Table Of Content

INTRODUCING A NEW EDITOR With this issue, Selbyana has a new editor, ical plants to the journal and will serve on the Wesley E. Higgins, Director of Systematics and Editorial Board along with past Selbyana editors Jessie B. Cox Chair in Tropical Botany at the Margaret D. Lowman (1992-1999) and Nalini Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. In 1994, during Nadkami (1989-1992), both of whom are Sel graduate school at the University of Florida, he byana authors. The founding editor, Carlyle A. served an internship at Selby Gardens and then Luer, M.D. (1975-1982), currently serves on the returned in 2000 to join the staff of the Research Selby Gardens Board of Trustees and contributes and Conservation Department. Dr. Higgins pre orchid articles to the journal. viously served on the Selbyana Editorial Board Wesley Higgins joins a succession of Selby and contributes orchid articles to the journal. Bruce K. Holst, editor of Selbyana 1999- ana editors committed to publishing research on 2003, is Director of Plant Collections and Sci tropical plants with emphasis on epiphytes and entific Publications in the R&C Department at their forest canopy habitat. Selby Gardens. He contributes articles on trop- . -Barry W. Walsh, Managing Editor MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR In beginning my tenure as editor of Selbyana, and educational programs such as internships. I wish to thank the outgoing editor Bruce Holst Emphasis is placed on the training of interns for his five years of dedicated work. His efforts from the tropics, and many Selby Gardens in have set a high standard of scientific journalism, terns have gone on to become leaders in their and I aim to follow that example. My goal is to home countries. Selbyana advances the Selby continue to present a variety of original research Gardens mission by publishing scientific articles articles on tropical plants with the emphasis on based on fieldwork and research, especially on epiphytes and their forest canopy habitat. This epiphytic plants. emphasis coincides with the research and con The editorial staff of Selbyana works with au servation centers in operation at the Marie Selby thors to strengthen their manuscripts by means of a peer-review process (see Editorial) and by Botanical Gardens, which feature orchids, bro assistance in complying with the journal's style. meliads, gesneriads, and canopy ecology. Selbyana thus provides an invaluable service to This issue introduces a new Book Review col scientists around the world and especially to umn that will critique books on botanical and those in the tropics. The value of maintaining a ecological topics likely to be of interest to Sel scientific journal cannot be overstated in this byana readers. Future issues will introduce col time of increases in printing costs and reductions umns on current research and conservation work in the number of botanical journals. My objec conducted by the Orchid Identification Center tive, as editor, is to reach out to fill the void (OIC), established at Selby Gardens in 1975, caused by the loss of journals such as Lindley and the Mulford B. Foster Bromeliad Identifi ana and to maintain the reputation of Selby Gar cation Center (BIC), established at Selby Gar dens as a specialist in the research and conser dens in 1979. vation of tropical epiphytic plants and their for The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a pri est ecosystems. Authors from around the world vatenonprofit research institution. As such, our are invited to submit manuscripts on appropriate mission is to conduct botanical and ecological topics. investigations and to communicate findings to the public through publications, lecture series, -W.E. Higgins ii