MussOURI IBOTANICAL GARDEN JBULLETIN VOLUME XLIX 1961 ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI PUBLISHED MONTHLY EXCEPT JULY AND AUGUST BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: $3.50 A YEAR MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN ; January 1961 fale Volume XLIX Number |] Cover: Thoroughfare for Automobiles Lined with Roystonea regia in Botanical Garden and Botanical Institute of Caracas, Venezuela. Photo by Julian A. Steyermark. CONTENTS Botanical Garden and Botanical Institute of Caracas, Venezuela The Voodoo Lily — Dime Store Magic Missouri Botanical Garden Educational Programs for 1961 Cooperation, A Factor in Plant Interactions Office of publication: 306 E. Simmons Street, Galesburg, Illinois. Editorial Office: Missouri Botanical Garden, 2315 Tower Grove Avenue, St. Louis 10, Missouri. Published monthly except July and August by the Board of Trustees of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Subscription price: $3.50 a year. Entered as second-class matter January 26, 1942, at the post-office at Galesburg, Illinois, under Act of March 3, 1879. Missour1 Botanical Garden Vol. XLIX No. 1 Bulletin January 1961 BOTANICAL GARDEN AND BOTANICAL INSTITUTE OF CARACAS, VENEZUELA JULIAN A. STEYERMARK NE OF the show spots in_ the O glamorous city of Caracas, Ven- ezuela, is, without doubt, the Botan- ical Garden and Botanical Institute. Started 15 years ago in 1945 by Dr. Tobias Lasser, who has been its able director since the beginning, the Botanical Garden (Jardin Botanico) is part of the great university of Caracas (Universidad Central de Ven- ezuela). It is a large green park comprising 70 hectares (174 acres approximately) nestled along the southern margin of the mountain val- ley in which Caracas is located. A large part of the Botanical Garden is hilly, occupying the southern slopes of a range of small mountains adjacent to the Caracas valley. The garden was established for the purpose of growing all the species of plants which can be cultivated in Caracas, including native as well as foreign species. One of the objectives is to grow as many native Venezuelan species as is possible at this altitude (approximately 3000 feet above sea level) and temperature (68.9° F. average). Of approximately 2,500 species of plants in cultivation in the garden, about 70‘, are native species of Venezuela. Over 200 different species of trees are grown here. The garden is maintained by Mr. Augusto Braun, the chief gardener, who is a well-trained Swiss horticulturist. The Botanical Garden is laid out in several sections: 1) the Succulent plant collection, which features many plants characteristic of desert or arid regions of Venezuela, other parts of South America, Mexico, and Africa; 2) the Economic plant collection, containing plants grown for their inedicinal properties or for their value horticulturally, or in connection with foods, fibers, resins, gums, and latex; 3) the Palmetum, devoted to the cul- ture of nearly 100 species of palms; 4) the Aquatic plant collection, which is grown in a number of pools and small lakes scattered throughout the garden; 5) the Conservatory, housing various kinds of tropical plants de- manding humidity, shade, and protec- tion from wind; 6) the Orchidarium, containing a diversified collection of orchids; 7) a Nursery section devoted to the growing of seeds and the repro- duction and multiplication of various plants for other parts of the garden; 8) the Tropical Forest section, show- ing an extensive naturalistic presenta- tion of trees, shrubs, vines, and herba- ceous plants as they are ordinarily seen growing in tropical rain forests. This (1) 2 MISSOURL BOTANIC. last section especially is one of the most fascinating in the entire botan- ical garden. Here one walks along trails in the midst of what seems to be real tropical rain forest, with many kinds of ferns, aroids, palms, Maran- taceae (Colothea, Maranta, Ischnosi phon), Zingiberaceae (Costus, Hedy- chium), Amaryllidaceae (Curculigo, species of Heliconia, Begonia, Pilea, Peperomia, and various ground covers. Che forest canopy is topped by various trees of el miao (Anacardinm = rhino- carpus), matapalo (Ficus spp.), copey (Clusia sp.), jabillo (Fura crepitans), bucare (Erythrina sp.), and caro (Enterolobium). The effect produced is truly amazing for its realistically natural beauty. Portion of Succulent Collection, * ® } pop atta a ah Ame ie eG LE : GARDEN BULLETIN The forested hills rising above the valley of the garden impart a large area of green cover and wild beauty to Caracas, and, together with the adjacent forested park of Los Caobos (the Mahogonies literally, these trees dominating the park) and other parks scattered throughout the city, help to sustain a more healthful and purified atmosphere. These hills have been re- forested among the existing large original trees of Swietenia (mahog- any), Anacardium, Ficus, Erythrina, Flymenaeca, Lonchocarpus, Machaer ium, and Enterolobium, and smaller trees and shrubs belonging to the genera Prockia, Clusia, Erythroxylon, Randia, Rondeletia, Gauzuma, Cith- arexylum, Trichilia, Bauhinia, Cap- showing Cacti, Agave, and Yucca. PHOTO BY J.A.S paris, Trema, Roupala, and Ximenia. About 150,000 trees have been plant- ed, with an average of 10,000 planted each year. Within twenty years from the time of planting, these trees will have become large enough to effect a true woodland condition. Some of the trees which have been planted include species of Astronium, Clusia, Tabebuia, Ficus, Persea, Platymiscium, Jacar- anda, Erythrina, Cordia, Machaerium, Lonchocar pus, and Cassia. These have been planted with the aim of knowing which trees will thrive best on the de- forested sections of slopes of the Avila Mountain, which lies along the north side of the valley of Caracas. This is PHOTO BY J.A.S. Scene in Tropical Forest Section with Polypodium fern in foreground and Philodendron at right. an important project in the botanical garden, since each Minister of Agri- culture considers as his pet project the reforestation of the Avila Mountain. Although emphasis is thus placed on reforestation with native subjects, some plantings have been given over to foreign species of Eucalyptus, Casu- arina, and Cassia siamea. The section of forested hills described here consti- tutes the Arboretum, featuring more than 70 different kinds of trees. In the valley section of the garden are also many