Palmetto Vol. 24(3)

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EncyclopediaofLife Launched

Maymarkedthelaunchofthe EncyclopediaofLife (EOL),anunprecedented efforttodocumentall1.8millionnamed speciesofanimals,plants,andother formsoflifeonEarth.TheEncyclopedia willgivescientists,students,andcitizens multi-mediaaccesstoallinformationonall knownlivingspecies,eventhosethathave justbeendiscovered.

TheFieldMuseumofNaturalHistory, HarvardUniversity,MarineBiologicalLaboratory, SmithsonianInstitution,andBiodiversityHeritage Libraryjoinedtogethertoinitiatetheproject.The MissouriBotanicalGardenhasalsobecomeafull partner,andaninternationaladvisoryboardofdistinguishedindividualswillhelpguidetheEncyclopedia.

“TheEncyclopediaofLife willprovidevaluable biodiversityandconservationinformationtoanyone, anywhere,atanytime,”saidDr.JamesEdwards, EOLExecutiveDirector.“Throughcollaboration,we allcanincreaseourappreciationoftheimmense varietyoflife,thechallengestoit,andwaysto conservebiodiversity.”

Overthenext10years,EOLwillgenerate Internetpagesforallcurrentlynamedspecies, andwillexpeditetheclassificationofthemillions ofspeciesyettobediscoveredandcatalogued. Pageswillincludewritteninformationaswellas photographs,video,soundclips,locationmaps, andotheravailablemultimediamaterials.

SignuptodayfortheFNPSMember’sRetreat

Whileinitialworkwillemphasizespecies ofanimals,plants,andfungi,thedesigncan beextendedtoencompassmicrobiallife. Toprovidedepthbehindtheportalpagefor eachspecies,theBiodiversityHeritageLibrary (BHL),aconsortiumthatholdsmostoftherelevant scientificliterature,willscananddigitizetens ofmillionsofpagesofthescientificliterature thatwillofferopenaccesstodetailedknowledge. “Idreamthatinafewyearswherevera referencetoaspeciesoccursontheInternet, therewillbeahyperlinktoitspageinthe EncyclopediaofLife,”concludedEdwards. Toviewsamplepages,visitwww.eol.org andclickthe“DemonstrationPages”link.

Source:http://www.eol.org/resources.html

PineLakeRetreatnearClermont,FloridawillhosttheFlorida NativePlantSocietyMember’sRetreatonOctober5–7,2007.Join FNPSmembersfromaroundthestateforanopportunitytomingle, learn,andenjoyfieldtripsshowcasingecosystemsofCentralFlorida.

MembersandChapterofficerswillhaveanopportunityto participateinanAdvocacyWorkshopandaChapterSuccessStories andResourcesWorkshop.Funactivitieswillincludehiking,paddling, workshops,guestspeakers,naturecraftsandfamilyprograms. Thecostis$60pluslodging($10to$40pernightdepending onlodginglocation).

ContactKarinaVeaudryatexecutivedirector@fnps.org or 407.895.8446ifyouwouldliketosignuporassistwiththeretreat. ForinformationaboutPineLakeRetreat,visittheirwebsite atwww.pinelakeretreat.com

Palmetto isinneedofarticlesonnativeplantspecies andrelatedconservationtopics,aswellashigh-qualitybotanical illustrationsandphotographs.Contacttheeditorforguidelines, deadlinesandotherinformationatpucpuggy@bellsouth.net,orvisit www.fnps.org andfollowthelinkstoPublications/Palmetto.

ThepurposeoftheFloridaNative PlantSociety istopreserve,conserve, andrestorethenativeplantsandnative plantcommunitiesofFlorida.

Officialdefinitionofnativeplant: Formostpurposes,thephrase Florida nativeplant referstothosespecies occurringwithinthestateboundariesprior toEuropeancontact,accordingtothebest availablescientificandhistoricaldocumentation.Morespecifically,itincludesthose speciesunderstoodasindigenous,occurringinnaturalassociationsinhabitatsthat existedpriortosignificanthumanimpacts andalterationsofthelandscape.

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Palmetto

Features

4ANewMethodofPropagationfor Ziziphuscelata

Laboratorytechniquescanbeusedtoaidintherecoveryeffortsof manyendangeredplantspecies.ResearchesattheUniversityofFlorida explorethepossibilitieswith Ziziphuscelata,anextremelyrarespecies endemictotheLakeWalesRidge.

8LaurelWilt:ASeriousThreattoRedbay andOtherRelatedNativePlants

Laurelwilthasresultedinepidemiclevelsofredbaymortalityin severalstates,includingFlorida.Learnabouttheinsectvectorthat distributesapreviouslyundescribedvascularfungustoredbaysapwood.

12Fox-tailMillets–BristlyFoods

Regardlessofwhetheryoucalltheplantsbristle-grasses,fox-tails,millets orfox-tailmillets,rememberthattheseedsareediblewhenyouseeany ofFlorida’s4nativeand10introduced Setaria.Dr.DanAustinshares hisknowledgeofthese“bristlyfoods”includinghowtheytaste.

Images,toptobottom:Ziziphuscelata– photobyShirleyDenton.Xyleborusglabratus– photobyMichaelC.Thomas. Setariamacrosperma– drawingbyEdnaMayWhitehorn

ThePalmetto (ISSN0276-4164)Copyright2007,FloridaNativePlantSociety,allrightsreserved.Nopartofthecontentsofthismagazinemaybereproducedby anymeanswithoutwrittenconsentoftheeditor. ThePalmetto ispublishedfourtimesayearbytheFloridaNativePlantSociety(FNPS)asabenefittomembers. Theobservationsandopinionsexpressedinattributedcolumnsandarticlesarethoseoftherespectiveauthorsandshouldnotbeinterpretedasrepresentingtheofficial viewsoftheFloridaNativePlantSocietyortheeditor,exceptwhereotherwisestated.

EditorialContent: Wehaveacontinuinginterestinarticlesonspecificnativeplantspeciesandrelatedconservationtopics,aswellashigh-qualitybotanical illustrationsandphotographs.Contacttheeditorforsubmittalguidelines,deadlinesandotherinformation.

Editor: MarjorieShropshire,VisualKeyCreative,Inc. ● pucpuggy@bellsouth.net

Departments

2FNPSNewsandAnnouncements 16FNPSChapters

ONTHECOVER:

Laurelwilthasresultedinepidemiclevels ofredbaymortalityinavarietyofhabitats, includinghardwoodhammocks. PhotobyAlbert(Bud)Mayfield,Florida DepartmentofAgricultureandConsumer Services,www.forestryimages.org

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M.E.Kane

Environmental HorticultureDepartment

UniversityofFlorida, Gainesville

Abouttheauthors

Dr.MichaelKane,Professor andAssistantChairof EnvironmentalHorticulture attheUniversityofFlorida, isdirectorofthePlant Restoration,Conservation andPropagationProgram. Hisresearchinvolvesapplication ofeco-physiological,genetic diversity,and invitro propagationtechniques forthereintroduction ofnativeplants.

ChristineWiesereceived aBachelorofSciencein PublicHorticulturefrom PurdueUniversityin1999 andcompletedaMaster ofScienceinEnvironmental HorticulturefromtheUniversity ofFloridain2002.Sheisa biologistintheEnvironmental Horticulturedepartmentatthe UniversityofFlorida.She remainsinterestedinFlorida’s nativeplantsandiscurrently amemberoftheFlorida NativePlantSociety,Paynes PrairieChapter.

