SLAND BOTANICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER December 1991 NEXT MEETING When: Tuesday, December 10, 1991 at 7:30 pm Where: Uplands Farm Barn (The Nature Conservancy), Lawrence Hill Rd, Cold Spring Harbor Speaker: Dr. John Kiss on "How Plants Perceive Gravity" Gravitropism in plants was first studied seriously by Charles Darwin, who published a book in 1880 on "The Power of Movement in Plants." At the turn of the century, the starch- statolith hypothesis was first proposed to explain how plants perceive gravity. Dr. Kiss will discuss his work to test this hypothesis by comparing gravity perception in normal plants with those that have reduced starch levels. Dr. Kiss has been researching the subject of gravity perception since 1987, and from 1990-91 was a NASA Research Associate at the University of Colorado focusing on gravitropism of lower plants. He has recently joined the faculty of Hofstra University where he will continue his research . FIELD TRIPS There will be no December field trip. A schedule of upcoming trips for the new year will be in the January/February newsletter . ANNOUNCEMENTS President’s Message Next month, the torch will be passed along. Congratulations to Eric Lamont on being elected LIBS' s fifth president, and to all the new officers. In the year since I took over as Acting President, filling out Vince Puglisi's unfinished term of office has been a challenging experience. With only a few minor glitches, we have had a successful field season and many noteworthy speakers for our meetings. I couldn't have done it without the backing and support of the other officers and board members. Thanks to all of you! ***************** Welcome to new LIBS members Susan Ahern, Arthur Bennett, and Naomi Dicker. *************** With the next issue, this newsletter is being turned over to the capable hands of editor Steve Clemants. He and Eric have lots of good new ideas, so look for some changes. MINUTES Meeting of the LI Botanical Society Tuesday, Nov. 12, 1991, at the Nature Conservancy, C.S.H. The meeting was called to order at 8:00 P . M . by Lois Lindberg, Acting President. Lois asked for suggestions for winter field trips, naming the New York Botanical Garden or the Brooklyn Botanic Garden as possibilities. And she announced that A1 Lindberg is leading a trip at Muttontown Preserve on Saturday, Dec. 7th, on the subject of conifers and pines. 1 Call 922-3123 for details . The next regular LIBS meeting will be on Tuesday, Dec. 10th at Uplands Farm (The Nature Conservancy) unless reconstruction has begun, causing a change in location. The speaker will be Dr. John Kiss of Hofstra University. The next order of business was to vote on the new slate of officers. There were no independent nominations from the floor. Unanimously elected were: President: Eric hamont Vice President: Chris Mangels Treasurer: Carol Johnston Corresponding Sec’y: Jane Blanchard Recording Sec’y: Barbara H. Conolly In addition, the following have agreed to chair the following committees : Program : Field trip: Flora: Conservation : Membership : Hospitality : Newsletter : Eric Lamont A1 Lindberg Skip Blanchard John Turner and Louise Harrison Lois Lindberg Joanne Tow and Nancy Smith Steve Clemants Steve Clemants announced that the Newsletter will now come out every two months, and he is soliciting articles and news. The new system will be put in effect with the January issue . A1 Lindberg then introduced Bob Cook of Gateway National Recreation Area, who had led us on an all-day field trip on Saturday Nov. 9th in Floyd Bennett Field and Fort Tilden. Bob, who has been at Gateway for 10 years, showed us excellent slides of birds, botany, mammals, and herps taken at Jamaica Bay, Floyd Bennett, Fort Tilden, Breezy Point, Arthur Kill, and Sandy Hook, and talked about his work in reintroducing native herps in the appropriate habitats of the park. (minutes con ' t ) The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 P.M. In attendance were: Steve Clemants Muriel Stoker Skip Blanchard Louise Harrison Barbara Conolly Bob Laskowski hi & Lois Lindberg Betty Lotowycz Julius Hastings Horst Welzel Celia Hastings Vince Puglisi Bob Cook Nancy Smith Bill Titus Eric Lamont Bill Paterson Carol Johnston Respectfully submitted, Barbara H. Conolly Recording Secretary >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< The Plant that's Strangling Pennsylvania! That plant is an invasive vine aptly called "Mile-a- Minute", Polygonum perfoliatum L. (Polygonaceae) , and although it has not yet reached the New York area, we should be on the lookout for it in the near future. I recently had a conversation with weed scientist Dr. Nathan L. Hartwig of Penn State University, concerning a report he'd gotten about a possible occurrence in Welwyn Preserve (Glen Cove, NY) . As it turned out, the plant in question was Ampelopsis (a noxious pest in its own right!), but Dr. Hartwig described this new invader on the botanical scene. Polygonum perfoliatum was first documented as a troublesome weed in the 1940's, when some came up in a shipment of holly seeds from Japan. When the owner of the nursery saw the attractive iridescent blue "berry" it produced, he let the plant flourish, to almost everyone's regret. Now, local papers proclaim, "Vicious Vine Runs Amok Through Pennsylvania!" This annual vine, growing as much as 25 feet in a season, has deltoid leaves, recurved spines like its relatives the tearthumbs, leaf bracts enclosing the stem, and a fleshy blue achene resembling a berry. It prefers moist thickets, woods edges, and streambanks, smothering indigenous vegetation, and even out-competing another pervasive vine, Japanese honeysuckle. Dr. Hartwig has asked to be notified of any new sightings outside documented sites in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia. He noted that he's sure it won't be many more years before it reaches our area. Just what we need! Lois Lindberg