserve system, and
then to the UNESCO Global Biosphere Reserve
system in 1988.
Later in his tenure at Rutgers, he performed
more administrative service, inaugurating the
establishment of the Department of Biology
(with 89 faculty members) as its first chairperson.
Although he continued to be involved at Rutgers,
through advising and consulting, he retired as
a Distinguished Professor in 1988. His activity
in endangered plant and pinelands issues at the
state and federal levels continued well into his
retirement.
11
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
Figure 2. David and Marge Fairbrothers relaxing
at Frazer’s Hill, Malaysia, in 1975, after he gave a
keynote address at the symposium inaugurating the
Rimba Ilma, still the only scientific botanical garden
in Malaysia. David was fifty years old at the time.
He and Marge moved south to Toms River, and
David lent his support to the protection of natural
communities in nearby Island Beach State Park.
There, he helped with the development of the
Emily de Camp Herbarium at the Forked River
Interpretive Center, and helped to document plants
and communities at the park. David and Marge
frequently visited their son and daughter, spouses,
and five grandchildren. They pursued new interests.
Familiar with the history of New Jersey, David
became interested in the antique glass produced in
the state, then in silver overlay antique glass, and
they both continued studying and collecting other
antiques further afield. He became a sought after
lecturer on these subjects. Because of his declining
health, he and Marge moved to Lebanon, NH, in
2010 to be near their son. David died two years
later, at the age of 87 and after 63 years of marriage.
In recognition of his accomplishments, David
received several awards. In addition to a variety
of teaching, research and administrative awards at
Rutgers, he was awarded the Rutgers Medallion in
1988. The Chrysler Herbarium and other collections
were re-organized as part of the university
biodiversity collections, and a symposium and
banquet were held in his honor in 2005, to launch
the fundraising effort to establish the David E.
Fairbrothers Plant Resources Center. The Botanical
Society of America presented him with its Merit
Award in 1989, in commemoration of his research
discoveries and service to the society. For his
contributions to conservation in New Jersey, The
Garden Club of New Jersey awarded him its Gold
Medal in 2008, and the
Pinelands Preservation
Alliance placed him in its Pine Barrens Hall of
Fame, also in 2008.
He had a long, productive and happy life, and he
will be deeply missed by his family, many former
students, professional colleagues and personal
friends.
References
Fairbrothers, David E. 1953. Relationships in the
Capillaria Group of Panicum in Arizona and
New Mexico. American Journal of Botany
40:708-714.
Strasser, Bruno J. 2010. Laboratories, museums and
the comparative perspective: Alan A Boyden’s
quest for objectivity in serological taxonomy,
1924-1962. 2010. Historical Studies in the
Natural Sciences 40:149-182.
Fairbrothers, David E. and Marion A. Johnson.
1961. The precipitin reaction as an indicator of
relationships in some grasses. Recent Advances
in Botany (University of Toronto Press,
Toronto), pp. 116-120.
Jensen, Ü. and David E. Fairbrothers, eds. 1983.
Proteins and Nucleic Acids in Plant Systematics.
Springer Verlag, Heidelberg, 408 pp.
Fairbrothers, D. E. and M. Y. Hough. 1973. Rare or
endangered vascular plants of New Jersey. New
Jersey State Museum of Science Notes 14:1-53.
Fairbrothers, D. E. 1979. Endangered, threatened,
and rare vascular plants of the Pine Barrens
and their biogeography, pp. 395-405. In R.
T. T. Forman, ed.: Pine Barrens: Ecosystem
and Landscapes. Academic Press, New York.
(Forman was at Rutgers 1966-1988, and was
an important ally in the campaign to save the
Everglades; he then moved to the Harvard
School of Design as its landscape ecologist).
Caiazza, N. and D. E. Fairbrothers. 1980.
Threatened and endangered vascular plant
species of the New Jersey Pinelands and their
habitats. Prepared for the New Jersey Pinelands
Commission, New Lisbon, NJ.
-David Lee and Dennis Stevenson
12
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
Congratulations AAAS Fellows
Kathleen Donohue
Duke University
Kathleen Donohue conducts research on the
evolutionary ecology of natural plant populations
and the genetic basis of adaptation. Her
research focuses on the evolution of phenotypic
plasticity and maternal effects, and how the
ability of organisms to sense and respond to their
environment influences processes of adaptation.
In addition to studying other species, she uses the
genetic model, Arabidopsis thaliana, in ecological
studies to investigate the genetic pathways involved
in ecologically important plastic phenotypes, such
as phenology. She is interested in how specific
genes and genetic pathway structure can influence
the evolution of plant life cycles, population
performance, and geographic ranges of organisms
under different climate scenarios. Kathleen can be
reached at k.donohue@duke.edu.
Lisa A. Donovan
University of Georgia
Lisa Donovan investigates plant evolutionary
ecophysiology, with an emphasis on resource
use and stress tolerance traits as they relate to
plant performance. She examines ecological and
evolutionary responses to growth limiting factors
(e.g., water and nutrient limitations, drought, and
salinity). Her current study system is primarily
a suite of Helianthus species, due to their wide-
ranging ecology and available genetic and genomic
tools. In general, she wants to know how individual
plant traits affect plant fitness and distribution,
and how these traits evolve. Lisa can be reached at
donovan@plantbio.uga.edu.
13
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
Elena Kramer
Harvard University
The Kramer lab is interested in the evolution of
genetic pathways controlling plant development
with an emphasis on reproductive biology, ranging
from flowering time to flower morphology to
fruit structure. Most of our current research uses
the new model system Aquilegia (columbine)
to investigate specific questions related to the
evolution of novel floral organ identity programs or
novel floral organ elaborations. In the case of the
former, we have been studying the role for MADS
box gene duplications in the derivation of a distinct
fifth organ type, termed a staminodium, which is
recently evolved in the lineage leading to Aquilegia.
This underscores a broad interest in the lab in gene
lineage evolution and functional diversification
following gene duplication. In terms of organ
elaboration, we are focused on the petal nectar
spur of Aquilegia, which has been considered a
key innovation driving speciation in the genus. In
collaborations with several colleagues, we are using
developmental genetic, evolutionary genomic and
biophysical approaches to fully understand the
origin and diversification of the nectar spur in
Aquilegia. Elena can be reached at ekramer@oeb.
harvard.edu.
Ann Sakai
University of California
Irvine
Ann Sakai is interested in the evolution of plant
breeding systems. She has used a diverse set of
methods and approaches to explore selective
factors promoting the evolution of separate sexes
in flowering plants. She also has been involved
in conservation and restoration efforts in the
Hawaiian Islands. Sakai has a strong interest in
encouraging undergraduate research and has
worked to encourage and retain undergraduates
from under-represented groups in the sciences.
Ann can be reached at AKSAKAI@UCI.EDU
14
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
Ethel Stanley
Beloit College
Ethel Stanley is actively committed to science
education in which learners pose problems,
develop and use interdisciplinary approaches to
solve problems, and engage in peer review of their
own and others’ products. Our students should
grapple with issues outside of traditional silo-based
disciplines. Her efforts focus on undergraduate
science curricula, faculty development, and
national community college outreach to include
modeling and simulation (The BioQUEST
Library), bioinformatics (BEDROCK), quantitative
biology (NUMBERS COUNT), cyberlearning for
community college faculty (C3 Cyberlearning),
and extensive development of investigative
case based learning (ICBL) with co-developer
Margaret Waterman both here and abroad
(LifeLines, ScienceCaseNet, IUBS BioED, and
Singapore’s NIE) through both funded projects and
publications. Ethel can be reached at ethel.stanley@</p>
bioquest.org or ethelstanley@gmail.com
Marshall D. Sundberg
Emporia State University
Marsh Sundberg is interested in developing and
evaluating activities and curricula that promote
student-active learning. An early proponent of
inquiry in the laboratory and the lecture room, his
team produced some of the first data in biology at
the college level supporting the concept of “less
is more.” His research has been concerned not
only with improving student content learning, but
also improving student attitudes towards science.
