Subject: BEN # 130

From: [email-masked] (Adolf Ceska)
Date: 19 Mar 1996 08:09:49 -0800

BBBBB    EEEEEE   NN   N             ISSN 1188-603X
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BBBBB    EEEEE    NN N N             BOTANICAL
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BBBBB    EEEEEE   NN   N             NEWS

No. 130                              March 19, 1996

[email-masked]        Victoria, B.C.
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 Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
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BOTANICAL EVENTS IN VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA

March 19 (tonight): Botany Night of the Victoria Natural History
   Society.  Matt Fairbarns will talk on plants of SE Australia.
   Swan Lake Nature House, 7:30 p.m.

March 21: Native Plants Study Group of  the  Victoria  Horticul-
   tural  Society.  Dr.  Nancy  Turner  will give a talk on Eth-
   nobotany  of  the  Pacific  Coast.  University  of  Victoria,
   Clearihue Building A 215, 7:00 pm.

March  22:  UVIC  Biology  Seminar.  Dr.  Ken  Marr will talk on
   "Natural history of the  Hawaiian  Islands  and  recent  sys-
   tematic studies of Hawaiian plants." Cunningham Building Room
   146, 3:00 p.m.

INAUGURAL MEETING: NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

The  inaugural  meeting  of  the Native Plant Society of British
Columbia took place in Abbotsford on March 15, 1995. About fifty
people interested in native plants met and discussed the mission
statement and goals of the Society.  A  steering  committee  was
selected  and  its  members  should come back to the broad forum
with more definite picture of the organization. As many  of  you
will  remember,  the  efforts  of  establishing the Native Plant
Society of British Columbia are  not  new,  but  this  is  first
really  constructive  step in this direction. Please contact me,
if you are  interested  in  this  organization.  -  Adolf  Ceska
<[email-masked]>

REPLY: TWO CULTURES - SCIENTISTS AND PLANT CULTIVATION
From: Robert Meinke <[email-masked]>

When  we  have  propagated  rare species for use in our research
here at Oregon State we've had excellent results -- contrary  to
the  implication in your message, we do know something about the
literature and techniques relating to native plant  cultivation.
The  fact  of  the matter is we've never tried to propagate Kal-
miopsis as part of our studies, as you stated.  If  we  did,  we
would indeed use cuttings (yes, we have heard of the practice!),
since the plants grow out of cliffs or bedrock and transplanting
is  not  feasible -- perhaps you didn't know this? I'm also very
aware of the horticultural literature available  re:  Kalmiopsis
(again, contrary to your assertion), and would make use of it if
it  were  actually pertinent to our work. However, as all of our
reproductive studies were accomplished in  the  field,  this  is
irrelevant.  Out  of  curiosity,  I've  quizzed  those in my lab
who've worked on this project (none are students, by  the  way),
and  no one remembers speaking with you (or even knowing who you
are). I guess you must be getting your  information  second-hand
--  try  checking  with the source the next time you use someone
else's research to illustrate a point.

Robert J. Meinke, Assistant Professor and Program Leader  (Plant
Conservation  Biology),  Department  of Botany & Plant Pathology
Oregon  State  University,  Corvallis,  OR   97331-2902   Phone:
(541)737-2317

[When  I  posted Loren Russell's article on BEN, I knew that his
accusations about the mass destruction of  rare  Oregon  endemic
was  very  serious.  I  should have checked what had really hap-
pened, but I did not. The two cultures do exist, but  there  are
important  bridges between them - I can name a number of profes-
sional botanists who are avid  gardeners  and  usually  a  great
asset to their garden-only oriented counterparts. - Adolf Ceska]

FOUR NEW SPECIES OF ARABIS (BRASSICACEAEA) DESCRIBED FROM CANADA

Mulligan, G.A. 1995. Synopsis of the genus Arabis (Brassicaceae)
   in Canada, Alaska and Greenland. Rhodora 97: 109-163.

This  taxonomic  treatment  of  Arabis  recognizes 30 species. A
comprehensive key is provided for these species and 8 varieties.
Four new species are described:  A.  boivinii,  A.  calderi,  A.
codyi, and A. murrayi. In addition, many other taxa are recorded
for  the first time for this area. Cytological studies available
for 45 North American and Greenland species of Arabis  are  sum-
marized and discussed.

[In  BEN  # 108, July 31, 1995, George Douglas reported three of
the Mulligan's newly described species  of  Arabis  as  new  for
British Columbia.]

BRYOPHYTES ON THE WEB - I
From: Barbara Crandall-Stotler <[email-masked]>
       originally posted on bryonet-l <[email-masked]>

We have just posted a WebSite called Bryophytes at the address
   http://www.science.siu.edu/bryophytes/

This  will  accommodate the data of an on-going monograph of the
Fossombroniineae, but will also have  some  general  information
about  bryophytes.  We  will  add text and photos to the page at
regular intervals. It is still in its "infancy,"  but  it  is  a
start.

BRYOPHYTES ON THE WEB - II
From: [email-masked]

I have been adding all sites I've come across to a list at:
   http://ucmp1.berkeley.edu/collections/otherbot.html

This is primarily for on-line collections (and is not restricted
to  bryophytes),  but  the list also includes some keys, floras,
checklists, and image collections. I have been hoping to  create
a more comprehensive page specifically for bryophytes, and would
appreciate  any  sites  that  people send to me. I haven't found
many bryophyte-related sites out there.

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