ANewMethod ofPropagation for Ziziphuscelata (Floridaziziphus), aFloridaEndangered Species

Ziziphuscelata photos(aboveandright)byShirleyDenton

Floridaziziphus(Ziziphuscelata JuddandD.Hall)is afederallyendangeredshrubfoundonlyintwocountiesin centralFlorida(USFWS,1999;Weekleyetal.,1999).This deciduousshrubgrowsto2mtallandproducessolitaryand axillaryflowersbearinggreenishsepalsandfivewhitepetals (Delaney etal.,1989;JuddandHall,1984;Weekley etal., 1999).Leavesarealternate,oblong-ellipticaltoslightlyovate andlessthan25mmlong(JuddandHall,1984).Fruitsare ellipsoiddrupesof10-20mminlengthandturnyellowish whenripe(Delaney etal.,1989;Weekley etal.,1999).[Fig.1]

Floridaziziphusisoneofanincreasingnumberofrare plantspeciesfoundonlyalongtheLakeWalesRidge.The LakeWalesRidgeisaremnantsandbarisolatedbywater fromwhatisnowtheUnitedStateslandmassduringthe Pleistoceneage(Myers,1990;Webb,1990).Duetoitsisolation,uniqueecosystemshavedevelopedalongthissandy ridge.TheLakeWalesRidgeiscomprisedofmostlyhigh pineecosystemsincludingsandpinescrub(Myers,1990).

Floridaziziphusisfoundinthesouthernportionofthe LakeWalesRidgeinamatrixofhighpineandsandpine scrubecosystems(USFWS,1999;Weekley etal.,1999).

Floridaziziphusmayhaveasignificantecologicalroleinthehighpineandsandpine scrubcommunity.Rabbitshavebeenobservedeatingfallenfruits,whichmayalsobeafood sourceforgophertortoisesandsmallrodents.Evidenceofherbivoryhasbeenseenonstems andleaves,whichalsoactascoverforsmallanimalsandbirds(T.Race,Curatorof EndangeredPlants,HistoricBokSanctuary,personalcommunication,2000;USFWS,1999).

Floridaziziphuspopulationshavebeenreducedtojustfivesitesmostofwhichconsistof onlyafewindividuals(USFWS,1999;Weekley etal.,1999).Mostindividualsinthewilddo notproduceviableseedandpopulationsaregeneticallyisolated(Godt etal.,1997).Genetic analysesusingbothallozymeelectrophoresisandRAPDStechniquesindicatedthatfourofthe fiveFloridaziziphuspopulationsconsistofasinglegenotypewhilethefifthpopulationconsists ofsevengenotypes(Godt etal.,1997;C.Weekley,ArchboldBiologicalStation,personal communication,2001).BreedingstudiesconductedatHistoricBokSanctuary,usingplants propagatedfromrootcuttings,indicatethatFloridaziziphusisself-incompatibleandcrossing withinagenotypedoesnotoccur(Burkhardt etal.,1997).

ManagementtasksarecurrentlyundertakenbystaffatHistoricBokSanctuary(LakeWales, FL)andArchboldBiologicalStation(LakePlacid,FL)tokeepwildpopulationsfromdeclining further(Weekley etal.,1999).However,inorderforstablepopulationstoberestored,sexually reproducingpopulationsmustbeestablished.Cross-compatiblegenotypesmustbeestablished withinpopulations.Currentlyhowever,theonlymethodforpropagatingaspecificgenotypeof Floridaziziphusisbyrootcutting,whichisdestructivetothedonorplant.Applicationofmore efficientpropagationmethodsneedstobeexplored.Onesuchmethodismicropropagation.

Micropropagationistherapid invitro productionofplantsonasteriledefinedculture mediumundercontrolledconditionsoflightandtemperature.Thistechnologyhasbeenapplied totheefficientproductionofmanyplantspecies.Onekeyadvantageisthatproductioncan

Floridaziziphus populationshave beenreducedto justfivesitesmost ofwhichconsist ofonlyafew individuals.
Fig.1– Mature Ziziphuscelata specimens, BokTowerGardens exsitu collection.

ANewMethodofPropagationfor Ziziphuscelata

beinitiatedfromverysmallpiecesofinitial plantmaterialwhichresultsinlittleorno damagetothedonorplantsandproduces plantletsthataregeneticallyidenticalto thedonorplant.Inthisstudyweexplored theuseofmicropropagationasapotential methodforgeneratingspecificgenotypes ofFloridaziziphusforuseinproducing sexuallyreproducingwildpopulations.

Successfulplantmicropropagation requirescompletionofseveralsuccessive stages(Stages0-IV)(Kane,2000b).Thefirst stage(Stage0)involvesselectingandpreparingthedonorplanttoincreasetheprobability

Glossary

Exsitu (“off-site”)conservation A conservationmethodwhichentails theactualremovalofgermplasm resources(seeds,pollen,sperm, individualorganisms)fromthe originalhabitatornatural environment.

Invitro (Latinfor"inglass")Living intesttubes,outsidetheorganism orinanartificialenvironment, typicallyinglassvesselsinwhich culturedcells,tissues,organsor wholeplantsmayreside.

Exvitro (Latinfor"fromglass") Organismsremovedfromtissue cultureandtransplanted;generally tosoilorpottingmixture.

Source: FoodandAgriculture Organizationofthe UnitedNations–Glossaryofbiotechnology andgeneticengineering www.fao.org/biotech/index_glossary.asp

weedextract).Plantgrowthregulatorsare frequentlyincorporatedintothemedium. Manyofthesegrowthsubstancesarenaturally producedbyplantsandpromotephysiologicalresponseslikeshootgrowthorroot growthwhenaddedtoculturemedia.

Wedevelopedprocedurestoestablish culturesof Z.celata usingsurfacesterilized nodalsectionsexcisedfromseedlingsgrown undergreenhouseconditions.InMarch, 2001,150seedsweregerminatedina soillesspottingmixandmaintainedunder greenhouseconditionsuntilseedlingshad producedapproximately10nodes.The

ofestablishmentinculture.Theplantmaterial usedtoestablishplantculturesvaries.Excised embryosorseedlingsareoftenusedbecause frequentlyitiseasiertoremovepotential bacterialandfungalcontaminantsfromthem thatcanaffectplantculturegrowth.With Ziziphuscelata,1-yearoldseedproducedin theHistoricBokSanctuaryCenterforPlant Conservation’s exsitu collectionofendangeredplantswereused.Seedswerecleaned oftheirfruit,driedandthenstoredinbrown paperbagsatroomtemperatureuntilexperimentationcommenced.[Fig.2]

Thenextmicropropagationstage(StageI) requiresestablishmentofaseptic(sterile) planttissueinculturevesselsonadefined medium.Theculturemediumusuallyconsistsofmineralsalts,vitamins,andsucrose. Mediaaretypicallygelledwithagar(asea

upper6-7nodeswereremovedfromeach seedlingandcutinto2-nodesections. Nodalsectionsweresurfacesterilizedin dilutebleach(1.5%sodiumhypochlorite), andthenrinsedthreetimesinsterilewater. Thenodalsectionswereplacedonasterile establishmentmediumconsistingofWoody PlantsMedium(WPM)mineralsaltsand vitamins(McCownandLloyd,1981), sucrose,supplementedwiththeplant growthregulatorbenzyladenine(BA)and solidifiedwith7g/LTCagar.