Throughout his career he has been active in K-12
outreach to students and teachers and has been
actively involved in the BSA’s PlantingScience
program since its inception as a module developer,
workshop presenter, instructor and mentor. Marsh
can be reached at msundber@emporia.edu
15
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
Susan Singer Wins
Science
Prize for Web-Based Teaching
Tool
Susan Singer, the Laurence McKinley Gould
Professor of the Natural Sciences at Carleton
College, has earned a Science prize for her Inquiry-
Based Instruction (IBI) teaching tool for her
genomics course.
When Singer, a biology professor, was a college
student, her freshman science classes were held in
huge lecture halls, where she and her classmates
listened and took notes, preparing themselves
for a weekly test. She said it was deadening.
Luckily, Singer had experienced what it was like
to do scientific research much earlier, in middle
school and high school and even as a child, when
her parents allowed her to graft the trees in their
backyard.
Wanting to replicate the kind of research
exposure Singer encountered outside of her
freshman science classes, Singer has developed
a Web-based undergraduate teaching tool called
Genomics Explorers, which is the winner of the
Science
Prize.
“We want to recognize innovators in science
education, as well as the institutions that support
them,” says Bruce Alberts, editor-in-chief of
Science
. “At the same time, this competition will
promote those inquiry-based laboratory modules
with the most potential to benefit science students
and teachers. The publication of an essay in Science
on each winning module will encourage more
college teachers
to use these outstanding resources,
thereby promoting science literacy.”
As a genomics teaching tool, Genomics Explorers
helps students make use of the huge opportunity
that exists to explore and make discoveries using
genomic data sets. Often the scope and scale of such
data sets, not to mention the many ways in which
the data can be approached, are overwhelming to
students. Genomics Explorers, a Web site, at http://
serc.carleton.edu/exploring_genomics/index.html
offers, students strategies and practical tools for
approaching the data so that the students can get
to follow a biological line of inquiry that interests
them. With some of the logistical methodology
issues—such as how to conduct a gene expression
analysis—handled by the Web site, class discussions
are freed up for deeper questions about the research.
Students as a class are able to reflect on the nature
of doing research and the nature of data analysis.
An important challenge that Genomics Explorers
has overcome has been calibrating the degree to
which students are guided through their research,
so that they are able to connect with biological
questions, without the process becoming too
rigidly mapped out.
Students in Singer’s genomics class collect data on Chamaecrista, which they examined for
possible increases in biomass, which would improve its value as a biofuel. Singer’s teach-
ing tool, Genomics Explorers, assisted the students in that process. Photo by permission of
Carleton College.
16
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
National Tropical Botanical
Garden Honors Scottish
Botanist
Noted Expert to be Awarded
Plant Exploration Medal
Kalāheo, Kaua‘i, HI (January 9, 2013)—One
of the world’s leading authorities on tropical
rhododendrons, Dr. Graham Charles George
Argent, has been named the 2013 recipient of the
David Fairchild Medal for Plant Exploration. In an
announcement from its headquarters in Hawai‘i,
the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG)
acknowledged Dr. Argent for his contribution to
tropical fieldwork, exploration, and conservation,
focusing on Southeast Asia.
Throughout most of Dr. Argent’s four-decade
career in tropical botany, including 26 years at
the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE),
he concentrated on the collection, research, and
preservation of Ericaceae (the heather family),
which includes approximately 4,000 species of
berries, azaleas, heathers, and rhododendrons. He
is considered to be the world’s leading authority on
Vireya rhododendrons, a sub-tropical flowering
plant found at high elevations in Southeast Asia
from Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines to
Papua New Guinea and Borneo. Roughly one-third
of the world’s 850 species of rhododendrons are
Vireyas.
The Fairchild Medal will be presented at a black-
tie dinner on February 1 at NTBG’s Florida garden,
The Kampong, the former estate and private garden
of the award’s namesake David Grandison Fairchild.
During the evening’s festivities, Dr. Argent will
speak on ‘Extreme Plant Collection’. A scientific
symposium has been scheduled for the following
day, featuring Argent as the keynote speaker,
presenting a talk on the role tropical rhododendrons
can play in education and conservation.
Praising Dr. Argent’s contribution to plant
exploration, NTBG’s Director and CEO, said,
“Genomics Explorers is able to strike the fine
balance between providing a learning structure,
while still allowing students to be thinking on their
own,” says Melissa McCartney, Science associate
editor.
The organisms focused on in classes using
Genomics Explorers at Carleton and at Vassar
College, Chamaecrista fasciculata and Aiptasia
pallida, respectively, are “non-model” organisms,
which means they have not been studied or written
about extensively. The beauty of that is it allows
students to actually make discoveries in their
research.
“What my students find is really novel,” Singer
says. “There is the potential for doing really
interesting work.”
Previous to the implementation of Genomics
Explorers, Singer says students found it difficult
to select the scale at which they wanted to explore
genomic data, often hunting for a single, often
poorly chosen gene and finding themselves
inundated by irrelevant data. The question was
how to allow them the possibility of doing real
research while still allowing the students to
follow their own fascinations and to cultivate an
ownership of their research. As Singer points out,
the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and
Technology stressed in a 2012 report that, in order
to keep science, technology, engineering and math
students in those majors, they need to experience
real research, not “cookbook” labs that simply walk
them through steps to a known outcome, with no
room for following their own curiosity or thinking
up approaches of their own design.
“The challenge in Genomics Explorers was
getting risers between the steps to be the right
height,” Singer says.
Although Singer’s students sometimes panic at
the open-endedness of the Genomics Explorers
process, they begin to develop trust in their own
ideas, Singer says. For instance, one group of
students became interested in the possibility of
increasing the biomass of the Chamaecrista and
improving its value as a biofuel. Their research
zoomed in on their interest, and was filtered to
reflect that line of inquiry.
“They owned it,” says Singers, adding that such
“ownership” allows the students to engage their
own creativity as they look at a research question.
Singer hopes that winning the IBI prize and
publishing an essay in Science about Genomics
Explorers will allow other teachers to engage their
students in similar ways. “What I hope most is
that this encourages instructors to bring more
authentic research experiences into their teaching
laboratories.”
For more information about Genomics Explorers,
visit http://serc.carleton.edu/exploring_genomics.
17
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
During his forty years of botanizing, mostly in Southeast Asia, Dr. George Argent became one of the
world’s leading authorities in tropical rhododendrons. Pictured: Dr. Argent in Papua New Guinea with
field colleagues. Photo by Andrew Ensoll.
“Recognizing that the overwhelming majority
of the world’s biodiversity, both discovered and
undiscovered, is in tropical areas, and that life on
earth hinges on this biodiversity, the importance
of Dr. Argent’s work becomes quite evident. He
has contributed immeasurably to a deeper, broader
understanding of plant life.”
Upon learning of his selection to receive the
Fairchild Medal, Argent said he was humbled to be
honored for doing what he enjoys most, “especially
when so many people have supported me in my
many expeditions.” He added, “I am filled with
pride and gratitude that the selection committee
of NTBG should think me worthy to put my name
forward.” Additionally Dr. Argent thanked fellow
field staff and supporters, local people in the places
he has worked, and his family.
The selection of Dr. Argent for the medal was
made by a committee of NTBG’s management and
scientific staff and board members, which includes
Dr. David Rae, who serves as RGBE’s Director of
Horticulture. Dr. Rae made the nomination, calling
Argent “a natural field botanist who loves nothing
more than sharing his knowledge.” He said Argent
“embodies the ethos of the David Fairchild Medal,”
adding “through a life devoted to the study of Vireya
rhododendrons, [Argent] has done more than
anyone else to study them in the field, collect them,
promote their cultivation, and publish the definitive
account of their classification. Dr. Argent’s legacy
at Edinburgh is not just the wonderful collection
of Vireyas, but all the staff he has influenced and
encouraged through his fieldwork.”
Dr. David Fairchild, one of the greatest and most
influential horticulturalists and plant collectors
in the United States, devoted his life to plant
exploration, searching the world for useful plants
suitable for introduction into the country. As an
18
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
early “Indiana Jones” type explorer, he conducted
field trips throughout Asia, the South Pacific,
Dutch East (Indonesia) and West Indies (Caribbean
Islands), South America, Egypt, Ceylon (Sri Lanka),
China, Japan, the Persian Gulf, and East and South
Africa during the late 1800s and early 1900s. These
explorations resulted in the introduction of many
tropical plants of economic importance to the U.S.,
including sorghum, nectarines, unique species
of bamboo, dates, and varieties of mangoes. In
addition, as director of the Office of Foreign Seed
and Plant Introduction of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture during the early 20th Century, Dr.
