BOTANICAL COMMUNITY MOURNS DEATH OF LEADING BOTANIST From: Janine Adams kama@mobot.mobot.org & biodiv-l@bdt.ftpt.br ST. LOUIS - Dr. Alwyn Gentry, the world's leading expert on the plants of Latin America, was killed August 3 in a plane crash in Ecuador. Three other people, including American ornithologist Ted Parker, were killed in the crash in the Pacific lowlands coast of Ecuador. Three biologists survived the crash. The scientific group was doing an aerial survey of the coastal area of Ecuador, 350 miles southwest of Quito, when the crash occurred. They were on a reconnaissance trip for Conservation International's Rapid Assessment Program (RAP). Gentry began working at the Missouri Botanical Garden in 1971. He was revered for his botanical knowledge of South America and was recognized as one of the world's leading field biologists. He made more than 70,000 botanical collections during his lifetime. His understanding of woody tropical plants, a subject about which he had recently published a major volume, was unsur- passed. "We feel Al's loss very deeply," said Dr. Peter H. Raven, direc- tor of the Missouri Botanical Garden. "He was undoubtedly one of the most knowledgeable people in the world about the complex flora of Latin America. With the passing of Al Gentry, the botanical community, and indeed the world, has lost an invalu- able resource. And the Garden has lost a valued, long-time staff member." Gentry is survived by his wife, Rosa Ortiz de Gentry; a son, Darrell Gentry; two daughters, Diane Gentry and Maria Liana Gentry; two sisters and his mother. (BEN # 61 7-August-1993) ------------------------------------------ CANADIAN MUSEUM OF NATURE LAYOFFS [see BEN # 59] From: grapevine (various unofficial sources) The Museum of Nature lay-offs have happened and they can be described as an "intellectual massacre". Eight scientists will lose their jobs: five zoologists and three botanists are going. The botanists are Dr. Robert Ireland, one of Canada's few moss experts; Dr. Erich Haber, who is an expert on Pyrola and rare and endangered plants; and Dr. K.A. Pirozynski, a palaeobotanist who has unique knowledge of fossil fungi. There is a rumour about yet another layoff notice that could not be delivered to a botanist who is on a field trip. Among the zoologists was Dr. Francis R. Cook, editor of The Canadian Field-Naturalist. We do not know the duties of the 10 technicians who are being laid off, but since he says there is no museum in Canada that has sufficient technical staff to maintain its biological col- lections properly, the cuts must be serious. Maintenance of the Museum of Nature collections and access to them are also problems. They hold the Canadian moss collection, for example, but will now not have anyone on staff with exper- tise in that field. They have apparently suggested that the Ottawa collections could be sent out to provincial museums, but as we know that is impossible in British Columbia because the Royal B.C. Museum is also short-staffed and uncertain about its future role. In many museums "the exhibition people have taken over" (Science 258, 16 Oct 1992 p. 396). The museum directors seem to want to be in the entertainment business and have forgotten why museums were established and have lasted 400 years. (BEN # 61 7-August-1993) ------------------------------------------ BOTANY IN CANADA "Botany is at a low ebb in Canada, at a lower ebb than in most civilized or half civilized countries on the face of the earth." George Lawson 1860 (BEN # 61 7-August-1993) ------------------------------------------ RE: HAYNES' LEASE ECOLOGICAL RESERVE FIRE [BEN # 60] From: Jane Bock One thing bothered me about the fire description you sent. My colleague, Yan Linhart, and I are very concerned with two aspects of restoration of vegetation.My concerns are that using exotic plants, even if sterile, slows plant success- ion as a natural process because the natives must find some way to re- place the exotics. Linhart is always worried about revegetation discouraging maintenance of the naturally occurring gene pool. I was very impressed with your weed disposal efforts up there from volunteers. What if a volunteer party were organized to collect seeds from indigenous species that were on the land pre-burned from the closest seed sources. This is very labor intensive, but if done by volunteers, this helps. We are trying to get the National Park Service here to stop revegetating lands from central nursery stock. It is not sufficient to use the same species in our opinion. The best job is using stock from nearby. I have lots more to say about this topic if it interests you. (BEN # 61 7-August-1993) ------------------------------------------ CLAYOQUOT BLOCKADE NEWS UPDATE From: Student Enviro-Link August 20 1993 - The Friends of Clayoquot Sound As the number of arrests on the Clayoquot blockade climbs towards 600, the NDP government has quietly promised to give MacMillan Bloedel permission to begin blasting a road into the Clayoquot Valley within a month. A Forest Ministry memorandum [the existence of this "leaked" memorandum was denied by the government - AC] states that the new forestry guidelines promised by the Harcourt regime in its unpopular decision will be waived for a period of 12 months in order to expedite logging in one of the last untouched valleys in Clayoquot Sound. Despite post-election assurances of public participation, no public input will be allowed during the first year of clearcut logging in this vital valley. "After all the expensive PR from our corporate-led government, its logging-as-usual in Clayoquot Sound," an angry Friends of Clayoquot Sound director, Valerie Langer said today. "MacBlo has flagged its road across 45 degree slopes along an important salmon spawning stream and we're supposed to trust a company with 25 convictions for damaging fisheries?" Nuu-chah-nulth nation chiefs and B.C.'s biggest environmental organizations have re-affirmed their pledge to keep the big multinational logging companies out of the pristine Clayoquot Valley. But the Forest Ministry has told MB to expect its road- building permit by Sept. 14, 1993. This morning saw 180 rain forest protectors blockading a fog- shrouded Kennedy River bridge. Eighteen people - including a longshoreman and a disabled World War II vet - were arrested for refusing to allow Interfor and MacMillan Bloedel logging trucks to pass. "This is where patriots belong," 73 year old Austin Delany stated before being taken into police custody. "An I'm calling on patriots and veterans particularly in B.C. to come and stand on guard." In related developments, an application before B.C. Supreme Court to quash MacMillan Bloedel's anti-blockade injunction enters its second day of hearings. Friends' lawyers hope to convince the judge that MacMillan Bloedel should not be allowed to use Crown, RCMP and court resources to enforce a private dispute. Though Clayoquot fallers are set to begin a two week holiday today, grapple-yarding, road building and other rainforest- unfriendly activities will continue at 20 locations throughout Clayoquot Sound. "We will remain on the road until Harcourt reverses his unfortunate decision," Langer declared. [For more information call Garth Lenz or Valerie Langer 604-725- 4218] (BEN # 62 21-August-1993) ------------------------------------------ RE: HAYNES' LEASE FIRE [BEN # 60] - I From: Robert Scheer 371-6400 I just realized I goofed on the year of the previous fire at Haynes ' Lease. It was in 1989, four years ago not 2 as I stated. Please pass along to Jane Bock that BC Parks has at no time considered seeding the burn at Haines Lease with sterile or any other seeds, for exactly the reasons she stated. RE: HAYNES' LEASE FIRE [BEN # 60] - II From: Kelly McGrew <72075.1615@CompuServe.COM> The idea that Jane Bock had in BEN #61 was an interesting one: to use native seeds to revegetate the burn area. Perhaps an option that could be explored is to work jointly between the USA, Canada, and Mexico to form "Native Seed Banks" by floristic area. There are two similar vegetative areas to that of the fire area and both are in the USA. If some seeds were gathered there as well as from the areas nearby in BC which have the same general floristic types, perhaps that would aid in the regenera- tion of the area. Taking the idea a step further, perhaps various native plant societies can start to work together to form seed banks of a regional or floristic-zone type. For example, the Artemisia and Purshia seeds from southern BC and northern Washington could go into one regional bank, while the same species seeds from the Lower Columbia Basin would go into another bank, perhaps with seeds from North Eastern Oregon. It may take a decade to define the floristic zones, put the logistics together and to determine the viability period for the seeds, but once those steps are accomplished a rotating schedule could be set up to insure that there are always viable seeds of the general stocks desired. As an example, on a recent trip to my high school home town (Quincy, Wash.) I collected some seeds from Pediocactus simpsonii var robustior Coult. While there are only a few seeds (perhaps a couple of dozen) that I was going to send to the herbarium at the Univ. of Washington (Doug Eqing, Greenhouse Manager) I would be happy to send them to you if they will help to revegetate the area. [Pediocactus simpsonii does not extend to British Columbia. - AC] (BEN # 62 7-August-1993) ------------------------------------------ NIGHT POLLINATION OF FIREWEED ? From: "Robert A. Raguso" reposted from POLPAL-L DISCUSSION LIST I am studying floral scent and hawkmoth pollination in the Onagraceae. I just came across an anecdote in one of Bernd Heinrich's books about sphingid moths visiting Epilobium angus- tifolium at night... Does anyone have any further observations on this or know of any papers that discuss moth visits and pollination in fireweed? (BEN # 62 7-August-1993) ------------------------------------------ EDITORIAL NOTE From: Adolf Ceska My mother-in-law died after a short illness. My wife Oluna and I will leave for Prague tomorrow. We will stay in Czech Republic till September 20. I want to look at some critical vascular plant species with circumpolar distribution and trace out specimens collected by my countryman Tadeas Haenke in the Pacific Northwest in 1791. I would also like to collect more material on spinach and civilization, and to study beginnings of automation in medieval Prague. (Robot GOLEM was built in Prague by rabbi Judah Loew b. Bezalel in 16th century, but it failed, mostly due to the software problems.) Na shledanou in September. (BEN # 62 7-August-1993) ------------------------------------------ NEW BOOK NEEDS PHOTOS From: Andy MacKinnon Jim Pojar, Andy MacKinnon and a whole host of others have a book coming out next spring (1994) on the plants of the Pacific coast from Alaska to Oregon, the ocean to the height of land in the Coast and Cascade Mountains. It will be similar in format to 1992's "Plants of Northern B.C." and, like that book, will be co-published by the Ministry of Forests, Forestry Canada and Lone Pine Publishing. We'll need about 1000 colour photographs (35 mm slides preferred) of individual plant species for the book. We have perhaps 75% of the slides we need in our own collections, but still need those pesky other 25%, and are always looking for slides better than those in our collections. We will accept donated slides (in exchange for a copy of the book when it's out), or will discuss payment for permission to reproduce photos if you prefer. All