Topic: "On the Steppes of Kyrgyzstan"
PDF for posting about meeting: http://www.botsoc.org/nov06.pdf

Here is a note from Rob about construction at entrance of museum:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2006 13:08:40 -0500
From: "Soreng, Robert" <SORENGR@...>

The Nov. 7 meeting will be held in the Cathy Kerby Rm as usual at 7pm.

However, it will probably take a little extra time to get us all there
and back than usual, so pass this message along and come a little early
if you are unsure of the way (see below).

Our normal entrance routine will be affected by construction in the
Constitution Avenue lobby which will block our usual access route to the
meeting room.

Enter the museum at the 10th and Constution Avenue entrance as usual,
but instead of entering at the staff door on the left, enter from the
public door on the right.

A security officer will meet us in the west side of the lobby escort us
to the Cathy Kerby Rm.

You need not read the following instructions unless you want to.

We will first go up in the lobby elevator to the 3rd floor of the old
building, then east across to and beyond Carolyn Rose Rm (Antropolgy
seminar rm) in the East Wing, and then enter the new section.  Once in
the new section, go to the elevators and down to the 3rd floor of the
new section where the Cathy Kerby Rm. is located.

Security will then escort us out at 9:30.

Rob

Topic: "On the Steppes of Kyrgyzstan" - Rob Soreng
PDF for posting about meeting: http://www.botsoc.org/nov06.pdf

Note: there will be a bit of a different procedure for entering the
building because of construction.  Details below.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A bit further afield:
This Friday at NCTC (Shepherdstown): Dr. Michael Fay
Wildlife Conservation Society The Long Walk and the Art of
Megatransecting: The Appalachian Trail Mega Transect - Friday, November
10, 2006 at 7:00 pm
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/listener/message/2289
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0010/feature1/

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Nov. 7 meeting will be held in the Cathy Kerby Room as usual at 7pm.

However, it will probably take a little extra time to get us all there
and back than usual, so pass this message along and come a little early
if you are unsure of the way (see below).

Our normal entrance routine will be affected by construction in the
Constitution Avenue lobby which will block our usual access route to the
meeting room.

Enter the museum at the 10th and Constution Avenue entrance as usual,
but instead of entering at the staff door on the left, enter from the
public door on the right.

A security officer will meet us in the west side of the lobby escort us
to the Cathy Kerby Rm.

Here are 2 pdf files.  One is the announcement and menu for our holiday
banquet on December 5th.  The other is the form to send in with your check
for dinner and/or for 2007 dues.

Holiday Banquet Announcement:
http://www.botsoc.org/2006dinner-announce-menu.pdf

Form for Dinner and 2007 Dues:
http://www.botsoc.org/2006dinnerform.pdf

The files will be available on the website, http://www.botsoc.org and I
will also copy the text of the files into this message.  Eventually I will
send out an announcement suitable for posting, which will include the
title of Julie Moore's presidential address.


   *BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON*

*2006 Annual Banquet and Membership Dues*


   *Please complete this form and return it by November 30, 2006*


   *2006 BSW Banquet Tuesday, December 2004*

*Social Hour 6 pm; Dinner 7 pm; President's Talk 8 pm*


   *This year at a NEW Location: Aria Trattoria, Ronald Reagan Building and
International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC,
readily accessible from the Federal Triangle Metro Station; cross the
interior courtyard and use the entrance facing Pennsylvania Avenue *


   *Aria Trattoria offers free validated self-parking in the Ronald Reagan
Building and International Trade Center*


   *http://www.ariatrattoria.com*


   *Choose one entrée per person from the menu and include it on the form.*

   *MENU*


   Botanical Society of Washington

2006 Annual Banquet

at Aria Trattoria

Tuesday, December 5th, 2006



   *Primi*


   Insalata Mista

Baby Greens, Radicchio, Cherry Tomatoes,

Served with Balsamic Vinaigrette


   *Secondo (choose one entrée)*


   Margherita Pizza

Crushed Plum Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella,

Fresh Basil Leaves


   Saltimbocca di Pollo

Pan-Seared Chicken, Served with Prosciutto & Sage,

Fingerling Potatoes, Asparagus


   Pappardelle Bolognese

Ribbon Noodles, Traditional Meat Sauce

& Parmesan Cheese


   *Dolce e Saporito*


   Chef's Selection of Dessert



   Cash Bar at Happy Hour (6 to 7 pm) Prices



   *BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON - ANNUAL BANQUET - MEMBERSHIP DUES*


   *Please complete this form and return it by November 30, 2006 *


   *2006 BSW Banquet Location: Aria Trattoria - o*n the plaza at 13th Street
and Pennsylvania Avenue

*Tuesday, 5 December 2006. Social Hour: 6 p.m.; Dinner: 7 p.m.; President's
Talk: 8 p.m. *


   *(Address, phone, email, interests info only needs to be included if it
differs from your directory info and needs to be updated.)*



Name(s)_________________________________________________________________________\
___________________________


   I/we plan to attend the dinner on Tuesday, December 5. At $35 per person, I
owe $__________ for dinner.


   Though 2007 dues are not due until next month, you may wish to pay them at
this time, especially if you are sending in a check for the dinner. Dues are
$10 for individuals or $15 for two at one address.


   Name 1:__________________________________________________________________

E-mail Address:____________________________________________________________

Phone: ( H) _____________________ (W)______________________________________

Name 2:__________________________________________________________________

Phone: ( H) _____________________ (W)______________________________________

Mailing Address:___________________________________________________________

City______________________________State:__________Zip: _____________


   Special Botanical Interests:
___________________________________________________

Include in directory Yes_______ No________


   Enclosed is ________ for dinner.

________ for 2007 dues. ($10 for 1, $15 for 2 at the same address)

Entree
selection(s):__________________________________________________________


   Total: ______________


   *Checks should be made payable to: The Botanical Society of Washington.*


   *Forms and checks should be sent to:*


   PaulPeterson, Treasurer

Department of Botany - MRC 166

National Museum of Natural History

P.O. Box 37012

Smithsonian Institution

Washington, DC 20013-7012

I have made a decorative flyer for posting - about the upcoming Dec, 5
holiday banquet: You can find it at:
http://www.botsoc.org/dec06.pdf

If you open it, you will be able to learn the topic of Julie's
Presidential Address.

