XVIII INTERNATIONAL BOTANICAL CONGRESS | 23-30 JULY 2011 | MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA TUESDAY 26 JULY 2011

CONGRESSNEWS

The Acacia debate

Richard Richards Ken Cassman

Else Friis David Fischhoff Jeff Amthor Leonie C. Moyle

Daniel Oritz-Barrientos

Aplant name dispute that hasbubbled away for a decadehas finally been resolved at

the XVIII International BotanicalCongress in Melbourne.

The species concerned are theacacias, which until now hasincluded the Australian wattles andthe thorn trees of the Serengeti—both highly recognisable and iconicgroups of plants.

An important and controversial issuedecided by the Nomenclature Section toput to the XVIII International BotanicalCongress centred around the scientificuse of the name Acacia.

Acacia taxonomy has generated muchcontroversy in the scientific and wider

community over the past decade.Careful research has shown that Acaciashould be split into several genera, and adifficult decision was required as towhether the name Acacia should beused either for a very large group ofspecies found mainly in Australia or for asmaller group found mainly in Africa andCentral and South America.

Under the internationally accepted rulesgoverning the correct naming of plants,the International Code of BotanicalNomenclature, the name would normallyhave remained with the African-Americangroup, as this includes the speciesAcacia nilotica, which is thenomenclatural type species, the specieswhich fixes the application of the genusname. However, a special provision of

the Code allows for the name of the typespecies of a genus to be changed incases like this, where strict application ofthe rules would require a large number ofspecies to be renamed, and wouldcause confusion or significant difficultiesfor taxonomists or the wider community.

An application under this provision wasmade in 2003 by two Australianbotanists who sought to make anAustralian species the type species forAcacia. This was considered by therelevant botanical committees, whodecided in its favour. The InternationalBotanical Congress at Vienna in 2005ratified this decision.

The proposal was highly controversial,however. Acacia is an important genus in

both Africa and Australia: in Africa itincludes iconic and characteristicsavannah species such as many flat-topped thorn trees, while in Australia it isthe dominant genus over much of thecontinent and includes the Australian floralemblem (the Golden Wattle, Acaciapycnantha). The Vienna decision wascontested by a group of botanists involvedwith African and American acacias.

In essence, the controversy in recentyears focused on the procedure used inVienna to vote on the Australian proposal.Those opposed to the decision arguedthat the Vienna meeting used a flawedprocess, while those in favour of it arguedthat the process was valid and correct.

Continued next page

Dynamic launch to scientific program

CONGRESS NEWS TUESDAY 26 JULY 2011 XVIII INTERNATIONAL BOTANICAL CONGRESS | 23-30 JULY 2011 | MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA

Good news! We can skip the Latin nomenclature

IBC 2011 Poster BooksFull delegates only. Please collect your Poster Bookfrom the Registration Desk today

The Nomenclature Section met forfive days, 18–22 July 2011, todiscuss proposals to amend the

International Code of BotanicalNomenclature. The more significantchanges to the Code are outlined belowand will be put to Congress forratification on Saturday.

Electronic publication of newnames from 1 January 2012

The Nomenclature Section stronglysupported a series of proposalsprepared by the Special Committee onElectronic Publication set up by theVienna Congress in 2005. This meansthat it is no longer required for newnames of plants, fungi and algae (andtype designations) to be issued in printedmatter in order to be effectivelypublished – effective publication being afundamental requirement of the Code.As an alternative, publication online inPortable Document Format (PDF) in apublication with an InternationalStandard Serial Number (ISSN) orInternational Standard Book Number(ISBN) is permitted. These new rulescome into effect on 1 January 2012.

Rules were also approved to preventchanges to a particular electronicpublication once it is issued, to preventpreliminary versions being effectivelypublished, and to make clear the dateof publication. Also approved was aseries of recommendations on bestpractice, particularly with regard tolong-term archiving.

Latin descriptions no longerrequired

Since 1935 it has been required fornames of new plants and algae to bepublished with a Latin description or

diagnosis. For names of fungi, the samerule has applied since 1958, whereasnames of fossils can have either a Latinor an English description or diagnosissince 1996. These rules have now beenchanged so that all names governed bythe Code require either a Latin or anEnglish description or diagnosis on orafter 1 January 2012.

One fungus, one name

For over 30 years, the Code haspermitted separate names for theasexual and sexual forms (morphs) ofcertain fungi. This was an exception toone of the basic principles of the Code,whereby one taxon defined in aparticular way can have only one correctname. This anomalous rule (Article 59)has now been deleted from the Code, sothat different names applying to asexualand sexual morphs of the same funguscompete for priority in the same manneras other names (i.e. based on date ofpublication). An additional new set ofrules will allow lists of widely used namesto be protected en masse, so as tominimize disruption by applying the ruleof priority strictly.

One fossil, one name

The Code also had special rules fornames of fossils, whereby separatenames could be applied to morphotaxa,each of which represents a particular part,life-history stage, or preservational state,even if those separate names could bedemonstrated to belong to the sameorganism. The Nomenclature Sectiondecided to abandon the whole concept ofmorphotaxa, so that when two or moremorphotaxa can be shown to belong tothe same organism, their names competefor priority in the usual way.