slides will be carefully documented and transported, and returned to you ASAP. All photos will be credited. If you're interested, please contact Andy MacKinnon at: B.C. Forest Service, Research Branch, 31 Bastion Square, Victoria, B.C., Canada V8W 3E7. Phone: (604-) 387-6536, fax: (604-) 387- 0046, e-mail: AMACKINNON@GALAXY.GOV.BC.CA (BEN # 63 26-October-1993) ------------------------------------------ PROF. VLADIMIR J. KRAJINA - ERRATUM [BEN #56] Prof. Vladimir Krajina died June 1, 1993 and not May 31, 1993. (BEN # 63 26-October-1993) ------------------------------------------ OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY HERBARIUM - JOB OPPORTUNITY From: Aaron Liston via TAXACOM Two curatorial assistant positions are available in the Oregon State University Herbarium. One position is full time, the other is half-time. Primary responsibilities include the integration of the OSU and University of Oregon vascular plant, bryophyte, and lichen herbaria into a newly installed mobile storage sys- tem. This will involve the specimen by specimen comparison of the collections, assessment and de-accessioning of duplicates, nomenclatural verification, and specimen re-filing. These posi- tions are funded for two years by the National Science Founda- tion Research Collections in Systematics and Ecology Program. Minimum qualifications include a B.Sc. degree in botany, biol- ogy, or related discipline and prior experience in herbarium curation. Although the majority of the work will involve vas- cular plant curation, some lichen and bryophyte curation is also required. Applicants should submit a cover letter stating inter- est in the full and/or half-time position, a curriculum vitae and three letters of reference (have sent directly) to: Dr. Aaron Liston, Herbarium Director, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Cordley Hall 2082, Oregon State University, Corval- lis, OR 97331-2902 (tel: 503 737 5301, FAX: 503 737 3573). Closing date for the receipt of applications is December 1,1993. Oregon State University is an affirmative action equal oppor- tunity employer and is responsive to the needs of dual-career couples. (BEN # 63 26-October-1993) ------------------------------------------ A GUIDE TO THE CANADIAN SYSTEMATICS/PHYTOGEOGRAPHY Dr. Ernie Small started to compile a literature guide to the Canadian vascular plant taxonomy and phytogeography for the Canadian Botanical Association. He is interested in your career lists of publications suitable for inclusion into the guide. He would also like to hear from the zoologists with publications related to vascular plants and phytogeography, and from consult- ants who produced unpublished reports for government (and other) agencies. Please send your lists to Dr. Ernest Small Saunders Building Central Experimental Farm Ottawa, Ont. Canada K1A 0C6 Phone: 613-996-1665 Sample of the format (please use italics for genera and species!): Adolf Ceska, Royal British Columbia Museum 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, B.C., Canada V8V 1X4 Ceska, A., and Bell, M.A.M. 1973. Utricularia (Lentibulariaceae) in the Pacific Northwest. Madrono 22:74-84. Ceska, A. 1975. Additions to the adventive flora of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Canad. Field-Naturalist 89:451-453. Ceska, A., and Warrington, P.D. 1976. Myriophyllum farwellii (Haloragaceae) in British Columbia. Rhodora 78:75-78. (BEN # 63 26-October-1993) ------------------------------------------ DR. KOJIMA'S LETTER FROM JAPAN From: Satoru Kojima [A few days ago I got a letter from Dr. Satoru Kojima. He was a student of Prof. V.J. Krajina at the University of British Columbia and he is now Professor of Plant Ecology at the Toyama University in Japan. - AC] Last April, we had some re-organization of our university. It is a sort of fashion in these days in Japan. Every university talks about re-organization and re-structuring. As a result, I was transferred to the Faculty of Science, the same faculty where [plant taxonomist] Dr. Naruhasi is stationed. But in reality, nothing has changed. I am in the same office doing exactly the same job, and so on. This is what they call "innovation of university". Japan's economy is slowing down. The unemployment rate is in- creasing and young people such as university graduates are facing some difficulty obtaining jobs. In terms of research, I keep myself somehow moving. This year I spent some time in Hokkaido studying an interesting wetland vegetation and Betula ermanii forest. As I told you in the last message, I made some observation on the vegetation of Kamtchatka. There the Betula forest is predominant and very characteristic. I want to do some comparative studies of the forest between Kamtchatka and northern Japan. The flora of the peninsula is very interesting as pointed out by Hulten. That of the lowland is very similar to that of northern Japan but that of the high elevation may include a substantial number of Berin- gian elements hence somewhat resembles that of Alaska-Yukon. For the Kamtchatka, I tentatively recognized five biogeoclimatic zones, i.e. from low elevation to high: 1) Larix kamtchatica zone, 2) Picea jezoensis zone, 3) Betula ermanii zone, 4) Pinus pumila zone, and 5) alpine tundra zone. Except 1) and 5), we have similar or the same zones in Hokkaido. My dream is to cover the entire northern Pacific region from northern Japan, Kurile Islands, Kamtchatka Peninsula, Aleutian Islands, Alaska-Yukon, to the Pacific western North America with the biogeoclimatic classification together with some floristic gradient. As a part of this personal project, I would like to spend some time in the Yukon next summer (1994), though nothing is final- ized yet. I need to find some finance and time to do so. Any way, I will keep you informed. I would appreciate any news about you and your wife, Victoria, and Canada. All the best. Bye for now. Satoru (BEN # 64 9-November-1993) ------------------------------------------ VICTORIA (VANCOUVER ISLAND) MYCOLOGICAL GROUP We are trying to establish an organization for people interested in fungi and mushrooms in Victoria, B.C. If you are interested in joining this group, please give your name and address to Hannah Nadel (phone 721-4291) or leave her a message c/o rcannings@galaxy.gov.bc.ca . (BEN # 64 9-November-1993) ------------------------------------------ JOB: PLANT DEMOGRAPHY/CONSERVATION BIOLOGY From: Robert Meinke In 4-6 weeks the State of Oregon will be recruiting for a botanist with expertise in stage-based demographic monitoring/modelling of rare and endangered plant populations. Experience with transition matrix modelling, including field set-up, data collection, and analysis (employing Ramas-stage or something comparable) will be required. General statistical proficiency is also necessary (ANOVA, various non-parametrics, etc.), as well as an ability to use D-base and Quatro pro or their equivalents. The individual selected will be continuing or expanding field projects already in progress, and will oversee 2-4 conservation biology interns. Additional assignments may include field supervision of a re-introduction study for an endangered dune species on the Oregon coast. The position is presently set for 18 months (beginning in January 1994), with the possibility of extension. Compensation will include full benefits and $ 25-30k annually. Duty station will be Corvallis, Oregon, with extensive spring/summer travel within the state, often to remote areas. If you wish to be put on a mailing list to receive the full announcement for this position reply electronically or by post to: Bob Meinke Department of Botany & Plant Pathology Oregon State University CORVALLIS, OR 97331 (503)737-2317 internet: meinker@bcc.orst.edu (BEN # 64 9-November-1993) ------------------------------------------ DISEASES AND PESTS OF VEGETABLE CROPS IN CANADA From: Peter Kevan (Originally posted on entomo-l@uoguelph.ca) This magnum opus, sponsored by the Entomological Society of Canada and the Canadian Phytopathological Society, will be available very shortly. The book, over 400 pages with 136 colour plates can be purchased from Marilyn Dykstra, Pest Diagnostic Clinic, POBox 3650, 95 Stone Rd. W., Zone 2, Guelph, Ontario N1G 8J7. FAX 519-767-6240. The price is not yet available, but Marilyn will be able to advise if you FAX her. (BEN # 64 9-November-1993) ------------------------------------------ EDITORIAL MEDITATION During the long pause between BEN # 62 and BEN # 63 I got a record number of requests from people who wanted to sub- scribe to BEN and no request to unsubscribe. As soon as I produced a new issue, the number of new subscribers dropped and two people wanted to unsubscribe. You can see that BEN is much more successful when it does not appear than when it does. Please don't be discouraged by this fact and send me whatever interesting botanical news you have. Many thanks for your support. - Adolf Ceska (BEN # 64 9-November-1993) ------------------------------------------ BIODIVERSITY SEMINAR SERIES # 1 From: Trudy Chatwin FOREST INVERTEBRATE BIODIVERSITY Monday, December 6, 1993 from 8:30 am - 12:00 noon Maritime Museum, Bastion Square, Victoria, B.C. This Forest Invertebrate Biodiversity Seminar is the first in a series of biodiversity related seminars sponsored by the Inter- Ministry Biodiversity Group. The objective of the series is to facilitate communication within the biodiversity research com- munity and others interested in this field. Join us for an interesting and stimulating morning! Contact: Trudy Chatwin, Wildlife Branch 387-9756 or Carol Rosskam, Research Branch 356-6813 for further details (BEN # 65 30-November-1993) ------------------------------------------ OOPS - A WRONG NUMBER FOR THE VICTORIA MYCOLOGY [BEN #64] I gave you a wrong number of Hannah Nadel in BEN #64. Her cor- rect phone number is 721-1386. (BEN # 65 30-November-1993) ------------------------------------------ NEW RECORDS OF VASCULAR PLANTS FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA From: Frank Lomer c/o Over the last couple of years I have found a few specimens of interests in the UBC Herbarium: Atriplex nuttallii Wats. - Collected at Clayhurst crossing on the North bank of Peace by Al Rose, s.n., June 29, 197. K. Beamish determined it correctly March 12, 1981 and I'm not sure if it has ever been collected before in B.C., al- though this species and Atriplex canescens both approach B.C. in northwest Alberta. [A single specimen of A. nut- tallii in the Royal British Columbia Museum (V) was col- lected in Clayhurst Ecological Reserve #8, Peace River District, by R.D. Kabzems, #16, August 1989 and identified by R.T. Ogilvie, November 1989.] Senecio squalidus L. - Collected in ballast at the foot of Nanaimo St., Vancouver by W. Taylor, s.n., July 1950. Not known since. Labelled as S. erucifolius L. Native to Canada and S. Europe but now a common weed in England since its introduction 200 years ago. Polygonum minus Hudson - Collected at Hatzic Lake by V.J. Krajina, Aug. 2, 1949, and labelled as P. persicaria L. Now fairly common on mud shore of Fraser in the Lower Fraser Valley. Also abundant around a pond at Tranquille. Introduced from Europe. Polygonum sawatchense Small - Collected on the road up to Windy Joe, Manning Park by K. Beamish, # 7856, Aug. 4, 1957 and identified as P. minumum. Native in the North Central Cascades South to California. Hypericum boreale (Britt.) Bickn. - Collected at Pitt Polder by K. Beamish, s.n., Sept. 25, 1961, and now known from numerous locations in the lower mainland. Probably intro- duced in B.C. in cranberry bogs where