Fairchild was instrumental in the introduction of
approximately 75,000 selected varieties and species
of useful plants, such as Durum wheat, Japanese
rices, Sudan grass, Chinese soy beans, Chinese
elms, persimmons, and pistachios. Fairchild
and his wife, Marion Bell Fairchild, daughter of
Alexander Graham Bell, purchased property in
South Florida in 1916 and created both a home
and an “introduction garden” for plant species
found on his expeditions. He named the property
“The Kampong,” the Malay word for “village.” The
tropical species he collected from Southeast Asia
in the 1930s and 1940s are still part of the heritage
collections of The Kampong, which operates today
as part of the not-for-profit National Tropical
Botanical Garden (www.ntbg.org/). NTBG has
five gardens and five preserves in Hawai‘i and
Florida and is dedicated to conservation, research,
and education relating to the world’s rare and
endangered tropical plants. The institution, which
is non-governmental, is supported primarily
through donations and grants.
For more information, contact Janet L. Leopold
at administration@ntbg.org
CHEEKWOOD BOTANICAL
GARDEN & MUSEUM OF ART
NASHVILLE, TN
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF
GARDENS & FACILITIES
Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum
of Art is located on 55 acres in Nashville and
is considered one of the finest examples of an
American Country Place Era Estate in the United
States. Designed by Bryant Fleming for the Cheek
Family who amassed their fortune through the
Maxwell House Coffee business, Cheekwood
was built between 1929 and 1932. The estate was
opened to the public as a 501(c)(3) garden and art
museum in 1960 and currently operates with an
annual budget of $6 million and over 100 full and
part-time staff members.
Reporting to the President/CEO, the Senior
Vice President of Gardens & Facilities (SVP) is
responsible for developing immediate and long
term plans to achieve horticultural excellence.
The SVP will lead all horticultural initiatives in
collaboration with the Senior Management Team
to ensure an integrated and strategically focused
outcome that realizes the institution’s overall vision
and values. This person will provide leadership,
direction and management to both the botanical
garden and facility staff including development and
monitoring of the organizational structure needed
to accomplish annual goals.
This person must possess outstanding
horticulture or related garden design expertise as
well as management, organizational and planning
skills. A historical understanding of and sensitivity
to Cheekwood’s origins as an American Country
Place Era Estate is a must. This position requires
thorough knowledge of botanic garden collections,
supporting science and sustainability practices with
demonstrated creative design abilities. An advanced
degree in horticulture or related fields such as
landscape architecture, arboriculture, garden
design or historic preservation is highly desirable.
We seek a minimum of ten years of progressive
supervisory experience and demonstrated
organizational success in a similar role.
To apply, please send a current resume and
letter of interest to Kittleman & Associates, LLC
at resumes@kittleman.net. For more information,
please visit Cheekwood’s website at www.
cheekwood.org.
19
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
Ohio Invasive Plants Council
Releases New Evaluation
Protocol
Cincinnati, OH—A first-time science-based
effort is underway to identify invasive plants from
other regions and reduce their impact on natural
areas in Ohio, according to the Ohio Invasive Plants
Council (OIPC).
Common reed grass, garlic mustard, bush
honeysuckle and other plants dominate thousands
of acres in Ohio’s forests, grasslands and wetlands.
These invaders crowd out native plants and reduce
biodiversity. Utilizing a 22-question assessment
protocol developed in 2012 by the OIPC and other
stake-holder groups, a five-person assessment team
of researchers and botanists will evaluate potential
invasive plants and establish a new list of primary
offenders. Concurrently, the assessment team
will provide a list of alternative plants suitable for
recommendation to nurseries, garden retailers and
homeowners.
“OIPC is not a regulating group,” said University
of Cincinnati professor and OIPC Chairperson of
the assessment team, Theresa Culley. “Our mission
is to develop a new list of invasive plants for Ohio.
We also intend to play a primary role in education,
research and early detection.”
“The nursery industry has already been
impacted by unofficial invasive plant lists in Ohio
and elsewhere,” said Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical
Garden Horticulture Director Stephen Foltz. “As
soon as we put nursery plants on our official list,
these plants will no longer be allowed for use in
projects complying with Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) standards. That’s
why it’s so important for us to get this right.”
“It’s exciting to see that Ohio has a protocol and
is ready to begin assessments. This will be a useful
tool for addressing the problem of invasive plants,”
said Katherine Howe, coordinator of the Midwest
Invasive Plant Network.
Under the direction of Culley the assessment
team will initially evaluate 27 problematic invasive
plants. The team will address a second group of
plants within a year, including those produced and
sold in Ohio nurseries, such as ornamental pear,
Japanese barberry and burning bush.
The OIPC worked with the Ohio Nursery and
Landscape Association (ONLA), Ohio Department
of Resources (ODNR), The Nature Conservancy
and other land-management agencies to develop
the assessment protocol. John Cardina, professor
of horticulture at The Ohio State University, and
Richard Munson, manager of the conservatory
at Miami University-Hamilton, were selected
by ONLA as representatives on the assessment
team. ODNR botanist Rick Gardner and Dawes
Arboretum botanist David Brandenburg were
selected by OIPC on behalf of conservation and
land-management entities. Culley, a past president
of OIPC, directed efforts to develop the assessment
protocol during the past four years.
The OPIC represents a coalition of organizations
and individuals who have a mutual interest in
Ohio’s natural ecosystems and the effects of invasive
plants. OIPC is a nonprofit organization founded
in 2005 working in concert with local, regional and
nationwide groups. OIPC assessment documents
and other information are available at oipc.info.
For more information, contact, Cheryl Coon, OIPC
President, e-mail: ccoon@fs.fed.us.
20
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
Accelerate your impact
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For more details on the program and to apply visit:
monsanto.com/emergingleadersinscience
Monsanto is an equal opportunity employer; we value a diverse combination of ideas, perspectives and cultures.
EEO/AA EMPLOYER M/F/D/V © 2013 Monsanto Company
In the Emerging Leaders in Science (ELS) rotational program, you’ll be
immersed in a comprehensive, cross-functional experience with a world
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some of Monsanto’s most talented scientific leaders – and emerge prepared
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Monsanto’s Emerging Leaders in Science (ELS) rotational program allows
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• Emerging Technologies
• Entomology
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21
Reports and Reviews
Developmental & Structural
Plant Physics
Karl J. Niklas and Hanns-Christof Spatz.
2012. ISBN-13: 978-0-226-58632-8
Cloth, US$55.00. 426 pp.
University of Chicago Press, Chicago,
Illinois, USA
I teach a second-year course on plant form and
function as though it were an architecture class. If
instead I were ever to teach a fourth-year course
on plant form, function, and also the environment,
it would be as a physics course, with Niklas and
Spatz’s brilliant new book Plant Physics as the text.
This is truly a lovely book, with all the remarkable
idiosyncrasies that we have grown to expect from
the whimsical, quixotic genius of Karl Niklas (sorry,
but I don’t know Hanns-Christof Spatz’s work very
well, although probably should learn it).
The material in this book is very good and
exceptionally nuanced. For instance, the authors
do not make a mockery of adaptation. They truly
understand and care about tradeoffs and multi-
level selection. For their first simple example, they
examine the basic equation for photosynthesis,
highlighting its two inputs—carbon dioxide and
water. For aquatic plants, water is easy to come by,
but carbon dioxide is not. By contrast, for terrestrial
plants, carbon dioxide is easy to come by, but water
is lost. Niklas and Spatz go directly to fundamental
constraints and never let readers forget them,
which is fantastic.
