August 2011

Schmid • Reviews and notices
TAXON 60 (4) • August 2011: 1231–1238
R e v i e w s a n d n o t i c e s o f Pu b l i c at i o n s
Edited by Rudolf Schmid
Notices—topic areas: Reviews are cross‑referenced.
Taxonomic, horticultural, and ecological groups,
including plant-algal-fungal structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Floristics, biogeography, and synecology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Multivolume Floras and other works issued serially. . . . . .
Biodiversity, conservation, the environment, weeds,
invasive aliens, and autecology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Other topics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Reviews
Braune, Wolfra1m & Guiry, Michael D. 2011. Seaweeds: A colour
guide to common benthic green, brown and red algae of the world’s
oceans. Trans. from the Ger. and rev. by Michael D. Guiry. A.R.G.
Gantner Verlag K.G., Ruggell. 601 pp., ill. (col.), 199 × 155 mm,
ISBN 9783906166902 HB, €59.00 (from www.koeltz.com). [Ger.
ed. 2008 by W. Braune: Meeresalgen: Ein Farbbildführer …; see
Taxon 57: 1389.] — With intros, class., tax. pt., appendices (class.;
glossary; biblio.), index. With 1020 figs. on 263 col. pls. Ed. note:
Fide the website, the Eng. ver. replaces 15 pics w/ “better ones”
and adds 7 spp. 
This “colour guide” should be categorized as a pictorial introduction to the global diversity of marine macroalgae. Each of
the 530 species that Braune had encountered on trips as far afield
as Antarctica has a short description and one or more color photos. The description includes an account of the form, color, size
range, habitat, and distribution,
and notes common names in
use. The photos are grouped
in plates pleasingly (often ingeniously, using photo-editing
software) arranged, with each
element tagged as to size. The
photos seem to have been taken
mostly of specimens pressed on
paper, posed moist, or floating
(possibly after preservation) in
water. There are no in-situ shots
of individual plants. Because of
the technique used, the vivid
iridescence characteristic of many seaweeds has not been captured.
The photos are not identified as to provenance, nor is it clear how
they were identified—whether from the specimens photographed
or from the photos.
The introduction has useful instructions for preparing pressed
specimens. The bibliography references many local guides. Because
of its global scope, this work probably will not prove useful or reliable as a guide to any particular place. Nonetheless, the book is a
beautiful overview. — Richard L. Moe, UC <[email protected]>
Cappers, R.T.J.; Neef, R. & Bekker, R.M. 2009. Digital atlas
of economic plants. Vols. 1, 2a, 2b. [Untitled]. Barkhuis & Groningen University Library, Groningen (www.plantatlas.eu) (series:
Groningen archaeological studies 9). 527, viii, viii, 1508 pp., ill.
(col.), 297 × 210 mm, ISBN 9789077922590 (same for all vols.) HB,
€325.00 (book purchase allows
access to protected parts of website). — With Eng., Ger., Dutch
intro, Eng., Ger., Dutch ill. glossary, 15 indices (vol. 1), A–Z atlas (vols. 2a, 2b). 
This outstanding dictionary merits special attention.
With a total weight of 9.6 kg it
comprises 2051 pages, contains
over 10,000 colour photos of
absolutely superb quality, and
deals with 3953 plant species
from 272 families. The introduction and illustrated glossary are
in English, German, and Dutch.
There are 13 indices for 11 languages [English, German, Dutch, French, Spanish, Arabic, Arabic
in transliteration, Turkish, Chinese, Pinyin (Chinese in transliteration), Hindi, Sanskrit and Malayalam], plus indices for Latin and
pharmaceutical names.
Economic use is interpreted broadly, following F.E.M. Cook’s
Economic botany data collection standard (1995), and is divided
into 12 main groups: food, food additives, animal food, host plants
(including plants used for reproduction and feeding of certain invertebrate animals such as silkworms), bee plants, medicine, ritual
and social use (including soft and hard drugs), vertebrate poisons,
Column closed 11 July 2011. Deadlines for receipt of materials are 1 Dec., 1 Feb., 1 Apr., 1 June, 1 Aug, and 1 Oct. for inclusion in, respectively, the following Feb., Apr., June, Aug., Oct., and Dec. issues. Send all materials for this column to: Rudolf Schmid, 16 Edwin
Dr., Kensington, CA 94707-1022, U.S.A. (for faster, more secure arrival) or Department of Integrative Biology, University of California,
Berkeley, CA 94720-3140, U.S.A. (phone 510/525-0439; fax 510/643-6264; [email protected]; http://www.rudischmid.com).
Unless noted otherwise, “Notices” are by Rudolf Schmid, prices are in U.S. dollars and exclude postage, and illustrations (ill.) are
all black-and-white (B &W) versus partly or all in color (col.). Abbreviations usually follow Botanico-periodicum-Huntianum, 2nd ed.
(BPH2, 2004), but “HB/PB” = hard-/paperbound and “ep.” = endpaper (“ep.” is used for HB and PB items). Note: Full snail-mail addresses are given for publishers only if no website or e-mail address is indicated.
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Schmid • Reviews and notices
pesticides, environmental uses (including plants grown in gardens
and parks), materials (including plants producing raw materials
used in the food industry, and commodities such as wood, rubber,
resin or colour), and fuel. There is no distinction between wild and
cultivated. Needless to say the authors were able to list 15 denominations for crops of major economic importance such as Triticum
aestivum, ranging from Tritici levis fructus (pharmaceutical name)
to Fu xiao mai (Pinyin), but only a few names for ornamental plants
of limited economic importance such as Howea forsteriana, involving only Kentia palms (English), Kentiapalme (German), and Palma
del paraíso (Spanish).
Volume 1 comprises the introduction, an illustrated glossary,
and the 15 indices; volume 2a treats Acanthaceae to Hypoxidaceae,
volume 2b Icacinaceae to Zygophyllaceae, with genera and species in alphabetical sequence. Volumes 2a and 2b contain the circa
10,000 photos, the text consisting only of very brief legends, noting
the Latin name, the plant part shown, one or several symbols for the
type of use, a reference number, and scale bars for size.
Most notable is the special focus of the dictionary, which may
also be called a “colour atlas of economic plants,” because it differs markedly from similar works. The photos document the plant
product used, not the plant. Thus Crocus sativus is represented by
photos of the dried styles and stigmas, Laurus nobilis by photos of
the dried leaves, and Myristica fragrans by photos of dried arils,
dried seeds (with aril removed), dried seeds (with aril and seed coat
removed), dried seeds devoid of the seed coat, both limed and cut
in slices. One and a half pages are dedicated to Prunus armeniaca,
with photos showing the fresh ripe fruit, including a cross section
of it, the dried fruit, the dried epicarp and mesocarp, dried paste,
dried endocarp, and seeds.