it is sometimes abundant. Also naturalized on mud banks of the Fraser River. Chenopodium foliosum (Moench) Asch. - Collected from Redstone, Chilcotin by J.W. Eastham, s.n., July 24, 1944. Cryptantha watsonii (Gray) Greene - Collected from Osoyoos by J.W. Eastham, 71V6, May 11, 1940. Since collected by myself 6 June 1993 by Ashnola River near Lakeview campsite, Cathedral Park area. (BEN # 65 30-November-1993) ------------------------------------------ MOSSES OF BRITISH COLUMBIA ON THE LIST [BEN # 50] From: Tara Steigenberger , We were recently informed that our book, Some Common Mosses of B.C., was selected for the School Library Book Purchase plan. What that means is that Mosses will be on a list of books that has been given a "stamp of approval" by a committee of teachers. This list will be given to school boards, and the librarians will read through the list to decide which titles they wish to purchase. Being on the Library Purchase Plan list brings our title to the attention of the librarians, who may not have considered our book without the list. We repeat the ordering information from BEN # 50: Schofield: Some common mosses of British Columbia - 2nd Edition The second (revised and expanded) edition of the popular Museum Handbook no. 28 was published by the Royal B.C. Museum in Vic- toria and costs $12.95 Canadian. Individuals order from The Royal Museum Shop at 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 1X4, Tel (604) 356-0505, Fax (604) 356-8197. The Shop charges $1.50 shipping and handling per book. Please add 7% GST to total order. Major credit cards, purchase orders, personal cheques, money orders accepted. Resale outlets and institutions order from CROWN Publications, Inc. at 546 Yates Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 1K8, Tel (604) 386- 4636, Fax (604) 386-0221. Major credit cards, purchase orders, personal cheques, money orders accepted. (BEN # 65 30-November-1993) ------------------------------------------ VANCOUVER ISLAND MYCOLOGICAL SOCIETY Several conspirators met on December 9 in the house of Hannah Nadel in Victoria and decided to establish "Vancouver Island Mycological Society" (please note that the name is provisional). The society will have its monthly meetings each first Thursday of the month, starting on February 3, 1994. Meeting place will be announced, but it is highly probable that it will be the Pacific Forestry Centre on West Burnside Road. Watch for further announcements. (BEN # 66 14-December-1993) ------------------------------------------ BOTANY BC RAFTING TRIP LANDED IN COURTS From: "Gail M. Berg" The rafting company I hired to take us down the Columbia for the Botany BC field trip has been charged with taking a trip down that river without having a licence to do so on that particular piece of waterway. They refused to pay a $100.00 fine (for some reason) so the Conservation Officer out of Golden has taken them to court. Peter Holmes (the Habitat Biologist from here) and myself have been subpoenaed to go to court on February 22, 1994 to act as witnesses. Hopefully I will make it to the meeting next year in the Queen Charlotte Islands and will be able to show some slides complete with me being led into court in hand- cuffs. Does Botany BC have any sort of a defence fund for this type of incident ? (BEN # 66 14-December-1993) ------------------------------------------ SAN BRUNO MOUNTAIN HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN DOES NOT WORK From: J. Sigg's article, Fremontia 21, No. 4. San Bruno Mountain is a long ridge (1,314 feet) in northern San Mateo County adjacent to San Francisco. The area has long been of interest of botanists because of the presence of many plants that reach either the northern or the southern limit of their ranges. It has geographic variants of widespread species, several rare or uncommon plants and two or three endangered butterflies. The majority of the mountain is a state and county park, with several hundred privately owned acres on the lower slopes and ridges. Much of the prime habitat for the three butterflies is on private property. The specific goal of the 1982 Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), the first in the U.S., was to protect the ecosystem of the entire remaining undeveloped portions of the mountain. Several large developments that would destroy butterfly habitat had been proposed for the lower slopes and ridges of the moun- tain. Using the new 1982 HCP process, development on San Bruno Mountain could now proceed. The main threat to the mountain ecosystem and its endangered species - other than development - was and is the advance of invasive exotic plants: gorse (Ulex europaeus), Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus), French broom (Genista monspessulana), Scotch and Mediterranean broom (Cytisus scoparius and C. striatus), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), and Andean pampas grass (Cortaderia jubata). Other alien species scattered over the mountain are Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa), Himalayan blackberry (Rubus procerus), cotoneaster (Cotoneaster spp.), pyracantha (Pyracantha sp.), English ivy (Hedera helix) and German ivy (Senecio mikanioides). Singly or in combination, these species are able to displace even healthy native plant communities in this climatic regime. Compared to 1982, there are greater numbers of invasive plants on the mountain, and they occupy a larger area, displacing more native plants. For eleven years the HCP has concerned almost exclusively on gorse, ... but there is as much gorse today as in 1982, possibly more. The county has chained, bulldozed, sprayed, burned, and mechanically removed acres of gorse, yet the stands have remained essentially the same over the years because patches are allowed to regenerate from roots and seeds. While the HCP was locked into obsession with gorse, other aggressive plants were freely proliferating and destroying prime habitat. Once a weed has been extirpated, the area should not be aban- doned. Native plants do not automatically recolonize a disturbed area. The science of restoration must be employed if native plants are to reclaim their rightful place. Otherwise the same weed will return or others will replace them. By 1990 the Yerba Buena Chapter of the California Native Plant Society was disturbed that no one had looked at the HCP and its results in the field since the plan began. For over the decades the chapter members had been fighting weeds in natural areas in the San Francisco area. Since September 1990 the chapter members logged over 2,200 person-hours of weed control work. The Yerba Buena Chapter has formed a San Bruno Mountain Committee to comment on the gorse management draft and the HCP and offered its knowledge and energy to revise, revitalize, or make San Bruno Mountain HCP work to restore butterfly habitat. (BEN # 66 14-December-1993) ------------------------------------------ THE MINI-JOURNAL OF IRREPRODUCIBLE RESULTS From: JIR@MITVMA.BITNET (modified by BEN, without a permission!) The mini-Journal of Irreproducible Results publishes news about overly stimulating research and ideas. Specifically: A) Haphazardly selected superficial (but advanced!) extracts of research news and satire from the Journal of Ir- reproducible Results (JIR). B) News about the annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony. Ig Nobel Prizes honor "achievements that cannot or should not be reproduced." A public ceremony is held at MIT, in Cambridge Massachusetts, every autumn. The ceremony is sponsored jointly by JIR and by the MIT Museum. C) News about other science humor activities conducted by the MIT Museum and JIR. The mini-Journal of Irreproducible Results is an electronic publication, available over the Internet, free of charge. It is distributed as a LISTSERV application. We expect to publish 6-12 issues per year. To subscribe, send a brief E-mail message to either one of these addresses: LISTSERV@MITVMA.MIT.EDU or LISTSERV@MITVMA The body of your message should contain ONLY the words "SUBSCRIBE MINI-JIR" followed by your name. Here are two examples: SUBSCRIBE MINI-JIR Irene Curie Joliet SUBSCRIBE MINI-JIR Nicholas Lobachevsky To stop subscribing, send an unsubscribe message to the same address. Here are two examples: UNSUBSCRIBE MINI-JIR UNSUBSCRIBE MINI-JIR If you have questions about how to subscribe, or if you would like to re-distribute mini-JIR, please send e-mail to: mgeller@mit.edu Back issues of mini-JIR will be available via LISTSERV and on various gophers. (BEN # 66 14-December-1993) ------------------------------------------ COMING EVENTS IN VICTORIA, B.C. January 6, 1994 [Thursday] - Pacific Forestry Centre, Conference Room, 10:30 a.m. till noon: "Pacific Yew and Taxol: A Challenge for Sustainable Development" (A Seminar designed to convey the broad range of research projects being conducted on Pacific yew by scientists at the Pacific Forestry Centre) January 18, 1994 [Tuesday] - Swan Lake Nature House, 7:30 p.m.: "Botany Night - Succulents" - Identification of B.C. families: Crassulaceae and Saxifragaceae. January 19, 1994 [Wednesday] - Newcombe Auditorium, 8:30 till noon: "Natural History Colloquium." (A presentation on research projects conducted by the natural history curators of the Royal B.C. Museum) (BEN # 67 4-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ POSITION AVAILABLE - MYCOLOGY - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY From: TAXACOM@HARVARDA.HARVARD.EDU Assistant Professor, Mycology. -- A tenure-track, 9-month faculty position is available in mycology. Teaching respon- sibilities include introductory and advanced courses in mycol- ogy, and contributions to the general biology curriculum. The successful candidate is expected to develop an extramurally- funded research program. Areas of research include, but are not limited to, evolutionary biology, population genetics and sys- tematics of fungi. The individual chosen will be responsible for the oversight of the mycological collection which is housed in the Oregon State University Herbarium within the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology. Application closing date: February 28, 1994 Position available: September 16, 1994 For more information contact: Chairperson, Mycology Search Committee Department of Botany and Plant Pathology Oregon State University Cordley Hall 2082 Corvallis, OR 97331-2902 Telephone: 503-737-5286 FAX: 503-737-3573 (BEN # 67 4-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ FOREST SUCCESSION AFTER 1480 ERUPTION OF MT. ST. HELENS Ring counts on Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stumps were used to reconstruct the early development of old-growth forests northeast of Mount St Helens, Washington, after catastrophic forest disturbance by tephra fall from an eruption in 1480. In addition to documenting volcanic and other disturbances in forests near the volcano, this investigation tests the hypotheses that distant seed sources, repeated disturbances, or competition from shrubs and hardwoods caused Douglas-fir to slowly (>90 years) recolonize sites in the western Cascade Range 400 to 500 years ago. Findings show that long distances from seed sources could have contributed to the slow development of regional old-growth Douglas-fir stands after catastrophic dis- turbances, but not repeated disturbances during stand develop- ment, and not competition from shrubs and hardwoods. The find- ings also suggest an AD 2020-2160 timeline for natural refores- tation of the Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument. [Abstract