Shootproductionoccurredfromaxillary buds.TheseStageIcultureswereindexedfor thepresenceofbacterialandfungalcontaminantsusingLeifertandWaitessterilitytest medium(PhytotechnologyLaboratories, cat.#L476,ShawneeMission,KS)and proceduresasdescribedbyKane,(2000a).

Fig.2– Cleaned Ziziphuscelata seed.Scalebar=10mm.

Fig.3– StageIIshootproduction of Ziziphuscelata culturedonmedia supplementedwith0.25μMBAand 14.4μMGA3 after28daysculture.

After28days,indexedculturesdeterminedtobecontaminatedwerediscarded.

Thegoalofthenextmicropropagationstage(StageII)israpidclonalshoot multiplication.Consequently,toachieve this,aseriesofexperimentswereconductedtooptimizetheculturemedium, particularlythetypeandconcentration ofgrowthregulators,topromotemaximumshootproduction.Preliminary experimentsindicatedthat,compared toBA,theplantgrowthregulators2iP, kinetin,orzeatindidnotpromoteshoot production(datanotshown).However, thepresenceofBAaloneinthemedium promotedgrowthofveryshortshoots. Sincethegrowthregulatorgibberellic acid(GA3)typicallypromotesshoot elongation,effectsoflowerBAlevels (0,0.25,0.50,0.75,or1μM)withand withoutGA3 wereevaluated.Explants consistedofathreenodestemsegment. Theapicaltipofeachstemsegmentwas removedbeforebeingplacedhorizontallyonthemediumsurface.After28days, culturesweretransferredontofresh mediawithBAandGA3 atthesame concentrationsandcombinations.After 56days,shootnumberandshootlength wererecorded.

Establishmentofculturesusing nodalsectionsfromseedlingsprovedto

beanefficientmethodofcultureinitiation.Contaminationrateswerelowas basedoncultureindexingprocedures. Maximumshootproduction(8shoots /nodalsection)wasobservedonmediumcontaining0.5μMBAand15μM GA3.StageIIculturesconsistedof clustersofsmallaxillaryshoots.[Fig.3] Theseshootcultureswereseparated intoindividualunrootedshootscalled microcuttings.Thesemicrocuttingsare typicallyrootedincultureor,preferably, directlyundergreenhouseconditions.

Resultsofpreliminaryexperiments indicatedthatshootmicrocuttingsof Z.celata couldnotberooted exvitro (StageIV).Consequently,attemptswere madetoinducemicrocuttingrooting inculture(StageIII).Themedium componentsweremodifiedinan attempttoinducerootformation. Variousplantgrowthregulatorscalled auxinswereaddedtothemedium. Althoughafewrootedplantletswere infrequentlyobserved invitro [Fig.4], attemptstodefineamediumfor invitro rootingwereunsuccessful.Theseresults serveasthebasisforfutureresearch including invitro rootingbysubculturingmicrocuttingsontoamedium withoutgrowthregulatorsforseveral weekspriortotransferontorooting medium.Extremelyinfrequentrooting ofmicrocuttingsmaybeduetoa numberoffactors,includinggenetic factorsandshouldbeevaluatedfurther. Clearly,furtherexperimentationneeds tobecompletedtoestablishStageII rootingandStageIVacclimatization proceduresforthemicropropagation of Z.celata

Althoughveryhigh invitro shoot multiplicationrateswerenotachieved for Z.celata,theratesachievedonmediumsupplementedwiththe0.5μMBA (8-foldmonthlyincrease)wereacceptabletofulfilltheobjectivesofthisstudy. Massproductionofthespeciesonascale

requiredformosthorticultural oragronomiccropsisnotrequired. With Z.celata,allthatisrequiredis thatthegenerationofplantnumbers ofeachgenotypesufficientforrestoration projectswithlittleornodamage totheparentplant.

Fig.4– Ziziphuscelata microcuttingsvery rarelyrooted.Microcuttingshownrooted after56dayscultureinthepresenceof 5μMindolebutyricacid(IBA),aplant growthregulator.Scalebar=10mm.

Theseexperimentshaveprovided importantinformationaboutthe challengesandpotentialtopropagate Z.celata usingmicropropagationprocedures.Currently,therearelimitations usingthismethodduetodifficulties withrootingmicrocuttings.Uncertainties alsoremainregarding acclimatization proceduresoncemicrocuttingshave beenrooted.Currently,theonlymethod otherthanmicropropagationforpropagationofaspecificgenotypeof Z.celata neededforrestorationpurposesisby rootcutting.Takingrootcuttingsis destructivetothehostplantfrom whichtheyareremoved.Sincesofew individualsof Z.celata remain,root

LaurelWilt:A SeriousThreat toRedbayand OtherRelated NativePlants

Introduction

Likemanyotherecosystems,our nation’sforestsareincreasinglythreatenedbyinvasiveexoticinsectsand disease-causingpathogens.Toreadeven anabbreviatedlistofforesttreesthat havesustainedsubstantialnegative impactsduetothesenon-nativepestsis disheartening.Suchalistwouldinclude Americanchestnut(ravagedbychestnut blight),Americanelm(Dutchelmdisease),ash(emeraldashborer),American beech(beechbarkdisease),easternhemlock(hemlockwoolyadelgid),butternut (butternutcanker),floweringdogwood (dogwoodanthracnose),andwhitepine (whitepineblisterrust),tonameafew. Unfortunately,oneofthesoutherncoastal plain’smostcommon,attractive,and ecologicallyimportanttreespecieshas becomearecentadditiontothisgrowing listofnativetreesundersiegeby foreigninvaders.

Redbay(Perseaborbonia (L.) Spreng.),anaromatic,broadleaved evergreenfoundinwoodlandhammocks, onbluffsandcoastaldunes,andin residentiallandscapes(Nelson1994),

Figs.1and2 –Lateraland dorsalviewofadult Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoffbeetles. Theredbayambrosiabeetle (orRAB),anativeofAsia, wasfirstdetectedintheU.S. in2002.TheRABintroduces sporesofalethalwiltfungus intothesapwoodofredbays andotherhosttrees. Photos byMichaelC.Thomas,Florida DepartmentofAgriculture andConsumerServices, www.forestryimages.org

InitialDetectionof Xyleborusglabratus– May2002 Port Wentworth,GA

DistributionofCounties withLaurelWilt Disease* Symptoms, by Year ofInitial Detection

* Laurelwiltisafataldiseaseofredbay (Perseaborbonia)causedbyapreviously undescribedvascular wiltfungus(Raffaellea sp.) andassociatedwiththe attacks by the redbay ambrosiabeetle(Xyleborusglabratus).

Informationprovided by:

LaurieReid

BudMayfield

Updated April 13, 2007

Fig.3 –Countiesinwhichtreeswithlaurelwiltsymptomshavebeenobserved, byyearofinitialdetection,asofApril2007.