kinds of trees arranged ac- cording to their respective families. The section of the reforested hills section of the Arboretum is not wa- 4 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN tered, since it occupies too large an area. The remainder of the garden, however, is given water regularly dur- ing the months of the dry season, most especially from December to mid- April. The Botanical Institute (Instituto Betanico) is situated within the Bo- tanical Garden. It is under the direc- tion of the Department of Renewable Natural Resources (Recursos Natura- les Renovables) of the Ministry of Agriculture (Ministerio de Agricultura y Cria) of Venezuela. Dr. Lasser is also director of the Botanical Institute. The building in which the institute is housed is a beautiful modern structure, in harmony with other parts of the adjacent university. Here are located the herbarium, library, lecture rooms, laboratories, and offices of the staff. The latter consist of Dr. Lasser, Dr. Leandro Aristeguieta, curator of the herbarium and specialist on Compositae and Heliconia, Dr. Valkmar Vareschi, ecologist and specialist on ferns and lichens, Dr. Ernesto Foldats, specialist on orchids and marine algae, Dr. Zoraida Luces de Febres, specialist on grasses, and the present author. Modern fluorescent lighting illumi- nates the various rooms of the Botan- ical Institute, and beautifully planted patios give color and gaiety to the surroundings. In one of the patios adjacent to the herbarium and offices there is a pool filled with tropical white and purple ever-blooming water lilies (Nymphaea). and color lend constant charm and Their fragrance interest to the beautiful surroundings. The herbarium (Herbario Nacional de Venezuela) occupies a large air- conditioned room containing numer- ous modern steel cabinets. Approxi- mately 100,000 herbarium specimens are lodged in these cases, 954% of the specimens originating from Venezuela. The purpose of the herbarium is to bring together and maintain as com- plete a collection as possible of the Venezuelan flora, which is estimated at least at 20,000 species of vascular plants. Continued exploration of var- ious parts of Venezuela by staff per- sonnel, as well as by botanists from the United States and other countries, is constantly adding genera and species previously unrecorded from Venezuela, as well as numerous species new to science. This is especially true from collections made in the southern half of the republic. Publication of an illustrated flora of Venezuela is being planned and is in actual state of prog- ress. The herbarium, of course, is an indispensable tool for the implementa- tion of such a work. Dr. Julian A. Steyermark is now with the Botanical Garden and Botanical Institute of Caracas, Venezuela. In cooperation with the New York Botanical Garden he is making a plant collecting expedition into the virgin forest. section of Venezuela near the British Guiana border. oe eK xf A, 83 Een xt 9 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 5 THE VOODOO LILY — DIME-STORE MAGIC GEORGE S$. BUNTING S UCH A bizarre aroid as Sauromatum guttatum! deserves greater popu- larity. Its blossom grows from a bulb- like corm at a remarkable speed; a corm set on a windowsill may, within six weeks, bear an inflorescence such as pictured here. The blossom consists of a spike (spadix) enclosed within a sheath (spathe) that is bronze-olive outside. As the sheath partially unfurls, the tip of the spadix greatly elongates and bends forward. The part of the spadix just inside the mouth of the spathe bears a zone of yellow male flowers, below which is a long barren area. Near the base of the spadix is a zone of female flowers with a group of much-enlarged sterile flowers just above. As the pollen is shed from the male flowers, the very elongate ter- minal portion of the spadix begins to emit an odor not very different from that of decaying meat. Needless to Handsome coloring on the inside of the spathe is never completely exposed. An inflorescence of the Voodoo Lily may reach 12” or more in length before it unfurls to expose the 9” pencil-like appendage of the spadix. say, this feature may have some effect on the popularity of this species, but it should not. This barren part of the spadix should be cut off and discarded at the first suggestion of any odor, and the blossom will be scarcely less fascinating. Though interesting enough exter- nally, it is the inside of the spathe that is bizarrely colored—purple-spotted on a background of yellow that becomes white in the tube, the basal part a rich velvety purple. The coloring of the 6 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN The mottled leaf stalk elongates rapidly as the inflorescence fades, but the divided leat blade unrolls slowly. spathe and the odor emitted by the spadix closely imitate that of aging meat. This is an excellent example of mimicry in plants—an_ adaptation that, in its native habitats in south- eastern Asia, attracts carrion-loving insects. In crawling over the flowers, these insects transfer pollen from the male flowers of one plant to the female flowers of another, thus bringing about the pollination necessary for seed pro- duction. For the sake of one blossom, it is unnecessary to pot the corm in soil, but it is recommended. If planted, watering should be held to a minimum for several weeks until growth com- mences. As the blossom fades and the single leaf begins to appear, watering may be more frequent. The large leaf is umbrella-like, divided into 9-11 segments in a vigorous specimen, and borne on a brown-mottled stalk to three feet long. ‘To maintain the same corm for growth in subsequent years, the leaf must be permitted to grow to maturity. The plant should be treated like other growing plants. Finally, the leaf will die down, and a rest period ensues, during which less water- ing is required. A well-established bulb may begin to push up a new blossom in mid-November and flower by Christmas. When mature, the much-divided leaf may be two feet across. Indoors, plant several corms of the Voodoo Lily in one pot. The effect will be better, especially when the leaves appear. If planted in the gar- den rather deep, and mulched heavily itm winter, Sauromatum will probably over-winter out-of-doors. A closely- related species, Arum italicum, is reliably hardy in the St. Louis area. ' Sometimes this species is erroneously called Arum