from: Yamaguchi, D.K. 1993. Forest history, Mount St Helens. Research & Exploration - A Scholarly Publication of the National Geographic Society, 9(No. 3 - Summer 1993): 294-325.] (BEN # 67 4-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ REPORTS ON POISONING BY GIANT HOGWEED, HERACLEUM MANTEGAZZIANUM From: Medline Andrews, A.H., Giles, C.J., Thomsett, L.R. 1985. Suspected poisoning of a goat by giant hogweed. Vet-Rec. 116(8): 205-7. A five-year-old male African pygmy goat became ill four weeks after transfer from a zoological garden to a municipal park. The animal was subdued, refused to eat and drink and showed profuse salivation. Examination of the mouth revealed severe ulceration. The condition gradually responded to nursing and supportive therapy. Circumstantial evidence suggested the possibility that the lesions were caused by giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum). Supportive evidence that the plant could produce lesions was provided by the application of a cut stem to the hard palate and a solution of various dilutions to clipped areas of the backs of two ewes. Both ewes produced reddened skin when the concentrated solution was applied and both showed marked reddening of the gingival mucosae and in one animal small ulcers developed in the rostral part of the mouth. It is sug- gested that H. mantegazzianum may be a potential hazard for grazing ruminants. Pira, E., Romano, C., Sulotto, F., Pavan, I., Monaco, E. 1989. Heracleum mantegazzianum growth phases and furocoumarin content. Contact-Dermatitis 21(5): 300-3. The observation of photocontact dermatitis from Heracleum man- tegazzianum Sommier et Levier in 2 gardeners at work prompted the analysis of furocoumarin content of stem, leaves and fruits of the plant during a period of 1 year. Their concentration was found to be maximal in fruit, intermediate in leaf, and minimal in stem. Psoralen was the most prevalent substance in the leaf and bergapten in the fruit. In the stem, in contrast, individual furocoumarins were found in lower but variable concentrations. 3 furocoumarin seasonal peaks were observed in the leaf: the maximal peak occurred in June, the intermediate in August, the minimal in November. This trend corresponds to 3 biological phases of the weed. Ippen, H. 1984. [Photodermatitis bullosa generalisata] Derm- Beruf-Umwelt. 1984; 32(4): 134-7. [German] Two observed cases indicate atypical forms of phyto- photodermatitis. Unusual localisations or generalized outbreaks have to be taken into account in cases of sunbathing without clothes on. Power lawn mowers with rotating blades spread Heracleum and other phototoxic juices via freshly cut grass, causing diffuse - as opposed to striped - manifestations on the uncovered skin areas. The most certain prevention of such a reaction is to known which few plants are responsible for phyto- photodermatitis and to avoid them in sunny weather. The plants should by no means be exterminated, even those (such as Heracleum mantegazzianum, "giant hogweed") which have a tendency to spread. Further references: Prinz, V.L., Kostler, H. 1976. Ein Bericht uber 3 Falle von toxischer Phytophotodermatitis durch Heracleum mantegazzianum (Riesenherkulesstaude). Dermatol-Monatsschr. 162(11): 881-6. Camm, E., Buck, H.W., Mitchell, J.C. 1976. Phytophotodermatitis from Heracleum mantegazzianum. Contact-Dermatitis. 2(2): 68-72. (BEN # 67 4-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ COMING EVENTS IN VICTORIA, B.C. January 18, 1994 [Tuesday] - Swan Lake Nature House, 7:30 p.m.: "Botany Night - Succulents" - Identification of B.C. families: Crassulaceae and Saxifragaceae. January 19, 1994 [Wednesday] - Newcombe Auditorium, 8:30 till noon: "Natural History Symposium." (A presentation on research projects conducted by the natural history curators of the Royal B.C. Museum). Continental breakfast will be served in the Newcombe Lobby at 8:00 a.m. (BEN # 68 9-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ FREE BOTANY WORKSHOPS - WASHINGTON NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY From: Kelly McGrew <72075.1615@CompuServe.COM> The South Sound Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society is sponsoring four workshops in Olympia during January and February to help you learn more about native plants and their environment. January 15, 1994 - Fern Growth and Identification by Judith Jones, manager of Fancy Fronds, a national wholesale grower of ferns. January 29, 1994 - Ecology of the Lowland Forest by Dave Peter, Forest Ecologist with the Olympic National Forest. February 19, 1994 - Moss Identification by Kelly McGrew, amateur bryologist. February 26, 1994 - Flora of the Puget Sound and It's Origins by John Gamon, Botanist at the Natural Heritage Program of the Department of Natural Resources. All workshops will be held at South Puget Sound Community Col- lege. Sessions begin at 8:30 AM and will last until ap- proximately noon. If there is interest, some instructors will offer a second workshop in the afternoon from 1:00 PM until approximately 4:30 PM. There is no charge for these workshops but priority seating will be given to WNPS members. Because seating is limited you must sign up in advance. To sign up please call Kelly McGrew at 206-953-8533 or e-mail to 72075.1615@compuserve.com. (BEN # 68 9-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ 1994 JOINT FIELD MEETING of The Botanical Society of America, The Torrey Botanical Club, and The Philadelphia Botanical Club. The 1994 Joint Field Meeting will take place Sunday afternoon to Thursday morning, June 26-30, at Frostburg State University in western Maryland. The field trips will examine plants of shale barrens, swamps, old-growth forests, bogs and Triassic uplands. Evening programs will deal with aspects of the the flora visited, with the geology of the region, and with the management of the threatened species. The price is $175.00 per person. This includes housing, meals, bus transportation, trip leadership and evening programs. For further information and a registration form, send e-mail to kbilton@cap.gwu.edu (Kathy Bilton) Kathy Bilton PO Box 886, Shepherdstown, WV 25443 (BEN # 68 9-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF EURASIAN WATERMILFOIL From: Aquaphyte, vol. 13, no. 2 - Fall 1993 Interest is being shown lately in the North American weevil, Eurhychiopsis lecontei, as a biological control agent for Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum L.). The weevil has been associated with declining populations of watermilfoil in the northeastern United States. Robert Creed and Sallie Sheldon (Dept. of Biology, Middlebury College, Vermont) found that all life stages of the weevil are associated with Eurasian watermilfoil. Adults lay their eggs on the meristems; larvae burrow into and feed on the meristems before moving down and into the stem. Pupation occurs inside the stem. Adults feed on the stems, leaves and leaflets of watermil- foil, and mate on the plant. They appear to concentrate feeding on the upper portions of the plant, removing significant amounts of photosynthetic tissue. Also, stem damage from both adults and larvae causes watermilfoil to lose its buoyancy and sink. The researchers suggest that the loss of buoyancy may be more sig- nificant in controlling the plant than the loss of leaves. The weevils appear to prefer the exotic Myriophyllum spicatum over the native milfoil (M. sibiricum = exalbescens). Creed and Sheldon suggest that the weevil may have either expanded its diet to include M. spicatum or undergone a host shift from the native plant to the exotic one. Ref.: Creed, R.P., Jr. & S.P. Sheldon. 1993. The effect of feeding by a North American weevil, Eurhychiopsis lecontei on Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum). Aquatic Botany 45: 245-256. [See also "Aquatic caterpillar may control water weed" in BEN # 49] (BEN # 68 9-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ 600-YEAR-OLD CIGARETTES From: Aquaphyte, vol. 13, no. 2 - Fall 1993 At the Red Bow Cliff Dwelling in Arizona, hundreds of prehis- toric cigarettes have been found, some wrapped in cotton, some tied together, and others adorned with miniature bows. K.R. Adams of the Crow Canyon Archeological Center in Cortez, Colorado, sampled a dozen of cigarettes and confirmed previous suggestions: the 600-year-old smokes are made from the stem of the giant reed (Phragmites australis), and contain tobacco (Nicotiana spp.). The reed "barrel" of the cigarette was stuffed with tobacco. The tobacco was lit and smoked; the tough reed exterior did not burn, and was used again. In her review of other research, the author found that other "historic North America groups" (Hopi, Comanche, etc.) smoked parts of at least 13 kinds of plants and at least one kind of bird feathers. Ref.: Adams, K.R. 1990. Prehistoric reedgrass (Phragmites) "cigarettes" with tobacco (Nicotiana) contents: a case study from Red Bow Cliff Dwelling, Arizona. J. Ethnobiology 10: 123- 139. (BEN # 68 9-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ AQUAPHYTE Aquaphyte is a newsletter published by the Center for Aquatic Plants and the Aquatic Plant Information Retrieval System (APIRS) of the University of Florida (7922 N.W. 71st Street, Gainesville, FL 32606, USA). It is sent to 5,000 managers, researchers and agencies in 87 countries [and it seems to be free-of-charge !]. Besides articles on aquatic plants and vegetation, Aquaphyte publishes excerpts from APIRS bibliog- raphic data base, book reviews, and announcements of meetings. (BEN # 68 9-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ THE ALASKA VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION Viereck, L.A., C.T. Dyrness, A.R. Batten & K.J. Wenzlick. 1992. The Alaska vegetation classification. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GRT- 286, Portland, OR. 278 p. Abstract: The Alaska vegetation classification presented here is a comprehensive, statewide system that has been under develop- ment since 1976. The classification is based, as much as pos- sible, on the characteristic s of the vegetation itself and is designed to categorize existing vegetation, not potential vegetation. A hierarchical system with five levels of resolution is used for classifying Alaska vegetation. The system, an ag- glomerative one, starts with 888 known Alaska plant communities, which are listed and referenced ... [Glossary of terms, list of species mentioned, and 480 references. Great book! Published by: USDA, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 333 S.W. First Avenue, P.O.Box 3890, Portland, Oregon 97208-3890, USA] (BEN # 68 9-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ CONFLICT IN THE CLAYOQUOT: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS From: Robert Froese on ECOLOG-L [abbrev.] Saturday, January 29, 1994 from 8:30 to 4:30 in the Scarfe Building, Room 100, on the UBC Campus University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada Free admission Speakers at this day-long forum will include: Clark Binkley, Dean of Faculty of Forestry Mike Fenger, Forestry Specialist, Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks Gordon Weetman, Professor of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry John Borrows, Director, First Nations Law Programme David Cohen, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law Gary Bowden, Resource Economist, Clayton Associates In the Afternoon the following Panel will discuss public policy issues, and address the question "Did the Process Fail?" Carol Reardon, Lawyer, West Coast Environmental Law