Fig.1Fig.2

isbeingseverelyimpactedbyanewdiseasecalledlaurelwilt. Laurelwiltiscausedbyapreviouslyundescribedvascular fungus(Raffaelea sp.)thatcolonizesthesapwoodofitshost tree,restrictingwaterflowandcausingthetreetowiltand die.ThisfungusisvectoredbyanAsianwood-boringinsect, theredbayambrosiabeetle(Xyleborusglabratus Eichhoff),or “RAB”.[Figs.1and2]TheRABwasfirstdetectedinasurvey trapatPortWentworth,Georgia(nearSavannah)in2002,but itsassociationwiththeunusualandexcessiveredbaymortalityoccurringinthatregionwasnotrecognizeduntillate2004 (Fraedrich etal. 2006).Sincethen,laurelwiltandassociated redbaymortalityhasbeendetectedinmorethan33counties inSouthCarolina,Georgia,andFlorida.Thedistributionof thislethaldiseaseislikelytocontinuetoexpand.[Fig.3]

Treesbecomeinfectedwiththelaurelwiltfunguswhen RABsboreintothesapwood.Ingeneral,ambrosiabeetlesare fungusfarmers:theycreatetunnelsinthewoodofhosttrees, inoculatethosetunnelswithfungalsporestheycarryontheir

Fig.4 –Treesdiseasedwithlaurelwiltinitiallyexhibitdroopingfoliage withareddishorpurplishdiscoloration.

Figs.5and6 –Treesaffectedbylaurelwiltexhibitadark,blackish staininthesapwood.

Fig.7– Asthetreediesfromfungalinfectionandiscolonizedbymore ambrosiabeetles,toothpick-liketubesorpilesoffinesawdustmaybe observedonthebark.

PhotosbyAlbert(Bud)Mayfield,FloridaDepartmentofAgricultureand ConsumerServices,www.forestryimages.org

bodies,andpropagatethefungusasfood.Mostnative ambrosiabeetlesarelimitedtodead,injured,orweakened trees(Wood1982)andgenerallyarenotknowntobedisease vectorsorpestsofhealthytrees.AsanexoticinsectinNorth America,however,theRABiscolonizingapparentlyhealthy redbaytreesinawidevarietyofhabitats,anditsassociated wiltfungusisfunctioningasanaggressiveplantpathogen. TheRABisoneofatleast25newspeciesofbarkandwoodboringbeetlespeciesintroducedintotheU.S.since1985, mostofwhicharebelievedtohavearrivedaccidentallyin untreatedsolidwoodpackingmaterial,suchascratesand palletsusedininternationaltrade(Haack2006).

Symptoms

Treesdiseasedwithlaurelwiltinitiallyexhibitdrooping foliagewithareddishorpurplishdiscoloration.[Fig4]This discolorationmayoccurinaportionthecrownatfirst,but graduallytheentirecrownwiltsandreddens.Thefoliage eventuallyturnsbrownandmayremainonthebranchesfor uptoayearormore.Stemcrosssectionsandremovalof barkfromwiltedtreesrevealsadark,blackishstaininthe sapwood.[Figs.5and6]Theextentofthisblackstaining (aresponseofthetreetothefungalinfection)varies dependingonhowlongthetreehasbeeninfected.

Intheearlystagesofdisease,anaffectedredbaymay notshowanyobvioussignsofambrosiabeetleattack,even thoughthetreehasalreadybeenattackedandinoculated withthewiltfungus.Presumably,veryfewRABsareneeded tosuccessfullyinoculatethetree;theseearlyattacksare inconspicuousandmayhappenonbranchesinthecrownor onthestem.Eventually,asthetreediesfromfungalinfection andiscolonizedbymoreambrosiabeetles,toothpick-like tubesorpilesoffinesawdustmaybeobservedonthebark. [Fig.7]ThisdustisproducedbytheRABandmultipleother speciesofambrosiabeetlesthatcolonizethedeadtree.

ImpactonRedbay

InareaswheretheRABhasbeenestablishedforseveral years,theimpactoflaurelwiltonpopulationsofmature redbaytreeshasbeendevastating.Inplotsmonitoredon FortGeorgeIsland,DuvalCounty,Florida,redbaymortality associatedwithlaurelwiltincreasedfrom10%to92%injust

Fig.4
Fig.5
Fig.7
Fig.6

Fig.8 –Leavesofredbayandother Persea speciesaretheprimary foodsourceforlarvaeofthepalamedesswallowtailbutterfly. PhotobyJohnnyN.Dell,Retired,www.forestryimages.org

15months,includingthedeathofallredbaysoverfourinches indiameter(A.E.MayfieldandJ.M.Eickwort,FloridaDACS, unpublisheddata).Similarlyhighlevelsofredbaymortality fromotherareasofcoastalSouthCarolinaandGeorgiahave beenreportedbystateforesthealthstaff(J.Johnson,Georgia ForestryCommission,andL.Reid,SouthCarolinaForestry Commission,personalcommunication).Interestingly,seedlingsizedredbaysappeartobelessaffectedbythedisease, presumablybecausetheyarenotasreadilycolonizedby theRAB.Whetherthiswillcontinuetobethecase,or whethertherewillbeanynaturaldiseaseresistancein matureredbaypopulations,remainstobeseen.

Althoughnotprizedforitstimber,redbayisaspecies ofnotableecological,cultural,andaestheticvalue.Redbay producesannualcropsofberry-likedrupesthatareeatenby songbirds,wildturkeys,quail,rodents,deer,andblackbear (Brendemuehl1990,Coder2006).Inadditiontoservingas winterbrowsefordeer,leavesof Persea speciesaretheprimary larvalfoodsourceforthepalamedesswallowtailbutterfly (Papiliopalamedes (Drury))(HallandButler2005).[Fig.8] Culturalusesofredbayhaveincludeditswoodfortrimon boatsandcabinets,itsleavesforflavoringteasandgumbos, andvariousplantpartsforthemedicinalpurposesofNative Americans(Coder2006).Althoughcommonlyasmalltomedium-sizedunderstorytree,redbaycanreach70feetinheight (Brendemuehl1990)andisanimportantshadetreeinsome

residentialneighborhoods,parks,andrecreationalareas.The visualimpactoflaurelwiltinaforestorneighborhoodwhere redbayisabundantisstriking.Althoughdifficulttoquantify, thelossesassociatedwithwidespreadmortalityofredbaydue tolaurelwiltarenumerousanddiverse.

OtherHostSpecies

Inadditiontocausingepidemiclevelsofredbaymortality, laurelwilthasalsobeenconfirmedinthefieldaffectingother speciesinthefamilyLauraceae,includingsassafrass(Sassafras albidum (Nuttall)Nees),pondspice(Litseaaestivalis (L.) Fernald),andtheendangeredpondberry(Linderamelissifolia (Walter)Blume)(Fraedrichetal.2006).Laboratorytestshave alsodemonstratedthepathogenicityofthewiltfunguson spicebush(Linderabenzoin (L.)Blume)andswampbay(Persea palustris (Raf.)Sarg.)(Fraedrichetal.2006).Inaddition,both theRABandthelaurelwiltpathogenhavebeenrecoveredfrom diseasedavocado(Perseaamericana Mill.)seedlingsplantednear Jacksonvilleformonitoringpurposes.Whattheimpactoflaurel wiltwillbeontheseandotherLauraceousspeciesisuncertain, butthegrowinglistofhostsseemstowarrantconcernforother membersofthisimportantanddiverseplantfamily.