cornutum., MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 7 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN 1961 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN SUMMER Nature Program made possible by a grant from the Pitzman Foundation is offered for children ages 7 to 17. Children have a funda- mental curiosity about everything going on around them and these summer courses given by the Garden encourage this interest in living things and answer many questions that arise from a closer contact with nature. Registration for the first session will be June 19th and for the second session July 24th. Further information about the courses and registration will be available at the Main Gate after May Ist, telephone PRospect 6-1785. Free Nature Programs for children, ages seven and over, are held every Saturday morning from 10:00 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. in the old Museum Building (enter at Cleve- land Avenue gate) or elsewhere as may be announced. For further information call PRospect 6-5567 A Group of Children in Rapt Attention as Mr. Kenneth Peck Instructs Them in How to Identify Kinds of Trees by Their Leaves. PHOTO BY GLOBE DEMOCRAT 8 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN PROGRAM FOR SATURDAY ACTIVITIES FOR 1961 A. First Six MontHs—January through June January April 7 Dead or Alive 1 Sowing Seed for Your Garden 14. Winter Puzzles 8 Flower Shapes and Names 21. Do You Have a Green Thumb? 15 Hunting for Hidden Flowers 28 Jungle Plants 22 Spring Safari February 29 More About Your Garden Seeds 4 The Mystery of the Orchid M. May 11 The Green fhumb at Work 18 Color Sound Movies 25 Plants in a Capsule 6 Plants from Historic Times 13.) Planting Your Garden 20 Color Sound Movies 27 March ) Tae Re 4 Three Cheers for the Green Thumb ee Nee (you may take your plants home) June 11 The Life Secret of a Plant 3. What Is a Tree? 18 The Story of the Pincushion Forests 10 Exploring the Underworld 25 Make Your Own Dwarf Garden 17. The Queen of Flowers (bring your own container) 24 Shades of the Night B. Seconp Six MontHs—July through December July October 1 Color Sound Movies 7 Fall’s Carnival 8 The Grasses 14. Fall’s Frolic 15 Life in the Desert 21 Planting Bulbs 22 Algae, Food of the Future 28 Witches Brew 29 The New Generation November August 4 Color Sound Movies 5 Color Sound Movies 11 The Rise of Forests 12. Dangerous Plants 18 Woodlands of America I 19 ‘Table Top Greenhouse 25 Woodlands of America II 26 Gardening through the Ages December September 2 Insectivorous Plants 2 Plants for the House 9 Make Your Own Christmas Decora- 9 Hundred in one Flower tions 16 Color Sound Movies 16 Make Your Own Christmas Decora- 23. The Devils Footstools tions 30 From Dust to Seed 29 Color Sound Movies COURSES FOR ADULTS IN HOME GARDENING AND BOTANY The Garden is offering a series of courses for the Home Gardener and a similar series for those interested in Botany. The courses may be taken as independent units. However, anyone satisfactorily completing the two basic courses and eight additional courses, six of which are in the major subject, are eligible to receive a Certificate of Achievement. The courses will be open to all interested persons. The fees charged for the adult courses include all materials. The field trips will be arranged by consultation with the groups concerned. Most classes and practice sessions will be held in the classroom and greenhouses of the Garden’s Experimental Greenhouses which can be reached by entering the Cleveland and Tower Grove Avenue gate. Registration for all courses must be made in advance as the number of persons who can be accepted for a given course is limited. Should interest warrant, second sessions will be considered. Should less than twenty persons register for any course, it may be dropped in which case the fees will be refunded. All courses will be taught by Garden Staff members and by selected specialists. Fees based on amount of time and materials supplied by the Garden. A. 101. 103. 104. 106. 108. MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 9 HomMeE GARDENING Home Garden Preview Basic Course For the home owner, a non-techni- cal basic course including facts and procedures for planning, planting, pruning, fertilizing, watering and general maintenance of home grounds. Plants for Your Garden Basic Course Introduction to cultivated plants for particular places and uses. How to identify and recognize them by actual study of material in the laboratory and in the field. Garden Planning and Design. To be given in 1962. How to Propagate from Seed. Fundamental facts and procedures for producing annuals, biennials and some perennials from seed for use in your garden. The Garden supplies seed, germinating media and soil for four metal flats of seedlings which you may take home. Persons wish- ing to supply their own seed must bring it to the first session. How to Propagate from Cuttings. Fundamental facts and procedures of producing trees, shrubs and per- ennials from cuttings (asexual re- production). The Garden will supply one plastic covered metal propagating flat, media and_ plant materials for 40 to 50 kinds of plants. Home Food Garden. General instruction in the facts and procedures for preparation and maintenance of a home food garden. Plant selection, control of weeds, pests and other problems confront- ing the home gardener. Attention to individual problems will be given. Bulbs Indoor—Outdoor. Instruction on bulb forcing and outdoor bulb culture will be given. The Garden will supply each stu- dent with 24 top quality bulbs in 7 inch clay pans which may be taken home. The Garden will also provide space for cool treatment which the forced bulbs require. House Plants. General instruction in the kinds of house plants, care and growing re- quirements such as_ heat, light, water and fertilizer will be given. Attention will be given to individ- ual home problems. 109. Preparation and Care of Lawns. General instruction concerning the preparation, care and maintenance of lawns. Special attention will be given to individual problems. 110. Home Orchid Culture. Orchids suitable for home culture and best ways of growing them. Potting demonstration and practice. Students may take the plant they pot home. 111. Plants under Artificial Light. To be given in 1962. 