But this is not a book for the novice or faint of
heart. While advertised as a book that allows
mathematicians, physicists, engineers, or botanists
entrée into the other three fields, you probably
need expertise in all four fields to fully appreciate
this book. The first two chapters are introductory,
providing essentials of botany and physics,
respectively. Although elegantly written, one
would be hard-pressed to use these as a primer. For
instance, what physicist will really understand that
cork cambia can arise from epidermis, cortex, or
primary phloem? This probably seems even more
confusing to an outsider who might read the text
to imply that vascular cambia cannot arise from
cortex (or pith or medullary rays), which of course
they can in anomalous secondary growth. Likewise,
what botanist will want to jump straight into
differential equations for transport (e.g., simple
Developmental and Structural
Plant Physics .....................................................................................................................21
Ecological
Beach Forests and Mangrove Associates in the Philippines ............................................23
Economic Botany
Darwinian Agriculture: How Understanding Evolution Can Improve Agriculture ..........24
Mycological
Systematics, Biodiversity and Ecology of Lichens ..........................................................25
Fungal Cell Wall: Structure, Synthesis, and Assembly, 2nd ed. ......................................26
Plant Fungal Pathogens: Methods and Protocols .............................................................27
Physiological
Plant Signalling Networks: Methods and Protocols .........................................................28
Systematics
Flora of Tropical East Africa - Commelinaceae ...............................................................29
Huanduj: Brugmansia .......................................................................................................30
Obadiah
22
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
diffusion equations) unless they have previously
studied fluid dynamics?
That said, the authors do their best to make plant
physics as accessible as possible to botanists, who
are typically not known for our mathematical
acumen. This book does not start with a huge rich
theoretical development of the necessary physics
(except for the material on physics of solids), but
instead pulls many formulae off the shelf as needed.
Rather than belabor each equation, the authors are
brief in their exposition, but provide just enough
detail and caveats that, if you are really interested,
you can find out more elsewhere.
This book is at its best when integrating or at least
interleaving botany and physics. However, Chapter
4 and the first two thirds of Chapter 5 form an 80-
page introduction to the physics of solids. Only in
the final 20 pages of Chapter 5 do the authors show
applications to plants. Even those applications,
though, can be almost completely encapsulated by
a single line from the Ani DiFranco song “Buildings
and Bridges” (1994), in which she states, “All that
steel and stone are no match for the air, my friend;
what doesn’t bend breaks.” To be fair, Niklas and
Spatz also use a modicum of applications of physics
of solids in Chapter 8 (and I am clearly not cut out
to be a mechanical engineer). By contrast, Chapter
6 on fluid dynamics, where the fluid could be either
liquid or gas, fully integrates botany. The authors
start the chapter discussing different Reynolds
numbers during the life cycle of an individual kelp
plant: from a very small Reynolds number when
the zygote is affixed to a rock in the boundary layer
to a very large Reynolds number when the mature
kelp plant is many times longer than the waves
buffeting it are tall. The authors end the chapter
with a discussion of how pollen and seeds fly on
the winds.
Chapter 8 is a potpourri of interesting ideas
and something of a synthesis, which—as an
added bonus—is full of great botanical factoids,
such as that chloroplast cell membranes are
composed mostly of glycosylglycerides (in lieu of
phospholipids) and that plant egg and sperm lack
cell walls.
The book ends with a pair of toolboxes, one
experimental and one theoretical. The theoretical
chapter starts with a gorgeous description (on p.
355) of how best to do biological modeling or any
form of hypothesis formation:
In one respect, the only good model is one that
fails the test of reality, because a model that gives
the right answers can do so for the wrong reasons,
whereas a model that yields predictions that conflict
with reality immediately requires us to evaluate
our assumptions about how reality works. Good
models allow us to reject our preconceptions; poor
models delude us into believing we have identified
causalities correctly.
In fact, that makes for a fine description of science.
This book has some quaintness and miscues.
The authors refer to dicots, in lieu of eudicots
(and magnoliids and basal angiosperms?). The
publisher chose a typeface in which zeros look
like the lowercase letter “O” and ones look like
the lowercase letter “L,” which strains reading of
a text that otherwise so seamlessly integrates text
and mathematics. There are no epilogues—neither
for the book as a whole, for individual chapters,
nor even for sections of chapters—which makes
for staccato reading. The subject index is rather
spartan. There are times where it is clear that the
physicist (Spatz) wrote about botany without the
botanist (Niklas) having proofed the material. For
instance, Box 2.1 refers to leaves of water lilies in
the genus Nelumbo that are one centimeter long
that conduct passive diffusion of carbon dioxide
underwater. This statement confuses water lilies
with lotuses or confuses Nymphaea with Nelumbo,
both of which have leaves that are 20–80 cm long
and that absorb most of their carbon dioxide when
above water. But, despite these minor foibles, this
is a wonderful and somewhat accessible book
(other than maybe Jearl Walker’s The Flying Circus
of Physics, what physics books are accessible?) that
fills a long-standing gap
–Root Gorelick, Department of Biology, School
of Mathematics and Statistics, and Institute of
Interdisciplinary Studies, Carleton University,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
23
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
in the naming of so many coastal towns, cities, and
villages with the vernacular names of local species
(presented in Table 1, p. 3). Information of this sort
is of both botanical and cultural interest. The book
will be an exciting resource for both serious plant
researchers as well as the general public interested in
exploring the identification and diversity of coastal
forest species and mangrove associates, their role
in the ecosystem and in modern forestry practices,
their traditional and commercial applications, and
their medicinal and ecological characteristics. The
volume contains detailed taxonomic descriptions
of important species along with color photographs
for easy and convenient identification in the
field. Images of both vegetative and reproductive
structures of plant species are included—an added
asset for easy identification of key taxonomic
features.
One of the most exciting aspects of the volume
is the authors’ ability to explain the complex
dynamics of ecosystem and plant biology and
connect them with engaging local history and
personal experiences. While the volume includes
serious descriptions of key plant species and their
biological, ecological, commercial, and medicinal
importance, the authors connect with the reader
through personal anecdotes that bring together
history, botany, society, culture, environment, and
economics in a dynamic mix. For example, details
on major, commercially important species such as
the coconut and its agro-industrial relevance to
the nation add value to the monograph that goes
beyond the botanical information provided.
Often in developing and underdeveloped countries,
population pressure and severe economic hardship
create tremendous anthropogenic pressure
on natural resources. Similar pressures on the
mangrove belts are also apparent in the case of the
beach forests of the Philippines, threatening the
existence of many species due to non-scientific
management and exploitation. Through their
research, the authors have rediscovered several
beach forest species and mangroves. They have
been able to raise awareness of the conservation
and protection of threatened and endangered plant
species by connecting the communities to their
local history; community beliefs; and indigenous
use of different plant species for social, religious,
cultural, and medicinal purposes; as well as by
encouraging people to identify themselves with
their immediate surroundings and take pride and
responsibility to protect their local environment. I
Ecological
Beach Forests and Mangrove As-
sociates in the Philippines
Jurgenne H. Primavera and Resurreccion B.
Sadaba
2012. ISBN-13: 978-971-9931-01-0
Paperback US$90.00. 154 pp.
Southeast Asian Fisheries Development
Center (SEAFDEC), Aquaculture Depart-
ment, Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines
The authors, Dr. Jurgenne Primavera, an
Emeritus Scientist at SEAFDEC and one of Time
magazine’s 2008 Heroes of the Environment, and
Dr. Resurreccion Sadaba, Associate Professor
at the University of the Philippines, have done
an excellent job in preparing this outstanding
monograph, which covers ~140 species (97 species
fully described and illustrated and an additional
43 species with illustrations only) with over 1000
color photographs. The authors mention in the
preface that the current volume is a sequel to their
previous monograph, Handbook of Mangroves in
the Philippines–Panay (2004).
The volume is divided into three distinct sections:
the introduction, Part I: Beach forest species
and mangrove associates (comprising the major
research content of the volume), and Part II:
Additional species collected (a pictorial collection
of 43 species). In the introduction, the authors have
nicely and comprehensively laid the foundation of
their objectives; introduced the species, areas, and
location of work; and presented the methodologies
adapted for the collection and recording of
specimens. The bulk of the monograph is presented
under Part I, where the authors describe individual
species along with their scientific, English, and
vernacular names; provide botanical/taxonomical
descriptions of habit, leaves, flowers, and fruits; and
describe the use of the plants. The volume also has
an excellent glossary, a list of abbreviations of local
names, and a meticulously detailed bibliography to
guide enthusiastic readers and researchers to probe
deeper into the amazing world of the coastal forest
species and mangrove associates. A special mention
has to be made for the elegant poetry of Rafael
Zulueta da Costa, entitled Like the Molave (1940) on
p. 10. In the introduction, the authors note that pre-
Hispanic Filipinos were well acquainted with the
richness of the coastal biodiversity. This is reflected
24
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
Economic Botany
Darwinian Agriculture: How Under-
standing Evolution Can Improve
Agriculture
R. Ford Denison
2012. ISBN-13: 978-0-691-13950-0
Cloth US$39.50. 248 pp.