A more detailed file, which has the menu, as well as a form for the
dinner and 2007 dues can be found at:

Announcement - menu   http://www.botsoc.org/2006dinner-announce-menu.pdf
Payment form  - dues  http://www.botsoc.org/2006dinnerform.pdf
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Member Jessie Harris is going to be doing a presentation about the Flora
of Plummers Island on Nov. 28 for the MNPS. See
http://www.mdflora.org/events/monthlymeeting0611.html for details.

***********************************************

Recent story about invasives:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ma-eppc/message/3004

Forest Service research papers are online at:
http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Message about Key appeared on ecolog-l list

https://listserv.umd.edu/archives/ecolog-l.html
Subject: New Free Interactive Key to Wetland Monocots of the US

There is a new Interactive Key to Wetland Monocots of the US (ca.2400
taxa) available from PLANTS  (plants.usda.gov). See
(http://npdc.usda.gov/technical/plantid_wetland_mono.html) for details.
It is free for use and download and requires no installation or
registration.

The data set was developed cooperatively by the Missouri Botanical
Garden and the USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center and was compiled
from numerous and varied sources by Dr. David Bogler of the Missouri
Botanical Garden (ca. 1.7 million data points). The automated plant key
runs in a new version of SLIKS (www.stingersplace.com/SLIKS) which is
free and requires no installation. It lets you identify the monocots
known to occur in U.S. wetlands.  The species list in this key is
derived from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetland
Inventory National List of Vascular Plant Species That Occur in
Wetlands: 1998 National List.

This draft plant character data set is for testing purposes only. For
further information, click on the "Instructions, Information,
Disclaimers and Policies" link after the application is loaded.

The version of SLIKS (2.0) used for this particular application was
specifically designed for Microsoft Internet Explorer. If you need to
use another browser, there are other options available at the SLIKS
website (www.stingersplace.com/SLIKS).

Agreements for completion of datasets for all US grasses, all US
legumes, all US gymnosperms and all US Ericaceae have been made through
various CESUs in the CESU (www.cesu.org) network and the data sets
should be delivered over the next near. First drafts of the keys for the
grasses of Louisiana and Missouri are available now for testing and
evaluation by qualified botanists. Please contact me
(gerald.guala@...) for copies.

Cheers,
Stinger Guala, Ph.D.

Gerald F. Guala, Ph.D.
USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center
P.O. Box 74490
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70874-4490 USA
Tel: 225.775.6280
Fax: 225.775.8883
http://npdc.usda.gov
http://plants.usda.gov

Just a reminder that the deadline for getting your reservation in for the
December 5 banquet is coming up soon, this Thursday, November 30.  If you
plan to come, you will probably also want to pay your 2007 dues at the
same time.  If you're not planning to come, please send just your dues
payment in before the end of the year.

Any questions about banquet payment or dues, please direct to Paul
Peterson: peterson@... His mailing address is on the form as well as at
the bottom of this email.

Note: there is free validated self-parking at the restaurant.

Here are 3 pdf files. One is the announcement and menu for our holiday
banquet on December 5th. The second is the form to send in with your check
for dinner and/or for 2007 dues. The 3rd is a flyer for posting.

Holiday Banquet Announcement:
http://www.botsoc.org/2006dinner-announce-menu.pdf

Form for Dinner and 2007 Dues:
http://www.botsoc.org/2006dinnerform.pdf

Decorative flyer for posting:
http://www.botsoc.org/dec06.pdf

The files will be available on the website, http://www.botsoc.org and I
will also copy the text of the files into this message.


*BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON*

*2006 Annual Banquet and Membership Dues*


*Please complete this form and return it by November 30, 2006*


*2006 BSW Banquet Tuesday, December 2004*

*Social Hour 6 pm;
Dinner 7 pm;
President's Talk 8 pm: "From the Kalahari to Saskatchewan:
the Cosmopolitan and incomparable Citrullus lanatus"

*This year at a NEW Location: Aria Trattoria, Ronald Reagan Building and
International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC,
readily accessible from the Federal Triangle Metro Station; cross the
interior courtyard and use the entrance facing Pennsylvania Avenue *


*Aria Trattoria offers free validated self-parking in the Ronald Reagan
Building and International Trade Center*


*http://www.ariatrattoria.com*


*Choose one entre per person from the menu and include it on the form.*

*MENU*


Botanical Society of Washington

2006 Annual Banquet

at Aria Trattoria

Tuesday, December 5th, 2006



*Primi*


Insalata Mista
Baby Greens, Radicchio, Cherry Tomatoes,
Served with Balsamic Vinaigrette


*Secondo (choose one entre)*


Margherita Pizza
Crushed Plum Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella,
Fresh Basil Leaves


Saltimbocca di Pollo
Pan-Seared Chicken, Served with Prosciutto & Sage,
Fingerling Potatoes, Asparagus


Pappardelle Bolognese
Ribbon Noodles, Traditional Meat Sauce
& Parmesan Cheese


*Dolce e Saporito*


Chef's Selection of Dessert



Cash Bar at Happy Hour (6 to 7 pm) Prices



*BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON - ANNUAL BANQUET - MEMBERSHIP DUES*


*Please complete this form and return it by November 30, 2006 *


*2006 BSW Banquet Location: Aria Trattoria - o*n the plaza at 13th Street
and Pennsylvania Avenue

*Tuesday, 5 December 2006. Social Hour: 6 p.m.; Dinner: 7 p.m.;
President's Talk: 8 p.m.


*(Address, phone, email, interests info only needs to be included if it
differs from your directory info and needs to be updated.)*



Name(s)_________________________________________________________________________\
\
___________________________


I/we plan to attend the dinner on Tuesday, December 5. At $35 per person,
I
owe $__________ for dinner.


Though 2007 dues are not due until next month, you may wish to pay them at
this time, especially if you are sending in a check for the dinner. Dues
are
$10 for individuals or $15 for two at one address.