112. Area Management. (For persons with small acreages or estates). Practical instruction on erosion con- trol, weed and brush control and basic management of ponds. Spe- cialized instruction in management of meadows, marshes and _ forests will be explained, emphasizing recre- ation and wildlife. B. BoTany 201. Botany for Beginners. Basic General instruction in botany. 1 - 2 ont ee ary LONG DAY ‘ SHORT DAY 8 ae ee (2 ae Rae ae ae Mf U bere _ ee es [ Ea | ham take : aA 4 le + the i K \ a | : =I | = 2 AVERAGE =. HOURSOF » le NIGHT WYMOS. 16 e+ 6 a1 8 is 10 le4 : re 4 EET | 4+ -Et t i mn ha 20 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN did not flower. Therefore the work on photoperiodicity points to the im- portance of the night period for plant growth. This same conclusion was reached in the experiments on grow- ing plants in different temperatures: growth and fruiting were profoundly affected by the temperature during the night. To summarize: many plants can tell the time of year by the length of night. Their flowering and growth are dated by the nights being shorter or longer than a critical number of hours. PracticaL User Growers are now developing vari- eties to meet photoperiodicity. Plant- ing dates are based on the night-day length. In northern countries the winter days are so short that straw- berries seldom flower and set fruit before March. Eight hours of addi- tional neon light, given after midnight when electric current rates are lowest, give a good strawberry crop. During winter, prices for fresh strawberries are so high that a good profit can be made even after deducting the costs of installation of the lights and of electric current. In the same way Cinerarias, Gloxinias, and other plants, ordinarily not flowering in the middle of winter, can be grown commercially and of- fered for sale blooming at any time. TRUE CEDARS JAMES A. DUKE HERE is little greenery left in the le The drab of winter is firmly entrenched; brown is the dom- inant color of the trees, naked save for a few straggling withered leaves, which refused to fall with the autumn. In contrast with the western and east- ern states, Missouri, with its hot dry summers, possesses few native ever- greens. There are only two evergreen conifers to enhance the landscape. Almost everyone knows them by their colloquial names, the pine and cedar. The word cedar, in the Old Testament particularly, is often encountered. Surely this use of the word antedates any use of the word in America. Is the cedar from which the temple of Solomon was wrought the same cedar that dots the Missouri landscape? In the United States, cedar has long been the name applied to two native genera, Chamaecy paris, the white and yellow cedars, with species to our east and west, and Juniperus, with several diverse species to our west and east, and with one species, Juniperus virginiana, the red or pencil cedar, common and well known throughout Missouri. Neither of these coniferous genera is to be confused with the subtropical spanish cedar Cedrela, a broad-leaved member of the Mahogany family. The spanish cedar, and to some extent, the red cedar, is the “cedar” of carpentry. The true cedar, so often encountered in the Bible, is none of these. It is in fact much closer related to the pine than to any of our American “cedars.” The true cedar was even first classified as a pine by Linnaeus, the founder of modern systematic nomenclature, who called it Pinus cedrus. More recently the genus Cedrus has been erected for MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN | the true cedars, which are not even native to the New World. The true cedar shares two features with the pines; the leaves on mature branches are borne in fascicles, and the cones are large and dry, like those of the pine, as contrasted to the pea-sized cones or “berries” of the white and red cedars respectively. True cedars are different from pines in that the fas- cicles contain ten to forty needles and do not have a sheath; in the pine there are usually only one to eight needles, and these are bound together at the bottom by a girdling sheath. The leaf arrangement is somewhat reminiscent of the larch (Larix), but the leaves of the larch are deciduous, and the scales of the cone are persistent. In the true cedar, the scales of the cone fall shortly after a heavy rain leaving a denuded spool-like central axis. An- other characteristic feature of the true Cedrus atlantica, Kew Garden cedar, which becomes evident only in the older trees, is the flattened top. This is illustrated nicely in the photo- graph of the Mt. Atlas Cedar in culti- vation at the Kew Gardens. Among the true cedars, three species are generally recognized, although the differences between them are often very obscure. These are the Mt. Atlas or Atlantic Cedar (Cedrus altantica), from northern Africa; the Himalayan or Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara) and the Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani), both from the mountains of Asia Minor. Today after more than six thousand years of lumbering without foresight, the cedars are very localized in their natural distribution. Evidence from fossils suggests that they were once much more widespread, occurring in Europe, even in Great Britain. The Mount Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica) has needles which are mostly Cedrus deodara, Linnean House 22 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN less than an inch long; its branchlets are minutely hairy, and its cones are two to three inches long, with flat- tened or concave tip. In other re- spects it resembles the Cedar of Leb- anon, and both possess rather stiff branches in contrast to the “weeping” Deodar Cedar. The Mt. Atlas Cedar, a native of northern Algeria and Morocco, where snow often lies for several months, should prove fairly successful in the St. Louis area. It does not seem to be widely planted here. Among. several varieties, the variety glauca is especially attractive because of waxy blue foliage. The Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara) has needles one to two inches long. Its branchlets are also minutely hairy, and its cones, rounded at their tips, are the largest among the cedars, attaining a length of three to five inches or more. At a distance, the Deodar Cedar can Cedrus libani, Gray Summit be differentiated from other cedars by its gracefully pendent leaders and branchlets. Its cones are a bit more colorful than those of the other cedars, because of a rusty cast added to the rather