It is this often “dry,” almost archaeological approach that
makes this work unique, and there is a special reason for it—the
dictionary resulted from the joint effort of three authors, two of
them based in archaeological institutions: R.T.J. Cappers at the
Institute of Archaeology of Groningen University, and R. Neef at
the German Archaeological Institute in Berlin, the latter forming
part of the German Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Three reference
collections were extensively used as the main basis for this dictionary—the plant material kept in the two aforenoted institutions, plus
specimens conserved in the herbarium of the Botanical Museum
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TAXON 60 (4) • August 2011: 1231–1238
Berlin-Dahlem (B). The introduction offers brief background information on the rationale of this dictionary.
Coverage is truly global: Ornamental plants such as the fruit
of the Australian Xylomelum occidentale (before and after dehiscence) are included along with cones of the Bosnian-Serbian Picea
omorica or fruit and seed of the Turkish-Armenian Papaver orientale s.l. Aquatics such as Limnocharis flava, Posidonia oceanica,
and species of Potamogeton are covered, as are more unconventional plants, among them Itea virginica, Mentzelia lindleyi, and
Sargentodoxa cuneata. The global approach is mirrored by the front
covers of the three volumes, showing the Khan al-Khalili market
in Cairo, the drying of date fruits in Fayum, and the harvesting of
tea in Kerala, India.
This work is definitely a feast for the eye and a must-have not
only for all those in museums, herbaria and botanic gardens who
are interested in economic plants, but also especially for curators
of collections of economic plant and ethnobotany. Firstly, this is a
mine of visual information, secondly, a most helpful guide for determining the identity of economic plants as well as their remains,
and thirdly, a source book for finding out for economic plants their
common names in all major languages of the world. — H.W. Lack,
B <[email protected]>
Graham, Alan. June 2010. Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic history of Latin American vegetation and terrestrial environments.
Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis (www.mbgpress.org)
(series: Monographs in systematic botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden, vol. 113). xviii, 617 pp., ill., ep. geol. col., conversion
table, 286 × 224 mm, ISSN 01611542, ISBN 9781930723689 HB,
$95.00. — With pref. (incl. biblio.), prolog (incl. notes, biblio.),
abbrs./acronyms (“nomenclature”), 8 chaps. in 3 topic areas: (a)
background: climate, geogr.; geol.; veg.; (b) databases: Mex.; Antilles; Cen. Amer.; S. Amer.; (c) syntheses: the broader pic), appendices—81 pp. (modern taxa, pl. comms.; fossil taxa), 11-p. index. 
Alan Graham has spent a
research lifetime studying the
paleohistory of the geology, environment, and vegetation of the
Americas. His ground-breaking
work, Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic history of North American
vegetation north of Mexico, appeared in March 1999 [Oxford
University Press, New York,
xviii, 350 pp., (1) p. pls. (col.), text
ill. (B&W), 286 × 224 mm, ISBN
9780195113426 HB, $119.99] and
received an enthusiastic review
by R. Cranfill in this journal (Taxon 49: 140–142): the book “is surely
destined to become a classic in its field.” Graham’s long awaited
companion volume, Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic history of Latin
American vegetation and terrestrial environments, appeared in June
2010 (Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, xviii, 617 pp., ill.,
286 × 224 mm, HB, $95.00). For those persons not having the time or
money for these detailed scholarly works totaling over 1000 pages,
there is a fine summary and popularization by Graham that appeared
last November: A natural history of the New World: The ecology and
TAXON 60 (4) • August 2011: 1231–1238
evolution of plants in the Americas (The University of Chicago Press,
Chicago, xvi, 387 pp., ill., ISBN 9780226306797 HB, $110.00, ISBN
9780226306803 PB, $40.00), and that is available in a paperback
edition (for notice see Taxon 60: 937).
Graham explained in his preface to this work (p. xi): “In two
earlier summaries I address North America north of Mexico (Graham 1999, or I) and Latin America (Graham 2010, or II). These
works contain detailed information and references and may be
consulted as needed for background to the present text. … [This]
is a combined version of these and other works [e.g., Graham 1972,
1973, 2006], … and it draws freely on them. This book differs in
that although it serves as a summary for specialists in vegetation
history, it is also intended for a broader audience of specialists in
other fields, as well as students … It brings the references and Web
addresses from 1999 and 2010 up to date … The text also includes
new information on climates, fossil faunas, mountain uplift, global
sea level change, and paleotemperatures.”
The 1999 and June 2010 works have identical dimensions
(286 × 224 mm), but the latter is nearly double the length (369 versus 635 pages). It is naturally much more extensively illustrated:
the 1999 tome with 1 color halftone (opposite p. 270) and 246 B&W
halftones and line illustrations, the 2010 opus with 583 B&W figures. [In contrast, the aforenoted November 2010 summary has 34
line drawings and 69 halftones, most of which are poorly reproduced—a fate that did not befall the 1999 and June 2010 works.]
Finally, the 2010 work has a dust jacket and at $95.00 versus $119.99
(originally $95) for the 1999 book is a super bargain, especially
considering its greater length.
The informative blurb on the dust jacket (and website) provides
the rest of this review:
This volume summarizes the history of Latin American
vegetation from just prior to the asteroid impact at Chicxulub,
Mexico, at the end of the Cretaceous period through the rapidpaced events of Holocene and Recent times, tracing highlights
in the origin of lineages and plant communities that constitute a
fundamental part of the tropical ecosystems of the New World.
Emphasis is placed on the array of available methods and approaches, as well as on the need for incorporating ancillary
information from the many relevant disciplines and for assessing the paleobiological results within the context of independent
lines of inquiry particularly important for understanding the
vast and complex communities of Latin America. The summary
is based on approximately 350 fossil floras and 4,000 literature
references to vegetation history and related topics. It includes a
catalog of some 10,000 fossil plants arranged in tables and appendices by geographic location (country or region), taxonomic
group, and geologic age. From this unique database, lineage histories, terrestrial paleoenvironments, migrations, and responses
to evolutionary processes are reconstructed that have shaped
the Latin American vegetation over the past 100 million years.
This masterful synthesis undoubtedly will garner many kudos.