Name 1:__________________________________________________________________

E-mail
Address:____________________________________________________________

Phone: ( H) _____________________
(W)______________________________________

Name 2:__________________________________________________________________

Phone: ( H) _____________________
(W)______________________________________

Mailing
Address:___________________________________________________________

City______________________________State:__________Zip: _____________


Special Botanical Interests:
___________________________________________________

Include in directory Yes_______ No________


Enclosed is ________ for dinner.

________ for 2007 dues. ($10 for 1, $15 for 2 at the same address)

Entree
selection(s):__________________________________________________________


Total: ______________


*Checks should be made payable to: The Botanical Society of Washington.*


*Forms and checks should be sent to:*


PaulPeterson, Treasurer

Department of Botany - MRC 166

National Museum of Natural History

P.O. Box 37012

Smithsonian Institution

Washington, DC 20013-7012

Alan Whittemore has been busy, tracking down information about past BSW
presidents.  The file he created is now online at:

http://www.botsoc.org/BSWPresidents.pdf


The next BSW meeting will be held on its usual day, the first TUesday of
the month, January 2.  There was discussion at the banquet about changing
it to the following Tuesday because of its being so close to the holiday,
but it was decided to have it be on the regular day.

Speakers will be Gary Fleming and Johnny Townsend of the Virginia Natural
Heritage program.

Details will be sent at a later date.

It now looks like the meeting will be held the second Tuesday of January,
the 9th rather than the 2nd.

From Rod Simmons:

I got a call from Gary Fleming (one of our January 07 meeting speakers)
after our banquet meeting on Tuesday, who was concerned when he read the
January meeting announcement because he misunderstood the meeting date to
be January 9th instead of January 2nd.  January 2nd is a Virginia state
holiday for both Johnny and Gary and both have included it in their holiday
plans, and therefore would not be able to speak on that evening.

They both are ready and looking forward to speaking to the group on January
9th (which I think is a better date anyhow and allows us a little
separation from the holidays - at least more than a day!).

I recommend that we hold our January meeting on the 9th.

Gary Fleming is the Vegetation Ecologist with the Virginia Dept. of
Conservation and Recreation, Natural Heritage Division. John Townsend is
the Staff Botanist with the Virginia Dept. of Conservation and Recreation,
Natural Heritage Division.

Thanks,

Rod

At the next meeting, 7:00 PM January 9th, 2007, the second Tuesday rather
than the standard first, we will have two speakers from the Virginia
Natural Heritage Program.

(A flyer for posting is at: http://botsoc.org/jan07.pdf )

Gary Fleming will speak about: The Vegetation and Floristics of an Ancient
Baldcypress - Water Tupelo Forest in Southampton County, Virginia.  John
Townsend's topic will be: An Overview of the Genus Boltonia (Asteraceae),
Including a New Taxon from the Appalachians.

Location:  Cathy Kerby Room (Room CE-340)
on the third floor of the new East Court building
Smithsonian Institution, National  Museum of Natural History
All are Welcome. As usual, light refreshments will be served.

Pre-meeting dinner: 5:30 P.M. at the Elephant & Castle Pub and Restaurant,
1201 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington. Phone 202-347-7707. The
restaurant is diagonally across from the Old Post Office Pavilion at 12th
and Pennsylvania, a few blocks from the Museum, with Federal Triangle the
nearest Metro station, and Metro Center also nearby.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dues for 2007 are now due, unless you paid them last month at the same
time you paid for dinner, or have otherwise already paid them for 2007.

Dues are $10 for individuals or $15 for two at one address.


Name 1:__________________________________________________________________
E-mail
Address:____________________________________________________________
Phone: ( H) _____________________
(W)______________________________________
Name 2:__________________________________________________________________
Phone: ( H) _____________________
(W)______________________________________
Mailing
Address:___________________________________________________________
                  City______________________________State:__________Zip:
_____________

Special Botanical Interests:
___________________________________________________
Include in directory         Yes_______    No________


Checks should be made payable to: The Botanical Society of Washington.

Checks for dues should be sent to:

PaulPeterson, Treasurer
Department of Botany - MRC 166
National Museum of Natural History
P.O. Box 37012
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC  20013-7012

Reminder: Next BSW meeting is at 7pm Tuesday, January 9.

(A flyer for posting is at: http://botsoc.org/jan07.pdf )

Gary Fleming will speak about: The Vegetation and Floristics of an Ancient
Baldcypress - Water Tupelo Forest in Southampton County, Virginia. John
Townsend's topic will be: An Overview of the Genus Boltonia (Asteraceae),
Including a New Taxon from the Appalachians.

Location: Cathy Kerby Room (Room CE-340)
on the third floor of the new East Court building
Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History
All are Welcome. As usual, light refreshments will be served.

Pre-meeting dinner: 5:30 P.M. at the Elephant & Castle Pub and Restaurant,
1201 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington. Phone 202-347-7707. The
restaurant is diagonally across from the Old Post Office Pavilion at 12th
and Pennsylvania, a few blocks from the Museum, with Federal Triangle the
nearest Metro station, and Metro Center also nearby.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dues for 2007 are now due, unless you paid them last month at the same
time you paid for dinner, or have otherwise already paid them for 2007.

Dues are $10 for individuals or $15 for two at one address.
Checks for dues should be sent to:

PaulPeterson, Treasurer
Department of Botany - MRC 166
National Museum of Natural History
P.O. Box 37012
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC 20013-7012

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thursday, January 11 BUILDING THE NATIONAL GARDEN, A NEW HOME FOR NATIVE
PLANTS at Green Spring Gardens
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vnps-pot/message/1768
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Info about proposal to introduce non-native bees:
http://lists.plantconservation.org/pipermail/native-plants_lists.plantconservati\
on.org/2007-January/000736.html
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

NEW BOOK: PRACTICAL PLANT IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

Cullen, James. 2006. _Practical Plant Identification: Including
     a Key to Native and Cultivated Flowering Plants in North
     Temperate Regions_. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
     357 p.
     ISBN 0-521-86152-7 [hardback] Price: US$75.00
     ISBN 0-5211-67877-3 [softcover] Price: US$29.99

Meeting Tuesday January 9 - 7pm. Cathy Kerby Room.

Gary Fleming will speak about: The Vegetation and Floristics of an Ancient
Baldcypress - Water Tupelo Forest in Southampton County, Virginia. John
Townsend's topic will be: An Overview of the Genus Boltonia (Asteraceae),
Including a New Taxon from the Appalachians.