prosaic brown of most cones. The Deodar occurs naturally in the western Himalayas, from Afghanistan to Sarhwal, where it may attain a height of two hundred feet or more and a girth of fifteen to twenty feet. Unfortunately the Missouri climate is rather detrimental to this, the most attractive of the cedars, and it is rarely successful in this area. It is presented nicely in the Camelia House at the Garden, where the humidity is more favorable. As all species of cedar, this is, or has been, an impor- tant timber tree, and at one time or another it has been used as a pharma- ceutical. Pliny mentions the distilla- tion of ‘Cedria,” an archaic remedy for toothache, closely akin to creosote, a more recent, but nevertheless archaic, dental panacea. A perusal of the books of Kings | and If and Chronicles will yield an abundance of references to the Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani), for mil- lenia a conifer of both economic and aesthetic importance. This stout tree has leaves which are usually a little more than an inch long. The branch- lets are nearly or completely devoid of hair, and the cones, which are apically flattened or concave, range from three to four inches long. At home in the mountains of Asia Minor, but wide- spread through cultivation, this is the most common of the true cedars culti- vated in the St. Louis area. At the Garden, there is a small specimen MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 23 thriving in front of the experimental greenhouse. At Gray Summit is a specimen about thirty feet high, which is yet too young to show the characteristic flat-topped appearance of the older cedars. You will note that the tree is twinned, which seems to be the rule rather than the exception in the cedars in their natural habitats. In contrast to most of our native North American conifers, the cedars typically shed their pollen in the fall. Like the pine at time of pollination, the cedars release torrents of golden pollen when disturbed by the wind or the botanist or whatever. The tree at Gray Summit was so heavily laden with pollen last October that it ap- peared to be diseased. As in many conifers, the male and female cones are borne on different branches or even on different plants. No female flowers were found on the tree at the arbore- tum so until such are found, we may assume that our tree is a male. Coni- fers present many sexual anomalies however; some are strictly males and Cedrus atlantica, male and female Cedrus deodara, female females; others may produce male and female cones on the same tree in vary- ing proportions in different years; in still others aberrations are not at all uncommon in which a single cone may be partly female and partly male. Cedrus libani, male 24 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN As told in the second book of Chronicles, the story of the construc- tion of Solomon’s temple, seven years in the making, gave to the Cedar of Lebanon a dominant role. Even Solo- mon’s sedan was cedar. Thousands of conscriptees and slaves were sent into the mountains to strip them of their cedars, destined to be used in one or another of Solomon’s projects. Since the cedar was the preferred lumber of the Israelites and their neighbors, the cedar population has long since been decimated. This doubtless contributed, in a limited extent, to the aridity prob- lem which challenges the Israelis today. Then as now the cedar is a symbol of strength to many people. Strength is not the only attribute of the wood. As in many conifers, resinous by- products of the plant’s metabolism are concentrated in the wood. These resins impart a lasting quality to the wood so that it is particularly desirable for structures which must endure pro- longed contact with the soil. Egyp- tian mummies were often encased in caskets of cedar, probably the Mt. Atlas Cedar, and many ancient arti- facts, carved of cedar, have survived ages of weathering. Probably most important to us is the beauty of the legend tree, the Cedar of Lebanon, but there is little need for me to extol it more. Terse but adequate praise can be found in Psalm 92: verse 12: “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar in ” Lebanon. THE ANACARDS C, — HE Cashew Family, Anacardia- ceae, is a family which carries a vary bad reputation here in the tem- perate climes. We are most familiar with its representatives here as ‘Poison Oak and Ivy” and “Poison Sumac.” Most of us tend to carefully avoid them when we recognize them by their glossy, greasy looking foliage and gray-white, sticky berries—the red berried sorts being considered harmless. It is wise to be careful, for the results of contact with the resins produced by the plants can be most uncom- fortable and can even cause severe dermatitis in susceptible persons. Poi- son Oak and Poison Ivy are normally considered as being botanically the same species, Rhus toxicodendron, 1. DODSON common throughout the United States either as an erect, numerously branched shrub or as a_ scandent, or climbing vine which covers up the trunks of trees and rock faces. Both of these forms cause an annoying rash on the average person’s skin, usually in the area of contact. Some persons are not affected by the plant while some few people become seriously ill as a re- sult of their encounter. Poison Sumac, Rhus vernix, is a native of eastern United States and is considered as more serious than poison oak. It is one of the earliest plants to change the color of its leaves to bright red in the early fall, and unwary persons occasionally collect it for indoor decoration—with unhappy results. Several harmless spe- MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 25 cies appear nearly identical with it in habit of growth, leaves, and flowers, but the only easy way to separate the vicious species from the harmless is by the berries. The harmless ones have bright red berries and the toxic ones have dirty-white berries. Several of the tropical members of the family are also surprisingly venom- Metopium and Comocladia, from the Carribean region ous to the unwary. and Central America, are intensely poisonous. Rhus striata, closely related to our Poison Sumac, is quite danger- ous. The natives refuse to cut it when clearing the forest for agricul- tural purposes, saying that the tree “burns.” To illustrate what can happen to a fledgling tropical botanist when he is not careful, I would like to relate a short