Curatorial Update on the World Collection of Vascular Plants in the Herbarium Pacificum at Bishop Museum.

 

Keith P. Tomlinson

Department of Botany, Bishop Museum

Newsletter of the Hawaiian Botanical Society 1992

 

During 1991 & 1992 several thousand new specimens were added to the world collection of the Herbarium Pacificum as a large backlog was processed. This project was made possible by a National Science Foundation facilities grant (BSR -89-12364). Over one hundred genera and six families were added to the existing collections. Many, but not all, of these new specimens arrived from the Pacific, Asia, and Australia.

Taxa from outside the Pacific and Asia include several valuable “region specific’ collections from a variety of habitats. The largest of these collections come from various locations in South America. Representative specimens from the lowland tropics of Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, and Colombia were included. In addition, several highland species were part of this material. Of particular interest are numerous ericad genera from Montane cloud forest and Paramo habitats in the Andes. A new family to the Herbarium, the Rhabdodendraceae, arrived with these collections.

A large and well documented collection from tropical Africa was also processed as part of the backlog. The vast majority of these specimens were from the equatorial west African nation of Gabon. While the tropics of Africa are recognized as floristically less complex than Asia or South America most of the specimens were not represented in our collections before this. Twenty-seven genera new to our collections arrived as part of this material. Nearly all of these are endemic to the African tropics.

Our collection from temperate regions expanded as the backlog was processed. The largest component came from the former Soviet Union and included a broad spectrum of herbaceous flora from the Grassland Steppe of the western Ukraine and several new accessions of north temperate genera. Later in the year we processed another large European collection of herbaceous plants from the low Arctic of Scandinavia. Notable among these specimens were large collections of northern range Scrophulariaceae and Lamiaceae.

Specimens from the tropical Pacific, South East Asia and Australia were the largest additions to the world collection. Substantial collections arriving as gifts and exchange from Australia contained examples from the endemic family Davidsoniaceae. Predictably, rich collections of the Myrtaceae were part of this material too. Many additions of Australian Eucalyptus species have been added to the world collection.

Several excellent duplicate specimens have arrived from South East Asia. Particularly good material from Kalimantan, Sulawesi and various islands in the Banda Sea have provided many genera new to the herbarium. Similarly, new material from the Philippines has arrived. Most of these specimens come from the archipelago’s northern islands of Luzon and Mindoro.

Accessions from the Pacific have been dominated by new material from the island of New Guinea. These collections come primarily from the work associated with the National Cancer Institute (NCI). NCI has sponsored several organizations to collect in tropical areas throughout the world in an effort to screen a large number of plants for potential medicinal use (Slack 1992). Research into anti-AIDS and anti-cancer compounds is the focal point of this program. Bishop Museum is the organization responsible for collections in Papua New Guinea. Collecting in Irian Jaya on the western half of the island is being conducted jointly by the University of Illinois at Chicago, Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University and Herbarium Bogoriense in Bogor Indonesia. The Herbarium Pacificum is also receiving duplicates from the Irian Jaya collections.

The combined acquisition of these specimens has precipitated a complete reorganization of the herbarium’s Melanesian collections. Formerly, these collections had been filed under the region recognized simply as ‘Melanesia’ which included the following island groups: New Guinea, Solomon’s, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji. While maintaining the overall circumspection, our new filing system defines the herbarium’s Melanesian collection more accurately from geographic and floristic perspectives. The new system will recognize three sub-regions within Melanesia. They will include: New Guinea (including the Bismark and Louisiade archipelagoes), New Caledonia (including the Loyalty Islands), Solomon Islands (including Bougainville), Vanuatu and Fiji. Genus covers will reflect these subdivisions.

The new system recognizes the complex and differing phytogeography of Melanesia as a region. The land area is approximately 958,000 square km. Just under 90% consists of the island of New Guinea (Brookfield & Hart 1970). Elevations range from sea level to over 4900 m in Irian Jaya and over 3950 m in Papua New Guinea. These high summits support the only alpine flora associated with equatorial glaciers in the Pacific basin (Hope et al. 1976). The region’s exceptionally diverse topography, complex geology and tectonic history have fostered high rates of vascular plant endemism. Accordingly, the use of subregions within the herbarium’s Melanesian collections will provide a more accessible and logical documentation of the region’s complex physical geography and associated flora. Van Balgooy (1971) recognized 140 endemic genera in New Guinea and 95-100 in New Caledonia. These figures alone clearly warrant division of specimens from these two Melanesian islands. Moreover, this system is largely consistent with Takhtajan’s (1986) floristic divisions of Melanesia, particularly with regard to New Caledonia.

The combined addition of all specimens brings the total world collection to just over 175,000 sheets. Particularly large additions have been made to the Poaceae, Rubiaceae, Anacardiaceae, Annonaceae, Myrtaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Sapindaceae.

Literature Cited

Brookfield, H., Hart, D. 1971. Melanesia: A Geographical Interpretation of an island World. Methuen & Co. London.

Hope, G.S., Peterson, J.A., Radok, U., Allison, I. 1976. The Equatorial Glaciers of New Guinea. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam.