Location and dinner details at:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/botsoc/message/132

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The next meeting of Washington, D.C. Ethnobotanists is
Sunday, January 21st at 3:00 pm.  Speakers will be
announced at a later date.

The meeting is being sponsored by the U.S. Botanic
Garden and will be held in the USBG conservatory
classroom. The closest metro is Federal Center SW.
Parking in front of the conservatory is free during
the weekend.

Please contact Jamie Whitacre at
jamie_s_whitacre@...  or 202-230-8447 with your
questions or if you would like to present your
research, experiences, or other work at one of our
meetings.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

If you want to see some White-nosed Coatis making use of their exercise
equipment, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-SqT-jiW_Y

   ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++==+++++++
Thursday, January 11 BUILDING THE NATIONAL GARDEN, A NEW HOME FOR NATIVE
PLANTS at Green Spring Gardens
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vnps-pot/message/1768

The BSW received an announcement from the Washington Academy of Sciences
for our members about an upcoming free symposium:  Effects of Intellectual
Property Protections on Scientific Research on January 16.  Details about
it can be found here:

http://sippi.aaas.org/ipissues/meetings/?res_id=726

Hi -

I've just heard from Rob Soreng that tonight's meeting will not be in its
regular room, but instead in the Waldo Schmitt Room.

It's on the 2nd floor of the West Wing of the National Museum of Natural
History (as opposed to the Cathy Kerby Room which is in the East Wing.)

7 PM

--Kathy

Next BSW meeting, Tuesday, February 6. Topic and speaker as yet
unannounced.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Please join the United States Botanic Garden and the Smithsonian
Institution's Department of Botany for a new talk in the Botanical
Partners Lecture Series:

"Plants in Danger: What Do We Know"
Dr. Jane Smart, OBE
Head of the Species Programme
IUCN - The World Conservation Union

Date: Thursday, January 18, 2007
Time: 4:00 p.m. with reception to follow
Location: U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory, 100 Maryland Avenue SW,
Washington DC

RSVP to Katie at (202) 226-8038 or kpalm at aoc.gov; space is limited.

Two articles about the old growth forest at Cypress Bridge which was the
topic of one of the presentations at the last meeting:
http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=115850&ran=173448
http://www.washtimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20060901-102939-4501r
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Flyer for posting: http://botsoc.org/feb07.pdf
Meeting: February 6, 7 pm

Topic: Invasion and Diversity: The Impact of an Invasive Grass on Plant
Communities

Speaker: Sheherezade N. Adams, University of Maryland Center for
Environmental Science, Appalachian Laboratory and Frostburg State
University

Location: Cathy Kerby Room (Room CE-340)
on the third floor of the new East Court building
Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History
All are Welcome. As usual, light refreshments will be served.

Pre-meeting dinner: 5:30 P.M. at the Elephant & Castle Pub and
Restaurant, 1201 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington. Phone 202-347-7707.
The restaurant is diagonally across from the Old Post Office Pavilion at
12th and Pennsylvania, a few blocks from the Museum, with Federal Triangle
the nearest Metro station, and Metro Center also nearby.


Abstract:

The spread of invasive species has alarmed land managers, the public and
scientists.  While invasives are associated with a decline in species
richness and native species in some cases, it is often not apparent
whether the invasive caused the decline in biodiversity or whether it was
able to invade because of the decline.  By studying pairs of invaded and
uninvaded plots across a landscape, I demonstrated that Microstegium
vimineum is likely causing change in plant communities in forest
understories in western Maryland.  While high levels of soil nitrate were
generally correlated with high levels of species richness across the
landscape, invaded plots had higher soil nitrate concentrations but lower
species richness than neighboring uninvaded plots.  These seemingly
contradictory results at two spatial scales suggest that M. vimineum
usurps resources, such as light, and counteracts the otherwise positive
effect of soil nitrate on species richness.  The negative effect of M.
vimineum on species richness changed through time, with no relationship
between community composition and invasion in June, when M. vimineum was
relatively small, but a significant negative correlation between native
species and invasion in August, when M. vimineum is at peak cover and
height.  However, M. vimineum invasion was clearly not the only important
driver of community composition in this system, where the overall
variability of species composition between the six study sites was greater
than the difference between invaded and uninvaded plots at each site.
This study shows the value of evaluating impact of invasion on species
richness at two spatial scales, local and landscape, and through time to
detect mechanisms driving local plant composition.

Emanuela asked me to forward this announcement from the Washington Academy
of Sciences:


The National Capital Astronomers present a Lecture:

"Etienne Leopold Trouvelot (1827-1895), the Artist and Astronomer"

Ms. Brenda Corbin, U. S. Naval Observatory, retired.

Brenda Groves Corbin held the position of head librarian at the U. S. Naval
Observatory for 33 years, retiring in October 2005. The Naval  Observatory
Library is the largest astronomical library in the United States, with the
oldest book dating from 1482.  She was actively involved with astronomy
librarians world wide and in 1988 founded the conference series, Library and
Information Services in Astronomy, which is still being held. She has a keen
interest in the history of astronomy and has served as an officer in the
Historical Astronomy Division of the American Astronomical Society.
She is also a member of the International Astronomical Union and recently
served as Chair of the Working Group on Archives.

Date, Time, and Location:
February 10, 2007, 7:30 PM, at the Univ. of MD Observatory, in College Park.

The Observatory is reached by a driveway on Metzerott Rd., halfway between
Adelphi Rd. and University Blvd.