Registration of fungal names viaMycoBank now required

Over the past several years, the onlinedatabase MycoBank(www.mycobank.org) has becomeincreasingly used by mycologists toregister new fungal names andassociated data, such as descriptionsand illustrations. Upon registration,Mycobank issues a unique number whichcan be cited in the publication where thename appears. This number is also usedby the nomenclatural database IndexFungorum and serves as a Life ScienceIdentifier (LSID). The MelbourneNomenclature Section approved a newrule in the Code whereby the publicationof a new fungal name must include acitation of “an identifier issued by arecognized repository”, at present theMycoBank number, in order to be validlypublished – valid publication beingnecessary for a name to have any statusunder the Code. This rule applies only tonames of fungi.

The name Acacia

See the separate article about theAcacia code changes (front page).

New title for the Code

Finally, the Code is no longer theInternational Code of BotanicalNomenclature. The NomenclatureSection recognized the need to reflectbetter the groups of organisms coveredby the Code, i.e., that algae andparticularly fungi are nowadays separatedfrom plants, and approved a new title:the International Code of Nomenclaturefor algae, fungi, and plants.

Key decisions of the Nomenclature Section of the XVIII IBCThe Melbourne Congress, in twoimportant votes on the first day ofthe Nomenclature Section,supported the procedure used inVienna by a large majority. Supportfor this decision was widespreadand not confined to Australiandelegates. This vote effectivelyconfirmed that the type species ofAcacia is now an Australian species.

Later in the Nomenclature Sectionmeeting, proposals were consideredto amend the rules under whichplants are named, to allow a“compromise solution” to the Acaciaproblem. One proposal would haveallowed botanists to continue to usethe name Acacia for all the segregategenera; a second proposal wouldhave created new names –Austroacacia and Protoacacia – forthe Australian and African-Americangroups respectively.

Delegates at the Section voted,again by large majorities, to rejectthese compromise proposals. Whilemany expressed an understandingof the difficulties caused by therenaming of the African-Americanacacias, many argued that thecompromise proposalsunacceptably compromised therules of nomenclature and createda dangerous precedent.

In summary, the decisions taken inMelbourne confirm that theAustralian acacias retain the name,while a new name is needed for theAfrican and American species.Several options for achieving a goodresult in Africa and the Americas areavailable, and will be discussed andconsidered in the months ahead.

Continued from previous page

XVIII INTERNATIONAL BOTANICAL CONGRESS | 23-30 JULY 2011 | MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA CONGRESS NEWS TUESDAY 26 JULY 2011

Join the Congressconversation onlineThere’s already a lively

conversation on twitter about

the Congress and the

nomenclature discussions.

You can join the conversation

online by following @IBC11,

@IBC11media. When you tweet

please include the hash tag

#ibc18 in your tweet.

If you’re not a tweeter, you can

still follow the twitter

conversation at www.twitter.com

by searching for #ibc18

Plenary Speakers Tuesday 26 July 2011

Dr Gerard Oostermeijer0830 - 0915 Plenary Lecture

Plenary Hall 2

Integrating genetic and ecological data in plantconservation

Gerard Oostermeijer did his PhD in plant population biology at theUniversity of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. His main research

focus is on demographic, genetic and reproductive aspects of population viability ofthreatened plants and on implementing science into practical conservation andrestoration management.

Professor Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz0915 - 1000 Plenary Lecture

Plenary Hall 2

Plant modelling

Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz is a Professor of Computer Science atthe University of Calgary, Canada. He is a pioneer ofcomputational modeling and the visualisation of plant

development, and co-author of the book, The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants, thatopened this area to a wide audience. His current research is focused oncomputational models of development that link molecular-level processes to themacroscopic form of plants. For further information see http://algorithmicbotany.org

Plenary Speakers Wednesday 27 July 2011

Professor Tetsuya Higashiyama0830 - 0915 Plenary Lecture

Plenary Hall 2

Live cell analysis of plant fertilisation

1999 Doctor of Science, University of Tokyo/ 1999~2006Research Associate, University of Tokyo/ 2007~ Professor, NagoyaUniversity; vice president of International Association of Sexual

Plant Reproduction Research. ERATO Higashiyama Live-Holonics Project launched asa major Japanese government scientific research initiative for the next five years.

Professor Alexander (Zander) Myburg0915 - 1000 Plenary Lecture

Plenary Hall 2

The Eucalyptus grandis genome sequence

Zander Myburg is an Associate Professor in the Department ofGenetics at the University of Pretoria. His research program in theForestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) focuses on

the genomics and molecular genetics of wood formation in Eucalyptus trees. Inparticular, his research has focused on the transcriptional regulation of cellulosebiosynthesis in eucalypts. He is the coordinator of the international EucalyptusGenome Network (EUCAGEN) and the lead investigator of the US Department ofEnergy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI) project to sequence the genome of theplantation species, Eucalyptus grandis.

Botanists in profileFood security: how can we feed agrowing world population, protectthe environment and cope with achanging climate?

Chris Somerville, Philomathia Professorof Alternative Energy and Director of theEnergy Biosciences Institute, UCBerkeley, USA, will speak on renewableenergy and his studies of cellulose—themajor structural element of plant wallsand the most abundant component ofterrestrial biomass. Cellulose is majorcomponent of many commodities, suchas timber, paper, textiles and animalfodder, and research into cellulosesynthesis will contribute to the future ofbiofuels as a source of renewable energy.The Energy Biosciences Institute isbeginning a collaboration with the ARCCentre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls,based in Adelaide and Melbourne, whichresearches plant cell walls as arenewable source of fuel, to improvehuman health and as superior rawmaterials for industry.