Princeton University Press, Princeton, New
Jersey, USA
On the Origin of Species begins with a chapter on
variation in agriculture, an acknowledgment that
Darwin understood that human selection for crop
improvement provided a rich source of information
for understanding the process of natural selection.
In Darwinian Agriculture, Denison suggests that
modern breeders should take greater heed of the
principles of evolution when planning strategies
for further improvement. In particular, both the
approach of using biotechnology to improve plants
and the approach of modifying agricultural practice
to mimic nature would benefit by recognizing
the evolutionary tradeoffs in the past that could
constrain modern efforts.
The first four chapters provide an overview of
agriculture and agricultural production and the
basics of evolutionary theory. What do we need from
agriculture? We need food, and lots more of it as the
human population continues to grow. What’s more,
we need to produce it more efficiently because of a
variety of ecological and physiological constraints
that are forcing producers to “do more with less.”
Denison’s thesis is outlined in three core principles
presented in chapter 4. First, natural selection, over
thousands of years, “rarely misses simple, tradeoff-
free improvements.” There is not likely to be much
low-hanging fruit that will allow a genetic engineer
to make dramatic improvements in productivity
by modifying single genes or pathways. Second,
individual adaptations of a wild species relate to
the conditions in the place where it evolved, which
are considerably different from the conditions in
an agricultural situation. It is not safe to assume,
without testing, that what is optimal in nature will
also be optimal in culture. Third, “We should hedge
our bets…” We know the dangers of monoculture
and our dependence on a relatively few plants, but
this is only part of Denison’s concern. We should
also be open to input of new ideas.
sincerely believe this approach by the authors is a
monumental step that, if applied successfully, will
involve communities in the protection of local
species with great effectiveness and efficiency.
The volume provides thorough coverage of
neglected species that are ecologically and
commercially unique and important for the
Philippines; it will serve as an excellent handbook
for plant researchers and field and amateur
botanists. The use of vernacular names will help
local researchers and enthusiasts to identify the
species by their local vernacular names; it will also
promote conservation efforts because it connects
local communities to their plant resources in
terms of their language, local history, and culture
more intrinsically than dry technical botanical
terminologies. This work will help build awareness
among local communities, the general public,
students, researchers, and academics of the
importance of these plant species and their intricate
relationship with the fragile local ecosystem, and
will play a role in the conservation and protection of
the unique ecological resources of the Philippines.
In future editions, some additional information on
the common diseases of the studied plant species
and their association to different zoological taxa in
their corresponding ecosystem would be helpful. It
will be interesting to note which animals or birds
forage on certain plant species, which insects are
more prevalent with particular plant species, or
any important plant–fungal associations in the
beach ecosystem. It would also be useful to know
what specific factors (including anthropogenic
factors) are contributing toward the threatened
or endangered status of a particular species.
Lastly, current conservation efforts in progress for
individual species could be included.
This is an excellent book that can serve to advocate
for the subject of botany to the general public. It
will be valuable for those specializing in plant
sciences/biology, mangrove ecology, coastal/marine
ecosystems, mangrove/beach forestry, coastal
biology/botany, marine botany, applied/economic
botany, mangrove taxonomy and systematics, plant
taxonomy, applied ecosystem, ethnobotany and
ethnomedicine, environmental studies, and plant/
economic geography.
-S. K. Basu, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge,
Alberta, Canada. saikat.basu@uleth.ca
25
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
Chapters 5, 6, and 7 address the first two of these
principles in turn and focus on “What won’t work.”
In the first case what won’t work is tradeoff-blind
biotechnology. Denison argues that although
biotechnology, like traditional breeding, has been
effective at producing specific benefits, such as
pest or pathogen resistance, it has had little effect
on yield potential—basically photosynthetic and
water use efficiency. The reason is that natural
selection already has done the experiments to
improve photosynthesis and water use, effectively
constraining the potential of biotechnology to
make further improvements. “Selfish Genes,
Sophisticated Plants, and Haphazard Ecosystems”
is the title of chapter 6, in which Denison addresses
the role of natural selection at each of these levels.
The bottom line is that genotypes and phenotypes
are “improved” through selection, but ecosystems
are not—at least by the criteria important for
agriculture. Here he relates the classic example of
breeding for male sterility in corn, which was good
for the breeder and seed companies, but disastrous
for the corn crop when Southern leaf blight swept
the corn belt in 1970. This leads naturally to what
won’t work in chapter 7—“Misguided Mimicry of
Natural Ecosystems.” The foil for this chapter is Wes
Jackson and the Land Institute. In turn, Denison
presents a case against attempts to perennialize
grain crops, minimize fertilizer application, extend
the scale of polyculture, and rely on biodiversity to
control pests on a large scale.
The last five chapters are more positive and shift the
evolutionary focus from what won’t work, to what
has worked—or could work. The key, according
to Denison, is to be multidisciplinary, to keep the
focus on evolution, and to look for tradeoffs. In
general, characters associated with high yield tend
to associate with low competitiveness, so we should
focus on reducing competition. For instance, we
have already done this by reducing the height
of many crop plants but we have not addressed
belowground competition such as root competition
for water or nutrients. The focus on competition is
expanded in chapter 9 to include between species.
Again we have tended to focus on what we can
see, aerial symbioses, and ignore what is going on
underground, especially with microbes.
The role of evolution should not be limited to
informing our efforts to improve the crop plant.
Stopping or slowing evolution should be our
goal when dealing with weeds and pests. Just as
medicine has begun to realize the importance of
understanding evolution in managing disease,
we should do the same in crop management. Of
course, resistance to Roundup is spreading quickly.
We’ve strongly selected for this to happen. There
are alternatives, but it will take widespread, well-
informed changes in management practices to be
effective.
Denison’s third core principle is the focus of the
final chapter: “Diversity, Bet-hedging, and Selection
among Ideas.” The chapter serves as a summary, but
with the caveat of what are the risks if he turns out
to be wrong? Hedge your bets.
This is an extremely interesting and provocative
book and written in a very engaging way. While
some sections are quite technical, and well
documented in endnotes, there are also stories and
anecdotes along the way. It is clear what Denison
thinks about the topics he raises but he also brings
in the opinion and experiments of others to provide
breadth of examples and case studies. It is an ideal
book for a graduate seminar or undergraduate
capstone course. The general theme is evolution
but tied to agricultural production and ecological
theory. It brings in political and social issues as well
as research priorities and funding issues. If you’re
only going to buy one hard cover book this year,
this should be it. By the time you’re finished, the
page margins will be filled with annotations!
-Marshall D. Sundberg, Department of Biological
Sciences, Emporia State University.
Mycological
Systematics, Biodiversity and Ecol-
ogy of Lichens
Ingvar Kärnefelt, Mark R. D. Seaward, and
Arne Thell (eds.)
2012. ISBN-13: 978-3-443-58087-2
Paperback, €87.00 (approx. US$120). + 290 pp.
Bibliotheca Lichenologica, Volume 108. J.
Cramer, Stuttgart, Germany
This collection brings together 17 diverse
lichenological research papers, each with a highly
specialized focus. It is the 108th in the occasional
series of lichenological volumes that has included
biosystematic and floristic monographs, collected
contributions from international congresses and
symposia, and Festschriften of contributed papers
assembled in honor of major figures in the field.
26
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
Falling within the latter category, the present
volume is dedicated to the German lichenologist H.
Martin Jahns on the occasion of his 70th birthday.