_________________________________________________________________
Laugh, share and connect with Windows Live Messenger
http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwme0020000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://imagine\
-msn.com/messenger/launch80/default.aspx?locale=en-us&source=hmtagline

There's going to be a talk by Mary Travaglini on Feb. 11 at Behnke's
Nursery about the Potomac Gorge;  Details at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vnps-pot/message/1781
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Virginia  Native Plant Society  2007 WORKSHOP and EXHIBIT

DISCOVERING VIRGINIA
1607-2007: Bushwackers, Botanists and Pioneers

Saturday, March 3,  2007
9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
University of Richmond, Gottwald Center for  the Sciences

Inspired by the quadricentennial of the Jamestown  settlement, this workshop
looks back at 400 years of botanical exploration,  cultivation and
colonization in our state. Considered by many to be the  birthplace of botanical
study in
the New World, Virginia has a long and fascinating history of  pioneers and
explorers who have made significant contributions to science and to  our
cultural heritage. In the 18th century, for example, pioneers who pushed 
through
the boundaries of the Blue Ridge Mountains created an entirely new  cultural and
agrarian landscape in the Shenandoah  Valley. On a broader scale, early
botanists like John Clayton laid  the foundation for plant exploration that can
be
traced from the publishing of  Flora Virginica in 1743 up to present day
efforts to produce a new Flora of  Virginia. Join us as we celebrate some of the
remarkable people who have  contributed so much to our present day botanical
knowledge and to Virginia's  history.

As an added attraction, workshop participants  are invited to a special
viewing of
"Native Plants of Virginia: Selections from the University of Richmond
Herbarium" on exhibit in the  Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature. This
exhibit links line drawings by  Lara Gastinger with herbarium specimens and
botanical photographs.

This  VNPS Workshop will be held in the Gottwald Center for the Sciences on
the University of Richmond campus. If you need driving  directions, check the
box on the registration form and they will be sent to you.  Once you reach the
campus, there will be signs directing you to the Gottwald Center parking lot.
For online directions,  go to: www.richmond.edu/about/directions

Please bring your own lunch.  Students will be on spring break, campus
facilities will be closed and there  will be nowhere to purchase lunch on
campus.

VNPS thanks the Department  of Biology, University of Richmond for hosting
this  event.

WORKSHOP PROGRAM

9:30    Registration  and coffee

10:00    Welcome and  introduction
Sally Anderson, President, Virginia Native  Plant Society
Dr. Stanwyn Shetler, Botanist emeritus,  Smithsonian Institution

10:15    Dr. John Hayden:   Exhibit Overview

10:30    Terry Yemm:  "Early  Virginia Botanists"
This presentation examines a number of  botanists from the 17th and 18th
centuries who         made their mark in Virginia. John Clayton's work, in
particular,  won acclaim from
Jefferson and  Linnaeus.

11:30    Refreshment  Break

11:45    Dr. Donna Ware:  "Laying the  Groundwork for a new Virginia Flora"
This discussion  presents an     overview of decades of  botanical
exploration, largely during
the past century, which have  provided the essentials for the production of a
new  Flora.

12:45    Lunch and Gallery Visit to see "Native  Plants of Virginia:
Selections from the
University of  Richmond Herbarium"

2:15    Dr. Warren Hofstra:
"A Strange New Land: Settlement and Environment in the  Shenandoah Valley "
This talk  examines the natural environment of the Shenandoah Valley during
the 18th
Century and looks at the changes wrought by pioneers in  one of the most
significant
frontier areas in  America.

3:15    Closing remarks

THE  SPEAKERS:

Dr. John Hayden is the botany chair for the Virginia Native  Plant Society. A
professor in the Biology Department at the University of Richmond, he is also
the curator of the  University's herbarium.

Dr. Warren Hofstra is Stewart Bell  Professor of History at Shenandoah
University in Winchester,  where he  teaches in the fields of American social
and
cultural history and directs the  Community History Project of the university.
He has written or edited five books  on various aspects of American regional
history, including The Planting of New  Virginia: Settlement and Landscape in
the Shenandoah Valley, which has been  described as "the definitive work on the
development of the Shenandoah Valley landscape."

Dr. Donna Ware is a  Research Associate Professor of Biology at the College
of William and Mary. She was the college's  Herbarium Curator from 1969 to
2000, and is now Curator Emeritus. A founding  member of the John Clayton
Chapter
of VNPS, she is Secretary of the Board of  Directors of the Flora of Virginia
Project, past Chairman of the Virginia  Academy of Science's Flora Committee,
and a member of the Virginia Botanical  Associates, which has produced three
editions of the Atlas of the Virginia  Flora. She was also the biological
consultant for With Paintbrush and Shovel:  Preserving Virginia's Wildflowers,
by
Nancy Kober.

Terry Yemm is a highly  regarded professional gardener who has worked in this
field for more than thirty  years. His academic studies in botany,
horticulture, history, and art history  support his contributions as a garden
historian
for "American Lives: History  Brought to Life", an educational project which
serves both students and teachers  nationwide. For over twenty years, he has
applied this background to his  activities on behalf of the Interpretation and
Landscape Departments of the  Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.


REGISTRATION  FORM


Name________________________________

Title_________________________________

Organization___________________________

Address_______________________________

City__________________________________

State/Zip  Code_________________________

Phone________________________________

E-Mail_______________________________

______Please  mail Directions.

Workshop fee  $35
Full time student fee   $5
Registration is due by February 26th.
Please make checks payable to  VNPS.

Mail registration form and payment to:      VNPS Workshop
400 Blandy Farm  Lane #2
Boyce, VA  22620

Reminder about tomorrow's BSW meeting. (February 6 - 7 PM)
Topic: Invasion and Diversity: The Impact of an Invasive Grass on Plant
Communities
Speaker: Sheherezade N. Adams, University of Maryland Center for
Environmental Science - Full details at:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/botsoc/message/137

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

VNPS Meeting Thursday, February 8
Geologic History of Virginia 7:30 PM
Info at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vnps-pot/message/1788

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Art Wolfe Photography seminar February 24-25 in Shepherdstown. See PVNP
webpage for details about the seminar with this award winning nature and
wildlife photographer. http://www.potomacvalleynaturephotographers.org/

Flyer for posting is at http://botsoc.org/mar07.pdf

And remember, all of these message are archived on the webpage:
http://botsoc.org

Botanical Society of Washington's 881st Meeting
Date: Tuesday, March 6th at 7:00 P.M

Speaker: Nan Vance
USDA Forest Service, Research Plant Physiologist (emeritus)
Topic: Empty Promises and Tasty Treats
Pollination Ecology of Mountain Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium montanum)  and
Brown's Peony (Paeonia brownii)

Location:  Cathy Kerby Room (Room CE-340)
on the third floor of the new East Court building
Smithsonian Institution, National  Museum of Natural History
All are Welcome.