Australia and South Africa battlefor Acacia

Sandra Knapp, The Natural HistoryMuseum, London, will talk about the hotdebate on the future of the wattle as thegenus Acacia may be split into a numberof separate genera. Australia is claimingthe name Acacia for our 1000 or sospecies of wattles, even though the 160or so species in a separate subgrouphave scientific priority— a South Africanspecies was described as the ‘type

specimen’, which defines the genus.Can Australia hang on to the namethrough sheer weight of numbers or willSouth Africa regain Acacia and theirnational pride?

Biodiversity: describing andconserving plant life

W. John Kress will talk on DNAbarcoding in plants—a new way ofrapidly assessing genetic similarities anddifferences between specimens. This willhelp identify new species and studybiodiversity in ecological systems. Johncan also talk about the new iPhone app,‘Leafsnap’ which can identify trees froma photograph of a leaf. Leafsnap hasbeen developed by researchers fromColumbia University, the University ofMaryland, and the SmithsonianInstitution, and currently covers treespecies in north east USA. W. JohnKress is Director, Consortium forUnderstanding and Sustaining aBiodiverse Planet and Research Scientistand Curator of Botany, National Museumof Natural History, Smithsonian InstitutionWashington, DC.

Hugh Possingham, Director of the ARCCentre of Excellence for EnvironmentalDecisions, University of Queensland, willtalk about strategies to reduce speciesloss resulting from climate change orother human threats. In some cases wemay choose to relocate a species to alocation outside its current range in orderto conserve the species. Hugh willdiscuss how to weigh up the benefits

and risks of such a managementstrategy and how to prioritise suchmoves.

Stephen Hopper, the first Australian tohead up the Royal Botanic Gardens,Kew in London, will talk about the plantconservation efforts of Kew Gardens,including their forward-looking BreathingPlanet Programme—a 10-year actionplan to rescue, revive and restore theplants and fungi that directly or indirectlysustain us all. At the conference Stephenwill talk about the Plant List— a newglobal botanical database of plantspecies produced by Kew Gardens andMissouri Botanical Garden, St Louis.Food security, deforestation,overpopulation and climate change—plants are a key to solving all theseproblems.

Australian species

David Watson, Charles Sturt Uni, hasthis year published the first book onAustralian mistletoes: Mistletoes ofSouthern Australia (CSIRO Publishing).He will talk on mistletoes, parasitic plantsthat obtain their water and nutrients fromtheir host, and the birds that help todisperse them by eating the mistletoefruit and releasing the seeds in theirdroppings. He’s found that mistletoefruit-eating specialists, who have co-evolved with the mistletoe species, tendto travel among trees that already havemistletoes in them, and that other,generalist species are more important indispersing mistletoe to new sites.

Community involvement inconservation

Jill Sutcliffe, Manhood Wildlife andHeritage Group, West Sussex, UK, willtalk about local community involvementin environmental protection, which is anaspiration of the 1992 Convention onBiological Diversity. The communitygroup, through which some 200volunteers have contributed over 11,000hours to conservation, was recentlyawarded the Queen’s Commendation forVoluntary work.

CONGRESS NEWS TUESDAY 26 JULY 2011 XVIII INTERNATIONAL BOTANICAL CONGRESS | 23-30 JULY 2011 | MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA

Healthy crop of Themes at IBC 2011Ecology, Environmental Change& Conservation

From competitors to pests to pathogens,plants have never had it easy. And asrising carbon dioxide levels and changingclimate begin to bite, for many specieslife will only get tougher. Understandingthe growing range of threats that plantsface, and the species most likely toadapt to them, are some of the keycomponents of theme 1 of IBC2011.

Climate change aside, people continueto harm plant biodiversity directly, fromconversion of natural habitats to theunsustainable exploitation of naturalresources. Next year marks a decadesince Global Strategy for PlantConservation (GSPC) was adopted atthe 2002 Convention on BiologicalDiversity in a bid to halt biodiversitydecline. Good progress continues to bemade in implementing the strategy, yetthe work required to safeguard theworld’s plant diversity has barely begun,and the coming decade will be crucial.

As a last resort, threatened speciesreintroduction has been used as anextinction prevention strategy for plantspecies for at least 100 years. However,most reintroduction attempts still fail.Data from reintroduction experimentscan offer case studies to updatestandards and methodologies to improvethe success rate.

Economic Botany, includingBiotechnology, Agriculture &Plant Breeding

Nature has done it numerous times, sohow hard can it be? One of the grandchallenges identified within plant biologyis to boost agricultural output byengineering C4 photosynthesis into cropplants. By concentrating CO2 in theirleaves, C4 plants can photosynthesisemore efficiently, and it’s a trick nowknown to have evolved on over 50separate occasions in wild plants –suggesting that the grand challenge isan achievable one. The International RiceResearch Institute (IRRI) hasspearheaded an international effort toengineer C4 photosynthesis into rice,and their results to date will behighlighted under IBC2011 Theme 2.