but sad episode. A few years back I was making population studies of some of the variable orchids in Ecuador. One of the projects was to study and collect a particularly beauti- ful and seldom seen species of Schom- burgkia in the Province of Esmeraldas. We were in one of the dry desert-like valleys on the western slopes of the Andes which seem so strange, for only a few miles away can be seen the soggy tropical rain forests which receive heavy precipitation throughout most of the year. These dry valleys result from the moisture-laden clouds being strained of their moisture by the sheltering mountains and little rain is left when the clouds reach the valleys. It was an extremely hot day. As we wandered along we noted that the natives had all but cleared the region of trees and shrubs which were large enough to provide fire wood. Rather than attempt to climb the few remain- ing large trees to collect the flowering orchids we looked about in search of a tree or bush from which we might cut a pole to use in dislodging the plants. One can remove them with a good pole with ease and we were not in a mood to exert ourselves any more than absolutely necessary. Around a bend in the trail we came upon a small tree of just the characteristics necessary and after a few machete whacks we had a remarkably long and light pole suited to our needs. It was so excellent in fact that I per- sonally carried it for the rest of the day, using it regularly. I noticed that it seemed to be exuding a black greasy substance but I dismissed that fact in the excitement of the collecting. Late in the afternoon a young man came sauntering down the trail, smil- ing and saluting us. He was curious as to what we were doing with the orchid plants and stopped to chat. His eyes came to rest on the pole in my hands and suddenly his facial expres- sion changed to one of horror and he immediately turned and bid us good day. “Strange people, these Ecuador- ian counterparts of our hill billies,” 1 thought as I wiped the sweat from my brow with my hand. There was no hotel in this region and no water for bathing and since we bad worked late we bedded down on the floor of a friendly soul’s front porch and spent the night. The fol- lowing morning I felt strange. A combination of symptoms of extreme sunburn, horrible itching and general swelling throughout my body made 26 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN me feel chat this little expedition should come to an end. The follow- ing two weeks in the hospital—swollen out of all proportion to a human being and thoroughly miserable gave an opportunity to reflect on the rea- sons for the strange behavior of the young man on the trail. It also dawned on me that any small tree left in an area where all others had been cut for fire-wood should be suspect. After recovery I went back to make a careful but more critical examina- tion of my orchid pole tree and it turned out to be Rhus striata. Dis- cussion with the local inhabitants of the region revealed several interesting things, mostly based on folk lore but with an obvious basis in reality. I was informed that sleeping under the tree was certain death. That just walking past the tree could lead to dire results if one were not careful to tip his hat and give a pleasant greeting. Not all of the members of this fam- ily are poisonous; in fact it is only a small minority that are so endowed, For instance, in the genus Rhus ap- proximately 150 species are known, of which only 5 or 6 are poisonous. Rhus glabra, the “Smooth Sumac,” was used during the pioneer days to make a kind of lemonade by dipping the fresh fruit panicles into warm water and then cooling. Few of us realize that several of the most appetizing fruits and nuts of tropical regions belong in this family. Scarcely a more delicious fruit is to be found than a really good variety of Mango, such as Hayden, with which perhaps only a fine peach can compare. It is a sad fact, however, that few of the really good new varieties of Mango developed in Hawaii and the Philippines, are common in cultivation in tropical American countries. This does not bother the children, however, for during Mango season the streets are littered with the large fibrous seeds. This very situation of numerous seeds being scattered, germinating and growing quickly into producing trees, has contributed to the lack of good varieties. Also, the unselected seed- lings pollinate and thereby soon de- generate the better varieties. Most persons in Latin America simply har- vest what is available and are not too concerned because the fruit is small, fibrous and has a flavor of turpentine. In places like Hawaii and the Philip- pines, Mangos are carefully selected to improve the strains and most of the fibers and unpleasant flavor of the rinds have been removed. A visit to the Agricultural Research Station of the University of Hawaii in September can be a pleasant sojourn with seem- ingly countless varieties to taste and compare. Also one can occasionally leave with a distressing rash when he discovers that he is allergic to Mangos. Few people here know that the Cashew Nut, Anacardinm occidentale, is distantly related to Poison Oak and that in Tropical America most people eat the stem and throw the fruit away. Actually, the fruit in this plant is the nut as we know it, including an outer shell which is stripped off when the nut is roasted. The part that the Latin Americans eat is technically the swollen receptacle, or stem, of the fruit. It is about the size of a large plum and is soft and juicy. The nut MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 27 it attached to the apex of this swollen receptacle and the name of the family —Anacardiaceae—is taken from the heart shaped outer cover of this nut. The “Maranons,” as this fruit is called there, is very popular. The fruit-like receptacles are delicious fresh and are made into sherbets, soft drinks and Fruits of the Anacards: A, Spondias; B, Cashew; C, Mango; D, Pistachio. Approx. size. 28 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN even fermented to produce a kind of Unfor- tunately, the fruit is so delicate that it tropical “white lightning.” p 8 g cannot be shipped and therefore we never see it here on the market. As if to show its relationship to the Poison Oak and Sumac, this beautiful small tree also produces a strong poison but in this case the poison is in the shell which covers the