Association George Hoberg, Associate Professor, Dept of Political Science William Stanbury, Professor, Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration Hamish Kimmins, Professor of Forest Sciences There will be an opportunity to ask questions after every ses- sion. Facilities will be available for Coffee, snacks and Lunch. For further information either contact the originator or call UBC Continuing Studies directly at (604) 222-5203. (BEN # 69 26-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ RE: THE CLAYOQUOT ISSUE: FROM THE DISCUSSION ON ECOLOG-L Question : Just curious. Were representatives from the Friends of Clayoquot invited to speak as part of this "comprehensive" analysis? Answer : Nope. Neither were repre- sentatives of International Forest Products, Macmillan Bloedel, or MLA's. The focus of this forum is to provide an opportunity for semi-academic analysis of many of the issues involved in the controversy over forest land use in the Sound. Admission is free, however, and any interested person, regard- less of political or philosophical conviction, is welcome to attend and join in question and answer sessions. Question : I don't want to play net.cop here, but if we're going to have this thread on ECOLOG, could *somebody* please provide some basic background informa- tion? (E.g., what's a clayoquot? What's the conflict? Why should we care?) Answer (Vicki Husband, Sierra Club): Clayoquot Sound is 260,000 hectares of mostly pristine wilderness on the west coast of Vancouver Island. It is the most southerly extent of any sig- nificant remaining old growth temperate rainforest. In January 1992 the British Columbia government set up the Commission on Resources and Environment (CORE). They were to look at solving land use problems on Vancouver Island, but the issue of Clayo- quot was deliberately excluded from their mandate. On April 13, 1993, the NDP government announced their decision on Clayoquot [see BEN # 54]. One third protected, two thirds to be logged (in terms of old growth forest/merchantable timber 74% was committed for logging). There was no consultation with the Nuu Chah Nulth Nation who live in Clayoquot Sound. During the summer of 1993, the environmental group, Friends of Clayoquot Sound organized a major protest on logging road lead- ing to an active logging site [see BEN # 62]. Over 850 people have been arrested and charged with criminal contempt of court (the largest civil disobedience action in Canadian history). The court is still processing the blockaders and many have gone to jail. There has been a major public outcry over the treatment of the protesters. In November of 1993 the government signed an interim agreement with the Central Region Tribes who claim rights to Clayoquot Sound. (The agreement is yet to be ratified.) The agreement gave the Aboriginal people a right to veto logging decisions that might threaten their values. (BEN # 69 26-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ NEW MYCOLOGICAL SOCIETY, VICTORIA, ETC. - FEB. 3, 1994 The brand new mycological society will meet for the first time on February 3, 1994, at 7:30 p.m., at the Pacific Forestry Centre, 506 West Burnside Road, Victoria. Paul Kroeger, our guest from the Vancouver Mycological Society, will present a slide show. BEN readers may remember Paul's account of the mass mushroom poisoning of 77 Vancouver policemen [BEN # 29]. For more information phone Hannah Nadel at 544-1386. (BEN # 69 26-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ BOTANY B.C. ANNUAL MEETING 1994 The BOTANY BC 1994 meeting is tentatively scheduled for the week of June 20 to 25 in Tlell, Queen Charlotte Islands. For more information contact Trudy Chatwin or Dr. Jim Pojar . Dr. Hans Roemer made a cost estimate and came to $600/person, if you bring your own tent, and about $1100/person, if you go on a Post Meeting boat trip. (BEN # 69 26-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ RE: BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF EURASIAN WATERMILFOIL [BEN # 68] From: A. Ceska I was interested to find out what is the original host plant of a weevil found on introduced Eurasian watermilfoil. Sallie Sheldon wrote me: "It looks like the native host is Myriophyllum sibiricum = M. exalbescens, Northern watermilfoil. We have seen E. lecontei on M. sibiricum in Vermont, and Rob Creed went to Alberta summer 92 and looked for the weevil there (M. spicatum hasn't gotten to Alberta yet). It is also possible that it is on other native watermilfoils. The problem is that normally weevil densities are low, the larvae are endophytic, and the adults are small, thus it is not easy to find them." Robert Creed wrote: "We believe that the North American host of E. lecontei is one or more of the 'native' watermilfoils, i.e., the ones that were here prior to the introduction of Eurasian watermilfoil. We have collected it on M. sibiricum in Vermont, Alberta and Washington state. Ray Newman has collected it in Minnesota. We have yet to find it regularly on any other species. I have found two adults on M. alterniflorum in Vermont. I am skeptical of any native host use in Vermont due to the abundance of M. spicatum, i.e., M. spicatum host use might influence subsequent use of other milfoil species." While looking for the weevil in the literature, I realized that the correct name of the beetle is Eubrychiopsis lecontei. The name was misspelled in the Aquaphyte and the Aquatic Botany title and in the BEN I twisted it even more. (BEN # 69 26-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ CACTI AND SUCCULENTS DISCUSSION LIST From: bionet.plants If you are interested in cacti and succulents, you can subscribe to the CACTI_ETC list. Send a message subscribe cacti_etc FirstName LastName to listserv@opus.hpl.hp.com Good luck ! (BEN # 69 26-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA VOL. I + II IN PRINT !!! From: FNA Newsletter Vol. 7, No. 4 We are delighted to announce the publication of Flora of North America north of Mexico, Volume 1, Introduction and Volume 2, Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms. The list price of each volume is US$75, but the special offer of US$60 may still be in effect. To order write Oxford University Press (OUP), Biological Sciences Marketing Department, 200 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, or call 1-800-451-7556. Canadians are encouraged to order through OPU, Toronto Branch, 70 Winford Drive, Toronto, Ont. M3C 1J9, tel.: 800-387-8020 or 416-441-2941, ask for order department or FAX: 416-441-0345. (BEN # 69 26-January-1994) ------------------------------------------ DR. ROLF SINGER DIED From: TAXACOM Dr. Singer, a member of the Field Museum staff for many years, died in Chicago late Tuesday evening, 18 January 1994, of heart failure at age 87. Dr. Singer had a long and productive career in mycology and published over 300 papers and several books, among them "Agaricales in Modern Taxonomy" (now in the 4th edition). (BEN # 70 14-February-1994) ------------------------------------------ NEW MYCOLOGICAL SOCIETY FORMED The first meeting of Victoria's new mycological society held on February 3, 1994 brought a crowd of 56 people. Paul Kroeger showed slides that document activities of the Vancouver Mycological Society. Ms. Hannah Nadel was elected the President. Her address is: 7028 Bryrwood Court, R.R. # 2, Brentwood Bay, B.C., V0S 1A0; phone 604-544-1386. Annual membership fee is $15.00 for adults (one membership applies for the whole family or household), and $10 for students and seniors. Next meeting will be on Thursday, March 3, 1994 and the speaker will be Dr. Scott Redhead. (BEN # 70 14-February-1994) ------------------------------------------ "STERILE" PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE CULTIVARS ARE NOT STERILE From: Journal Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 118: 851-858. 1993 Neil O. Anderson and Peter D. Ascher demonstrated that the cultivars of purple loosestrife are highly fertile, producing viable seeds and fertile progeny when crossed with wild purple loosestrife populations, North American native Lythrum alatum, or other cultivars. Thus, Lythrum cultivars grown in gardens could serve as pollen or seed sources, thereby promoting the continued spread of purple loosestrife. While this has unfor- tunate implications for the sale of loosestrife cultivars, it is necessary that the nursery industry and gardeners alike become environmentally responsible and disavow cultivation of such cultivars. Anderson & Ascher propose that the assumptions of sterility have been based largely on misinformation or a lack of knowledge regarding the reproductive system operating in Lythrum. [Lythrum salicaria is tristylous, i.e., plants differ in length of their styles and anthers. Flowers on each plants have either a short, medium, or long style and they have anthers of the two complimentary lengths. E.g., flowers with short styles have only medium and long anthers; flowers with medium styles have only short and long anthers, etc. Flowers of a certain style length can be pollinated only by the pollen that originated from an- thers of the same length, i.e., the pollen has to come from a plant belonging to a different style morph. If you grow plants of only one style length, they may appear sterile.] (BEN # 70 14-February-1994) ------------------------------------------ EXPLORE THE WORLD OF BOTANICAL GOPHERS ! Don't believe the English proverb that you don't get something for nothing, gophers will prove you wrong. There is a wealth of the most useful information on the computer network and it is relatively easy to get what you want. If you want to search the Gray Herbarium Index, you find it at the Harvard University gopher. My gopher exploration usually starts there. Type gopher huh.harvard.edu and you will get the Gray Herbarium Index, herbarium catalogues of type specimens (in HUH - Harvard University Herbaria and in other locations). Through this gopher I can get connected to other gophers, and the Australian National Botanical Garden gopher is the most complete botanical gopher I know. For bryological information (lists of mosses and liverworts for certain parts of the world, bryological news, taxonomical and ecological software, etc.) go to gopher unidui.uni-duisburg.de For general information, religious books, world gazetteers, type gopher sunsite.unc.edu You can find Una Smith's Internet Guide for biologists here. If you are interested in environmental information, go to En- viroGopher; type telnet envirolink.org (login: gopher when you are connected). Gophers are easy to use. VERONICA is an extension to gophers, and you can use it to search for whatever topics through the whole gopherspace. You can get the VERONICA search from any gopher you enter. You don't have to know, how the gopher works, but if you are interested, read either of the following books: Krol, Ed. 1992. The whole Internet: User's guide and catalogue. O'Reilley & Associates, Sebastopol, California. Fisher, Sharon. 