Academic librarians and readers unfamiliar with
the series should be forewarned: this volume is in
no way a review or general treatment of the topics
of lichen systematics, biodiversity, and ecology. The
title merely reflects the main subject headings under
which most of these specialized contributions
might be classified. Not all of the contributions fit
easily within those headings, either; the lead article,
by L. Arvidsson, comprises biographical sketches
of the first nine presidents of the International
Association for Lichenology. In the absence of any
obvious organizational theme, the editors have
chosen to arrange the 17 papers alphabetically by
the names of the primary authors.
A very short summary of Professor Jahns’ career
is provided in the preface, along with a dedicatory
letter from some of his former students. In the
early 1970s, Jahns co-authored (with A. Henssen)
an influential book on lichenology (Lichenes: Eine
Einführung in die Flechtenkunde), which, though
now dated, nonetheless remains relevant because of
its comparative treatments of taxa with structural
and developmental detail not found in other books
on lichens. His scientific papers have contributed
mainly to the subjects of lichen morphology,
ontogeny, and development. However, only one
of the papers in the present dedicatory volume
represents those interests: a study of crustose lichen
development on rocks in Gotland, Sweden, by T.
Schaper and S. Ott.
Three of the contributions concern systematics
of Teloschistaceae: a molecular phylogeny of
xanthorioid taxa (N. M. Fedorenko et al.), a key
to the Australian caloplacas (S. Kondratyk et al.),
and the description of a new Patagonian Caloplaca
parasitic on Zahlbrucknerella (U. Søchting and L.
G. Sancho). New taxa described in other groups
include an alpine Rinodina (J. Hafellner et al.)
and an Andean Collema (P. M. Jørgenssen and Z.
Palice). Molecular analyses are used to distinguish
two species of Cladonia (C. humilis and C. conista;
R. Pino-Bodas et al.), to determine the phylogenetic
placement of the genera Aphanopsis and Steinia (C.
Printzen et al.), and to confirm the identities of
lichenicolous fungi isolated into culture (Hametner
et al.). An extensive literature review of the large
and problematic genus Arthonia is provided by
R. Sundin et al. Floristic contributions include an
evaluation of the saxicolous lichens of Munich (T.
Feuerer and H. Hertel), the genus Usnea on the
smaller Greek islands (H. Sipman), and lichens of
several localities in Greenland affected by global
climate change (E. S. Hansen). Climate change and
pollution effects are also considered in a study of
corticolous lichens in Düsseldorf (N. J. Stapper, in
German). Another paper, by H. Bültman and F. J.
A. Daniëls, considers the possibility of using net
photosynthetic rates as a stand-in for the more
problematic relative growth rate measurements
in classifying lichens according to Grime’s system
of plant growth strategies. Finally, the culture
requirements and secondary chemistry of two
species of Thysanothecium are compared in a work
by Stocker-Wörgötter et al.
–William B. Sanders, Florida Gulf Coast University,
Fort Myers, Florida, USA.
Fungal Cell Wall: Structure, Synthe-
sis, and Assembly, 2nd ed.
José Ruiz-Herrera
2012. ISBN-13: 978-1-4398-4837-1
Hardcover, US$129.95. 183 pp.
CRC Press, Taylor Francis Group, Boca Raton,
Florida, USA
This slender volume offers an overview with
substantial molecular detail on the construction
of the fungal cell wall. The author, a long-standing
contributor to research in this field, has revised and
updated a work he first published 20 years ago. The
book begins with an excellent introduction to cell
walls, their significance, and the chief differences
among those of bacteria, plants, and fungi. This
chapter is regrettably brief, however, and the broad
perspectives and interdisciplinary insights that the
author shows himself fully capable of generating
here do not often emerge in subsequent chapters.
Nor is the rest of the book anywhere near as
accommodating to generalists less deeply steeped
in biochemistry and cell biology. The result is a
reference work that will certainly be valued by cell
and molecular biologists working on cell walls, but
may not attract as many interested readers from
related fields as a book on this important topic
might otherwise.
The second chapter, on cell wall composition,
presents the macromolecular cast of characters,
and the following chapter describes how these
components are arranged within the wall.
27
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
Subsequent chapters explore each of the main
biochemical components of the wall in depth:
chitin, chitosan, glucans, and proteins. While
it is the signature component of the fungal cell
wall, chitin, as it turns out, is often not a major
constituent; variously linked polymers of glucose
(but not cellulose) frequently predominate as
structural and microfibrillar components. In the
next chapter, “Cytological Aspects of Cell Wall
Synthesis,” the author details what is known about
translation and exocytosis of proteins associated
with the cell wall and its enzymatic synthesis. The
final chapter describes the coordination of processes
involved in wall growth. It presents turgor pressure
as the driving force; not mentioned is any role for
other mechanisms, such as amoeboid extension,
discussed in other recent literature reviews. Some
readers may be disappointed that such issues are
not addressed in a book of this kind.
There are relatively few illustrations in this work
and many occasions where additional ones could
significantly aid the non-specialist. Micrographs
are particularly scarce, and the reproductions are,
it must be said, of generally poor quality and in
several cases inadequately sized. Considering the
ample price of this lean volume, one might hope
that the publishers could afford to be a little more
generous with production quality. They would have
also done well to provide a proofreader. Although
the prose represents a considerable achievement for
a (presumably) non-native speaker, a substantial
number of errors in grammar, punctuation and
orthography appear in the text. These errors do not
usually impact comprehension, but they can be a
distraction to the reader.
The focus of this book is limited to the conventional
hypha showing polar growth, with due
consideration given to the contrasting isotropic
growth pattern characteristic of yeasts. Certainly
the hypha is the indisputable structural unit in
fungi, which have diversified tremendously while
conserving the filamentous vegetative cell that is so
ideally suited for exploiting any food source from
within. But fungi also emerge from their food to
produce and disperse their spores; to accomplish
this they have often metamorphosed their hyphae
into a wide variety of cells and tissues. Some of those
investigated experimentally, such as the mushroom
stipe, show patterns of wall growth and elongation
that are very different from those of a conventional
hypha. Yet these interesting deviations from the
hyphal norm are not considered at all in this work.
Equally unaddressed, although less well studied,
is the cell wall of lichen fungi, whose diversity of
vegetative tissue types and thallus growth forms
is unparalleled elsewhere in the Kingdom. These
perfectly legitimate fungi (nearly 20% of all
described fungi are lichen-forming) may, along
with fruit-body tissues, pose significant challenges
to the growth paradigms presented in this book.
Experimental researchers can hardly be faulted for
neglecting the lichen fungi, whose slow growth and
finicky symbioses make them far too complicated
for routine laboratory manipulation. But a treatise
on the fungal cell wall ought to at least acknowledge
that the fungi are capable of building far more than
just hyphae and yeasts, and that a focus limited to
these basic cell types will not adequately explain
how they do it.
-William B. Sanders, Florida Gulf Coast University.
Plant Fungal Pathogens: Methods
and Protocols
Melvin D. Bolton and Bart P. H. J. Thomma, eds.
2012. ISBN-13: 978-1-61779-500-8 (hard-
cover)
e-ISBN: 978-1-61799-501-5 (e-book)
Hardcover, US$159.00. xvi + 648 pp. 138
illustrations, 72 in color.
e-Book, US$129.99
Humana Press, Springer, Science +
Business Media, New York, New York, USA
The current volume is a unique collection of
41 chapters from a diverse group of scientists,
researchers, and academics working on different
aspects of the molecular basis of fungal pathogens
and pathogenesis. The editors have successfully
bridged the gap between classical mycology
and recent molecular developments in disease
diagnostics and analysis in a fairly comprehensive
fashion. The volume covers a large number of
recent critical techniques that are being currently
employed in plant pathology laboratories, such as
regular PCR, real-time PCR, genomics approaches,
sequencing, blotting techniques, transformation
techniques, genome walking, gene silencing,
microarray analysis, cloning, nucleic acid isolation
methods for different fungal species, fungal cell
and tissue culture techniques, molecular genetics,
genetic engineering, molecular and microbiological
28
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
methods, advanced microscopy, spectroscopy, and
information technology as applied in molecular
plant pathology. These are only few of the most
common methods discussed in addition to a wide
variety of new technological approaches devised
or implemented to understand the complexity of
the fungal pathogens and uncover the molecular
basis of host–pathogen interactions. The current
volume will successfully fill the void for the need
of a comprehensive volume dealing exclusively with
molecular methods of fungal pathogens.
