ASBS Newsletter

Number 135, June 2008

Contents

From the President .................... 1

ASBS Inc. business
A formal call to file .................... 1

Eichler Research Fund Report
A re-evaluation of the Pterostylidinae (Orchidaceae) and fine-scale genetic diversity of the Pterostylis longifolia complex .................... 2
New members .................... 2

Articles
On the validity of two Mueller names published by Meisner .................... 4
Consensus or complacency? A discussion of the proposed new collection sequence at the WA Herbarium.................... 5

Obituaries
Vale Lorraine Cobb April 12th 1951 – April 5th 2008 .................... 8
Edgar Dell November 28th 1901 – April 18th 2008 .................... 11
Eulogy for Ludwik Dutkiewicz 2nd February 1921 – 30th April 2008 .................... 13
Ludwik Dutkiewicz at the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium, Adelaide: a postscript ........... 15
Brian (Bill) Burtt August 27th 1913 – May 30th 2008 .................... 16
Robert Dunlop (Bob) Royce 1914–2008 .................... 16

Botanical art
Margaret Flockton Awards 2008 .................... 17
The Australian Masters of Botanical Art .................... 17
Northern Territory botanical art exhibition .................... 17
Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art .................... 17
Botanical art exhibition for ASBS conference-goers .................... 17

News
Western Australian treasure to be 100 .................... 18
Michelin Man™ samphire named as top plant species for 2007.................... 18
ARC seeking views on journal rankings .................... 18
ASB Student Prize .................... 19
Adelaide welcomes Hugh Cross .................... 19
Draft Climate Change Report .................... 19
Karen Wilson – Member of the Order of Australia .................... 19
150 year anniversary of reading of Evolution and Natural Selection papers .................... 20
Some more recent history .................... 21
Make sure your permits are in order before you collect .................... 21
Busy days for one of our Councillors .................... 21
First record of the Death Cap Fungus for South Australia .................... 21
Fungimap on Kangaroo Island .................... 21
New national weed research centre announced .................... 21
New address for Weeds CRC website .................... 21
Euphrasia arguta R.Br. – extinct, now rediscovered .................... 22

Conferences
Australian Systematic Botany Society Adelaide conference .................... 22
Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) 2008 meeting .................... 24
Consecutive International Ecological meetings in 2009 .................... 24

Retirement
Trevor Whiffin .................... 25
Trevor at LaTrobe .................... 25
Trevor in the rainforest .................... 25

Food for thought
The need for ecological vouchers .................... 28
Predicting California’s future flora .................... 29
California’s past flora .................... 29
Greater plant diversity significantly enhances ecosystem productivity .................... 29
Predictions for rate of species extinction in animals too low .................... 29
Developing a standard terminology for conservation biology .................... 29
The future of taxonomy? .................... 30

CHAH Inc. business
Australian Plant Census: June 2008 update .................... 30

Miscellanea
News from the Australian Tropical Herbarium (CNS) .................... 31
W.H. Harvey and his “Travelling Sets” of Australian marine algae .................... 32
PhD scholarship available .................... 32

ABLO report .................... 33

Book reviews
Richard Schomburgk: explorer and Botanic Garden director .................... 36
Mabberley’s new plant book .................... 39
A comment on a SGAP historical account .................... 40
The gardens of Mauritius .................... 41

Book notices
Systematics and computers .................... 43
GBIF training manual .................... 44
Australian gardens what they mean to us .................... 44
Gods and goddesses in the garden .................... 44
California’s lost wildflowers .................... 44
Botanical art treasures .................... 44
New editions on south-east Australian trees .................... 44
Historical Tasmanian collections .................... 44
Climate change and invasive species report .................... 45

Websites of interest
J.E. Smith Herbarium .................... 45
Three Australians in the top 10 new species of 2007 .................... 45
State of Observed Species report .................... 45
Introduced species in fibre used in nursery industry .................... 45
New U.S. journal on invasive plants .................... 45
Tasmania’s big trees .................... 45
Maintaining an online publications list .................... 45
Georgiana Molloy blog .................... 45
Atlas of Living Australia website launched .................... 46
World Register of Marine Species .................... 46
Plants, animals and fungi of James Cook University .................... 46
Systematics journals go on-line .................... 46

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