1993. Riding the Internet highway. New Riders Publishing, Carmel, Indiana. If you get lost in the gopherspace, my internet guru Gary Shear- man told me that you can get the internet address of a gopher you are in by typing "=" (without apostrophes). I tried it and it works. By using this internet address, you can get back to the same gopher without going and searching through the maze of other gophers. There is a Czech proverb that says: "It is foolish to give something for nothing, but it is even more foolish not to take it." Remember, you would be foolish not to use gophers! (BEN # 70 14-February-1994) ------------------------------------------ RARE PLANTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA ON A VICTORIA GOPHER From: Adolf Ceska "The rare vascular plants of British Columbia" (Straley, G. B. et al. 1985. - Syllogeus 59: 1-165) is available on gopher freenet.victoria.bc.ca . The data are WAIS searchable, i.e., you can search for the plant name (no common names, though), or for any words mentioned in the text (e.g., Victoria, Nanaimo, etc.). The file will be expanded soon to contain Conservation Data Centre rarity ratings. Synonyms will be included to facilitate the search of problematic names or disputable orthographic variants. Thanks to Bob Scheer, B.C. Ministry of Environment, Kamloops Region, for getting the information from Straley et al. onto the computer. (BEN # 70 14-February-1994) ------------------------------------------ NEW PUBLICATION McJannet, Cheryl, G. Argus, Sylvia Edlund & J. Cayouette. 1993. Rare vascular plants in the Canadian Arctic. Syllogeus No. 72: 1-79. ISBN 0-660-13071-8 [paperback] Cost: about CDN $ 15.00 This publication can be ordered from the Canadian Museum of Nature, P.O.Box 3443, Station "D", Ottawa, Ont. Canada K1P 6P4, phone 800-263-4433. About 235 vascular plants listed as rare in the Canadian Arctic have been included in this publication. The map of distribution in the Canadian Arctic and few phytogeographical data are given for each species. (BEN # 70 14-February-1994) ------------------------------------------ CHARTING THE BIOSPHERE - THE SYSTEMATIC SCIENCE AGENDA 2000 The annual meeting of the AAAS in San Francisco, February 1994, proposed a bold program "Systematics Agenda 2000: Charting the Biosphere." The objective of this action would be "to discover, describe, and classify the world's species." Meeting the challenges of the biodiversity crisis and success- fully completing this agenda will require an intensive interna- tional effort, involving three related research missions: 1. To discover, describe, and inventory global species diver- sity. 2. To analyze and synthesize the information derived from this global diversity effort into a predictive classification system that reflect the history of life. 3. To organize the information from this global program in an efficiently retrievable form that best meets the needs of science and society. The program was summarized in two documents: "Systematic Agenda 2000, Charting the Biosphere" and "Systematic Agenda 2000, Charting the Biosphere - Technical Report." For these documents and more information please contact: SA2000 Department of Ornithology American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th Street New York, NY 10024 or SA2000 Herbarium New York Botanical Gardens Bronx, NY 10458 Two audio tapes from the AAAS 94 Meeting, Symposium on "Charting the Biosphere: The systematic Science Agenda" are available (catalogue number S45) from Nationwide recording services, Inc. 8500 N. Stemmons, Suite 3060 Dallas, TX 75247 Phone: 214-638-8273 The tapes are excellent, cost US$ 8.50 each, but are available only until the middle of March ! (BEN # 71 7-March-1994) ------------------------------------------ ERAGROSTIS (POACEAE) IN BRITISH COLUMBIA From: Frank Lomer c/o Olivia Lee Eragrostis is a large genus (250-300 spp.) of mostly temperate and tropical grasses. (Does anyone know how it got the name LOVEGRASS ?) In British Columbia our species are all annual weeds found mainly along railroad tracks, roadsides, and waste places. They mature in late summer and often there is no sign of them at all until mid-July. Genus Eragrostis is a relatively recent introduction to B.C., but the 5 or 6 known species are collectively widespread. Most specimens here at the UBC herbarium have been on loan to the Smithsonian since February 1989, so the following list is com- piled entirely from my own collections and observations. Eragrostis cilianensis (All.) Mosher - A rare casual around Vancouver in gardens and waste areas. Much more abundant around Penticton and Osoyoos. Eragrostis minor Host. (= E. poaeoides Beauv.) - Much like a smaller version of the preceding. It is by far the most abundant member of the genus in B.C. Look around gravelly railroad access roads in any southern B.C. town in October and you will likely find this species. Eragrostis multicaulis Steud. - Locally abundant around Van- couver, especially New Westminster, where it frequently grows in gaps between the road and sidewalk as well as covering small areas along railroad tracks. (Earlier I labeled all my collections E. pilosa which I have not yet found in British Columbia. The specimens labeled E. pilosa at UBC seem a mixture of E. pilosa, E. pectinacea, and E. multicaulis. I am not yet sure of any reliable means to tell them apart except E. multicaulis seems mainly to lack hairs on the sheath margins.) Eragrostis orcuttiana Vasey - Distinctive because of its large size (up to one meter) and spreading panicle. It grows in sandy ground in the CN yard in Surrey. A field in Kelowna was covered with it. I also collected a few plants on a vacant lot in Vernon. Eragrostis pectinacea (Michx.) Nees - Distinguished from E. multicaulis by minute differences in the size of various parts. It grows along roadsides in Osoyoos. I also found a few plants in Coquitlam. Eragrostis diffusa Buckl. - Perhaps should be included in E. pectinacea, but it is much more branched and generally a larger plant and seems quite distinct. Many plants were growing at the end of the east dyke road at the north end of Osoyoos Lake in the Ecological Reserve. If anyone knows of any other Eragrostis species in B.C., please let me know in BEN. (BEN # 71 7-March-1994) ------------------------------------------ COMMENTS ON ERAGROSTIS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA From: Paul Peterson, Botany Dept., Smithsonian Institution E. orcuttiana Vasey is treated by Koch and Sanchez 1985 as E. mexicana (See Phytologia 58:377-381). I have not seen this species from BC, although it could be there. E. multicaulis Steud. is treated by Koch 1974 as E. pilosa. However in a recent paper by Scholz 1988, Willdenowia 18:217-222. it is treated as a good species from the Far East. Eros is Greek for love and Agrostis is Greek for grass. "Love grass" said to be an illusion to the graceful dancing spikelets- -see Bor 1968, Flora of Iraq, Gramineae. I still would like to see a specimen of these two species to include in "Vascular plants of British Columbia." Cheers! (BEN # 71 7-March-1994) ------------------------------------------ MORE ON GOPHERS - BOOKMARKS From: Kathy Bilton In another BEN - you might also suggest that folks use book- marks. I had known that this was possible - but didn't know how to set them up. Just learned the other day - and it's very easy. When you're at an entry you like - type: a (lower case) and you'll be asked if you want that to be added to your bookmark list. To call up your bookmark list when you're in gopherspace - just type: v (and possibly hit enter - I'm not sure) and you'll be presented with your very own personal gopherpage of book- marks. [If you want to delete a bookmark, type d when you are in your bookmark list.] [This feature won't, unfortunately, work from those accounts that don't allow you to save your own files to the disk, e.g. FreeNet.Victoria; if you are not sure, give it a try anyway.] [P.S. There are about 15 chapters of instructions, how to use gophers on gopher freenet.victoria.bc.ca. You won't have too much difficulty finding them.] (BEN # 71 7-March-1994) ------------------------------------------ BOTANICAL HOLIDAYS IN THE TAURUS MOUNTAINS, TURKEY From: Adolf Ceska The Vancouver Island Rock and Alpine Garden Society (VIRAGS) in Victoria is organizing a botanical trip to the Taurus Mountains in July 1994. The leader of the trip, Zdenek Zvolanek, is a leading Czech rock gardener and seed collector, and he has visited this area several times. There are two identical tours. One leaves Istambul on July 2, 1994 and returns to Istambul on July 16. The second tour leaves on July 16 and return on July 30. There is one spot left on the first tour, and two spots on the second tour. (The BEN editor Adolf Ceska and a BC Ecological Reserve botanist Hans Roemer are going with the second group.) The cost of the trip from Istambul to Istambul (this includes the accommodation, almost all meals, and the transportation in Turkey - you have to get to and from Istambul on your own) will be around US$ 500.00. With this price, nobody can consider this note an unethical advertisement; we are trying to fill the remaining spaces with botanically oriented people. If you are interested, send me an e-mail message or give me a call at 604- 387-2423 (day) or 604-477-1211 (night). (BEN # 71 7-March-1994) ------------------------------------------ COMING EVENTS - VICTORIA March 17, 1994 [Thursday] - Dr. Harriet Cuhlein will present a lecture on "Traditional foods of indigenous people's and endangered heritage." Newcombe Auditorium, 8:00 p.m. FREE March 20, 1994 [Sunday] - SVIMS (South Vancouver Island Mycological Society) field trip with Bruce Norris. Meet at 11:00 a.m. in the Mill Bay mall - Royal Bank. March 22, 1994 [Tuesday] - Royal British Columbia Museum. Dr. Adolf Ceska will make a video presentation "Palaverer's diary or How to make money with your video camera." Noon hour, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m., Classroom. No charge. March 27, 1994 [Sunday] - Royal British Columbia Museum, Weekend Showcase: "Native Plant Festival." 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friends' Gallery. Admission fee. (BEN # 72 16-March-1994) ------------------------------------------ CORE: ANSWERS TO THE FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS From: Times-Colonist, March 8, 1994, page A5 On February 9, The Commission on Resources and Environment (CORE) recommended a Vancouver Island Land Use Plan to the British Columbia government, following a year of negotiation among all key sectors of interest on the Island. The Commis- sioner of CORE, Stephen Owen, answered some frequently-asked questions: Does the plan protect too much or too little of the Island? "Some people claim that, by recommending protected status for 13 per cent of Island, the plan exceeds the 12 per cent target of the government Protected Areas Strategy (PAS). Others feel that the 7.8 per cent of low and middle elevation forested ecosystems protected by the plan is far too low." "At the present time 10.3 per cent of the Island is included in Protected Areas (parks, ecological reserves and recreational areas) with some types of ecosystems being well represented and others poorly represented. Under the plan, 13 per cent of the Island would be protected." Does the plan meet the goals of the Protected Area Strategy? "On Vancouver Island, representation of some types of land, such as alpine and bog ecosystems, already exceeds the 12 per cent target. However, only about 6 per cent of middle and low eleva- tion forests are currently protected." "The plan increases the representation of low to mid-elevation ecosystems from 6 per cent to 7.8 per cent. This figure falls short of the 12 per cent target." What impact will the plan have on jobs ? "During the last 10 years, the forest industry on Vancouver Island has lost thousands of jobs, mainly as a result of tech- nology that requires fewer workers for timber harvesting and processing operations. ... The timber on the island is being cut significantly in excess of sustainable levels. By promoting diversification ... the plan offers an