Slack, G. 1992. Searching for Tropical Cures. Pacific Discovery. Vol. 45.(2):4-5

Takhtajan, A. 1986. Floristic Regions of the World. University of California Press. Berkeley.

Van Balgooy, M.M.J. 1971. Plant Geography of the Pacific as based on a census of Phaerogam genera. Blumea Suppl. 6:1-222.

Fraser’s Sedge: A Native Perennial with Potential

Keith P. Tomlinson

The American Gardener. The Magazine of the American Horticultural Society.
January/ February 2009

Gardeners in the Mid-Atlantic states can cultivate an extraordinary palette of plants. Over the past few decades, many of the region’s native species have grown in popularity. While many Mid-Atlantic natives have a wide distribution, others are more localized or ever rare. Nearly 20 years ago I stumbled upon just such a plant in the West Virginia highlands. At first its broad shiny rosette of leaves seemed yucca-like, or even akin to a bromeliad. But after a little research, I knew it could only be Fraser’s sedge (Cymophyllus fraserianus, syn. Carex fraserianus, USDA Hardiness Zones 5-8, AHS Heat Zones 8-5).

For plant enthusiasts of the Appalachian Mountains, Fraser’s sedge is a mythic plant, not often seen, but frequently sought after, perhaps because it is arguably the world’s most unique sedge. Growing in rich mountain forests from Pennsylvania to Georgia, Fraser’s sedge embodies the antiquity of the Appalachians. Named for plant explorer John Fraser, who discovered it while roaming the Appalachians in the 18th century, it is considered by botanists to be a particularly primitive sedge. Although it is fairly easy to grow, Fraser’s sedge is rarely found even in the most sophisticated home landscapes and botanical garden collections.

In the wild, Fraser’s sedge grows most often in diverse hardwood forests with rich soils and dappled to medium shade. A clump former, in cultivation its radial leaf arrangement can grow to more than a foot in diameter. The thick, glossy dark green leaves grow 10 to 15 inches long and nearly an inch wide, tending to flop as they mature. The foliage is evergreen, so it provides considerable winter interest. But the real show comes in late spring, when cone-shaped flowerheads emerge on upright stems. The pure white inflorescences are composed of a cluster of male flowers with showy, threadlike anthers above a ring of less conspicuous female flowers.

Garden uses for Fraser’s sedge are wide ranging. It is a superb specimen plant in a woodland garden. In addition, it can be planted en masse to produce a stunning array of rosette leaves year round. Initial observations of Fraser’s sedge at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Virginia, where I work, suggest it will tolerate more sun than one might expect, given its native habitat.

Using native plants is more than a horticultural trend, it is a way to support the biodiversity of your region by creating ecologically balanced landscapes. There are few natives more horticulturally interesting than Fraser’s sedge. Unfortunately, it is threatened or endangered in several states. As with many native plants, its introduction to broader horticultural use through sustainable propagation techniques can help conserve the plant in the wild.

Fraser’s sedge is available from a few specialists in the southeastern United States. A few years ago, while attending the Cullowhee Native Plant conference, held annually at Western North Carolina University, I encountered it in the vendor’s exhibit area, nestled discreetly among the offerings from Enchanter’s garden in Hinton, West Virginia. Seeing it there recalled the excitement of my first sighting of it in the wild two decades earlier.

Educating for Sustainable Horticulture

Keith P. Tomlinson and Amanda R. Tomlinson
Roots: Botanic Gardens Conservation International Education Review.
Vol. 7 Num. 2 October 2010

The creation of a Sustainable Horticulture course by Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and the Northern Virginia Community College is bringing elements of botanical and ecological training into a programme of traditional horticulture. In this new forum, students can consider the ecological implications of their work and ensure that native plants receive more attention in horticultural design and application – particularly in urban settings.

This new course was set up in the spring of 2009, as part of the Horticulture Technology Program at the Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC). This popular two-year course of instruction has produced many trained horticulturists in the Washington DC metropolitan area since 1974. Students carry out coursework in horticultural botany, soils, propagation, landscape design, landscape construction, GIS applications and herbaceous and wood plant identification. Many of the plant identification laboratories use collections at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens (MBG). Several full-time and part-time staff at Meadowlark are NVCC alumni and in 2007 initial discussions between MBG staff and NVCC Horticulture Program began considering a Sustainable Horticulture course that would focus on increasing regional native plant diversity in landscape applications.

Graduates of the NVCC programme work in a diverse array of horticultural settings. Many are independent landscape contractors or work for large commercial nurseries. Some specialize in mass propagation and marketing seasonal crops (poinsettias, chrysanthemums, pansies, fruit trees) and some work in public gardens. Others go on to four-year specialized programmes. With this range of vocational targets, it is clear that providing sustainable horticulture training to this particular student body could have far-reaching impact for conservation in the landscape and nursery setting. There are over 140 community college horticulture programmes in the United States alone.