nut. If this shell is carefully removed from the fruit, no danger is involved in eating it. After the nut has been roasted it, too, is not only harmless, but as we well know, delicious. One other species of Anacardinm is common in southern Central America and northern South America. This is Anacardium excelsum, a giant forest tree from which the natives make their dugout canoes. It also produces an edible fruit but is inferior to Ana- cardium occidentale. The well known, but expensive nut, the Pistachio, Pistacia vera, belongs here. This tree is a native of Asia but we have a species of the genus indige- nous to southern Texas. Nearly every- one enjoys popping open the husks of Pistachios and picking out the richly flavored meats once they have been roasted and_ salted. Unfortunately, the demand outstrips the supply and thus they have remained a luxury item. Another popular fruit from this family in tropical America is the “Mombin” or “Ciruela,” Spondias mombin, often called the ‘Spanish Plum.” The thick-branched, low trees are common throughout tropical re- gions, particularly in dry areas, and are both semi-cultivated and wild. The fruits are about the same size, shape and color as our red plums and have a remarkably similar flavor, being slightly acid. During certain periods of the year they are very common in the market places and are quite inex- pensive. An estimate of the enormous number of these trees can be based on the fact that children eat the nuts with salt, voraciously, while they are still completely green. Considering the quantities which reach the market after that onslaught, one comes to realize that it is a common tree. Unfor- tunately, some persons, the author for instance, are allergic to these Anacards as well as to Poison Oak. A number of plants from the fam- ily make excellent horticultural sub- jects grown for their foliage, particu- larly in tropical and semi-tropical regions. Several varieties of Rhus, as the Staghorn Sumac, Rhus typhina, are grown in our gardens. Few trees are more beautiful than the large Mangos grown in tropical areas. Cam pno- Sperma and Semicarpus are also well know in tropical and semi-tropical regions for their beauty. Schinus tere- binthifolius and Schinus molle are com- mon in southern California and Flor- ida. The ‘Smoke Tree,’ Cotinus cog- §)8rid, is an extremely colorful small tree or shrub in our gardens because of its densely plumose, purplish panicles of flowers, followed by plumose sterile pedicels accompanying the filiform ones. The “pink smoke tree” is a handsome new form with bronze col- ored leaves. MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 29 EXTRAORDINARY USES OF LEGUME SEEDS VER since the Cro-Magnon man kK rolled a pea seed in his hand and fingered a hollow stem, only to realize its potential as a pea-shooter, the legumes have had a variety of uses apart from culinary or medicinal ap- plications. Such variety represents a fascinating gamut. Witness, for ex- ample, the mundane use of beans in the game of bean-bag. Recently in examining a stuffed alligator-skin about 2 feet long, I noted that the scarlet “eyes” with a black “pupil” were the brilliant red seeds of Eryth- rina; this close relative of the familiar coral bush has a plack spot near the seed scar (hilum). The large plump and rotund seeds of a tropical vine Mucuna are called donkey’s eyes, bear- ing a striking resemblance to the eye of this animal. Equally interesting is the use of the ordinary dry bean seeds (these being large, cheap, and easily procurable) in the process of disarticulating cleaned- out skulls. After pouring the seeds through the large cavity (foramen magnum) at the base of the skull until the inside becomes filled, and subse- quently immersing the skull, the bones separate cleanly along their natural sutures. Substances in the seed coat, called Aydrophylic colloids, attract water like a magnet attracts metal; as a result the seed coat swells appreci- ably. The total force exerted by the over-all expansion of the seeds is tre- mendous and the bones readily sep- arate. From skulls to rosaries may seem a big step, but we note that the seeds of the rosary pea (Abrus preca- torius), as is suggested by the Latin specific name, are widely used in the manufacture of chaplets or beads in tropical countries. In times past the dried seeds of the same rosary pea were frequently employed in the weighing of diamonds; they were erroneously thought to be constant in weight, i.e. the equivalent of a grain or 1/1000 part of a pound avoirdupois. One interpretation of the word avoirdu pois of the Old French means “to have some peas.” It would seem to sug- gest that peas were used in weighings; apparently the word suffered a slight change in orthography and acquired a facetious meaning, being linked with the notion of corpulence. The word carat (a weight for gems, about 3.2 grains) is thought to be derived from the Hindu Indian word reffi meaning seed. The combustible properties of the fruit of the tropical American arboreal genus, Dipteryx, are noteworthy. B. C. White, the author of “The White Indians of Darien’ observed (pp. 96-97) that the Indians near the Colombian border of Panama use the fruits of Dipteryx to make torches: “they consist of about 20 nuts of the almendra tree, rather like nutmegs in shape and size. They are strung tight against each other on a long black sliver of black palm and when lighted give a light about as bright as a com- mon kerosene lantern. As one nut is consumed, it lights up the next one.” In tropical countries the seeds of the leguminous vine, Entada gigas, are used as trinkets. One botanist (I. Johnston) described them as about the size and shape of a pocket-watch and 30 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN having glossy mahogany-colored coats. Not infrequently they are heart-shaped instead of round and are highly prized as pendants. The fruits which bear them are often longer than a yard- stick. Peas are used in a routine laboratory experiment to demonstrate that plants like animals “breathe,” i.e. carry on respiration. In this process oxygen, passing through the seed-coat, burns as it were, complex foods like sugars; as a result, water and a gas, carbon dioxide are formed, with heat being given off in the process. The peas are divided into two groups, one soaked in water, the other soaked in formalde- hyde, and subsequently segregated in 2 vacuum tubes