One of the most striking aspects of the current
volume is the concision of each chapter. Most
protocol-based volumes lose focus by providing
too much detail in the procedures and the overall
length. The editors have done a commendable job
in limiting the length of individual chapters and
maintaining simplicity of language throughout
the volume. The authors deserve special credit for
presenting complex protocols in simple terms and
for breaking up the text with illustrations, word
diagrams, schematic charts, tables, and excellent
figures. This approach helps maintain the reader’s
attention without compromising the quality of
information delivered. Instead of amassing a
complete reference list at the end of the volume, the
editors have placed them at the end of each chapter;
to my mind this is more helpful because researchers
interested in a specific technique do not need to dig
through a huge combined reference list at the end.
Valuable tips and suggestions on conducting critical
protocol steps are provided from global leaders and
experts on the topic; this will help researchers attain
reproducible results and is another key feature that
sets this volume apart.
The index is helpful and will assist readers in
identifying specific keywords and phrases. I believe
that including a listing of the abbreviations used in
each chapter after the abstract would be useful for
the reader; this could be considered as addendum
in future editions. The excellent collection of
black-and-white and color illustrations is an
added attraction for the reader. This volume will
be useful for both students and researchers in the
fields of botany and forestry, agriculture, mycology,
microbiology, plant disease and diagnostics,
molecular plant pathology, horticulture science,
biomolecular sciences, life sciences, fungal
molecular biology, fungal biotechnology, microbial
biotechnology, and food technology.
–S. K. Basu, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge,
Alberta, Canada. saikat.basu@uleth.ca
Physiological
Plant Signalling Networks: Meth-
ods and Protocols
Zhi-Yong Wang and Zhenbiao Yang, eds.
2012. ISBN-13: 978-1-61779-808-5
Cloth, US$119.00. 230 pp.
Humana Press, Springer Science+Business
Media, New York, New York, USA
Plants have to adapt to a changing environment and
to many external stresses. Some reactions might be
transient and short, while others might result in
long-term changes in metabolism and morphology.
However, our knowledge of the underlying
mechanisms of cellular signaling and regulation is
still extremely limited. To fully understand plant
reactions, it would be necessary to elucidate the
perception of signals, the functioning of molecular
switches, the activation of genes, translation
and transcription, as well as the resulting shifts
in enzymes and metabolites and their feedback
reactions. In the past decades, studies with model
species like Arabidopsis have helped us to recognize
a number of these adaptations, but we are still far
from having the whole picture.
In order to understand cellular decision processes,
it is important to identify the molecular actors
and their interactions with each other in reaction
cascades. Genomics, proteomics, and the role
of small molecules are the key tools to the
understanding we need. To date, studying genomes
has led to incredible progress in understanding
biology, but this is nothing compared to the
advances in the understanding of cellular reactions,
it would be necessary to elucidate the perception of
signals, the functioning of molecular switches, the
activation of genes, translation and transcription,
as well as the resulting shifts in enzymes and
metabolites and their feedback reactions. In the
past decades, studies with model species like
Arabidopsis have helped us to recognize a number
of these adaptations, but we are still far from
having the whole picture. In order to understand
cellular decision processes, it is important to
identify the molecular actors and their interactions
with each other in reaction cascades. Genomics,
proteomics, and the role of small molecules are the
key tools to the understanding we need. To date,
studying genomes has led to incredible progress
in understanding biology, but this is nothing
compared to the advances in the understanding of
29
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
reactions, it would be necessary to elucidate the
perception of signals, the functioning of molecular
switches, the activation of genes, translation
and transcription, as well as the resulting shifts
in enzymes and metabolites and their feedback
reactions. In the past decades, studies with model
species like Arabidopsis have helped us to recognize
a number of these adaptations, but we are still far
from having the whole picture.
In order to understand cellular decision processes,
it is important to identify the molecular actors
and their interactions with each other in reaction
cascades. Genomics, proteomics, and the role
of small molecules are the key tools to the
understanding we need. To date, studying genomes
has led to incredible progress in understanding
biology, but this is nothing compared to the
advances in the understanding of cellular
adaptations in the study of proteomics. By now it is
clear that one gene can encode different proteins due
to post-translational splicing and protein–protein
interactions, leading to results including reversible
or irreversible oxidation or to phosphorylation,
methylation, or glutathionylation. Furthermore, it
is clear that there are signal transduction pathways
linking signal perception to gene regulation.
Current development of proteomic methods has
allowed unraveling signaling processes on the basis
of alterations in proteins. It is now possible to profile
even small changes on the level of single proteins
in a given tissue. Even quantitative approaches are
available.
Chemical genetics focuses on the identification of
small molecules and their role in changing protein
functionality. It may be seen as a complement to
traditional genetics, but it is also complementary
to proteomics. Chemical genetics, which is being
used with increasing success in pharmacology, has
also begun to influence the plant sciences and the
understanding of metabolic pathways.
The editors of this volume, both plant physiologists
and specialists in plant responses to the
environment, have chosen topics of interest for the
scientific community. The present book compiles
some of the most recent and promising protocols
in the study of plant signaling networks. Beware,
though, because of its focus on methods, this
text focuses on the how rather than the why. The
abstracts and introductions to each chapter give just
a clue of the biochemical background and are not a
substitute for further reading. The same is true for
the references given with each chapter: they refer to
the methods, and only a few provide an overview
of the topic. It is in the nature of a protocol book to
not be comprehensive on the scientific background.
The first six chapters focus on methods for the
detection of post-translational changes in proteins
and their quantitative analysis. Among many other
procedures, stable isotope labeling, differential
two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE)
or immobilized metal affinity chromatography,
and advanced mass spectrometry methods are
described. Processing data and database searching
of liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry
(LC/MS) and liquid chromatography–tandem
mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) data sets are also
covered. As the lab of one of the editors is very
experienced in this field, he contributes to two of
the chapters of this section.
Proteomic methods usually utilize gel
electrophoresis or isotope tagging for the
estimation of protein abundances. On the other
hand, gel-free approaches are fast and use existing
databases to identify phosphorylated key proteins
from partial sequences obtained after digestion
and mass spectrometry. Contrary to this, gel
electrophoretic methods first separate abundant
proteins and determine their phosphorylation
in a second step. Both methods have significant
drawbacks: the first identifies only sequence
fragments, which bears a certain insecurity of
the protein identity, and the second suffers from
reproducibility of exact isoelectric focusing (IEF)
and molecular weight (MW) data on the two-
dimensional gels. Furthermore, separating and
identifying hydrophobic proteins with 2-DGE is
still a matter of discussion. The reader obtains a
comprehensive overview of the available methods,
some pitfalls, and the equipment and time needed,
and can decide which setup best suits his or her
requirements.
The subsequent chapters deal with the role of small
molecules in signaling, as well as their detection.
This section is followed by methods for the
dissection of GTPase-dependent pathways. Because
ubiquitin conjugation seems to be a very important
step in eukaryotic protein modification, methods to
study its role in vivo and in vitro are provided in
two independent chapters. Genome-wide profiling
is covered in the next three chapters, including
novel techniques like the Illumina or Sequencing by
Oligonucleotide Ligation and Detection (SOLiD)
whole genome sequencing methods. Last, but not
least, an important summary of a computational
30
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
method for the analysis of cell growth patterns is
included, providing an example of the importance
of bioinformatics tools.
Each chapter contains a detailed list of materials
and a description of the equipment needed for the
respective experiment, followed by a step-by-step
protocol for the successful completion of the tasks.
In all chapters, this section is very detailed and gives
important hints on incubation times, handling of
equipment, and intermediate results.
Each experimental section is followed by notes.
These notes to the methods differ considerably in
length and detail. Some authors have spent ample
time and space to further explain experimental
procedures and problems, while others seemed to
consider the notes section as just an addendum.
Some authors also provide valuable links to lab
web sites or to videos for further information. A
few authors use them to add trivialities: “…results
must be reconfirmed by repeating the experiment
three times.” In any case, it is worthwhile to read
these notes thoroughly. The index is informative
but very short. It will probably be necessary to
browse through the chapters of interest to spot
more specific information.