It “is surely destined to become a classic in its field,” like its 1999
counterpart. — Rudolf Schmid, UC
Knapp, Ralf. 2011. Ferns and fern allies of Taiwan. KBCC Press
and Yuan-Liou Publishing Co., Taipei (http://sa.ylib.com/proj
ect/201106/index_en.asp). x, 1052, [2] pp., ill. (col.), 235 × 175 mm,
Schmid • Reviews and notices
ISBN 9789868709805 HB, US$100.00. — With 10-p. intro, 21-p.
photo glossary, 397-p. photo-key sect., 59-p. tax.-comments sect.,
25-p. biblio., 436-p. photo gallery, 100-p. index. 
A breathtaking book, solidly packed with nearly 5000 photos
of beautiful Taiwanese ferns—how can one resist that?
Taiwan, albeit a small island (circa 36,000 km²), is renowned
for its incredible diversity of pteridophytes. The complex geology and variable climate spanning alpine to tropical zones allow
more than 700 species of pteridophytes to inhabit the island. For a
long time, volume 1 (1994) of the six-volume Flora of Taiwan, 2nd
ed. (1994–2003; for reviews see R. Schmid, Taxon 46: 169–170,
179–194), was the sole English gateway to Taiwanese ferns. [Ed.
note: C.-M. Kuo’s Manual of Taiwan vascular plants, vol. 1, Pteridophyta, 2nd ed. (1999), a superb pictorial account and condensation
of the Flora of Taiwan, is in Chinese; see Taxon 49: 868.] However,
that flora not only suffers from copious typos but also is considerably outdated (for review see
R.C. Moran, Amer. Fern J. 84:
66–67, 1995). Ferns and fern
allies of Taiwan thus offers a
comprehensive and up-to-date
summary of Taiwanese ferns by
treating new records and new
nomenclatural changes and by
providing identification keys
with detailed images of each
species. This pteridoflora treats
729 taxa (species, infraspecific
taxa, and hybrids), 78 endemic
(22 of lycopods, 707 of ferns,
including 2 horsetails, 1 whisk
fern) compared to 597 taxa in the Flora of Taiwan, volume 1 (1994),
and 630 in the checklist in volume 6 (2003).
The introduction briefly outlines the geography of Taiwan,
reviews the recent fern checklists and floras for the island, and
provides user guidelines. I have some concern that Knapp uses
an unconventional translation system for Chinese localities, for
example, “Taibei” for the familiar “Taipei.” Although a comparison
of both translation systems is provided for all county names, some
readers might still find Knapp’s adopted system hard to follow.
Chapter 2 is a glossary complete with photos! All images are
exceptionally clear, with important features highlighted by arrows
or rectangles where necessary. For beginners in plant taxonomy,
it can be difficult to visualize what, for instance, a biserrate pinna
looks like, but certainly not if one has a photo of it. This illustrated
glossary will greatly reduce the learning curve for budding pteridologists; it can also serve as a valuable supplement to D.B. Lellinger’s A modern multilingual glossary for taxonomic pteridology
(2002; for review see R. Schmid, Taxon 51: 833–834).
Keys to families, genera, and species occupy chapter 3. Knapp
has an innovative and extremely helpful approach for each taxon
terminal in the keys, namely, photos to enhance the descriptions.
In the key to species each taxon has at least three photos (often
more), along with information on habitat, distribution (to county
level), abundance, and synonymy. Unfortunately, Knapp adopts
K.U. Kramer’s familial classification in K. Kubitzki’s The families
and genera of vascular plants, volume 1 (1990), instead of A.R.
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Schmid • Reviews and notices
Smith & al.’s much more recent classification in Taxon 55: 705–731
(2006). Moreover, Knapp does not generally accept recent generic
revisions based on molecular phylogenetic work. Thus, Polypodium and Vittaria are adopted even though their Taiwanese species
are better treated in Goniophlebium and Haplopteris, respectively
[H. Schneider & al., Molec. Phylog. Evol. 31: 1041–1063 (2004);
E.H. Crane, Syst. Bot. 22: 509–517 (1997)].
Chapter 4 not only treats rediscovered taxa, new combinations, new records, and provisional new species (denoted as “sp.”),
but also considers some noteworthy taxonomic issues. Most taxa
mentioned in this section have supplementary detailed photos in
the next chapter. There are occasional photos of types. Knapp also
thoroughly reviews and gives new insight into many taxa that had
unsettled occurrence or taxonomic status in the past. The list of
endemic and rare taxa is important for conservationists.
Indubitably this work is a remarkable contribution to our understanding and appreciation of the Taiwanese pteridoflora. Its
faults are few, most significantly the outdated classification of families and genera, plus the lack of detailed locality information below
the county level. In summary, Ferns and fern allies of Taiwan is a
comprehensive as well as a visually rich and beautiful synopsis of
Taiwanese pteridophytes. This flora serves both as an invaluable
reference source and as a magnificent presentation for all persons
appreciating the diversity of plants. — F.W. Li, DUKE <fay.wei
[email protected]>
Stewart, Amy. May 2009. Wicked plants: The weed that killed
Lincoln’s mother & other botanical atrocities. Algonquin Books
of Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill (www.algonquin.com). xvii, [iii], 235,
[1] pp., ill., 186 × 147 mm, ISBN 9781565126831 HB, $18.95. [Publ.
Sep. 2010 in U.K. by Timber Press, London, as Wicked plants: The
A–Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate and otherwise offend, same
pagination, ISBN 9781604691276 HB, £9.99. German ed. trans.
by Stephan Pauli and publ. Feb. 2011 by Berliner TaschenbuchVerlag (series: BvT 715), Berlin, as Gemeine Gewächse: Das A bis
Z der Pflanzen, die morden, verstümmeln, berauschen und uns
anderweitig ärgern, ISBN 9783833307157 HB, €11.95. Chin ed.:
see worldcat.org.] — With intro.
warning, descr. pt., ipecac antidote syrup, bionotes, info re. 6
“poison gardens,” 4-p. biblio.;
no index. 
Initially this work seemed
worthy of just a short notice.
The book repelled due to its ugly
lime-green cover, sensationally
written text (the subtitle and the
back cover proclaiming: “Beware! The sordid lives of plants
behaving badly”), and lack of an
index. I was also annoyed that
the book had no ready answer to its subtitular teaser; in fact, a
sloppy Google search proved fruitless—and seedless, flowerless,
leafless, stemless, and rootless for the botanical mom killer. [Note
that she disappears from the subtitles of the U.K., German, and
Chinese editions.] Thus I was forced to browse the book to satisfy
my morbid curiosity. I came away increasingly impressed.