Management

Unfortunately,managementoptionsforlaurelwiltare verylimited,andatthistimetherearenostrategiesthathave actuallybeendemonstratedaseffectiveinpreventingorreducingdiseaseimpact.Thefollowingaresuggestedaspotential managementtactics,basedonapproachesemployedforsimilar wiltdiseasesofothertrees(e.g.,Dutchelmdisease): Avoidtransportofinfestedwood. Perhapsthebest short-termoptionforreducing(oratleastdelaying)theimpact oflaurelwiltistohelplimititsspread,particularlybypreventinghuman-aidedtransportofwoodinfestedwiththeRAB. AlthoughtheRABisundoubtedlyspreadingnaturallyviaflight, geographicallyisolatedoccurrencesofthedisease(likethe discoveriesinDuvalCountyin2005andIndianRiverCounty in2006)suggestthatthebeetlemayalsobereachingnew, distantareasviahuman-aidedtravel.Firewood,logs,other intactwood,ornurserystockofwiltedLauraceoustrees shouldnotbetransportedtounaffectedareas.[Fig.9] Sanitation. Thegoalofsanitationistodestroyinfected hosttreesbeforebroodpopulationsoftheRABemergefrom themandspreadtonewhosttrees,therebyreducingor delayingtheoverallmortalitylevelinalocalarea.Thistreatmentwouldinvolvecuttingandburning,burying,chipping, ortightlycoveringwoodfromwiltedtrees.Althoughindividual beetlesmaytheoreticallybeabletosurviveastandardchipping processduetotheirsmallsize(about2mminlength),chippingmightsufficientlydryoutthewoodtopreventambrosia beetlesurvival,developmentandsubsequentdispersal.

Diseasedtreesthatarecutbutcannotbedestroyedor coveredshouldbelefton-siteordisposedofaslocallyas possible.Tomyknowledge,veryfewsanitationeffortsfor laurelwilthavebeenattempted.Sanitationlikelyhasthe bestchanceofbeingeffectiveifitispursuedveryearlyand diligently,whenonlyoneorafewwiltingtreesarepresent inagivenarea.Sanitationtreatmentsinareaswherelarge percentagesofredbaytreeshavealreadydiedareprobablyof littlevaluetowarddelayingorpreventingadditionalmortality.

Chemicalcontrol. Asyet,therearenopesticidesspecificallylabeledorrecommendedforuseagainstthelaurel wiltfungusortheRAB,orthathavebeendemonstrated topreventlaurelwiltdisease.Researchtrialsevaluatingthe efficacyofcertainfungicidesandinsecticidesinprotecting individualtreeshavebeeninitiated.

Germplasmconservation. Inlightofthepossibilityof drasticreductionsorcompletelossofredbaypopulationsin theSoutheast,redbayseedcollectioneffortsarebeinginitiatedbytheUSDAForestServiceNationalSeedLaboratory. Redbayseedwillbeplacedinlong-termcoldstorageforthe purposeofpotentially reintroducingthe speciesatafuturedate, ifandwhenthedisease vectorandpathogen areeliminatedor controlled.Thistype ofseedcollectionand conservationisalready underwayforother treespeciesthreatened byexoticpests(e.g., seewww.ashseed.org). Biologicalcontrol anddevelopmentof geneticallyresistant

Fig.9 –Posterscautioningcampersnottotransportredbayfirewoodhave beenpostedatcampgroundswithintherangeoflaurelwilt. PhotobyAlbert (Bud)Mayfield,FloridaDepartmentofAgricultureandConsumerServices

References:

Brendemuehl,R.H.1990. Perseaborbonia (L.)Spreng. Redbay.Pp.530-506. In:R.M.BurnsandB.H.Honkala (eds.).SilvicsofNorthAmerica,Volume2,Hardwoods. AgricultureHandbook654,USDAForestService, Washington,DC.

Coder,K.D.2006.Identifyingcharacteristicsofredbay (Perseaborbonia ).OutreachpublicationSFNR06-4, WarnellSchoolofForestryandNaturalResources, UniversityofGeorgia,Athens,GA.5p.

FloridaplantsinthefamilyLauraceae:

•Redbay*– Perseaborbonia

•Silkbay– Perseaborbonia var.humilis

•Swampbay– Perseapalustris

•Avocado*– Perseaamericana

•Sassafras*– Sassafrasalbidum

•Pondspice*– Litseaaestivalis

•Pondberry*– Linderamelissifolia

•NorthernSpicebush– Linderabenzoin

•Lancewood– Ocoteacoriacea

•Lovevine,Devil’sgut– Cassythafiliformis

•Pepperleafsweetwood– Licariatriandra

*indicatesaconfirmedhostoflaurelwiltinthefield.

hostsareamongthepotentiallong-termmanagement strategiesthatcouldeventuallybedevelopedtobattle laurelwilt,butsuchprogramsareverycostlyandtake yearsordecadestodevelop.

Insummary,laurelwiltisadeadlydiseaseofredbay andothervaluablenativetreesinthefamilyLauraceae. Unfortunately,itappearsthatlaurelwiltisheretostay,and hasthepotentialtospreadthroughouttherangeofredbay, whichincludesvirtuallyallofFlorida.Asexemplifiedby thecurrentlaurelwiltepidemic,bythetimeexoticpestsare detectedandidentified,theyareoftenalreadyestablished and“offandrunning”intheirnewenvironmentstoanextent thatprecludestheireradication.Ifwearetobeevenmildly successfulinprotectingournativeforestecosystemsfrom exoticpests,wemustpreventintroductionsratherthan merelyrespondingtothem.Giventheinterconnectedglobal economyinwhichwefindourselves,thisisadauntingtask. Realsuccesswillrequireinternationalcooperationandcommitmenttotheshipmentofpest-freecommodities,strict enforcementofeffectivephytosanitarystandards,andserious consequencesfornon-compliance.Otherwise,thelistof nativeforesttreesundersiegewillcontinuetogrow.

Abouttheauthor

Dr.Albert(Bud)Mayfieldistheforestentomologistfor theFloridaDepartmentofAgricultureandConsumer ServiceDivisionofForestryinGainesville,Florida.

Fraedrich,S.W.,T.C.Harrington,andR.J.Rabaglia.2006. An Ophiostoma speciesand Xyleborusglabratus threatenredbay(Perseaborbonia)andothermembersofthe LauraceaeinthesoutheasternUSA.Posterpresentedat theconference:AdvancesinThreatAssessmentand TheirApplicationtoForestandRangelandManagement, July18-20,Boulder,CO.Accessed27April2007at http://www.urbanforestrysouth.org/Resources/Library/ Haack,R.A.2006.Exoticbark-andwood-boring ColeopteraintheUnitedStates:recentestablishments andinterceptions.CanadianJournalofForestResearch 36:269-288.

Hall,D.W.,andJ.F.Butler.2005.PalamedesSwallowtail, Papiliopalamedes (Drury).UniversityofFlorida,Institute ofFoodandAgriculturalSciencesExtension,Document EENY-060.2p.

Nelson,G.1994.ThetreesofFlorida:areferenceand fieldguide.PineapplePress,Inc.Sarasota,FL.338p.

Wood,S.L.1982.Thebarkandambrosiabeetlesof NorthandCentralAmerica(Coleoptera:Scolytidae),a taxonomicmonograph.GreatBasinNaturalistMemoirs 6:1-1359.

Fox-tailMillets ~ BristlyFoods

RayMilleroncewroteofmeinThePalmetto,“hedoesn’tdograsses.”Well,thathaschanged!