opportunity ... to create more permanent jobs and to protect against short-term job loss." LIBERAL PARTY LEADER'S COMMENTS ON CORE From: Times-Colonist March 15, 1994 Liberal Opposition Leader Gordon Campbell said the government shouldn't proceed at all with the CORE report. "CORE has been a process that has polarized people to the ex- treme, people's families feel threatened ... and there has been no coming together of the common interests of people." [A huge demonstration of loggers from all over Vancouver Island will take place in Victoria on March 21.] (BEN # 72 16-March-1994) ------------------------------------------ SUMMER JOBS--PACIFIC NORTHWEST FOREST ECOLOGY From: ECOLOG-L Field crew and crew leader positions are available to assist with ecological studies of the effects of alternative methods of forest harvest in the Gifford Pinchot and Umpqua National Forests of Washington and Oregon. Tasks will include estab- lishing permanent plots, sampling understory vegetation, measur- ing trees, assessing site characteristics, quantifying amounts/types of coarse woody debris, and additional measure- ments to characterize vegetation composition and structure. Familiarity with the flora of western Oregon and Washington; previous experience in sampling vegetation or coursework in botany and ecology; ability to identify plants and collect/catalog specimens; attention to detail and legible handwriting; ability and willingness to work long hours under harsh field conditions. Salary: $1400/month or more, depending experience and qualifica- tions. Duration: 13 June through early- to mid-September 1994 Closing date: 31 March 1994 To apply: Send handwritten letter; resume; copies of either college transcripts or professional work products; and names and phone numbers of two references to: Charlie Halpern, Division of Ecosystem Science and Conservation, College of Forest Resources, AR-10, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195; phone: 206-543-2789 . email: chalpern@u.washington.edu (BEN # 72 16-March-1994) ------------------------------------------ TIMBERCREST DEVELOPMENT IN DUNCAN APPROVED [re: BEN # 36] From: Cowichan Valley Naturalist's Soc. Newsletter, March 1994 February 16th, 1994 Council unanimously approved the rezoning of the Timbercrest property. This means two portions will begin immediate construction and will have Single Family Dwellings. Two other portions have a maximum build out density of 113 units. This density includes Townhouses. The area remaining has a no-build covenant for 2 years and is 6.9 hectars in size. The Environmental Assessment states that 9.4 hectares is necessary for preservation of the Garry Oaks. The scientific evidence and the results of the study have clearly been ignored by this council. Council has no plans to manage the Parks area nor the no-build area. [From BEN # 36 : An interesting Garry oak site in Duncan (Van- couver Island) is threatened by a near-by subdivision. Although the stand bears signs of heavy grazing (dominant ground cover is orchard grass - Dactylis glomerata), it has some interesting native plants, such as a large population of upland yellow violet (Viola praemorsa). On the transition between the forest edge and wetlands we found a large population of tall woolly- heads (Psilocarphus elatior - the 3rd extant population in B.C. I know) and a smaller population of needle-leaf navarretia (Navarretia intertexta - less than 10 populations known in B.C.).] (BEN # 72 16-March-1994) ------------------------------------------ TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF TAXOL From: Nature Vol. 367, 17 February 1994 The total synthesis of taxol has been accomplished by the scien- tists from the Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, and from the Department of Chemistry, University of California in San Diego. (BEN # 72 16-March-1994) ------------------------------------------ BOTANY BC IN COURT OVER THE WHITEWATER AFFAIR From: "Gail M. Berg" A whitewater rafting company was taken to court in Golden, British Columbia. Gail Berg was subpoenaed to appear as the Crown's main witness regarding the Columbia River Raft trip organized for the 1993 BOTANY BC meeting. She was cross examined by Crown counsel and the defendant, Brad McLaren from Wet and Wild Adventures. The issue was whether or not Wet and Wild Adventures was permitted to run raft tours on the Columbia river. It turns out that the company only has permits for the Kicking Horse and the Blaeberry rivers. Even though one of the guides on the expedition was licensed for the Columbia, it was considered invalid because all arrangements were made with Brad Mclaren and the money was also paid to him. He was ordered to pay the $150.00 fine that was originally assessed in June. Apparently one of the companies that was not hired by Gail to do the trip became annoyed and made an anonymous phone call to the CO officer in Golden to complain, which resulted in the fine. The moral of the story is that if you are organizing tours that involve transportation of some sort ensure that the operator has the required permits, licences, insurance, etc. to operate otherwise the organizing party (in this case BOTANY BC) would be liable in a court case. (BEN # 73 1-April-1994) ------------------------------------------ FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA - BRITISH COLUMBIA TOO HOT TO HANDLE From: Flora of North America, Vol. 1, p. 124. In the review of North American vegetation, Michael Barbour and Norman Christensen found the British Columbia vegetation far too complex to include it in their review. They wrote: "This brief summary does not do justice to the complexities of vegetation within British Columbia. A fine vegetation map, at a scale of 1:2 million, identifies a dozen montane biogoeclimatic zones; we have mentioned but a few (British Columbia Ministry of Forests 1988)." (BEN # 73 1-April-1994) ------------------------------------------ ALASKA LOOKS FOR A MOLD EXPERT From: anon015b@nyx10.cs.du.edu (Name withheld by request) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology State of Alaska needs a mold expert. May involve travel/testimony. Contact- J. Ron Sutcliffe , Assistant Attorney General JSJRS1@acad1.alaska.edu (BEN # 73 1-April-1994) ------------------------------------------ VANCOUVER ISLAND WOULD BE AN IDEAL PLACE FOR IT From: Times-Colonist, Victoria - March 22, 1994, p. B3 Marijuana plantations could soon be legal under a proposed [Canadian] federal law. Growing hemp - also known as cannabis - would be kosher for commercial purposes like the manufacture of rope and paper. Licences would be issued to commercial growers, the federal Health Department said. University of British Columbia botanist Bruce Bohm said it is quite easy to gauge THC ["the psychotropic ingredient that gets pot-smokers high"] levels in hemp. "The difference in concentra- tion between the fibre plants and hemp plants is quite remarkable," he said. Activists on Vancouver Island and elsewhere in the country have been pushing for permission to grow hemp as a commercial crop. "Vancouver Island would be an ideal place for it," Bruce Bohm told the reporters. Bohm said some of his colleagues have made a sideline career of identifying pot plants in court for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. New Democrat MP Nelson Riis said the party members have second thoughts because of the potent strains of marijuana now avail- able. More public education is needed about the bill or it might be interpreted as an open invitation to grow marijuana, he told Ottawa reporters. (BEN # 73 1-April-1994) ------------------------------------------ REPORT OF POISONING WITH CLASSIC EDIBLE WILD MUSHROOMS From: Bohumil Hrabal: "The Little Town Where Time Stood Still." [A strange case of poisoning with edible mushrooms, after a long conditioning to inedible and poisonous mushrooms, was described by Bohumil Hrabal from the Czech Republic. The fierce competi- tion among mushroom pickers in Bohemian forests forced Hrabal's Dad and Uncle Pepin to start collecting both inedible and suspect fungi and toadstools.] "Dad took with him a saucepan and a pat of butter and he and Uncle Pepin began to practise some experimental mycology. This way they always had fungi almost from the late spring up to the end of autumn. They started by picking grey tall amanita and bunches of sulphur tuft, they kindled a fire, softened onion in butter, and added a pinch of common earthball and panther cap. Dad handed the fried concoction of fungi to Uncle Pepin first, waited half an hour ... and since Uncle wasn't hearing any ringing sounds, ... Dad ate some of the mixture too and pronounced it quite excellent." "Once however they stayed in the woods for whole five hours, Dad had added a bit more earthball or truffle, and their legs had gone numb. Uncle Pepin rejoiced that he wouldn't ever have to walk again, but a couple of hour later Uncle Pepin was to be disappointed. The strength returned to their limbs and they got to the station and returned safely home." "And one day they [found a red patch] and filled a basket piled high with beautiful orange birch boletuses. And so it happened that same evening, when Mum for the first time in ages cooked up those classic edible mushrooms, all three of them were horribly sick and Uncle Pepin had fainting fits and diarrhea, and then he got a dreadful thirst and vomited again, and this was followed by a dull headache, cramps in the calves and intermittent double vision as well as continuous ringing sounds in the ears. When they took them all off to hospital, the consultant said they'd all been poisoned by edible fungi, the last person that had happened to was Professor Smotlach [sic !] himself, found in a deep coma after partaking of edible mushrooms." [Czech Professor Smotlacha was known for his bold edibility experiments. After he promoted Amanita pantherina as an excel- lent edible mushroom, Czechoslovakia became a country with the highest incidents of deadly mushroom poisonings, leaving Canada in the second place. After the (otherwise natural) death of Professor Smotlacha, his wife confessed to her colleagues that she always threw away those really poisonous mushrooms, before she cooked her husband's experimental meals. - AC] (BEN # 73 1-April-1994) ------------------------------------------ BIRTH CONTROL IN THE ANCIENT WORLD From: Archaeology, March/April 1994 Three specialists on contraception and abortion issues in the Ancient and Medieval World described plants used as contracep- tives in Ancient Greece and in the Middle Ages. The main atten- tion is paid to the so-called "Cyrenaic juice." This juice was derived from the now extinct silphium and it was used by the Old Greeks and Romans to prevent unwanted conception. Silphium belonged to the genus Ferula [Uphof's Dictionary of Economical Plants lists Ferula narthex Boiss. as "Silphium of the Ancients"]. The plant grew in a band about 125 miles long and 35 miles wide on the North African dry mountainsides facing the Mediterranean Sea. By the first century A.D., it was scarce from overharvesting and by the third or fourth century A.D. silphium was extinct. The article gives a picture of "a sixth-fifth-century B.C. Cyrenian coin with an image of the silphium plant." It is inter- esting to note that the more conservative "British Museum Book of Flowers" shows a very similar coin from Selenius, Sicily, and identifies the plant as celery. (BEN # 73 1-April-1994) ------------------------------------------ FOUR KILOGRAMS OF WASTED PAPER Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada and Greenland. - Second edition. Volume I: Checklist, 622 p.; Volume II: Thesaurus, 816 p. - Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. IBSN 0-88192-204-8 (2 volumes, hard cover). Price: US$ 149.95. We all have been waiting for the second edition of the "Kartesz & Kartesz," the reference one had to have on hand almost all the time. For the last few years the Timber Press has kept an- nouncing the second edition and numerous nomenclatural papers published by Kartesz et al. in Phytologia and elsewhere indi- cated that the work on the book was still in progress. The book was finally published in February 1994, in two massive volumes. The first volume contains the checklist and its ar- rangement is similar to the first edition: it contains an al- phabetical listings of species and infraspecific taxa (and their respective synonyms) within genera and families. The second volume lists all the names alphabetically and for synonyms it gives their accepted valid names. If you look for the authorities of the names (and this is what we used the old "Kartesz & Kartesz" for), the second volume is enough and your searches can be accomplished much faster than when you used the first edition. You need, however, the first volume, because it gives you the overview of the generic and species concept ac- cepted by the author, but there is no doubt that the second (and unfortunately also heavier) volume will be subject to faster wear. The book is type set using a nice distinct and very readable font. It is a reference you will love to have and when you get it, you will soon forget that you paid a small fortune for it. My feeling is, however, that this is the last book of this kind to be published in this old fashioned way, and it is an epitaph to the traditional "hard copy" publishing. With our not too stable nomenclature the only way you can update your copy is to pencil the changes in it. The introduction of the book promises yet another edition which would include basionyms and basic bibliographic citations for each name. I cannot imagine that the next edition will be published in the same way. This book just cries for electronic publishing! The original data file is stored at the sophisticated data base system in the Biota of North American Program office, and I have to wonder, why the author did not go directly to the CD-ROM publishing. It would have been cheaper, faster and more flexible. What about putting it on a gopher? Meanwhile, you can, have to and should (if you have any doubts) order the book from the publisher, Timber Press Ltd., 9999 SW Wilshire, Portland, OR 97225, U.S.A., phone 800-327-5680 or 503- 292-0745 (from OR an outside US). (BEN # 73 1-April-1994) ------------------------------------------ MELINDA FAY DENTON (1944-1994) From: ASPT Newsletter, April 1994 The untimely death on 5 March 1994 of Professor Melinda Fay Denton (1944-1994) from an unrelenting cancer saddens all whom she touched. Her demise is particularly poignant for her col- leagues in the American Society of Plant Taxonomists (ASPT), which Society she served with distinction as Editor-in-Chief of Systematic Botany (1984-1985) and as President (1990-1991). A celebration of her rich and productive life will be held 30 April 1994 (11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) at the Center for Urban Horticulture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. Memorial gifts can be made to the Melinda Denton Fund in support of student research in systematics; made payable to the Univer- sity of Washington and sent to Department of Botany KB-15, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. A full reprise of her botanical career will appear in a future number of Taxon._Arthur R. Kruckeberg, Professor Emeritus, Department of Botany KB-15, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. Melinda Denton had a long association with and involvement in the activities of the ASPT. In 1978 she won the Cooley Award for her paper entitled "Endemism and evolutionary divergence in the Sedum section Gormania complex (Crassulaceae)". She also served as ASPT Secretary (1978-1979), ASPT Council Member (1981-1983), Editor-in-Chief of Systematic Botany (1984-1985), ASPT President Elect (1990), ASPT President (1991), and ASPT Past President (1992). Behind the scenes she poured her energy into other, equally important activities such as co-chairing the steering committee for "Systematics Agenda 2000. Charting the Biosphere." All of us are indebted to her for her many, generous contribu- tions to our Society._Editor of the ASPT Newsletter. (BEN # 74 19-April-1994) ------------------------------------------ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON OZONE DEPLETION AND UV RADIATION UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA, APRIL 27 - APRIL 29, 1994 A Special Public Presentation will be held as a part of the Conference in the University Centre Auditorium, Wednesday April 27, from 8:30 to 5:30 (NO BREAK FOR LUNCH !!!). Tickets for this marathon of 30 minilectures cost $ 10.00 and are available at door. The presentation will offer a wide array of topics on the impact of UV radiation on human health, terrestrial biosphere, aquatic system, forests, climate, etc. (BEN # 74 19-April-1994) ------------------------------------------ BOTANY BC MEETING - QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS - JUNE 20-25, 1994 The registration forms for the BOTANY BC annual meeting have been sent out and the deadline for registration is May 12. The program of the meeting includes one morning of lectures and a grand field trip (June 23-25) to Skidegate Narrows (and beyond). The registration fee $ 125.00 includes many meals & on-island transportation, the field trip fee is $ 150.00 (transportation and meals included), but the numbers for the field trip may have to be limited: REGISTER EARLY. For more information contact Rosamund Pojar, Box 3089, Smithers, B.C., VOJ 2N0 (phone: 847-9784) or Jim Pojar . (BEN # 74 19-April-1994) ------------------------------------------ ANTI-CORE RALLY: TWELVE PERCENT WOULD BE FINE [BEN # 72] From: N.J. Hewitt & Bristol Foster - Time-Colonist, Apr 3, 1994 The large logging companies' anti-CORE rally March 21 on the legislative lawns [in Victoria] had its theme, "12 per cent, no more." This referred, we presume, to the minimum of 12 per cent of natural areas needed for protection in each country in the world, as promoted by the Brundtland Commission and by the WWF and now accepted by the [Canadian] federal and all provincial governments. Indeed, many environmentalists would be quite relieved if 12 per cent of low and mid-elevation ancient (old-growth) forest on Vancouver Island was protected. In fact only 4.4 per cent is now protected, with another 1.4 per cent proposed for protection in the CORE report. If we are going to protect 12 per cent of all representative ecosystems (as intended in the government's Protected Areas Strategy), then some alpine and sub-alpine should be de- gazetted, to raise the amount of protected ancient forest to 12 per cent. Would this please the forest companies? it is consis- tent with their demand: "12 per cent, no more." Less than 6 per cent of Vancouver Island's ancient forest is protected or proposed for protection. This is insufficient to protect the biodiversity of this particularly rich ecosystem. To assure future generations of a healthy forest resource, we need to adhere to world standards protecting a minimum of 12 per cent of our ancient forests. (BEN # 74 19-April-1994) ------------------------------------------ SEEDS OF NATIVE FOOD PLANTS WANTED From: Brian Compton I am seeking to obtain viable seeds (or other reproductive materials) for several plants used as food by B.C. Native groups. These are to be cultivated experimentally at the UBC Botanical Garden in conjunction with ethnobiological initiatives put forth by the First Nations House of Learning at UBC. If anyone can supply native food plant seeds I would like to hear from you: Allium spp. (e.g., A. cernuum), Balsamorhiza sagitatta, Calo- chortus macrocarpus, Camassia spp., Claytonia lanceolata, Cir- sium undulatum, Conioselinum pacificum, Erythronium grandi- florum, Fragaria spp., Fritillaria spp. (including F. pudica), Hydrophyllum capitatum, Ledum glandulosum, Lewisia rediviva, Lilium columbianum, Lomatium spp. (esp. L. macrocarpum, but just about any other sp. as well), Lupinus littoralis, L. nootkaten- sis, Mentha arvensis, Potentilla anserina, Potentilla pacifica, Rubus pedatus, Rumex occidentalis, Sium suave, and Trifolium wormskjoldii; also, any of the less commonly encountered Vacci- nium spp. or Rubus spp. Brian D. Compton Ethnobiological Program Developer First Nations House of Learning E-mail: bcompton@unixg.ubc.ca (BEN # 74 19-April-1994) ------------------------------------------ NATIVE PLANTS IN FOREST RECLAMATION From: Marty Kranabetter I am interested in information concerning the use of native plants in forest reclamation. Sedges, grasses, legumes, shrubs or other plants which colonize disturbed soil would be good candidates. Also, any information concerning the biological advantages of native plants over agronomic species would be useful. My phone number is 604-565-6134. [Check the following report: Polster, D.F. 1989. Manual of plant species suitability for reclamation in Alberta. 2nd edition. Prepared for the Alberta Land Conservation and Reclamation Council by Hardy B.B.T. Ltd.] (BEN # 74 19-April-1994) ------------------------------------------ "BC VEGETATION TOO HOT" - FNA WAS TOLD [BEN # 73] Jim Pojar sent me a copy of the correspondence he had with the co-author of the FNA vegetation chapter Michael Barbour. The exchange started with Jim's caustic comments on the "North American Terrestrial Vegetation" in which Jim objected to the lack of the "Canadian content." As a result, Dr. Barbour asked Jim to review the FNA vegetation chapter and Jim made comments to those parts that were written by Dr. Barbour and that dealt mostly with the vegetation in the U.S.A. Jim did not get any manuscript from Dr. Norm Christensen (Duke University, Durham, North Carolina) who was responsible for the parts of the chapter that dealt with Canada. It is a pity that no Canadian ecologist was invited to collaborate on the FNA vegetation chapter. - AC (BEN # 74 19-April-1994) ------------------------------------------ "FOUR KILOGRAMS OF WASTE PAPER" UPSET SOME READERS [BEN # 73] From: Dr. Mary Barkworth Prices in Canada must sure be strange. We can find the money for the book version of Kartesz' checklist, but we do not have a CD- ROM reader, I am not sure when we shall be able to afford one, and it is MUCH easier to look something up in the books than it would be to get the right CD-ROM on the appropriate computer (which we do not have) and then make the search. Les Watson had a similar attitude to yours concerning grass genera of the world. Our copy of that volume is almost worn out. I can take it home and use it if I want to. .... I would rather have 5 floras than 1 CD-ROM that would get occasional use. The reader is on our wish list, for Watson and Dallwitz' families of flowering plants and the Kew Index. But I find myself thinking of smaller institutions, like Boise State University, and of the number of institutions in the US that have eliminated staff positions. The title was more negative than the actual review. ... John Strother told me that he uses 3x5 index cards and can nearly always locate information faster than people who computerize. I believe him, but I hate 3x5 cards. (BEN # 74 19-April-1994)