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TAXON 60 (4) • August 2011: 1231–1238
In a mere 223 smallish (186 × 147 mm) pages Stewart describes over 200 taxa placed in 62 topic areas that are categorized
(sans explanation) as “dangerous” [“da” below], “deadly” [“de”],
“destructive” [“des”], “illegal” [“il”], “intoxicating” [“in”], “offensive” [“of”], and “painful” [“pa”]. The 62 topics range roughly
alphabetically from “Aconite [de]” through “Arrow poisons [de],
Ayahuasca vine and chacruna [il], Betel nut [in], Castor bean [de],
Ordeal poisons [de], Coca [il], Coyotillo [da], This houseplant
could be your last [da], Deadly nightshade [de], Death camas [de],
Deadly dinner [de], Ergot [in], Fatal fungus [da], Habanero chili
[pa], Henbane [in], The Devil’s bartender [in], Iboga [il], Jimson
weed [da], Botanical crime families [pa], Khat [il], Killer algae
[des], Ragweed [da], Kudzu [des], Lawn of death [des], Mala mujer
[pa], Here comes the sun [pa], Manchineel tree [pa], Don’t look
now [da], Mandrake [in], Marijuana [il], Oleander [de], Forbidden
garden [da], Opium poppy [il], Dreadful bouquet [da], Peacock
flower [da], Peyote cactus [il], Psychedelic plants [in], Poison
hemlock [de], Purple loosestrife [des], Weeds of mass destruction
[des], Ratbane [de], Rosary pea [de], The terrible toxicodendrons
[pa], Sago palm [da], More than one way to skin a cat [da], Stinging tree [pa], Meet the nettles [pa], Strychnine tree [de], Suicide
tree [de], Carnivores [of], Tobacco [de], Toxic blue-green algae
[de], Duck and cover [of], Water hemlock [de], Water hyacinth
[des], Social misfits [of], Whistling thorn acacia [pa], Guess who’s
coming to dinner [of], White snakeroot [de], Don’t tread on me
[pa]” to “Yew [de].”
These are each described in three to five pages and have Latin
names and, as appropriate, information for family, habitat, native
area, other common names, and botanical relatives (“meet the relatives”). The eclectic text is supported by a four-page bibliography.
There are oodles of anecdotes, most cases of which lacked antidotes,
for instance, Ricinus communis (castor bean) used for the 1978 KGB
(apparently) “umbrella murder” of “communist defector and BBC
journalist Georgi Markov” (p. 15) or the harassing of dissidents by
Mussolini’s Fascisti in the 1920s. The artwork, etchings by Briony
Morrow-Cribbs and illustrations by Jonathon Rosen, is vaguely
reminiscent of that of Edward Gorey (1925–2000); fide the website,
the “menacing botanical illustrations and splendidly ghastly drawings [complete the] fascinating portrait of the evildoers” “that kill,
maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend.”
This compendium will not qualify as a reference source for
the emergency room. However, it is a fascinating read and just
the right size (186 × 147 mm) for perusal while on the royal throne
or in one of those queues so ubiquitous in modern life. [PS: And
what plant killed Abe’s mom? Think I’ll say, other than that it is
a “DWC.” But see the video on the website for the answer.] —
Rudolf Schmid, UC
Floras of Costa Rica
Rudolf Schmid, UC
Condit, Richard; Pérez, Rolando & Daguerre, Nefertaris.
“2011” (publ. Nov. 2010). Trees of Panama and Costa Rica.
Princeton University Press, Princeton (www.press.princeton
.edu) (series: Princeton field guides, unnum.). 494 pp., ill. (most
col.), 242 × 165 mm (HB), ISBN 9780691147079 HB, $85.00, ISBN
9780691147109PB, $45.00. ISBN 9781400836178 e-book, $45.00.
TAXON 60 (4) • August 2011: 1231–1238
Gargiullo, Margaret B. (text); Magnuson, Barbara L. & Kimball, Larry D. (photos). Feb. 2008. A field guide to plants of Costa
Rica. Oxford University Press, Oxford (www.oup.com). xlviii, 494,
[2] pp., ill. (most col.), 242 × 165 mm (HB), ISBN 9780195188240
HB, US$74.50, ISBN 9780195188257 PB, US$39.50. Zuchowski,
Willow. May 2007. Tropical plants of Costa Rica: A guide to native and exotic flora. [Rev. ed.] Comstock Publishing Associates,
Ithaca (www.cornellpress.cornell.edu) (imprint: A Zona tropical
publication). 529, [2] pp., ill. (most col.), col. ep. map, 230 × 153 mm
(PB), ISBN 9780801445880 HB, $65.00, ISBN 9780801473746 PB,
$35.00. [Ed. 1 2005, as A guide to tropical plants of Costa Rica, by
Zona, San José.] — For contents see review. 
Since its founding in 1963 the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS; www.ots.duke.edu) has been directly and indirectly responsible for the natural history
of Costa Rica being perhaps
the best known of any tropical
country. The immensely beneficial symbiotic relationship
between OTS and Costa Rica
has involved over 8000 graduate students and professionals
as alumni of over 350 graduatelevel courses in the natural sciences.
Early OTS alumni (Don
Stone in 1965—see “View from
the canopy” entry below, myself in 1967 and 1968) and others wishing to identify vascular
plants from the rich flora of the country had limited resources
available: P.C. Standley’s even then outdated four-part Flora of
Costa Rica (1937–39) with sporadic keys, a few regional guides
such as P.H. Allen’s The rain forests of Golfo Dulce (1956, reprinted
1977), or local checklists, some of which were prepared by the indefatigable Daniel H. Janzen. Other than Allen’s classic, most identification aids were sparsely illustrated; picture identification was
almost impossible. Matters improved appreciably in the 1970s and
1980s with such heavily pictorial works as L.R. Holdridge & L.J.
Poveda A.’s Árboles de Costa Rica, vol. 1 (1975), and N. Zamora’s
Flora arborescente de Costa Rica, vol. 1, Especies de hojas simples
(1989; vols. 2, 3, 2000, 2004, by Zamora, Q. Jiménez & L. Poveda).
A modern pteridoflora came on board with D.B. Lellinger’s The
ferns and fern-allies of Costa Rica, Panama, and the Chocó (Part
1: Psilotaceae through Dicksoniaceae) (1989; for review see A.R.
Smith, Taxon 39: 69). On-going multivolume floras intended to
replace Standley’s are W. Burger (ed.)’s vastly incomplete Flora
costaricensis (1971–; see Taxon 49: 387) and B.E. Hammel & al.’s
nearly complete Manual de plantas de Costa Rica (2003–; see Taxon
58: 332). The last is a “concise, illustrated guide to all of the species
of native, naturalized and commercially cultivated vascular plants”
of Costa Rica (www.mbgpress.org).