ItseemsthatgrowingupintheswampsofwesternKentuckyandthensloggingthrough theEvergladesandBigCypressfor31yearsmadeapermanentimpressiononme.Although nowIliveinadesertgrasslandinsouthernArizona,thereisa ciénega (marsh)about30miles southofmyhome.OftenIfindmyselfthere,lookingattheplantsandmentallycomparing theflorawiththatofFlorida.OneoftheplantsintheArivacaCiénegaisthegrass Setaria parviflora,longcalled S.geniculata.ThatplantissocommonondisturbedsitesinFlorida thatIrarelypaidattentiontoit.HereinArizonaitisnotable,firstbecauseitishere(after all,itisnotadesertplant),andsecondbecauseitissharedwithFlorida.TheFloridaplants of S.parviflora growindisturbedareasofflatwoods,hammockmargins,marshes(brackish andfreshwater),andcoastaldunes andswales.

TomanypeopleFlorida’s S.parviflora isknot-rootfox-tailor rabodezorro (foxtail,Spanish).Otherssaythegrassis cepillo defregarbotellas (bottlebrush,Puerto Rico), deshollinador (thehusker,Puerto Rico), pajitacardosa (littlethistlegrass, Chihuahua), rabodegato (cattail,Cuba), or zacateamarga (bittergrass,Mexico).

TheFloridaplantsof Setariaparviflora growin disturbedareasofflatwoods, hammockmargins,marshes, andcoastaldunesandswales.

WunderlinandHanson’s GuidetotheVascularPlantsofFlorida calls S.parviflora yellow bristle-grass.Thesimilar S.pumila,nativetotheOldWorld,theycallyellowbristle-grass oryellowfox-tail.Namesofthosetwofox-tailsareusedinterchangeablybymanypeople becausetheplantsareincrediblysimilar.Thesetwohaveevenbeenconsideredthesame speciesinspiteoforiginallygrowingondifferentsidesoftheAtlanticOcean.

“Fox-tail”wasusedinthe1300sfortheappendageoftheEuropeanmammalcalledthe redfox, Vulpesvulpes.Theninthemiddle1500s,thename“fox-tail”wasappliedtograsses, alludingtotheflowerandfruitclustersthatarelong,slim,andresemblethatmammal’slong brush.Originally,“fox-tail”wasusedfor Alopecuruspratensis.Bythe1700s,meadowfox-tail

Abouttheauthor:

DanielF.Austin,Ph.DisaResearchAssociateoftheFairchildTropicalBotanicGarden,CoralGables, Florida,andtheArizona-SonoraDesertMuseum,Tucson,Arizona.HeisalsoanAdjunctProfessor, DepartmentofPlantSciences,UniversityofArizona,Tucson;andanEmeritusProfessoratFloridaAtlantic University,BocaRaton.

DanhasaPh.DinBotanyfromWashingtonUniversity,St.Louis,Missouri.HeisaFellowofthe LinnaeanSocietyofLondonandamemberoftheInternationalAssociationofPlantTaxonomistsandthe SocietyforEconomicBotany.

DanresidesinArizonawherehiscurrentresearchfocusesontheethnobotanyofplantspeciesshared betweentheCaribbeanandnorthwesternMexicoandadjacentUnitedStates,andonthesystematicsand evolutionoftheConvolvulaceae.

DanielF.Austin

(A.pratensis)androughearedfox-tail (Setariaitalica)wererecognized. Although“fox-tail”isoftenappliedas asingleword,withmodifiersadded thenamenowincludesseveralspecies ofthegrasses Alopecurus, Bromus, Hordeum, Muhlenbergia, Setaria,and Vulpia.Japaneseusetheword enokoro forall Setaria Enokoro maybea corruptionof inu,dog,and koro, diminutivewhere“inu”referstoboth dogsandfoxes.EventheMayaof Yucatánmakethemammalcomparison bysaying ne-kuuk-suuk (neh,animal’s tail, k’uk’uk,youngpartofaplant, sak,white).SodotheHuastecofSan LuisPotosíwith ehtillweekok (like [a]foxtail)andtheFulaniofMali, whocallit lakidavangel (dog’strail).

Otherpeoplecombinetwonames andcall Setaria “fox-tailmillets.” Setaria isincludedwithtenothergenera (Brachiaria, Digitaria, Echinochloa, Eleusine, Eragrostis, Panicum, Paspalum, Pennisetum, Sorghum, Urochloa)that collectivelyarecalled“millets.”Thename “millet”(fromMiddleFrench millet)was inEnglishbyabout1425whenitwas usedfor S.italica.“Millet”isultimately fromLatin millium (havingathousand grains),awordthatalsoleftcognate namesinItalian miglio,Portuguese milho, andSpanish millo [mijo].Thecombination “fox-tailmillet”wasnotappliedto S.italica untilabout1929.Later,thenamewas expandedtoallofthespeciesin Setaria. “Bristle-grass”wasappliedto Setaria by1840.Thatnamereferstothebristly awnsthatextendoutfrombelowthe seeds.Germansmakethesamecomparison,saying Borstenhirse (bristlegrass). SomeoftheOldWorldspecieshave suchsharpbristlesthatflowerorfruit clustersareputingranariestodiscouragerodentpredation.Bythe1850s, “species”nameswerebeingappliedto distinguishdifferentkinds,asin“rough bristle-grass”for S.verticillata. NotlongaftermovingtoArizonain 2001Ibeganstudyingacanyoninthe

Setariaparviflora (Poiret)Kerguélen. Artist:unknown.FromLeithead,H.L.,L.L.Yarlett, andT.N.Shiflet.1971.100NativeForageGrasses in11SouthernStates.USDA,SoilConservation Service,AgricultureHandbook389,Washington,DC.

BaboquivariMountainssouthwestof myhome.AsIclimbedupthecanyon, Iwouldpasstwooverlappingzonesof fox-tails.Betweenabout3,800and4,200 feetwerepatchesof S.macrostachya (plainsbristle-grass, zacatetempranero [earlygrass]).Above4,200feetthatfoxtaildisappeared,butstillwithmewas S. grisebachii (Grisebach’sbristle-grass, colade ardilla [squirreltail]),justasitislowerin theAltarValleywhereIliveat3,200feet.

Peoplehaveeatentheseeds(caryopses)ofOldWorld S.italica forover 8,000yearsandIstartedwonderingagain ifanyoneeveratethoseofNewWorld Setaria.Idiscoveredthattheseedsare ediblefor S.parviflora andforthespecies nearmyhome.Moreover,theywereformerlyimportantinculturesfromcentral MexicotoNewEnglandandtheupper GreatPlains.EricO.Callencalled Setaria grainsthe“firstNewWorldcereal,”eaten inMexicoforperhaps1,500years.

RichardS.MacNeishandLawrence Kaplanfirstreported S.parviflora asbeing foodforthepeopleintheTehuacánvalley ofMexicoin1960.Thespecieswasthen

discussedbyEricCallenin1963.These grainsappearedinthe 14C-dated40003500B.C.levelsattheOcampoCaves, andfromtheSierradeTamaulipas Cavesdatedatca.3000B.C.Thesedates werebeforethedomesticationofmaize (Zeamays)andfox-tailseedswerethe bestgrassesavailable.Callenfound that S.parviflora seedswerepresentin 71.5-77%ofcoprolitesfromtheearlier levelsinTehuacán.BetweenA.D.7001500, Setaria haddroppedto20%in hissamples,andcontinuedtodecline uptotheSpanisharrival.