Overall, this protocol book is a good overview across
various research approaches such as genomics,
proteomics, metabolomics, and bioinformatics. Its
methods are elaborate and clear, and most of the
chapters provide specific hints and notes to increase
the success of the experiments. This book will long
stand as a guide to plant signaling networks, and it
can be taken as a useful vademecum to the lab for
the more experienced user.
–Peter Schröder, Senior Plant Physiologist, Re-
search Unit Microbe Plant Interactions, Helmholtz
Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany. peter.
schroeder@helmholtz-muenchen.de
SYSTEMATICS
Flora of Tropical East Africa - Com-
melinaceae
Robert Faden, 2012. ISBN 978-1-84246-
436-6 (paperback, US$75.00) 244 pp. Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew. Distributed by Uni-
versity Chicago Press, Chicago.
With this volume and a volume on Solanaceae,
written by Jennifer M. Edmonds, Flora of Tropica
East Africa (FTEA) has been finished in 2012. This
is the largest ever completed regional tropical Flora.
When first parts of the FTEA appeared in 1952,
botanists expected that it would only take about 15
years to finish and they thought it would amount to
around 7,500 vascular plant species in the region.
Instead, it took 135 plant taxonomists and 211
illustrators exactly 60 years to write 267 volumes
(about two meters of shelf space) that describe
12,104 wild plant species in Uganda, Kenya, and
Tanzania. About 2,500 species are endemic to the
region and more than 1,500 new species for science
have been found during the FTEA project.
Robert Faden, Research Botanist and Associate
Curator at the National Museum of Natural History,
has been working in Africa and on systematics
and phylogeny of Commelinaceae for 40 years.
Therefore, he was better qualified than anybody
else to prepare a volume on this difficult family
for the FTEA. According to his treatment, the
family Commelinaceae is represented by 11 genera
and 123 species in the region. The largest genus –
Commelina – is represented by 51 species. This is
a notoriously difficult genus because the species
are difficult to identify even when fresh material
is available. Unfortunately, only 11 species are
illustrated. The second largest genus is Aneilema,
represented by 36 species. Nine species in this genus
are illustrated. The remaining genera (Anthericopsis,
Coleotrype, Cyanotis, Floscopa, Murdannia,
Palisota, Pollia, Polyspathia, Stanfieldiella) are
represented by fewer species. There are eight new
species and eight new subspecies described in this
volume. A few naturalized species (Tradescantia
spp.) are mentioned in the text. Some of the species
described in this volume are invasive in other parts
of the world (e.g., Commelina benghalensis, C.
diffusa, C. forskaolii).
31
Plant Science Bulletin 59(1) 2013
The Flora of Tropical East Africa is a monumental
achievement. The editors, all contributing authors,
and artists should be congratulated on this
milestone in tropical botany and plant systematics!
– Marcel Rejmánek, Department of Evolution and
Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616.
Huanduj: Brugmansia
Alistair Hay, Monika Gottschalk, and Adolfo
Holguín
2012. ISBN-13: 978-1-84246-477-9
Hardcover, £68.00. 424 pp.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Sur-
rey, United Kingdom, kewbooks.com
Brugmansia Pers. (Solanaceae: Datureae) is a genus
of seven recognized species and almost 1800 named
cultivars. The common name in the title, huanduj,
is in Kichwa, a major language of the indigenous
peoples of Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru, which is
the center of the range of most of the species of this
genus. The genus is most unusual in that its species
are not known to occur in habitats undisturbed by
human beings; rather, the species inhabit roadsides,
edges of fields, and other disturbed situations.
Range maps for the seven species are given on p. 94.
The plants contain tropane (or “belladonna”)
alkaloids, psychoactive compounds that therefore
figure in folk medicine and religious ceremonies.
The tribe Datureae is especially rich in these
compounds; Chapter 1, “Sacrament and Medicine,”
is devoted to these uses for the plants. Chapter
2, titled simply “Poison,” discusses the risks and
dangers of these plants.
Chapter 3, “Taxonomy,” is in some respects the
critical chapter in the entire book, because you
cannot talk about a thing without a name for it, and
the nomenclature of brugmansias is extraordinarily
complex and beset with ambiguities. The
underlying skeleton of the taxonomy adopted here
is an unpublished Ph.D. dissertation by Tommie
Earl Lockwood (1941–1975), one of three people
to whom this book is dedicated. The key (on p.
100) appears workable. Problems will arise because
hybrids are so abundant. These cannot be accounted
for in a key, because they are so widely variable. The
genus is divided into two sections, Brugmansia and
Sphaerocarpium J. M. H. Shaw, and the evidence is
that hybridization does not extend across sectional
lines. In the treatment of each of the recognized
species, there is a full citation of relevant names,
with lectotypes or neotypes designated where
necessary. The treatments of each species are
much longer than one usually sees in revisionary
treatments; the effort is evidently meant to tie up
every loose end, with respect to issues including
typification, history, and misapplication of names
in previous literature. The authors have most
admirably attained their goal.
The second half of the book is devoted to
horticulture: cultivation, propagation, diseases and
pests, and so on. These topics will doubtless appeal
most to cultivators, of whom there are apparently
thousands—some of whom are organized into
groups like the International Brugmansia and
Datura Society. The authors comment that
brugmansia is surely acceptable as a common name
for these plants, “though it is, unfortunately, all too
open to contraction into the faintly lavatorial slur
of ‘brugs’.” (I think one has to be conversant with
Australian English to appreciate the flavor of this
comment. In any case, the website is ibrugs.com.)
The book is replete with hundreds (perhaps
thousands) of full-color pictures, carefully chosen,
properly labeled, and positioned to amplify the
accompanying text. The book designer is Stan
Lamond, who deserves special mention. He has
taken a scholarly manuscript and a very large file
of photographs and turned them into a minor work
of art.
–Neil A. Harriman, Biology Department, University
of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA.
harriman@uwosh.edu
32
Books Received
Dispersal Ecology and Evolution. Jean Colbert, Michel Baguette, Tim G. Benton, and James M. Bullock
(eds.). 2012. ISBN-13: 978-0-19-960890-4 (Paper US$74.99) 462 pp. Oxford University Press, New York,
New York, USA.
Medicinal Plants of China, Korea, and Japan: Bioresources for Tomorrow’s Drugs and Cosmetics.
Christophe Wiart. 2012. ISBN-13: 978-1-4398-9911-3 (Cloth US$149.95) 454 pp. CRC Press, Boca Raton,
Florida, USA.
Protocols for Micropropagation of Selected Economically-Important Horticultural Plants. Maurizio
Lambardi, Elif Aylin Ozudogru, and Shri Mohan Jain (eds.). 2013. ISBN-13: 978-1-62703-073-1 (Cloth
US$159.00) 490 pp. Humana Press, Springer Science+Business Media, New York, New York, USA.
225 West 34th Street, Suite 1412
New York, NY 10122-1496
Tel: 212-563-0663
Fax: 212-465-9440
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P E R M A N E N T S P E C I M E N P R E S E R V A T I O N
For over forty years, Lane Science Equipment has been the name
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valuable specimens.
To learn more about our Herbarium Cabinets or any of our other products,
visit our website at www.lanescience.com or contact us at the listing below.
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H E R B A R I U M
S P E C I M E N C A B I N E T S
The Botanical Society of
America is a membership
society whose mission is to:
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
within the biosphere.
ISSN 0032-0919
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Periodicals postage is paid at
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The yearly subscription rate of
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Address Editorial Matters (only) to:
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Plant Science
Bulletin
Spring 2013 Volume 59 Number 1
Plant Science Bulletin
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Now open
Abstract submission site and
conference Registration
5 Participating Societies
22 Symposia and Colloquia
9 Scientific Field trips to explore the
Botany of the New Orleans area
11 Workshops
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equals the
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Will you be there?
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See you in New Orleans......
Symposia and Colloquia Announced
www.2013.botanyconference.org
Join these scientific societies for Botany 2013
Announcing
Dr. Nalini Nadkarni
University of Utah
Plenary Speaker - July 28, 2013
Celebrating diversity
in the understanding of science:
Botanists as ambassadors to a
spectrum of humans
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