Adding to this embarrassment of bibliographic richness for
Costa Rica are three recent field guides by Condit & al. (2011),
Gargiullo & al. (2008), and Zuchowski (2007). To facilitate comparisons these are referred to below as, respectively, “C2011,”
“G2008,” and “Z2007”:
Schmid • Reviews and notices
length, illustration, size:
C2011: 494 pp., ill. (most col.), 242 × 165 mm (HB)
G2008: xlviii, 494, [2] pp., ill. (most col.), 242 × 165 mm (HB)
Z2007: 529, [2] pp., ill. (most col.), col. ep. map, 230 × 153 mm
(PB)
statistics for illustration:
C2011: “438” (p. 24) color photos; 2 color general maps; “481”
(p. 23) color dot-distribution species maps for Costa Rica
and Panama; 5 B&W figures in tree-ID chapter
G2008: ca. 1400 color photos; 5 general maps, 2 B&W, 3 color;
B&W drawings in 8-p. glossary
Z2007: 540+ color photos; 2 general maps, 1 B&W, 1 color;
many B&W drawings in main text and 12-p. glossary
preliminaries:
C2011: preface (“foreword,” including acknowledgments)
G2008: preface, acknowledgments
Z2007: acknowledgments
introductory text:
C2011: 14 pp.: forests of Panama, Costa Rica; tree ID; species,
areas covered
G2008: 32 pp.: geography; climate; notes on photography;
tropical-plant ecology; methods; plant distribution; limitations, use of book; 8-p. illustrated glossary
Z2007: 9 pp.: scope, use of book; classification, nomenclature;
IDing plants; Costa Rica; conservation; list of abbreviations
taxonomic part:
C2011: 439 pp. alphabetically arranged by family
G2008: 462 pp., 8 color sections arranged by habit: palms,
palmlike plants; tall trees; shrubs, small trees; lianas;
herbaceous vines; herbs; grasses, sedges; pteridophytes,
bryophytes, lichens
Z2007: 450 pp., 8 chapters arranged by topics: painted tree
tops; other common trees; roadside, garden ornamentals;
fruits, crops; living fences, reforestation; special habitats;
typical tropical groups (pteridophytes, 6 monocotyledonous families); grasses
statistics for taxonomic part:
C2011: “481” (p. 23) or “493” (p. 24) tree species in “83” (p. 17)
families (51 families excluded)
G2008: 850+ species; no exact stats given
Z2007: 122 families, 452 species (my count) in checklist
(pp. 481–496); 430 species (back cover)
mode of identification:
C2011: characters of plant families, especially leaf characters
(2 tables); no keys
G2008: habit type (see above), therein by leaf type for “tall
trees,” by color flowers, etc. for most other groups; no keys
Z2007: location (see above)—”the different ways one would
encounter plants when traveling around the country”
(p. 10); no keys
synoptic species accounts (e.g., Enterolobium cyclocarpum):
C2011: Latin name; common names; morphology; distribution; recognition
G2008: Latin name; common names; morphology; habitat;
range; notes
Z2007: Latin name; common names; morphology; phenology;
distribution; related species; comments
1235
Schmid • Reviews and notices
end matter:
C2011: 30 pp.: appendices (2-p. unillustrated glossary; foliar
characteristics of families; characteristics of 51 excluded
families), 1-p. bibliography, 14-p. index
G2008: 34 pp.: 6-p. unillustrated glossary (also introductory
8-p. illustrated glossary), 10-p. bibliography, 16-p. index,
rulers
Z2007: 63 pp.: 12-p. illustrated glossary, 16-p. checklist, 13-p.
bibliography, 19-p. index, ruler
The synoptic descriptions in all three floras of Costa Rica are
comparable (see above), with Zuchowski’s the most expansive. The
three floras all have excellent color photography, with Zuchowski’s
large photos appealing most, and with Condit & al. having the edge
in layout. Gargiullo & al. have the most detailed introduction (see
above).
Condit & al. will appeal the most to aficionados of arborescence as well as to taxonomists and other family-oriented persons.
Theirs is the only book of the trio with distribution maps for species
and with stated overlap in coverage with Panama; 72.4% of the
tree flora is common—“1680 of the 2321” “tree species native to
Panama” “are known in Costa Rica” (p. 23). Gargiullo & al. present a conventional field-guide approach using habit type and color.
Zuchowski’s organization is unusual (see quote above), but it works.
In summary, all three works are valuable efforts well worth
having on the library or personal bookshelf. I would have been
happy to have had any one of these fine field guides available during my sojourns in Costa Rica in the 1960s and 1970s; to have all
three available at once is sheer ecstasy.
Notices
TAXONOMIC, HORTICULTURAL, AND ECOLOGICAL GROUPS,
INCLUDING PLANT-ALGAL-FUNGAL STRUCTURE
Almeda, Frank & Robinson, Orbélia R. 6 June 2011. Systematics and phylogeny of Siphanthera (Melastomataceae). American
Society of Plant Taxonomists, Ann Arbor (www.aspt.net) (series:
Systematic botany monographs, vol. 93). [ii], 101 pp., [1] p. pls.
(col.), text ill. (B&W), ISSN 07378211, ISBN 9780912861937 PB,
$15.00 U.S., $23.00 foreign, postpaid. — With intro, summary info
(tax. hist.; methods; morph.; cytol., speciation; distr., habitats; nat.
hybrid.; tr., gen. affs.; phylogenetic relations, biogeogr.), tax. pt.,
biblio., appendices, indices. On 15 spp. S. Amer., Brazilian Planalto,
Guyana Highlands, contiguous areas.
Bates, Scott T.; Bungartz, Frank; Lücking, Robert; Herrera-Campos, Maria A. (de los Angeles) & Zambrano, Angel
(ed.). May 2011. Biomonitoring, ecology and systematics of lichens:
Recognizing the lichenological legacy of Thomas H. Nash III on
his 65th birthday. J. Cramer in der Gebrüder Borntraeger Verlagsbuchhandlung, Berlin (www.borntraeger-cramer.de) (series: Bibliotheca lichenologica, vol. 106). xvi, 442 pp., ill. (some col.), ISSN
14361698, ISBN 9783443580858 PB, €109.00. — Festschrift for
Nash (b. 13 Nov. 1945), w/ tribute by S.T. Bates & F. Bungartz, 33
papers, biblio. Nash, 16 col. pls.; no index. With 102 B&W figs.,
16 col. pls., 33 tables. The alpha. arr. of the 33 papers by author is
most informative. Info from back cover: w/ 38 new taxa (35 spp.,
1236
TAXON 60 (4) • August 2011: 1231–1238
2 gen., 1 fam.) descr., incl. 8 honorific; tax. treatments worldwide,
incl. coastal Chile (Niebla, Sclerophyton), Îles Kerguelen (Aspiciliopsis, Placopsis), Sonoran Desert (Roccella), s. hemisphere (Buellia
subalbula-group), Thailand (Malmidea), W. Indies (Phyllopsora);
7 studies w/ mobio analyses; 8 w/ tax. keys.
