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RHODORA, Vol. No. 100, 901, 92-95, 1998 pp. NEBC MEETING NEWS November Arnold Arbo return spoke on "New the topic Plants Yankee Soils—An in Ab- breviated History of Plant Introduction from Eastern Asia." Steve began with an overview of the floristic diversity and complexity of eastern Asia. China, while roughly same the size as the con- tinental U.S. and same the at latitudes, contains three times the diversity of vascular plants, with a reported flora of over 30,000 eastern eastern North America and were rediscovered independently by Asa Gray a century later. eastern Asian now cultivated North America— in a history influenced by relig- ion, and commerce politics, more than by science. Introductions from eastern Asia began when in the 750s, the 1 11 • m « +U .-i. La mm i• mport mis sionaries, allowed to establish a mission in Beijing, back sent presum Wars China's treaty opened ports to foreigners, the Horticultural So- London ciety of sent Robert Fortune to seek — botanical novelties. Although limited cu;***^ -i— a to the treatv nnrt« *r»H - me i^puiiMuic lor introduction of numerous Chrysanthemum, Camellia. ™ri nennip.c tu<* , ornamentals Hydrangea van a an responsible for collecting a tremendous number of Japanese plants despite being confined to the Dutch trading on settlement the island of Deshima. With George Rodgers Hall, a Harvard- d Malus floribunda, Rose Magnolia Wis sieboldii. floribunda Rhode Taxus The British nurseryman, James Veitch, began send to collector China to in the late 1800s, most successfully Ernest Wilson Wil son was the first to collect live material of Davidia involucran on and, second his expedition, Meconopsis integrifolia. Charle: 92 NEBC News Meeting 93 1998] Mains Sargent Japan 1892 and successfully introduced visited in Prunus and Rhododendron kaempferi. In sargentii, sargentii, Wil Wil Magnol Kolkwitzi Wilson though adventure resulted in his being the only botanist this known Metaseqi Asian introduction eastern is Mer Arnold Merrill Nixon essentially became closed to foreigners again until after The continues was and collaboration Expedition held 1980, this in Flora China. with preparation of the of first December Banks spoke on "Sixty Years with Harlan 1997. Dr. more 60- than review of Devonian an enthusiastic his Plants," Devonian. of year-long romance with the early vascular plants the Club on a whirlwind tour During Banks took the the evening, Dr. have contributed to and plants that of the people, places, fossil land plant record. our understanding of the early current and remarkable evo- The underwent a rapid early land plants 400 350 million years from period to lutionary radiation in the Devonian- the ago, and developed two major lineages early in terminal work has contributed to primary Banks's Zosterophyllopsida. Dr. particul These sporangia unbranched vascular strands, simple leaves with single, structure much Lycopodium selago. and probably looked like and Dr. view of diversity, The plants provide a fascinating o shared the thrill oodexylon (forme taxa from Gas- Sawdonia, the falcate leaves with broad deltoid bases; on have stomates the demonstrated to pe, the of these plants first and stems; of the on the sides leaves and sooraneia borne directly 94 Rhodora 100 [Vol. Wyoming from Devonian the of The terminal sporaneia. arthropod similar to those that result from modern chewing or sucking in- and sects, the earliest record of a spider based on fossil material trapped in the leaves of Leclerqia. January 1998. Ten members w )lorations throughout the Bruce Peninsula of Ontario to a spectacular marl bog near Lake Huron, where Pinguicula covers George acres. also pursued Sarracenia Okefenokee in the Swamp, despite the occasional hazards of and water alligators Don moccasins. Lubin no traveled further than his yard in All- where he more Don ston, cultivates than 30 species of ferns. brought grown from mem- ferns spores to share with other Club and members bers, invited to visit his garden summer ever if New New returns England. David Hunt to confined his travels to York state, but visited numerous unusual and unique communities in the Adirondacks and oak The coastal forests. sloping acidic which fens support alpine sedges and sphagnums, rare although below were perhaps most treeline, the intriguing of these communities. Paul Somers shared slides of the Club's June and Sep- tember and field trips, unusual plants from the southern Aooala- Weatherbee visited southern limestone and outcrons. rich \ flexipes vatum, and Collinsia verna. The western United Stat* model species and new habitats a map species richness prepared for Utah. Field investigation of one locality predicted to contain rare model worked even better than an team Standley shared slides of the colorful flora of the East Moj National Preserve in California, including Joshua and trees Mojave mound spectacular cactus. Three Club members traveled even further Dorothy afield. x drews traveled up the Rio Negro from Manaus, observing lif< and along the river. Unfortunately, Dorothy's coincided trip v r»cni^ an unusual Drolon^ed drought whi^h ;„ «~... #•«.„, NEBC News Meeting 95 1998] and complete absence of howler or birds along the a fruits, river, monkeys. Ray Angelo Singapore Botanical Gardens, visited the Ray kapok and demonstrat- encountering orchids, also trees, figs. ed that he had successfully eaten durians. Barre Hellquist shared opium pictures from his sabbatical in Australia, including the vast "Wol- of Tasmania. Barre focused on the newly discovered fields known from lemi Pine," a species of Araucaria formerly only Wollemi and found occur the the record, recently to in fossil 38 Park of Sydney, with a population of only National north individuals. Adams February of North State Col- 1998. Barre Hellquist, spoke on "Aquatic Plants of Australian Billabongs, Gilgais, lege, 6-month from sab- and Backwaters." Barre recently returned a Gardens Sydney, where he Royal Botanical in batical the at aire genus of (mostly) sub- on Aponogeton, a focused Australia in and un- leaves small, merged with broad, linear aquatics tropical arre known 4 native species intc by turning the tralian flora by seed characte some of which are distinguished only wetlands of northern Australia (the t through travels the companions saw an and and various Barre gilgais), i which has very macrosperma, Nymphaea number of species: only the and which have and atrans, immutabilis, night-bloomer; violacea, a and white inner petals; ellenii, blue or lavender outer petals vary whose populations dwarf and gigantea, white flower; rubra; Nymphaea and deep purple. pink from in flower color lilac to blue sequence, initially color undergo spectacular atrans flowers a and white, aging to a deep pink. Barre of aquatics. wide diversity supports a Tropical Australia Nymphoides, of members numerous species introduced Club to member Alismata- of the some Caldesia, a with yellow flowers; mimic and that mimic fruits water-lilies ceae with leaves that genus related to purple-flowered Trapa; Monochorea, a lovely Hydrochantaceae, member showy of the Pontederia; a Ottelia, Val- Eriocaulon, more genera Utricularia, as well as the familiar Limo- Vallisneria), (some species look like Triglochin lisneria, Potamogeton. and, of course, sella, Recording Secretary Lisa A. Standley,