C4 photosynthesis is just one of theways in which crop plants are beingengineered for the future. Globalpopulation growth of 100 million peopleper year will mean that, by 2050, theproductivity of the world’s arable land willhave to double to feed them all. Thistarget cannot be achieved byconventional breeding methods alone.Recent advances on designing cropplants to meet the future challenges willbe discussed, alongside numerous othersubjects related to economicallyimportant plants.

Genetics, genomics andbioinformatics

It’s an Australian icon, and its geneticsequence has just been unveiled. Lastyear, Eucalyptus grandis became the firstAustralian plant, and only the secondever tree, to have its genomesequenced. Some of the details of theEucalyptus genome will be discussed atthis symposium, from its evolutionaryrelationships to its defence capabilities.

The number of plants joining Eucalyptuson the “sequenced” list is continuing toaccelerate, thanks in large part tomassively parallel DNA sequencingtechniques, which can produce over abillion base pairs of data per day. Thescientists who are applying thisrevolutionary technology to a diversity ofplant genomes will present their work aspart of Theme 3.

But it’s not just the genetic code that willbe discussed. Epigenetics – heritableinformation stored not within the genomesequence but as molecular annotationsto DNA strands – is now an establishedtheory, and laboratory-basedmechanistic understanding ofepigenetics in model organisms isexpanding rapidly. An array of scientistswill discuss the theoretical evolutionaryimplications of epigenetics, usingempirical data to illustrate theirarguments.

Physiology and Biochemistry

Until recently, most biologists saw watertransport in plants as a topic for thetextbooks. Research over the last 15years has thoroughly upended this view,turning plant hydraulics back into avibrant field of research. The emergingdetails of the way plants transport water– for example, the delicate interactionbetween living and dead cells in thexylem – will be one of the topicsdiscussed under Theme 4.

Plant physiology and biochemistry arealso providing clues as to the emergenceof C4 photosynthesis – a topic of interestfor boosting crop production. Onlyaround 4% of the world’s plant species

fix CO2 via the specialized C4 pathway,yet they contribute about 20% of globalprimary productivity, thanks to the CO2-concentrating mechanism they operatein their leaves. The C4 photosyntheticpathway is strongly represented in thegrass (Poaceae) family, comprising about50% of total grasses. Examining thesespecies is offering new insights into theC4 evolution and ecology.

It’s not just botanists that are interestedin plant physiology – product designersare also starting to take note. In thecourse of evolution, plants havedeveloped a hierarchically organisationon at least five levels: in the stem; thetissues; the cells; the cell wall structure;and the biochemical level. Thesehierarchies are behind properties frombenign fracture behaviour to heatinsulation to actuation. Analysing thehierarchical organisation in plants is amajor part of assessing the potential fortechnical implementation.

Structure, Development &Cellular Biology

When it comes to structure, orchids are aparticularly varied bunch. Next year marksthe 150th anniversary of the publication ofCharles Darwin's book, 'On The VariousContrivances by Which Orchids AreFertilised By Insects '. Since Darwin’stime, technology, experimental techniquesand evolutionary hypotheses have ofcourse moved on, and a symposium aspart of Theme 5 will address some of themore recent advances in orchid-pollination, from the biochemistry oforchid fragrances to conservation in theage of global warming.

In the wider plant world, nectar is themost frequent type of floral reward thatanimals are offered in return forassistance with pollination. Nectar isthought to have evolved early in thehistory of flowering plants, and recentdiscoveries shows just how complex itcan be. It can incorporate anextraordinary variety of substances, fromcomplex proteins to aromatic volatiles,and has evolved functions far beyondthe attraction of pollinators.

Systematics, Evolution,Biogeography & BiodiversityInformatics

Flowering plants dominate mostterrestrial ecosystems, and are of majorimportance for mankind as a source offood and countless other products wedepend on in our everyday lives. Yeteven for this essential plant group, onlyfragments of its evolutionary history arewell understood.

Addressing outstanding questions onplant evolution, biogeography andbiodiversity – and the role of systematicsand informatics in unravelling them – willbe a key part of Theme 6. Thecomplexity of the questions involvedmean researchers from a wide variety ofdisciplines will be involved.

DNA barcoding, the identification ofspecies specific genomic markers, is onearea poised to revolutionise biodiversitydiscovery and identity. A number oflarge-scale DNA barcoding activities arealready underway, details of which will beone of the areas discussed.

Technology is also helping to tapbotany’s vast back-catalogue. Historicalcollections, from specimens, literature,field notes, and geographical materials,are essential for streamlining the use ofbotanical names, for example. For thefirst time in history it is possible toaggregate all required information in avirtual environment.

Plants In Society

People rely on plants, for food,medicines and other practical uses butalso in less tangible ways. Around theglobe, our ancient relationship withplants is reflected in mythology. Allcultures have some myth or tales relatedwith nature and humans, with Greekmythology and its Roman versionparticularly rich with stories wherecharacters metamorphose into plants.

These myths have had a particularinfluence on botanists – a topicdiscussed as part of Theme 7. Forexample, many mythological charactersappear within botanical taxonomy, fromAchillea for Achilles, Eragrostis for Eros,Asclepias for Asclepius. And myths havesimilarly been the inspiration for botanicalterms, such as hermaphroditic from theHermaphroditus tales.

But confusions have also arisen. Artisticrecreations of ancient tales during theRenaissance and Neoclassical periodssometimes were adjusted to modern lifeand consequently confusions. Thehyacinth, for example, played no part inthe original myth of Hyakinthos, forexample, and was only introduced bylater painters.