Fontaneto, Diego (ed.). May 2011. Biogeography of microscopic organisms: Is everything small everywhere? Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (www.cambridge.org) (series: The Systematics Association special volume series 79). x, 365 pp., ill. (B&W,
1 col.), ISBN 9780521766708 HB, US$99.00, ISBN 9781139065429
e-book, US$79.00. — With 17 chaps. in 5 topic areas (theoretical
framework; prokayotes; unicellular eukaryotes; multicellular idem;
processes), index. From website: “This book synthesises discussion
surrounding the so-called ‘everything is everywhere’ hypothesis.
It addresses the processes that generate spatial patterns of diversity
and biogeography in organisms that can potentially be cosmopolitan. The contributors discuss questions such as: are microorganisms
(e.g. prokaryotes, protists, algae, yeast and microscopic fungi, plants
and animals) really cosmopolitan in their distribution? What are
the biological properties that allow such potential distribution? Are
there processes that would limit their distribution? Are microorganisms intrinsically different from macroscopic ones? What can
microorganisms tell us about the generalities of biogeography? Can
they be used for experimental biogeography?”
Govaerts, Rafaël; Sobral, Marcos; Ashton, Peter; Barrie, Fred; Holst, Bruce K.; Landrum, Leslie L.; Matsumoto,
Kazue; Fernanda Mazine, Fiorella; Lughadha, Eimear Nic;
Proença, Carolyn; Soares-Silva, Lucia Helena; Wilson, Peter
G. & Lucas, Eve. Sep. 2008. World checklist of Myrtaceae. Kew
Publishing, Kew (www.kewbooks.com). xv, 455 pp., unill., ISBN
9781842463918 PB, £86.00. — With intro, rev. process, user guide,
list abbrs., 1-p. biblio., 447-p. checklist, 7-p. list unplaced names.
On 9th largest fam.: 2 subfam., 17 tr., 132 gen., 5671 spp. On all
validly publ. names in fam., w/ sources publ., notation which names
curr. accepted or syn. A continually updated, searchable checklist
is avail. online at http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/myrtaceae.
Kociolek, J.P. (John Patrick); Theriot, E.C. (Edward Claiborne) & Stevenson, R.J. (Jan) (ed.). Feb. 2009. Diatom taxonomy,
ultrastructure and ecology: Modern methods and timeless questions: A tribute to Eugene F. Stoermer. J. Cramer in der Gebrüder
Borntraeger Verlagsbuchhandlung, Berlin (www.borntraeger
-cramer.de) (series: Nova Hedwigia Beiheft 135). xv, 323 pp., ill.,
ISSN 00782238, ISBN 9783443510572 PB, €139.00. — Festschrift
for EFS (1934–), w/ tribute by N. Andresen, 16 papers; no index,
With 369 figs., 47 pls., 28 tables.
McCosh, David J. & Rich, Tim C.G. 2011. Atlas of British
and Irish hawkweeds (Pilosella L. and Hieracium L.). Botanical
Society of the British Isles, London, in assoc. w/ National Museum
of Wales, Cardiff. [iii], i, 496 pp., errata slip, ill., 211 × 150 mm,
ISBN 9780901158444 PB, £17.50 (from www.summerfieldbooks.
com). — With 5-p. intro, 432-p. atlas, list spp. by vice-cos., vice-co.
map, list, re. BSBI, 4-p. biblio., index. On 7 spp., 2 hybrids P, 412
spp. H s.s. For D.J. Tennant & Rich’s large-format British alpine
hawkweeds (2008) see Taxon 57: 1388.
Mehltreter, Klaus; Walker, Lawrence R. & Sharpe, Joanne
M. (ed.). July 2010. Fern ecology. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge (www.cambridge.org). xvi, 444 pp., 8 pls. (col.) in
TAXON 60 (4) • August 2011: 1231–1238
12 pp., text ill. (B&W), ISBN 9780521899406 HB, US$125.00,
ISBN 9780521728201 PB, US$58.99, ISBN 9780511686726 e-book,
US$47.00. — With 10 chaps. (JMS & al. on ecol. importance; M.
Kessler on biogeogr.; JMS & KM on ecol. insights from fern pop.
dynamics; S.J. Richardson & LRW on nutrient ecol.; P. Hietz on
adaptations to xeric environments; LRW & JMS on disturbance,
succession; KM on interactions w/ fungi, animals; R.C. Robinson
& al. on impact, management problem ferns; KM on conserv.; LRW
& al. on curr., future directions in fern ecol.), appendices (class.;
alpha. list by A.R. Smith; geol. timescale), 22-p. glossary, 16-p.
index. Proper title is “Pteridophyte ecology” cause lycopods incl.
Nobel, Park S. Dec. 2010. Desert wisdom/agaves and cacti:
CO², water, climate change. iUniverse, New York (www.iuni
verse.com). 182 pp., ill., ISBN9781440191510 PB, $16.95, ISBN
9781440191527 e-book, $6.00. — With 7 chaps. (current uses; advantages CAM; tolerances special drought, temperatures; issues global
climate change; CO² uptake; biomass productivity; future use), glossary, biblio., index. For rev. see D.J. Longstreth, Madroño 57: 73.
Roberts, Peter & Evans, Shelley. Apr. 2011. The book of
fungi: A life-size guide to six hundred species from around the
world. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago (www.press
.uchicago.edu). 655, [1] pp., ill. (most col.), B&W ep. design,
277 × 189 mm, ISBN 9780226721170 HB, $55.00. — With pref.
(“foreword”), intro, intro. sect. (incl. 4-p. ill. key to fungal types),
614-p. tax. pt., appendices (glossary; biblio.; class.; indices). On
600 spp., well ill., w/ info on distr. (incl. maps), habitat, assoc.,
abundance, growth form, spore col., edibility. Spectacular.