Setariaparviflora intheMexicanstate ofTamaulipas,ontheotherhand,wasa moreimportantpartofthehumandiet muchlater.Somehaveexplainedthe differencebynotingthatmaizedidnot appearinTamaulipasuntilabout2200 B.C.Sincemaizearrivedlaterthanin theTehuacánvalley, Setaria remainedan importantcerealforlongerinTamaulipas.

Prehistoricuseofthegenushas nowbeenextendedfromTamaulipas andTehuacántopeoplefarthernorth andsouthinMexico,thesouthwestern, centralandeasternUnitedStates,and theCaribbean.Wehaverecordsthat seedswereeatenbypre-European peoplealongtheRíoGranderiverborder betweenCoahuila,MexicoandTexas, thePecosRiverofsouthernTexas,central ArizonaeastofPhoenix,theBigSandy riverofeasternKentucky,thenorthwesternendofLakeOntario,central Pennsylvania,andnorthwesternIowa. Thereisevenanarchaeologicalsite with Setaria intheCaribbeanonSan SalvadorIsland,Bahamas.Thesepeople representedtheArawakanislanders, Aztecs,theSaladoculture,eastern Woodlandcultures,Iroquoians,and NortheasternPlainsgroups.Thatis adiverseassemblagespanningaseries oflinguisticfamilies.

Thereappeartoberecordsofonly twohistoricAmericantribesconsuming seedsof Setaria –onebytheCocopa alongthelowerColoradoRiver,andthe

Fox-tailMillets~BristlyFoods

Setariacorrugata (Elliot)J.ASchultes. Artist:EdnaMayWhitehorn.

Setariamacrosperma (ScribnerandMerrill) Schumann. Artist:EdnaMayWhitehorn.

Setariamagna Grisebach. Artist:EdnaMayWhitehorn.

Source:Hitchcock,A.S.andA.Chase.1950.ManualoftheGrassesoftheUnitedStates.USDAMiscellaneousPublicationNo.200,Washington,DC.

otherbytheSeriofcoastalSonoraalong theGulfofCortez.TheCocopawas experimentingwithcultivatingthe OldWorld S.italica,andtheSeriwere gatheringthenative S.macrostachya Sericallthisgrass xicaquiix (globular things),anditwasanimportantfood tothemintothe1980s.

Whatdomilletstastelike?Well, itdependsonwhomyoutalkwith, andwhichoneyoueat.Ihaveeaten milletraw(Setaria),inmultigrainbread (Panicum),inporridge(Panicum, Pennisetum, Setaria),inEthiopian injera (bread, Eragrostis),andmadeinto rókafarkúköles (Hungariancrepes, Panicum). Raw,thereisasomewhatnuttyflavorso subtlethatitalmostcannotbedetected. Ofcourse,thespeciesItriedfrommy frontyardwasnotoneofthoserecorded asbeingeatenbypeople.Thebread mixtureisexcellent,butwhocouldtaste themillet?Thereareseveralotherkinds ofgrainsinthebread,buttwokindsof wheatandoatsdominate.

Theporridgeiscertainlybetterthan creamofwheatoroatmeal.Ihavenever beenfondofeitherofthose,butmany peoplethinkthosearegreat.Mywife Sandratookonetasteofmilletporridge andrefusedtotouchitagain.Sheisnot likeherScotch-Irishgreat-grandfather whohadabowlofoatmealporridgefor

breakfasteverydayofhislonglife.The lasttimeItriedoatmealwas1996in Scotland.ThedishwastheScottishspecialtyinthebed-and-breakfastwherewe stayed.Theporridgewasnotsweetened, butrevoltinglysaltyandservedwitha traditionalcow-hornspoon.Itastedonly asaltycow-hornandswitchedtoeggs.

OurHungarianneighborIldiko madethe köles foraneveningmeal whenwewerevisiting,andthreatened tothrowoutthewholebatchafter samplingthem.Shemadecrepesof wheatflourforthemeal,butkeptthe köles.Itriedthem,overherobjections, andtheywerenotnearlyasbadasshe portrayedthem.Theywerealotlikethe injera thatourEthiopianfriendNigist madeafewyearsbackinFlorida. Injera isapancake-likebreadmadeofanother millet, Eragrostistef.Bothweredistinctiveintextureandtasteinawaythat cannotbedescribed–ithastobeexperienced.Actually,Ilikedthemillet köles –butnotwellenoughtocompletely substitutethemforthewheatcrepes.

So,whydidpeopleabandon Setaria asfoodsuchthatNewWorldrecords aremostlyburiedinarchaeological literature?Itisnotasimpleansweras therehavebeendifferentreasonsfor diversegroupsindistincttimesand places.SomeofthepeopleintheOld

Worldreallydidnotlikethewaymillet seedstasteanymorethanmywifeor Hungarianfriend.Whendifferentfoods becameavailable,peopleswitchedto those.Rice,ourJapanesefriendKaoru contends,tastesbetter.Otherpeople keptmilletsformakingspecialtyfoods likeJapanese awaokoshi cakesandalcoholicbeverageslikeKorean dongdongju (acountrysake).Therearedistinctive tastesthatthegrainsimparttothese productsthathavecustomary,ceremonial,andgustatoryproponents.Somemay evenjustlikethecheapbooze.Ihave nottriedthericecakesorsake,but theyarerecommendedbymyfriends. Regardlessofwhetheryoucallthe plantsbristle-grasses,fox-tails,milletsor fox-tailmillets,rememberthattheseeds areediblewhenyouseeanyofFlorida’s 4nativeand10introduced Setaria.Still, youmightwanttoletthewildbirdsand mammalseattheirfruits.Asof1951 therewererecordsof67birdsand10 mammalseatingthem;therearemany morenow.Wildlifehasbeeneating Setaria farlongerthanhumans,and theythinktheseedsaredelicious!

Formoreinformationsee:Austin,D.F. 2006.Fox-tailmillets(Setaria:Poaceae) –abandonedfoodintwohemispheres. EconomicBotany60(2):143-158.

TheEvergladesHandbook–UnderstandingtheEcosystem (2ndedition,2005)byThomasE.Lodge,CRCPress.ReviewedbySuzanneKoptur

When TheEvergladesHandbook firstcameout,Iliked it,anduseditasasupplementaltextforthegeneralEcology courseweteachatFloridaInternationalUniversity.Itwas ‘light-hearted,well-rounded,andhighlyreadable’(quoting froma1995reviewIwrote),butalittlelight onthetreatmentofplantsandthehistorical literature.ProfessorsinEnvironmentalStudies useditforthetextbookfortheEcologyof SouthFloridacourse,asitprovidedaconcise introductiontoallthehabitatsaswellasa briefhistoryofthegeologyandclimateofthe area.Iamhappytoreportthatinitssecond edition,ithasgottenevenbetter!

