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BEN # 165
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No. 165 May 13, 1997
aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca Victoria, B.C.
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Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
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HAROLD A. SENN (1912-1997)
From: FNA Newsletter 11(1): 5. [abbrev.]
Harold A. Senn died on 22 January 1997 in Victoria, B.C. He was
born on 12 January 1912 in Caledonia, Ontario. He received his
Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts from McMaster University
on Hamilton, Ontario, and went to the University of Virginia to
complete his Doctorate of Philosophy in Pant Genetics in 1937.
After postdoctoral work at Harvard University's Arnold Her-
barium, he joined the Canadian Department of Agriculture in
Ottawa as a botanist. From 1960-1978, he was Director of the
Biotron at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He and his
wife retired to Victoria, where he pursued his lifelong love of
gardening, developing a special interest in rhododendrons from
around the world. Dr. Senn was a fellow of the Royal Society of
Canada and a life member of the Agriculture Institute of Canada.
NEW SPECIES OF VASCULAR PLANTS FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Reveal, J.L., F. Caplow, & K. Beck. 1997. Eriogonum codium
(Polygonaceae: Eriogonoideae), a new species from south-
central Washington. Rhodora 97(1995 [sic!] No. 892): 350-356.
Eriogonum codium, a low, matted, cespitose perennial with tomen-
tose flowers and achenes found on the Hanford Nuclear Reserva-
tion, Benton Co. Washington, U.S.A., is described as a new
species. It belongs to the same group of matted perennials in
the subgenus Eucycla as E. chrysops but has a cymose-umbellate
inflorescence similar to E. cusickii. The tomentose flowers and
achenes readily distinguish the new species from all of its near
relatives. Eriogonum codium is highly restricted in its dis-
tribution. Approximately 5000 plants grow interruptedly in a
narrow band 2.5 km long and less than 30 m wide. The Hansford
Site is currently managed by the U.S. Department of Energy. Any
change of ownership or management of this area could potentially
threaten the viability of this highly restricted species.
Barkworth, M.E., R.L. Burkhamer, & L.E. Talbert. 1997. Elymus
calderi: a new species of the Triticeae (Poaceae). Systematic
Botany 21(3): 349-354.
The authors examined the type specimen of Agropyron yukonense
and concluded that the holotype probably represents "one of the
many sterile hybrids that occur in Triticeae." None of the other
60-70 specimens identified as A. yukonense (or one of its
synonyms) matched the holotype or the original description. This
suggests that the non-holotype plants represent a new species.
Morphological, cytogenetic, and molecular results support inclu-
sion of the new species in Elymus. The name Elymus calderi
Barkworth is proposed in honor of J. A. Calder, a taxonomist who
worked extensively in western Canada. Elymus calderi grows in
the Yukon Territory, eastern Alaska, and northern British Colum-
bia, on benches and in sandy alkaline soils, often forming large
stands.
NEW ETHNOBOTANICAL PUBLICATION - GITKSAN NATION
Compton, Brian D., Bruce Rigsby and Marie-Lucie Tarpent, eds.
1997. Gitksan Ethnobotany by Harlan I. Smith (1925-1927).
Mercury Series Paper 132, Canadian Ethnology Service.
Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, Quebec. 210 p. $27.95
ISBN 0-660-15968-6 [hardcover] Cost CND$27.95
This document represents an edited version of a manuscript from
the Canadian Museum of Civilization prepared between 1925 and
1927 by Harland I. Smith on Gitksan ethnobotany. It contains
information on 112 botanical species with traditional cultural
roles among the Gitksan [northwestern British Columbia].
The publication is available from the Canadian Museum of
Civilization (tel.: 1-800-555-5621, e-mail:
publications@cmcc.muse.digital.ca).
THE LAST VOLUME OF THE MICHIGAN FLORA HAS BEEN PUBLISHED
From: "Thomas G. Lammers" <lammers@FMPPR.FMNH.ORG> originally
on TAXACOM <TAXACOM@CMSA.BERKELEY.EDU>
The third and last volume of "Michigan Flora," by Edward G.
Voss, was published in late December 1996. Like the first two
volumes, this beautiful hardback book was subsidized by the
Hanes Fund, so it is an incredible bargain. All three parts of
the Flora can be ordered by sending a check in U.S. dollars,
payable to "University of Michigan Herbarium," to: University of
Michigan Herbarium, North University Building, Ann Arbor, MI
48109-1057. The prices quoted below include packing and postage.
Sorry, but credit card orders cannot be accepted.
Part I, Gymnosperms and Monocots, $14.00 to US addresses, $16.00
to foreign addresses.
Part II, Dicots (Saururaceae-Cornaceae), $14.50 to US addresses,
16.50 to foreign addresses.
Part III, Dicots Concluded, $16.50 to US addresses, $18.50 to
foreign addresses.
For more information, call Linda Williams in the UM Herbarium
(313 764-2407, lwilliam@umich.edu) or see the Herbarium's Web
site:
http://www.herb.lsa.umich.edu/umherb.htm
MESSY DESKS - RE: APRIL 1ST ISSUE(S) OF BEN
Once upon a time the British scientific weekly New Scientist
used to publish an April Fools' issue called Old Scientist. As
much as I like New Scientist, the Old Scientist was the issue I
was always looking for.
Their tradition was discontinued some time ago, but as you might
have noticed, it still survives in BEN. With a very few excep-
tions, April Fools' postings on BEN are real articles. Only the
story of frozen Jara da Cimrman (BEN # CXXXII) was a hoax. Jara
da Cimrman is a ficticious Czech genius who was created by
Ladislav Smoljak and Zdenek Sverak. (Zdenek Sverak wrote a
script to the Oscar winning Czech film "Kolya," and played the
musician; his real son Jan Sverak directed the movie.) Jara da
Cimrman, a multifaceted genius, became an object of many studies
and Jan Rehacek's contribution posted on April 1996 BEN was a
good example of these.
The article that hit the screens of many BEN readers was indeed
taken from The Week in Germany - January 8, 1993. It is my
suspicion that in their article on messy desks the German
writers tried to repair the image of Germans all around the
world as being obsessively punctilious.
The "volcano" model brought an animated reaction from many BEN
readers: it is always good to know the name of the syndrome you
are afflicted with even if there is no cure for it. My co-worker
with whom I used to share an office for quite a few years went
even further in her organizational technique:
"There is quite a lot of truth in the article on messy
desks. However, where are the times when I still operated
within the 'volcano' model! In the present time I have
more something like 'lava flows' - everything is spread
evenly wherever you look. I am also often sharing the
experience of Mr. Vrba. My cottage is raided by robbers
several times each winter and thanks to my 'lava flow'
technique, the robbers have never been able to find the
valuable stuff that I keep there embeded in the lava."
BEN 164: ERRATUM - SYN-TAX WEB PAGE
From: Janos Podani <podani@ludens.elte.hu>
Please note that there was an error in the SYN-TAX web homepage
address. It should be:
http://ramet.elte.hu/~podani
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