As usual, light refreshments will be served.

Pre-meeting dinner: 5:30 P.M. at the Elephant & Castle Pub and Restaurant,
1201 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington. Phone 202-347-7707. The
restaurant is diagonally across from the Old Post Office Pavilion at 12th
and Pennsylvania, a few blocks from the Museum, with Federal Triangle the
nearest Metro station, and Metro Center also nearby.

Abstract:

Empty Promises and Tasty Treats

Pollination Ecology of Mountain Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium montanum) &
Brown's Peony (Paeonia brownii)

Nan C. Vance, USDA Forest Service, Research Plant Physiologist (emeritus)

Paeonia brownii (Brown's peony) and Cypripedium montanum (mountain lady's
slipper) are two relatively large and singularly interesting herbs of the
dry montane forests of the western US with little-studied pollination and
reproductive ecology. Although in a general way, they share the community
of pollinating insects that occupy their overlapping habitats, they
represent a fascinating contrast in evolutionary traits to secure
reproductive success. Paeonia brownii is one of two peony species, and C.
montanum is one of about 12 ladys slipper species, indigenous to North
America, yet little is understood about key traits that may contribute to
their reproductive success. Our objectives for both species were to
characterize the breeding system and pollination ecology with regard to
floral traits that may influence seed productivity and species fitness.
The results provide an opportunity to show that the evolutionary paths for
flowering plants are many and divergent in the dry, open forests that
range from British Columbia to California. The flower of P. brownii is
polyandrous and has a fleshy disc with nectar-secreting lobes encircling
the pistils. The lobes produce copious amounts of nectar which lures
wasps, flies, and bees. Although its pollen is semi sterile and its
carpels produce few mature seeds, the seeds are nearly always fertile and
germination rate is high. Whereas, C. montanum is a diandrous,
non-rewarding, nectarless orchid that merely smears its gooey pollen on
the dorsal side of an unsuspecting bees thorax. Yet, it has a relatively
high rate of fruit set. Its fruits have thousands of tiny seeds, few of
which ever germinate and emerge to see the light of day.

ANNOUNCING:

CHECKLIST AND ATLAS OF THE VASCULAR FLORA OF WEST VIRGINIA by Paul J.
Harmon, Donna Ford-Werntz, and William Grafton

The checklist and county dot-map atlas of the vascular flora of West
Virginia is now available!

This 381-page printed document includes a series of completely revised
lists of the vascular plants known to occur outside of cultivation in West
Virginia.

County dot maps indicate from which counties each of the 2503 taxa is
recorded. Open and solid dots indicate whether each was recorded after
1976 or not.

Botanists, ecologists, foresters, biologists, land managers, naturalists,
horticulturalists and gardeners will all find this book extremely
valuable, providing

*
        a reference to names and classification of all the ferns, trees,
wildflowers and other vascular plants and the counties in the state in
which they occur;

      *

        which species are native, introduced, adventive, or exotic;

      *

        which are classified as wetland species, which may be invasive to
natural areas;

      *

        those needing further field work,

      *

        those needing systematic study, and

      *

        those tracked by the West Virginia Natural Heritage program as state
rare.


Each book is a spirally-bound, 8.5 x 11 inch formatted document suitable
as a field reference or an addition to ones library or herbarium shelf.
Inside front and back covers hold a table of abbreviations and icons found
throughout the book, and an index map of the counties of West Virginia.

The entire work is indexed on common names, current scientific names as
well as the scientific names used in the classic manual, Flora of West
Virginia by P. D. Strausbaugh and Earl L. Core (Seneca Books, Inc.,
Morgantown, WV, 1977).


Color-coded Sections include:

      *

        Checklist by Division, Class, Family and Scientific Name
      *

        Checklist by Scientific Name
      *

        Exotic and Introduced Taxa Not Confirmed as Naturalized
      *

        Reported Taxa Not Documented as Part of the Flora
      *

        Taxa Excluded From the Checklist
      *

        Atlas of the Native and Naturalized Vascular Flora
      *

        Atlas of Exotic and Introduced Taxa Not Confirmed as Naturalized



Cost: $20 each, including shipping and applicable taxes


To get your copy send check (Made to WVDNR) with order to:


Checklist and Atlas of the Vascular Flora of WV

Wildlife Diversity Program, Natural Heritage Group

West Virginia Division of Natural Resources

P. O. Box 67, Ward Road

Elkins, WV 26241



VISA, MASTERCARD & DISCOVER ACCEPTED


Or contact:


Janet Iseli

304.637.0245

janetiseli@...

Order Form


Checklist and Atlas of the Vascular Flora of West Virginia


_________ copies @ $20 each $ _______________ USD


VISA, MASTERCARD & DISCOVER ACCEPTED


Card Number______________________


Expiration Date____________________


3 digit security code on back of card ________



Name_________________________________________________________


Address______________________________________________________


City______________________________________ State___________


Zip code____________________


Telephone ___________________________________

Message regarding New website for interactive identification keys
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/catoctinmnps/message/33
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Another talk at Green Spring Gardens - Doug Tallamy - on Feb. 25 - "A PLEA
FOR NATIVE PLANTS" http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vnps-pot/message/1791

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From Julie Moore:

The Rise of Invasive Ornamentals:  Plant Collecting and Landscape
Traditions
                                presented by
                John Peter Thompson, Chairman and President,
                        The Behnke Nurseries Company
                    Thursday, March 8, 2007 at 7:30 p.m.

             The Rise of Invasive Ornamentals will be the topic of the March
8 meeting of the Potowmack Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society.
John Peter Thompson will discuss plant collecting and landscape
traditions. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. at Green Spring Gardens in
Alexandria.  The public is invited and admission is FREE.

                 Thompson is the Chairman and President of The Behnke
Nurseries Company in Maryland.  His distinguished credentials include
Secretary of the National Invasive Species Council Advisory Committee and
Vice-President of the Maryland Green Industries Council.  He served
recently as the President of the Maryland Nursery & Landscape Association
and also of the Mid- Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council.
   .
             Green Spring Gardens is located at 4603 Green Spring Road in
Alexandria, Va.  Directions: From I-395, Exit 3B (Little River Turnpike
West), go 1.25 miles, turn right onto Braddock Road, go 0.2 miles, and
turn
right onto Witch Hazel Drive.  From I-495, Exit 52B (Little River Turnpike
East), go 3.5 miles, turn left onto Braddock Road, go 0.2 miles, and turn
right onto Witch Hazel Drive.  For additional information, call
703-534-8179.
________________________________________________________________________________\
__________
CONTACT:    Susan Jewell (703) 913-0139, naturewrite@...