XVIII INTERNATIONAL BOTANICAL CONGRESS | 23-30 JULY 2011 | MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA CONGRESS NEWS TUESDAY 26 JULY 2011

Aimee Bourne is six months into her PhD in theHawkesbury Institute for the Environment at theUniversity of Western Sydney (NSW, Australia).As well as helping to staff the HawkesburyInstitute stall here at IBC 2011 (Booth 2), Aimeepresented findings from her recently completedhonours degree to Symposium 49 (Plant hydraulicsystems, Monday afternoon). Aimee’s data, onwater use and transpiration in four eucalypt treespecies, has yet to be published. “I want to getfeedback from the experts here first”, says Aimee.

Liza Smith, from the University of Wollongong,has just finished an honours degree in invasivespecies and their impact on host species.Invasiveness is still her research focus, but thesecond plenary sessions on Monday morningexpanded her horizons: “I’m also gettinginterested in agronomy and food security now”,she says.

Carlos Lehnebach is originally from Chile, butnow works at the Museum of New Zealand TePapa Tongarewa in Wellington, New Zealand. Hispassion is forget-me-nots and orchids: “I readrecently that you can quit women, or men, orcigarettes or alcohol”, quips Carlos, “but orchidsare forever!”

Botany professors Dr S. Padmavathy (left) and Dr R. Jayakumararaj (right) havecome to Australia for the first time,from Tamil Nadu in India. DrPadmavathy is representing NirmalaCollege for Women in Coimbatore,while Dr Jayakumararcy researchestraditional medicine at R.D.Government Arts College inSivagangai.

Kenneth Wurdack, a ResearchBotanist from the Smithsonian Museumin Washington DC (USA), wouldn’t missan IBC for the world: “It’s the Olympicsof botany”, he declares; “It’s expected ofmy profession to attend.” The symposiaof most interest to Kenneth were onMonday, but unfortunately several ofthem happened at the same time indifferent rooms. He and other delegateshave had to choose between competingparallel talks.

Faces and voices from around the world

The World of Plants

Tuesday 26 July, 6:30pm, PlenaryHall, Melbourne Convention andExhibition Centre.

Professor Peter H. Raven, MissouriBotanical Garden, USA, will discuss:

• At least 400,000 species of floweringplants exist, the great majority of thempoorly known, with perhaps 20% of thespecies and a much higher proportionof the genetic diversity threatened withextinction over the next decade or twoand probably more than half by the endof the century.

• The future depends on learning aboutthem and disseminating the informationefficiently, conserving natural areas inthe face of growing adverse changes,building seed banks, and educatingpeople to know and love what they arelosing.

Brave New World—can we solvetomorrow's environmental andenergy problems by using lifeitself?

Wednesday 27 July 2011, 12:30-1:30pm Melbourne Convention andExhibition Centre.

A forum moderated by Robyn Williams,ABC Science Show. Studying life in all itsforms is exciting at this time of greattechnological change. Computers andmodern scientific techniques haveprovided us with an understanding of life

processes at the molecular level in a waynever before possible.

Yet we know little about the unicellularorganisms that make up most of theTree of Life. Much of our scientificresearch efforts and investments go intothe study and conservation of relativelyfew multicellular creatures andecosystems. Research on the rest of lifefocuses mostly on controlling harmfulmicroorganisms rather than looking foruseful ones.

Is the time right to prioritise research intouseful microbes, harnessing them toconvert significant amounts of CO2 intobiomass and biofuels and to capture andstore significant amounts of carbon toslow climate change? Plants feed us andnature sustains us but couldmicroorganisms give us the ‘biggestbang for our buck’?

Speaking for the plants:

• Prof. David Mabberley, Royal BotanicGardens, Kew, UK, and soon to beExecutive Director of Sydney's BotanicGardens Trustr

• Dr Kevin Thiele, Curator, WesternAustralia Herbarium

Speaking for the microbes:

• Dr Jeff Powell, Microbial ecologist andlecturer, University of Western Sydney

• Dr Kirsten Heimann, Cell biologist andbiofuels expert, James Cook University

Sister Water Lily meets the BigBad Banksia Man - Can awhimsical and largely discardedbranch of illustration be used toreinvigorate botanical education?

Thursday 28 July, 6:30pm, PlenaryHall, Melbourne Convention andExhibition Centre

Dr Peter Bernhardt, Saint LouisUniversity, USA, and his co-author RethaMeier review the works of C.M. Barker(England), W. Crane (England), MayGibbs (Australia), J.J. Grandville (France)and M.T. Ross (America).

All produced detailed illustrationsfeaturing anthropomorphic flowers,stems and edible plants. The tragic J.I.I.Gerard (a.k.a. Grandville, 1803-1847)began this trend in floral fantasy toamuse a mature audience ofsophisticated Parisians but histechniques were assimilated by laterauthor/artists of children's books.

Peter Bernhardt is a Professor of Biologyat and a Research Associate of theMissouri Botanical Garden (St Louis) andthe Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.Research in the Bernhardt/Meierlaboratory concentrates on flowerevolution and the pollination systems ofrare and threatened plants in NorthAmerica, Australia and China. Peter isthe author/co-author of 75 reviewedjournal articles and four popular bookson plant life including 'Wily Violets andUnderground Orchids' (1989) and 'Gods

and Goddesses in the Garden' (2008). Hehas a keen interest in how plants havebeen incorporated as characters inchildren's literature.