FLORISTICS, BIOGEOGRAPHY, AND SYNECOLOGY
Multivolume floras and other works issued serially are listed
separately below. Under “Reviews” see: Braune & Guiry, Graham,
Knapp; titled review “Floras.” See also next topic area, “Biodiversity …”
Hofmann, Gabriele; Werum, Marcus & Lange-Bertalot,
Horst. Feb. 2011. Diatomeen im Süßwasser-Benthos von Mitteleuropa: Bestimmungsflora Kieselalgen für die ökologische Praxais.
Über 700 der häufigsten Arten und ihre Ökologie. Ed. by Horst
Lange-Bertalot. A.R.G. Gantner Verlag K.G., Ruggell. 908 pp.,
ill., ISBN 9783906166926 HB, €129.00 (from www.koeltz.com).
— With intro, use of book, ID chars., 11-p. glossary, key to gen.,
tax. pt., occur. taxa vs. Ger. water types, biblio., pls., index. On 700
spp., w/ 3522 figs. in 133 pls.
Roux, Jacobus Petrus. 2009. Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta
and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands.
South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Pretoria
(www.sanbi.org) (series: Strelitzia 23). xiv, 969 pp., ill. (most col.),
B&W ep. map, list abbrs., 303 × 218 mm, ISBN 9781919976488 HB,
price unknown. — With list 57 new nomen. items, 8-p. col. sect.,
intro, format of book, synop., biblio., index. On 3 fam., 5 gen., 173
taxa Lycopodio-, 33 fam., 130 gen., 1268 taxa Pteridophyta (incl.
Equisetum, Psilotum).
Sawyer, John O.; Keeler-Wolf, Todd & Evens, Julie M. June
2009. A manual of California vegetation. 2nd ed. California Native
Plant Society, Sacramento (www.cnps.org), in collab. w/ California
Department of Fish and Game (www.dfg.ca.gov). xi, 1300 pp., ill.
(some col.), col. ep. map, 279×216 mm, ISBN 9780943460499 HB,
Schmid • Reviews and notices
$82.00. [Ed. 1 1995 by JOS & TK-W, (vii), 471 pp., 32 pp. pls. (col.);
for rev. see R. Schmid, Taxon 45: 402–403.] — With overview
(intro; what is veg.?; hist. veg. class. in Calif.; veg. class. vs. veg.;
CNPS’s approach to class.; conserv., management; changes since
ed. 1 (vernal pools; semi-nat. stands; ann. grassland veg.; maritime
chaparral, assoc. habitats; montane mixed conifer types; fens; veg.
Mojave, Sonoran Deserts; sp. life-hist. traits, fire regime info; how
to read alliance, other descrs.), keys, descrs. for Calif. veg. (forests,
woodlands; shrublands; herb. veg.), 122-p. biblio., appendices (sp.
life hist., bot. chars.; terms, defs. alliance fire regime chars.; natl.
veg. hierarchy; veg. types recognized by others; reclassified veg.
types; glossary), 4 indices. With 485+ descrs., 352 veg. maps. Ed. 1
avail. online; ed. 2 will be online by end 2010.
Wallace, David Rains. May 2011. Chuckwalla desert: The
riddle of California’s deserts. University of California Press, Berkeley (www.ucpress.edu). xxii, 255 pp., unill., ISBN 9780520256163
HB, $27.50. — With prolog, 31 chaps. w/ fancy titles, epilog, notes,
biblio., index.
Multivolume Floras and other works issued serially
Tura, Daniel; Zmitrovich, Ivan V.; Wasser, Solomon P.; Spirin, Wjacheslav A. & Nevo, Eviatar. May 2011. Biodiversity of the
heterobasidiomycetes and non-gilled hymenomycetes (former Aphyllophorales) of Israel. Ed. by Solomon P. Wasser. A.R.A. [sic] Gantner
Verlag K.-G., Ruggell (series: Biodiversity of cyanoprocaryotes, algae and fungi of Israel, unnum.). 566 pp., ill., ISBN 9783906166995
HB. €93.00 (from www.koeltz.com). — With intro, 6 chaps. (environ.
Israel; methods; morph.; ecol.; fungi Israel; tax. pt.), conclusions,
biblio., new taxa, index. On 4 classes, 12 orders, 42 fam., 118 gen.,
238 spp., incl. 1 order, 4 fam., 20 gen., 61 spp. new Israeli records.
For previous pts. of series, begun 2000, see Taxon 58: 1385.
Witkowski, Andrzej (ed.). 2002–. Diatom monographs.
A.R.G. Gantner Verlag K.G., Ruggell (no series ISBN) (from www
.koeltz.com): Żelazna-Wieczorek, Joanna. Feb. 2011. Vol. 13. Diatom flora in springs of Łódź Hills (central Poland): Biodiversity,
taxonomy, ad temporal changes of epipsammic diatom assemblages
in springs affected by human impact. 419 pp., ill., 252 × 179 mm,
ISBN 9783906166933 HB, €139.00. — With abstr., intro, study
area, hydrochem. background, methods, results, discussion, conclusions, biblio., appendix 124 pls.; no index. On 456 taxa, 313 new or
threatened. For previous pts. of series, begun 2002, see Taxon 59:
1958, and for rev. see P.C. Silva, Taxon 52: 886–887.
BIODIVERSITY, CONSERVATION, THE ENVIRONMENT, WEEDS,
INVASIVE ALIENS, AND AUTECOLOGY
See also previous topic area, “Floristics …”
Buckley, Geoffrey L. 2010. America’s conservation impulse:
A century of saving trees in the Old Line State. Center for American
Places at Columbia College Chicago, Chicago (series: Center books
in natural history, unnum.) (www.americanplaces.org). xviii, 267,
[1] pp., ill., ISBN 9781935195030 HB, $39.50 (from www.upress.
virginia.edu). — With intro, 6 chaps., epilog, 2 appendices, notes,
index, bionote. I just learned that Maryland is the Old Line State.
Falck, Zachary J.S. Mar. 2010. Weeds: An environmental
history of metropolitan America. University of Pittsburgh Press,
1237
Schmid • Reviews and notices
Pittsburgh (www.upress.pitt.edu) (series: History of the urban environment, unnum.). xiv, 256 pp., ill., ISBN 9780822944058 HB,
$40.00. — With intro, 4 chaps. (urban growth, ecol. time; human
weeds in industrializing Amer.; creating ragweed frontiers; weed
capitals of the world), conclusion, notes, index.