Botanical Society of Washington

FIELD TRIPS:  Our 2007 field season opens with the Societys two annual
spring field trips to Bear Island, in the Potomac Gorge on the Maryland
side of the river.  As usual, Dan Nicolson (Smithsonian) has offered to
lead participants along a route including roadsides, towpath edges, and
the rocky, riparian, and alluvial habitats of Bear Island, at times on
portions of the rugged Billy Goat Trail.  We will seek and note species in
flower (woody and herbaceous), and compare our lists with those from
previous years.  For the year 2000 list, see:
http://www.botsoc.org/bearislandlist.pdf.

For either trip, meet promptly at 9:30 am in the parking lots across from
the Old Anglers Inn, 10801 MacArthur Blvd., between the Beltway and Great
Falls, Maryland.  Do not park in the private lot at the Inn itself!  (This
area is also easily reached by taking the Clara Barton Parkway upstream
from Washington to its end, then turning left onto MacArthur Blvd. and
continuing to the Old Anglers Inn.)  Bring lunch and water; and wear
mud-tolerant shoes also suitable for rocky terrain.  We expect to return
to the parking area about 2:00 pm either day.

First trip  Saturday, March 31st, 9:30 am, Bear Island, Montgomery Co.,
Md., details above.

Second trip  Saturday, April 6th, 9:30 am, Bear Island, details above.

Additional 2007 field trips  The BSW expects to offer 3-5 additional local
field trips this season, including a short-distance, easy-going,
everybody-welcome fall trip appropriate for old-timers, little kids, and
others who dont (or cant) join the longer walks and more rugged terrain
characteristic of most of our botanical destinations.

For our customary annual weekend excursion to a more distant area within
our region, we are considering southeastern Virginia, but dates,
destinations, and other details have not yet been worked out.

Larry Morse, BSW Field Trip Chair, 2007
larry.e.morse@...
(202)-543-2488

The first two fieldtrips of the season will be to Bear Island on Saturdays
March 31 and April 7 (not April 6). Further fieldtrip information is
online at: http://www.botsoc.org/bsw2007trips.pdf

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Announcement of Botanical Research Associate Position at NatureServe
http://lists.plantconservation.org/pipermail/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org/20\
07-February/000817.html

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Next BSW meeting: March 6 7pm.
Speaker: Nan Vance

      Research Plant Physiologist, emeritus
      USDA Forest Service, Corvallis Oregon

Topic: Empty Promises and Tasty Treats:

      Pollination Ecology of Mountain Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium montanum)
and Brown's Peony (Paeonia brownii)

Meeting details and flyer for posting are on webpage.  Flyer is here:
http://www.botsoc.org/mar07.pdf

Larry Klotz asked me to pass along this notice to BSW members.

An invitation to the 2007 annual Joint Field Meeting of the
Botanical Society of America -- Northeastern Section,
Torrey Botanical Society, and Philadelphia Botanical Club:


The 2007 Joint Botanical Field Meeting will meet on the campus of Davis
and Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia, from Sunday, June 17 to
Thursday, June 21. Our program will include three all-day field trips plus
four evening lectures on pertinent topics.


Elkins is a gateway to the high Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia. Much
of this magnificent, scenic region is conserved within the Monongahela
National Forest. Our field trips will visit Canaan Valley State Park,
Dolly Sods Wilderness Area, and other interesting botanical sites. Canaan
(pronounced kin-naine) is a high, cool valley at about 3000 ft. above sea
level, with an average growing season of less than 100 days. It supports a
varied flora, with plants such as balsam fir (Abies balsamea) and
bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) growing near the southern extreme of their
range. Dolly Sods features spectacular rock outcrops in addition to its
remarkable flora. We will examine some of the characteristic plant
communities of this part of West Virginia, including spruce forests, heath
barrens, and sphagnum glades. There will be plenty of ferns and fern
allies, and this should be the blooming time for several native orchids.
If you visited the area before, come back and see how your favorite plants
are surviving in the 21st century!


The price for the meeting is $250 based on double-occupancy. It includes
lodging for 4 nights, 4 breakfasts, box lunches on 3 field trips, and 4
dinners, including our traditional Wednesday night banquet. Our lodging
accommodation is a college dormitory with double-occupancy rooms (two twin
beds) and communal bathrooms. A few single-occupancy accommodations are
also possible ($290), and reduced rates are available for commuters ($55
or $185).

For further information or a registration form please contact:
Larry Klotz, chairperson
lhklot@...
717-477-1402

Hello Friends,

This is a notice to everyone that the 8th Parkfairfax Native Plant Sale
will be held in eight weeks on Saturday, April 28, from 9 a.m. to 2
p.m.!

The new flyer for the sale has been posted to the Parkfairfax native
plant sale website at http://home.earthlink.net/~sknudsen/

The website is still in the process of being updated, and additional
information will be posted to it in advance of the April sale.

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS!  For each of these sales, about eight volunteers
are needed to help the sale run smoothly.  If you would like to help
out for a few hours, either at the start of the sale, from 8:30am to
11:30am, or at the end, from 11:30am to 2:30pm, please call me at
703-671-8416 or send an email to sknudsen@... .

Regards,

Scott Knudsen
Sale Organizer
Parkfairfax Native Plant Sale
website:  http://home.earthlink.net/~sknudsen/

703-671-8416
sknudsen@...

---------------------
PARKFAIRFAX NATIVE PLANT SALE
Saturday, April 28, 2006 -- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
3601 Valley Drive, Alexandria, Virginia  22302

Twelve vendors will be at the Parkfairfax sale, making it the second of
our largest events!  Several of the vendors carry native trees and
shrubs as well as perennials, and several vendors specialize in some
aspect of native plants, such as fruiting shrubs, wetland plants, or
native azaleas.  A few do not come to our local area for any other
plant sale.  The full list of vendors will be available as a
downloadable list on the sale website soon.  (The list from the
previous sale is currently available.)