The Atlas of Living Australia:infrastructure for biodiversityresearch

Friday 29 July, 6:30pm, Plenary Hall,Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Dr Donald Hobern, Atlas of LivingAustralia, CSIRO Entomology, Australiadiscusses:

The Atlas of Living Australia is a nationalinitiative focused on making Australia'sbiodiversity information more accessibleand useable online. In short, 'an onlineencyclopaedia of all living things inAustralia'. The Atlas website already holdsmore than 23 million distribution records forAustralia's fauna and flora, integrated withover 300 environmental layers for mappingand analysis. The Atlas enables researchersto provide policy and decision makers withtargeted and useful information, presentedin accessible ways. Members of the publiccan contribute sightings and photos ofspecies and help to build a more completepicture of Australia's biodiversity. Fundedby the Australian Government, the Atlas is acollaboration between CSIRO, Australia'snational science research agency, andmore than 60 biological collections fromMuseums and Herbaria, Federal and StateDepartments, universities and microbialcollections.

IBC2011 public events

CONGRESS NEWS TUESDAY 26 JULY 2011 XVIII INTERNATIONAL BOTANICAL CONGRESS | 23-30 JULY 2011 | MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA

Session 1 (RF091):

Maria Fernanda Calió, University of São Paulo, Brasil

New Insights into the Generic Circumscription of Helieae (Gentianaceae)

Helieae is a tribe within Gentianaceae endemic to the neotropics, made up of 23genera and over 200 species – but how are they all related? New DNA sequence datasheds light on the question.

Mauricio Diazgranados, Saint Louis University, USA

Interactive Digital Key for the Frailejones (Espeletiinae Cuatrec., Asteraceae) of theSouth American Páramos

The high elevation grassland ecosystem of the Northern Andes, known as páramo, isthe most diverse high elevation ecosystem in the world. What are the patterns andmechanisms of speciation there, and how will it be affected by climate change?

Kerry Gibbons, University of Sydney, Australia; National Herbarium ofNSW, Sydney, Australia

Australasian Loganiaceae: molecular phylogenetics and biogeography of Loganieae

Loganiaceae is a predominantly tropical to subtropical family, with Australia being anarea of high generic diversity. The group provides an excellent model with which toexplore the biogeographical history of the Australasian region.

Bee Gunn, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

Genetic diversity and phylogeography of wild-sown and cultivated coconuts (Cocosnucifera L.)

Coconuts are adapted to drift-dispersal by ocean currents; however, human activitiescontinue to aid its spread and impact its phenotypic and genetic structure. We haveinvestigated the genetic diversity of coconuts, including the impact of domestication.

Yan Hou, University of Oslo, Norway

Searching for the Roots of the Arctic Flora: Biogeographic Connections to theHimalayas

What is the origin of arctic flora? Did a local species persist and adapt to the cold andopen habitat, or did pre-adapted species immigrate from southern alpine regions?State-of-the-art molecular phylogenetic and phylogeographic methods could help toreveal the answer.

Priyanka Ingle, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University,Aurangabad, India

Terminalia procera Roxb.- a distinct species than Terminalia catappa L.

Detailed morphological, anatomical and dermatological studies reveal that the plantspopularly known as Deshi Baadaam and Safed Bombay are two distinct species.

C. Haris Saslis-Lagoudakis, University of Reading, UK

Repeated transoceanic long-distance dispersal in the history of the pantropical genusPterocarpus (Fabaceae: Dalbergieae)

DNA sequence data, calibrated using fossil and secondary data, reveals that thepantropical genus Pterocarpus has undergone at least four independent transoceanic,long-distance dispersal events in its history.

Satoshi Kakishima, Botanical Gardens, University of Tokyo, Japan

Asymmetrical Hybridization Between Monocarpic Mass-flowering Shrub AndPolycarpic Perennial Herb In Strobilanthes (Acanthaceae)

Several species of Strobilanthes have a plietesial life history –almost all individualssimultaneously flower, set seed and die once every three to sixteen years. Studyingnatural hybridization between species with different life histories can reveal the role oflife histories as reproductive isolation.

Kyoko Sugai, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan

Genetic Structure of Symplocos (Symplocaceae) in the Bonin (Ogasawara) IslandsUsing Microsatellite Markers

The entire flora of the isolated Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands, 1,000 km south of Japan inthe Pacific Ocean, has formed from a few immigrant species arriving by sea. Geneticvariation within species now growing on the islands, which is expected to be very low,can be assessed by microsatellite markers.

Shizuka Tsuneki, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan

Detecting initial stage of ecological speciation in the genus Persea on the BoninIslands, Japan

The Bonin Islands are very small, covering just 73 km2. However, various types ofenvironments, from dry shrubs to wet forests, exist there. The genus Persea is one ofthe genera in which adaptive radiation has occurred on the islands.

Michael Whitehead, Australian National University, Australia

The mating habits of Chiloglottis orchids

Chiloglottis orchids secure pollination by sexual deception, attracting male insectpollinators by mimicking specific sexual signals. By hijacking pollinator behaviour,sexually-deceptive plants such as Chiloglottis orchids ensure their pollen istransported far enough away from the parent plant to promote outcrossing.