Theauthor,anindependentecologist, agreedtoteachonesemester’sofferingofthat course,andusedhisexperienceinteaching toguidetherevisionofhisbook.Hehasdone awonderfuljob.Thoughstillhighlyreadable, thebookisnowrepletewithreferenceson everytopic,sothatinterestedreaderscangotothesourceshe used,andlearnmoreabouteveryaspectofEvergladesecology. Eachhabitathasaplantlist,andrefersreaderstorelevant, up-to-dateresourcesforplantdistributions,conservation status,andillustrations.Anewsectiononfoodwebshelpsthe readerunderstandtheimportanceofallthedifferenthabitatsto thefunctioningoftheecosystem.Thefinalsectionofthebook reviewstheinfluencesofhumansontheEverglades,including

theimpactsofspecimencollectingandexoticintroductions (plantsandanimals).Wateranditsmovementdetermines whathabitatsexistandwhatorganismslivethere,andnonnativehumanstransformedmuchofFloridaoverthelast centurywithcanalsanddrainingflooded areasforagricultureandhabitation.Theauthor discussesEvergladesrestorationinawayeveryonecanunderstand,especiallyafterhisearlier explanationsofgeologyandtheaquifersystem underlyingthestate.

TomLodgeconfidestohisreadersthathe canunderstandtheurgethatmanypeoplehave tocollectthingsfromnature,butsaysthatonce helearnedtophotographthingsinnature,that urgesubsided.Thebookhasbeautifulphotos, mostlyofanimalsandlandscapes,butthere aresomedistinctiveplants,andthebeautiful diagramsandmapsconveytheorderlycomplexityofhabitatdifferentiationbasedonelevational differencesofafewinches.Afterreadingthisbook,who wouldn’twanttovisitthiswonderful‘riverofgrass’?And formostvisitorstotheEverglades,eco-tourists,ecology students,andlong-timeresidentsofFlorida,abetterbook forunderstandingthehistoryandchallengestothisecosystem hasprobablynotbeenwritten.

SuzanneKopturisProfessorofBiologicalSciencesatFloridaInternational University,Miami,Florida.

ANewMethodofPropagationfor Ziziphuscelata

cuttingsaregenerallytakenonlywhentheparentplant isinseveredecline.Forthesereasons,micropropagation technologystillholdspromisefortherestorationofthe speciesandshouldbeexaminedfurthertodetermine viablerootingandacclimatizationprocedures.

LiteratureCited:

Burkhardt,S.,T.Race.,andC.Weekley.1997.BreedingsystemoftherareFlorida endemic, Ziziphuscelata.ReporttoU.S.FishandWildlifeService;VeroBeach,FL.

Delaney,K.R.,R.P.Wunderlin,andB.F.Hansen.1989.Rediscoveryof Ziziphuscelata (Rhamnaceae).Sida13:325-330.

Godt,M.W.,T.Race,andJ.L.Hamrick.1997.Apopulationgeneticanalysisof Ziziphuscelata,anendangeredFloridashrub.JournalofHeredity88:531-533.

Judd,W.S.andD.W.Hall.1984.Anewspeciesof Ziziphus (Rhamnaceae) fromFlorida.Rhodora86:381-387.

Kane,M.E.2000a.Cultureindexingforbacterialandfungalcontaminants.p.427-431. In:R.TrigianoandD.Gray(eds.)PlantTissueCultureConceptsandLaboratory Exercises,2ndEd.CRCPress,BocaRaton,FL.

Kane,M.E.2000b.Propagationfrompreexistingmeristems.p.75-86. In:R.Trigianoand D.Gray(eds.)PlantTissueCultureConceptsandLaboratoryExercises,2ndEd.CRC Press,BocaRaton,FL.

McCown,B.H.andG.Lloyd.1981.Woodyplantmedium(WPM).Amineralnutrient formulationformicrocultureofwoodyplantspecies.HortScience16:453. Myers,R.L.1990.Scrubandhighpine.p.150-193. In:R.L.MyersandJ.J.Ewel(eds.) EcosystemsofFlorida.UniversityPress,Orlando,FL. UnitedStatesFishandWildlifeService(USFWS).1999.Recoveryplanfor Ziziphus celata (revised).U.S.FishandWildlifeService.Atlanta,Georgia. Webb,S.D.,1990.Historicalbiogeography.p.70-100. In:R.L.MyersandJ.J.Ewel(eds.) EcosystemsofFlorida.UniversityPress,Orlando,FL. Weekley,C.,T.Race,andD.Hardin.1999.SavingFloridaziziphus(recoveryof arareLakeWalesRidgeendemic)ThePalmetto19:2.

Forchaptercontactinformation,pleasevisit http://www.fnps.org/pages/chapters/chaptermap.php

1.Broward .........................MollyTaylor....................................................mollytaylor_piesplants@yahoo.com

2.Citrus ..............................TeddiBierly......................................................................jbierly@tampabay.rr.com

3.Coccoloba ......................DickWorkman................................................................wworkmandick@aol.com

4.Cocoplum .......................JoanBausch.....................................................................................jclb@gate.net

5.Conradina .......................ReneeShaffer.................................................................shaffer_m@bellsouth.net

6.Dade ...............................LynkaWoodbury....................................................lwoodbury@fairchildgarden.org

7.Eugenia ..........................SueThompson....................................................................sue@pa-services.com

8.Heartland .......................AmeeBailey..............................................................ameebailey@polk-county.net

9.Hernando ........................JimClayton......................................................................geoska10@hotmail.com

10.Ixia .................................JakeIngram................................................................jakeingramla@comcast.net

11.Keys ................................LynkaWoodbury....................................................lwoodbury@fairchildgarden.org 12.LakeBeautyberry ..........RonaldPlakke............................................................................flplakke@aol.com 13.LakelasMint ..................RoyceSisson.................................................................roycesisson@hotmail.com 14.LiveOak .........................HalRhodes................................................................rhodeslesstrav2@yahoo.com 15.LongleafPine .................AmyHines.................................................................amy@sidestreamsports.com 16.Lyonia ..............................RayJarrett..............................................................................sjarrett1@cfl.rr.com 17.Magnolia ........................NonaElder.......................................................................nonaelder@pipeline.com 18.Mangrove .......................John&ChristineHolyland.....................................christineholyland@comcast.net 19.Naples ............................RonEchols...................................................................preservecaptains@aol.com 20.NatureCoast ..................SusanVaughn..........................................................................vaughn_s@firn.edu 21.PalmBeach ....................RayMiller................................................................................rmillerj@sfwmd.gov 22.Pawpaw .........................PaulRebmann..................................................................wildflpaul@earthlink.net 23.PaynesPrairie ................ErickSmith..................................................................................edsmith@ufl.edu 24.Pinellas DebbieChayet&RayWunderlichIII.....dchayet@verizon.net;rayrunner@yahoo.com 25.Sarracenia ......................Lee Norris .................................................................................lnorris@ectinc.com 26.SeaRocket ....................PaulaBerntson.......................................................................jepasm.3@juno.com 27.Serenoa ..........................NancyArmstrong..............................................................pinelilywild@yahoo.com 28.SouthRidge ...................StacySmith...............................................................ssmith@archbold-station.org 29.Sumter ............................H.Tuxbury..............................................................................HTuxbury@cfl.rr.com 30.Suncoast .......................JamesWheeler............................................................jamesh-wheeler@msn.com 31.Tarflower ........................RickEhle........................................................................................(407)349-0502

TheFloridaNativePlantSociety POBox278 MelbourneFL32902-0278

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Pleasecontact: TravisMacClendon, VicePresidentofFinance,FNPS Blountstown,Fl32424 850.674.4408 travismac@wfeca.net

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