Directions:  Parkfairfax is located in the Washington DC metro area
within the I-495 Beltway, in northwest Alexandria directly across I-395
from Shirlington.  From I-395, exit Shirlington/Quaker onto Quaker
Lane.  At the first light on Quaker, turn left onto Preston. Follow
Preston to Valley and continue past Gunston Road.  The sale will be in
the long parking lot on the right.  Maps and directions are available
on the sale website.

Please pass this email along to your interested friends.  This sale
depends entirely on word-of-mouth support.  Thank you for helping to
spread the word!

Date: Tuesday, March 6th 7:00 PM

Speaker: Nan Vance

      Research Plant Physiologist, emeritus
      USDA Forest Service, Corvallis Oregon

Topic: Empty Promises and Tasty Treats:

      Pollination Ecology of Mountain Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium montanum)
and Brown's Peony (Paeonia brownii)

Meeting location: Cathy Kerby Room (Room CE-340), third floor of the East
Court building Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History
10th St. and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC. Use the Constitution
Avenue entrance; wait to be escorted up. As usual, light refreshments will
be served prior to and after the presentation.

Pre-meeting dinner: 5:30 P.M. at the Elephant & Castle Pub and Restaurant,
1201 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington. Reservation under BSW. Phone
202-347-7707. The restaurant is diagonally across from the Old Post Office
Pavilion at 12th and Penn., a few blocks from the Museum, with Federal
Triangle the nearest Metro station, and Metro Center also nearby.



Archives of past announcements always available at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/botsoc/

Debbie Bell asked that this announcement be forwarded to the BSW list.


Here is an announcement of a position  to assist with fieldwork for a
study of invasive species & white-tailed deer interactive effects on
native plant diversity in the local area.  Questions about the position
can be addressed to Norm Bourg, bourgn@..., but application materials
should be sent to Dr. McShea as listed in the announcement.

Intern - Plant ecology

Position available to assist botanist in resurvey of herbaceous and woody
plants within multiple plots that differ in their abundance of invasive
species and deer herbivory. Work is part of a multi-year National Park
Service and Smithsonian Institution-sponsored study of the interactive
effects of white-tailed deer and invasive plants on native plant diversity
in Great Falls National Park, MD-VA and the Conservation and Research
Center, Front Royal, VA, both located in Greater Washington DC Metro area.
Internship will entail extensive time in field and data entry on rainy
days. Need biology background and working knowledge of plant
identification for eastern deciduous forests. Start about May 15 for 3
months. Stipend of $1000/month, plus possibility of free housing. Send
resume, copy of transcript, and contact information for references to
mcsheaw@... by March 15.

Next Meeting: April 3, 7 PM
Speaker: Mauricio Bonifacino (post doc at SI)
from University of Uruguay.

Topic: Journey to the Southern End of the World:
a Botanical perspective

Flyer for posting is at: http://botsoc.org/apr07.pdf

(Flyer says there is an abstract on the webpage. However - it's not there
yet, but it will be coming.)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Fieldtrips: March 31 and April 7 - Annual trips to Bear Island.  Details
at: http://www.botsoc.org/bsw2007trips.pdf

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bioblitz - Noon on Friday, May 18, 2007 until Noon on Saturday, May 19,
2007 at the Rock Creek Park Nature Center
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/conservation/bioblitz/

Related family program at NGS on May 5
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/nglive/washington/s2007/family/billyb.html

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Friends of NCTC Rachel Carson Online Book Club

   http://www.fws.gov/rachelcarson/
http://rcbookclub.blogspot.com/

April 3 meeting details at:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/botsoc/message/150
Mauricio Bonifacino's topic will be:
Journey to the Southern end of the world: a botanical perspective

The Southern South American biota has since the very beginning of the
evolutionary thought attracted scientists from all over the world. Stretching
through more than 5000 km of latitude, a vast array of topographical forms,
including most notably the Andes Mountain Range (the longest mountain range in
the world) harbor a cliché of vegetation types and myriads of unique plant
forms. Among these plants, Sunflower family (Asteraceae) is of particular
interest, given the fact that the most primitive lineages are almost entirely
restricted to this amazing patch of land. The objective of the talk is to
briefly characterize the main vegetation types of SSA commenting on its
physiognomy as well as its defining taxa.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

VNPS Ivy Pull Saturday, March 24 on Russell Road in ALexandria
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vnps-pot/message/1809

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Trips to Bear Island on Saturdays March 31 and April 7
Details at: http://www.botsoc.org/bsw2007trips.pdf

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

BSW Field Trip:  Saturday afternoon, April 28th, 2007, 1:00 pm, Snyder's
Landing, C&O Canal, near Sharpsburg/Antietam, Washington Co., Md.
Limestone cliffs and talus, canal bed, Potomac riparian corridor.  Easy
walking on towpath, but brief off-trail ventures with mud and possibly
some rockscrambling needed to see limestone plants up close.  Details,
directions, etc., to follow.  Dinner group in nearby Shepherdstown
(pizza?) for those interested afterwards.

Jamie Whitacre asked me to forward this to the BSW list.


DC Ethnobotanists Monthly Meeting
Saturday, March 24; 3:00 pm
Hosted by the United States Botanic Garden

Inside the Medicinal Plant Garden at the U.S. Botanic
Garden -Nathan Bartholomew

Learn about the different aspects of designing,
developing, and maintaining the USBG medicinal plant
garden and the process for selecting the various
medicinal and therapeutic plants on display.

DC Ethnobotanists is a new local group comprised of
professionals and students living in the Washington
region who are interested in the interactions and
relationships between people and plants. Check out
our new blog for group news and related local events:
http://www.dc-ethnobotanists.blogspot.com


The U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) is located on the
National Mall at the base of the U.S. Capitol
Building. The meeting will be held in the USBG
Conservatory classroom (on the left side of the main
entrance). Parking in front of the conservatory is
free on weekends.  Federal Center SW is the nearest
Metro station.


RSVP to Jamie Whitacre (202) 230-8447 or
jamie_s_whitacre@...