Bine Xue, University of Hong Kong, China

Segregation of the Polyphyletic Genus Polyalthia (Annonaceae)

The species-rich genus Polyalthia has long functioned as a ‘dustbin group’ for speciesof unclear affinities. A much broad taxonomic sampling of Polyalthia species andassociated taxa has enabled the recognition of genera with clearly defined diagnosticmorphological characters.

Firman Alamsyah, University of Tokyo, Japan

Molecular Phylogenetics of Nepenthaceae Based On Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS)DNA Sequences

Nepenthaceae is a 120-species family of pitcher plants with only one genus,Nepenthes, which occur mainly in Southeast Asia. Studying the ITS region of variousNepenthes species can help to reveal the different taxa within the genus.

Lukasz Banasiak, University of Warsaw, Poland

Reconstruction of Ancestral Pollen Morphologies Aids Calibrating of the PhylogeneticTree of Apiaceae Subfamily Apioideae (Magnoliophyta, Apiales)

For many groups of angiosperms, fossil data of their early representatives are scarce,and their assignment to extant lineages is problematic. Evolutionary analyses of extantand fossil pollen data could offer a way around the problem.

Session 2 (RF02):

Christina Borzak, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia

Investigating a genetic basis to physiological responses of Eucalyptus globulesseedlings to defoliation

Eucalypt seedlings have a remarkable ability to recover after mammalian browsingdamage, including increasing their photosynthetic capacity. We investigated thegenetic basis to variation in growth and physiological responses of E. Globulesseedlings to artificial leaf loss.

Beatriz Fernández-Marín, University of the Basque Country, Spain

Violaxanthin cycle can be activated in darkness by stresses such as desiccation andanoxia

The violaxanthin cycle is usually activated by light in plants and algae. Here otherstressors that may trigger violaxanthin de-epoxidation in darkness, from desiccation toimmersion, are characterized in the brown intertidal alga Pelvetia canaliculata.

Keina Monda, Kyushu University, Japan

Environmental regulation of stomatal response in Arabidopsis Cvi-0 ecotype

Genetic mutants can be a powerful tool for understanding stress sensitivity amongplants - but this approach usually targets one gene at a time, and environmentalstress tolerance involves a multiple genes. Arabidopsis is an ideal model for studyingthe effect of complex genetic variation on stress tolerance.

Adne Righi, University of São Paulo, Brazil

Chemical Characterization of Brazilian Propolis by HPLC-MS and GC-MS: the Black,Red, and Green Brazilian Varieties of Propolis

Propolis is a complex honeybee product made up from beeswax and plant products.Its colour, texture and chemical composition depends on hive location and local plantpopulation. We have profiled the chemical composition of nine samples of propolis,corresponding to seven regions of Brazil.

Posters on parade

XVIII INTERNATIONAL BOTANICAL CONGRESS | 23-30 JULY 2011 | MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA CONGRESS NEWS TUESDAY 26 JULY 2011

Marina Corrêa Scalon, Macquarie University, Australia

Host Phenological Behaviour Affects Water Relations of a Mistletoe (Phthirusa ovata(Pohl) Eichler - Loranthaceae) in the Savannas of Central Brazil

Several mistletoes species are known to grow and reproduce on both deciduous andevergreen host plants, which suggests a degree of plasticity. We have studied someof the different strategies used by mistletoe species growing on deciduous andevergreen hosts.

Arvind Dhabe, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University,Aurangabad, India

Seed Anatomy of the Genus Alysicarpus Desv.

Alysicarpus Desv. is a small, 27 species genus of the Fabaceae family, 17 species ofwhich call India home. Studying the anatomical features of their seeds reveals thatanatomy varies not only between species. Varieties and forms also have specific seedanatomy.

Christina Lord, Dalhousie University, Canada

Organelle Tracking During Environmentally Induced and Developmentally RegulatedProgrammed Cell Death (PCD) in the Model Species Aponogeton Madagascariensis

The lace plant, Aponogeton madagascariensis, gets its name from the characteristicholes that form in its leaves. These perforations are the result of regulatedprogrammed cell death (PCD), but PCD can also be environmentally regulated, andthe lace plant can be used to probe the difference.

Olivier Taugourdeau, UMR AMAP, Montpellier, France

Plant architecture: from concepts to applications

Architectural analysis is essentially a detailed, multilevel, comprehensive and dynamicapproach to plant development. In 2007, Barthélémy & Caraglio published a review onplant architecture which provides generic terminology and the concepts for plantarchitecture interpretation, and we will illustrate some applications of the main concepts.

Yukiko Yamada, Kyoto University, Japan

Living wood fibres act as starch storage and transport pathway in black locust(Robinia pseudoacacia)

Most wood fibres complete cell wall formation and then die before the dormantperiod. In some species, however, wood fibres retain their living protoplast for monthsor years – including the black locust, where almost all wood fibres in the outer part ofthe annual ring are living.

Xiaofeng Yin, Miami University, USA

Phyllotactic Transitions in Diphasiastrum digitatum

Among megaphyllous taxa, Fibonacci patterns are prevelant – but for at least onemicrophyllous species, the pattern isn’t observed. If this observation is found to bemore widespread, this would suggest that a different mechanism governsmicrophyllous phyllotaxis, a possibility that we are further exploring.