Hamilton, Garry. Sep. 2010. Super species: The creatures
that will dominate the planet. Firefly Books, Buffalo (www.firefly
books.com). 271 pp., ill. (col.), ISBN 9781554076307 HB, $35.00. —
With intro, 20 chaps. in 4 topic areas, conclusion, biblio., index. On
16 animals, plus chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis,
alga Caulerpa taxifolia, kudzu Pueraria montana, water hyacinth
Eichhornia crassipes.
Pearson, Richard (G.). Mar. 2011. Driven to extinction: The
impact of climate change on biodiversity. Sterling, New York
(www.sterlingpublishing.com). 263, [1] pp., ill. (most col.), ISBN
9781402772238 HB, $22.95. — With 10 chaps., biblios., conversions, index, bionote. From dust-jacket blurb: “Key to Pearson’s
approach is that he shows how interconnected different species of
plants and animals are, how subtle yet essential these connections
can be, and how severing one link in the complex chain of mutual
cooperation and dependency can lead to the widespread breakdown
of a once-thriving community and, ultimately, to extinction. [But]
climate change can [also] offer some species new opportunities even
as it narrows the prospects for others.”
Richardson, David M. (ed.). 2011. Fifty years of invasion ecology: The legacy of Charles Elton. Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester (www
.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell). xix, 432 pp., [4] pp. pls. (col.), text ill.
(B&W), 254 × 197 mm, ISBN 9781444335859 HB, US$180.00, ISBN
9781444335866 PB, US$79.95. — With intro, 30 chaps. in 7 topic
areas [hist. perspectives; evol., curr. dimensions of invasion ecol. (IE);
new takes on I patterns; essentials IE; poster-child invaders, then,
now; new directions, new technols., new challenges; conclusions],
indices. From website: “Book … examine[s] the origins, foundations,
current dimensions and potential trajectories of invasion ecology. It
revisits key tenets of the foundations of invasion ecology, including
contributions of pioneering naturalists of the 19th century, including
Charles Darwin and British ecologist Charles Elton [1900–1991],
whose 1958 monograph on invasive species is widely acknowledged
as having focused scientific attention on biological invasions.”
OTHER TOPICS
Under “Reviews” see: Cappers & al.; Stewart.
Arthur, Wallace. 2011. Evolution: A developmental approach.
Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester (www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell). xii,
404 pp., ill. (most col.), ISBN 9781444337204 HB, £110.00, ISBN
9781405186582 PB, £40.00. — With 20 chaps. in 4 topic areas (foundations; develop. repatterning; direction evol.; conclusions), glossary,
biblio., index. From back cover: “[Book’s] approach and its structure
are very different from previously-published evolution texts. The core
theme in this book is how evolution works by changing the course of
embryonic and post-embryonic development.” Heavily zool. Companion website: www.wiley.com/go/arthur/evolution.
Bamforth, Charles W. Sep. 2010. Beer is proof God loves us:
Reaching for the soul of beer and brewing. FT Press, Upper Saddle
River (www.ftpress.com). xviii, 237 pp., ill., ISBN 9780137065073
HB, $25.99. — With intro, 10 chaps., conclusion, endnotes,
1238
TAXON 60 (4) • August 2011: 1231–1238
appendices (basics malting, brewing; types of beer), bionote, index.
A delightful read on the cult., hist. of brewing.
Hawksworth, David L. (Leslie). May 2010. Terms used in
bionomenclature: The naming of organisms (and plant communities), including terms used in botanical, cultivated plant, phylogenetic, phytosociological, prokaryote (bacteriological), virus, and
zoological nomenclature. Global Biodiversity Information Facility,
Copenhagen (www.gbif.org). 215 pp., unill., ISBN 9788792020097
PB, gratis (also gratis 3MB pdf avail. from website). — With abstr.,
intro, scope of work, the codes, biblios., abbrs., dict. From abstr.:
This is a glossary of over 2,100 terms used in biological
nomenclature—the naming of whole organisms of all kinds. It
covers terms in use in the current editions of the different internationally mandated and proposed organismal Codes; i.e. those
for botany (including mycology), cultivated plants, prokaryotes
(archaea and bacteria), virology, and zoology, as well as the
Draft BioCode and PhyloCode. Any abbreviations, latinizations [sic] and synonyms are incorporated, as are terms which
are either no longer employed, are used outside the formal
nomenclatural Codes, or are otherwise likely to be encountered. As some of the terms used in the classification of plant
communities are identical to those of whole organisms, terms
used in phytosociological nomenclature are also included. The
glossary has been prepared with inputs from numerous nomenclatural specialists, especially representatives of the different
Codes serving on the IUBS/IUMS International Committee
on Bionomenclature. It is intended for use as a reference work
by all biologists, especially those involved with the description
or re-classification of organisms, as well as those investigating the status and application of previously proposed names.
A valuable addition to the elbow bookshelf.
Murphy, Royse P. & Kass, Lee B. 27 June 2011. Evolution of
plant breeding at Cornell University: A centennial history, 1907–
2006. Rev. ed. The Internet-First University Press, Ithaca (http://
hdl.handle.net/1813/23087). [ii], x, 178, [1] pp., ill., no ISBN, e-book,
gratis PDF download (print copies, ca. $10.00, via digital@cornell.
edu). [Ed. 1 2007 by RPM, book, x, 98, A54, P40 pp.] — With
foreword by M.E. Sorrells, 6 chaps. (Cornell U.; N.Y. State College
of Agr.; Dept. of Plant Breeding; 8 “interesting … personalities,”
1914–32; H.H. Love era, 1942–49; last 60 yrs., 1949–2006), endnotes, biblio., 20 appendices, 38-p. photo sect. From foreword by
M.E. Sorrells, p. vii: “The Cornell Department of Plant Breeding &
Genetics and student/faculty club, Synapsis, have a rich history dating from 1907 when Dean Liberty Hyde Bailey employed Herbert
J. Webber to head the Department of Plant Breeding. In 1914, Rollins A. Emerson succeeded Webber who had expanded the department activities to include research and teaching of plant breeding,
genetics, and biometry. The period from 1920–1940, sometimes
referred to as the Golden Era of Genetics, was remarkable for the
large number of students who went on to become great scientists
and leaders in plant breeding. Two students from that era, George
W. Beadle and Barbara McClintock were named Nobel Laureates.”
View from the canopy: A newsletter of the Organization for
Tropical Studies 2011(2): 1–8, ill. (col.), 2011 (www.ots.duke.edu).
— Mostly a memorial issue for Donald Eugene Stone (1930–4 Mar.
2011), a 1965 course alumnus of OTS (founded 1963), whose intense
faculty involvement with OTS began in 1968.