Former Director of the United States Botanical Garden and NVCC Horticulture Program Head, David Scheid, initiated the idea of a Sustainable Horticulture Course with the Curriculum Advisory Committee and the NVCC Dean of Applied Sciences. MBG staff were recruited to design and teach the course in 2008, and in spring 2009 a 16-week, three-credit course was offered. Enrollment rapidly reached the maximum of 25 students, demonstrating a keen interest in the topic.

Fostering ecological sustainability in the Horticulture Curriculum

Horticultural landscapes in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA are rich in non-native ornamental species, often creating an aesthetically pleasing scene. They are, however, frequently ecologically barren and even degrading to the environment. Very few ornamental plants are patronized by native insects, creating a biomass deficit at a low trophic level (Tallamy, 2007). In addition, many popular ornamental plants are not ‘ecologically stable’ and rapidly become invasive. In the metropolitan Washington DC area, Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana), Miscanthus grass (Miscanthus sinensis) and English ivy (Hedera helix) are just three examples. All are widely available in the regional nursery trade and frequently sought by local homeowners and businesses. Thus, the troublesome use of such species must be addressed by this new curriculum without compromising its strong aesthetic element.

Tackling these issues in the classroom setting requires an increased use of botanical, biogeographic and particularly ecological subject matter. This approach is not intended to question the traditional strengths of horticulture programmes, which have historically been so successful in combining aesthetics and science. Surely, all botanical gardens benefit hugely from such training and in many cases offer it in the form of core educational programmes. However, we are arguably reaching a crucial moment in the quest for global sustainability, when horticultural practitioners can apply their extensive knowledge to the collective effort of conserving plant diversity – locally, regionally and internationally. This process will require a modest curricular reorientation that results in a potentially huge benefit, brought about by decreasing the use of non-native plants and increasing the use of native species.

Floristics and ecoregions

Floristics is the science of what grows where and why and has long been a foundation of plant ecology, but rarely applied to horticultural practice. The Sustainable Horticulture course at NVCC begins with a discussion of floristics as an introduction to the diversity of native plants. This discussion can take place in any horticulture curriculum anywhere in the world by using Armen Takhtajan’s seminal work, Floristic Regions of the World (Takhtajan, 1986). An instructor in Accra, Ghana, Hamburg, Germany or Guilin, China can use this single text to great effect. Other efficient means of illustrating the need for sustainability in horticultural design is to use both the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation and the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation as curricular tools. Both documents contain objectives potentially useful to the student of sustainable horticulture. In such ways, the relevance of conservation programmes in botanic gardens can be instilled into horticultural education.

Complementing the floristic approach, there is now the means to become familiar with ecoregions. Recent work by the World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International has resulted in detailed ecoregional maps of the entire globe (Olson et al., 2001). Closely allied to floristic concepts, ecoregions provide a critical spatial and biogeographic foundation for horticulture students training in landscape design and maintenance. Thus, a core objective of the NVCC Sustainable Horticulture course is to foster a design process incorporating both ecologic and floristic factors to site analysis. Ideally, this process can lead to outstanding landscapes of innovative design, ecological stability and biogeographic relevance. Such landscapes will, of necessity, use primarily native plants.

Choosing regionalism over human abstraction and the exotic

A philosophical aspect of the NVCC Sustainable Horticulture course is internalizing the unique qualities of one’s own ecoregion and its biogeographic composition. Initially this can be a challenge, as we are consistently schooled to understand the state or country where we live in predominantly cultural terms. However, in nearly all cases political boundaries bear little or no relation to the natural distribution of biota (Tomlinson, 2001). Further, as students of natural history and plant science we rightly marvel at the tales of exotic plants from far afield. This work has encouraged the pursuit of exotic species in our gardens and landscapes (and still does). We are enriched and indeed profoundly educated by these horticultural wonders. Yet, in 2010 we are not driven so much by exploration as by the pressing need for conservation and sustainability (Friedman, 2008). Today, we can only explore plant habitats that we also conserve and effectively sustain.

Emphasizing regionalism, floristics and biogeography can realize a new synergy between horticultural applications and sustainable landscapes. Moreover, this process can promote the conservation of plant diversity beyond botanic gardens and wilderness areas. Thus, this horticulture course is designed expressly to encourage students to consider the opportunities and implications of their work as a practical method of conserving plant diversity. Clearly, this is a philosophical departure from most horticulture curricula in its emphasis on ecologic integrity over exotic display. As botanic garden educators we must strive to reach the widest possible audience. Our success will be measured not just within the collections we interpret, but in the landscape beyond our gardens – a landscape much in need of sustainable management through ecologically focused horticulture.

References

• Friedman, T., 2008. Hot, Flat and Crowded. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, USA.
• Olson, D., et al., 2001. Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth. BioScience, 51:11.
• Takhtajan, A., 1986. Floristic Regions of the World. University of California Press.
• Tallamy, D., 2007, revised 2009. Bringing Nature Home. Timber Press, USA.
• Tomlinson, K.P., 2001. A New Conservation Initiative at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, USA: The Potomac Valley Collection. Botanic Gardens Conservation News.
• Botanic Gardens Conservation International, UK.