Tina Sehrish, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Cyto-nuclear interactions in Tragopogon (Asteraceae) Allopolyploids: insight from rbcLand rbcS

The gene products from the organelle genomes of the chloroplast and mitochondriacan interact with nuclear gene products in a variety of pathways. Most proteincomplexes consisting of multiple subunits have proteins encoded by both nuclear andorganellar genomes – including RuBisCO, studied here.

Ashley Hwei-Ting Tan, University of Adelaide, Australia

Investigating the Roles of Barley CesA Genes in Cell Wall Biosynthesis

Barley contains at least eight cellulose synthase (CesA) genes. Some are associatedwith primary cell wall synthesis, while others are more likely to be involved in thesynthesis of secondary cell walls. A gain-of-function approach was used to study theroles of the CesA genes in barley cell wall biosynthesis.

Sayuri Tsukahara, National Institute of Genetics, Japan; GraduateUniversity for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Japan

Centromere-specific Integration of Copia-type LTR Retrotransposon in A.lyrata

Retrotransposons are major component of plant genome. No mobile retrotransposonwith targeted integration has been previously found in plants. Here, we directly showtargeted integration of a mobile retrotransposon from A. lyrata into centromericrepeats in the A. thaliana genome.

An Australian garden,with its roots here inMelbourne, recently

won a gold medal at theworld’s most famous gardenshow – The UK RoyalHorticultural Society’sChelsea Flower Show, May2011. The winner of theShow Garden category was based onthe multi award-winning AustralianGarden at the Royal Botanic GardensCranbourne, a division of the RoyalBotanic Gardens Melbourne.

Show garden designer Jim Fogartyused specialised Australian plantspecies to tell the story of “thejourney of water” – from the aridoutback to the wetter, urban eastcoast of Australia. Fogarty’s creationfeatured almost 2,000 nativeAustralian shrubs and trees, includingendangered species that have rarely(if ever) been seen before at Chelsea.Threatened seeds, collected as partof the Victorian ConservationSeedbank partnership, were shippedfrom Melbourne to the UK and grownespecially for the show garden.

Dr Philip Moors, Director and ChiefExecutive of the Royal Botanic

Gardens Melbourne, said “We’rehonoured to accept the goldaward at Chelsea. The reactionfrom visitors to the show hasbeen universally complimentaryand we’ve been inspired by theenthusiasm and interest in ourplants and gardens. This is atremendous accolade for

Australian horticulture and design.”

The show garden’s inspiration, theAustralian Garden in Cranbourne,demonstrates how Australian nativeplants can be used to createsustainable home gardens. Entry tothe nine hectare garden inCranbourne is now free of charge.The garden can be reached by takingthe Cranbourne line train from anyCity Loop station in the centre ofMelbourne, or IBC 2011 delegatescan join a tour:

Wednesday 27 July 2011

Time: 12:30pm – 5:30pm

Departure: Hilton South Wharf Hotel

Return to: Hilton South Wharf Hotel

Cost: $40.00

For more information, visitwww.rbg.vic.gov.au/australian-garden.

Australian Garden wins Goldat Chelsea Flower Show

Botany in the news

All aboard the Melbourne Express

CONGRESS NEWS TUESDAY 26 JULY 2011 XVIII INTERNATIONAL BOTANICAL CONGRESS | 23-30 JULY 2011 | MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA

Free public evening lectures and a lunchtime

panel discussion as part of the XVIII

International Botanical Congress. Come and

listen to experts on these subjects, and ask them

questions afterwards

• What do plants do for us? What can we do for plants?• What will climate change do to our favourite wine-

growing areas?• How important are plants and microbes to us? • How can we conserve and use them sustainably?• Sister Waterlily meets Big Bad Banksia Man: the role

of plants in children’s stories and teaching childrenabout the natural world

• Atlas of Living Australia – an online encyclopedia ofall living things in Australia

Venue: Plenary Hall, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre,

Southbank, Melbourne

25 July 1830–2000 Fruits of the vine – future climates and winesProf. Snow Barlow

26 July 1830–2000 The world of plants Prof. Peter Raven

27 July 1230–1330 Brave New World: can we solve tomorrow’senvironmental and energy problems by using life itself? Panel: Assoc. Prof. Kirsten Heimann,

Prof. David Mabberley,

Dr Jeff Powell, Dr Kevin Thiele;

moderator Robyn Williams

28 July 1830–2000 Sister Water Lily meets the Big Bad Banksia ManProf. Peter Bernhardt

29 July 1830–2000 The Atlas of Living AustraliaDonald Hobern

PLANTS AND PEOPLE

www.ibc2011.com/Events.htm

Experience various cultures of the world as you feast on iconicdishes. Enjoy Australian bush-tucker in a truly Australianscene, Chinese food prepared and served from pagodas,

expertly sculpted sashimi in the Japanese Garden and taste thewonders of Africa in the Game Park. The evening will be thehighlight of the social program and a rare opportunity to experiencethe flavours, aromas and sights of the world – a true expression ofMelbourne’s culinary, floral and artistic diversity.

Date: Wednesday 27 July 2011 Time: 1900 – 2300 Dress: Smart casual Venue: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Tickets: Delegates and Students AUD$66* Accompanying Persons AUD$88* Additional Tickets AUD$88* * Tickets are limited. Please see the Registration Desk.

DON’T MISS THE CONGRESS GALAGARDENS OF THE WORLD