similar to a thermos bottle; these are sealed with corks through which a thermometer has been inserted. Inasmuch as formalde- hyde is toxic to living tissue, the dead peas will release no heat of respiration and consequently no change will be noted in the mercury column of one thermometer; the other tube with the water-soaked seeds, will show in a short time an obvious rise in the mer- THE PELLITORY i the BULLETIN for October we presented the strange case of our native pellitory, Parictaria pensylva- nica. It has become a common weed in St. Louis, though neither in the literature nor in the herbarium can we find any record of. its having been weedy, here or elsewhere. Since the article appeared, Dr. V. Muhlenbachs, an honorary member of our staff, has come forward with even more precise evidence as to its status in St. Louis. cury column, reflecting the loss of heat through the oxidation of the substances in the respiring seeds, It is a apropos to point out that the so-called Mexican jumping beans (really fruits of Sebastiana palmeri) are not beans in the sense of belonging to a species of leguminous plant; they are derived from a species of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). The jumping effect of the bean is due to the writhings of a lepidopterous larva living inside the fruit. Despite the importance of any kind of seed, whether from legume, mint or rose, in terms of food, medicine, indus- trial use, decoration or experiment, its prime significance is its possession of a living embryo. As the hope and perpetuation of the human race can be interpreted in a sense in terms of the maternity wards of our hospitals, so the hopes for a perpetual Spring lie in the womb of the earth with its variety of seeds, each one sustaining a mini- ature plant eager for its hour of emergence. LD:D. PROBLEM II Since 1954 Dr. Muhlenbachs has been engaged, in his spare time, in producing a flora of the railroad tracks and freight yards in the City of St. Louis, a precise record of the weeds and waifs, (and occasional survivor of the original flora) which are to be found growing under these unusual conditions. Dr. Muhlenbachs has col- lected the pellitory five times and has seen it on other occasions, sometimes growing in great abundance. It has MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 31 been collected on both the Wabash and Missouri Pacific rights of way; not only along the tracks but also in the large freight yards. There is even a suggestion, as at the Garden, of the kind of way in which it might have spread from its original site to the railroad properties. Dr. Muhlenbach’s first collection on June 13, 1954, was along the M. P. right of way near Dover Street where, as he says, ‘‘the tracks enter the narrow space between the levee of the Mississippi and the steep and very high bluff.” At such a site the pellitory might have made its transition from its original status as a rock plant to an ubiquitous weed. Elsewhere along the tracks and in the freight yards Dr. Muhlenbach’s im- pression of it is of “a typical weedy species, growing copiously in more or less dense colonies.”’ A former member of the Horticul- tural Council, Mr. Robert Waln, of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, has written about his experiences with the weedi- ness of Parictaria pensylvanica—‘W hen a boy, my father charged me with the task of eradicating Parietaria pensyl- vanica from our Bonny Brook Farm, near Clearfield, Pennsylvania, after learning I had transplanted some from a restricteed area of our Sunny Steppe Farm in the Grampian Hills twenty miles distant.” This additional evidence merely points up the problem posed in the original notice. Has this native rock- plant just recently made the transi- tion to weed-dom in the St. Louis area or has this been going on generally for a long time but outside the notice of scientists? EA. MAUSOLEUM RESTORATION HE mausoleum of Mr. Henry Shaw, started before his death in 1889 and finished shortly thereafter, has been completely renovated and made secure for at least an equal time to come. The work was planned and ordered by the Historical Committee of the Women’s Association of the Garden in the Fall of 1960. The renovation was under the direction of Mrs. Fothergill Graves, Special Consultant, with the metal work and most of the detail being handled by Mr. Robert T. Theiss of the Theiss Plating Corporation. The leaded glass windows were repaired and reset by Emil Frei, Incorporated. The stone work was cleaned by the 32 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN Vittert Building Cleaning Company. The painting was done by the J. R. Meade Company. The roof repairs were made by the Mound City Roofing Company. The structure as it was originally built was solid and amazingly true. Little or no settling has taken place over the years. The recent cleaning and renovation reveals the beautiful pink Missouri granite, the brightly colored leaded windows and _ restores the quiet dignity which was Mr. Shaw’s wish for this tomb, his final resting place. B.LE. MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS SPECIAL SHOWS AND Displays Orchid Show, January 22 to February 26th. Free Nature Procrams for children, aged seven and over, are held every Saturday morning from 10:00 to 11:30 A. M. The Mystery of the Orchid, February 4th The Green Thumb at Work, February 11th. Color Sound Movies, February 18th. Plants in a Capsule, February 25th. Courses ror AbuLts. Beginnning in February: Area Management, 4 sessions; fee $8.00. Wednesdays, February Ist to 22nd, 8:00 to 9:30 P.M. Practical instruction on erosion control, weed and brush control and_ basic management of ponds. Specialized instruction in management of meadows, marshes and forests will be explained, emphasizing recreation and wildlife. SPECIAL LECTURE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR Monpay, FEBRUARY 6, 1961, AT 8:00 P, M., Museum BuiLpineG Dr. Arthur Ringoet, recently from the Congo, will introduce and show a color film to illustrate the work of the Belgian Agricultural Research Institute in the Congo. Dr. Ringoet is now engaged in research at the Garden on the translocation of sugar in rice. This work is supported by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. BOARD OF TRUSTEES RoBERT BROOKINGS SMITH, President LEICESTER B. Faust, Vice-President Henry B. PFLAGER, Second Vice-President Howarp F. BAER JoHn S. LEHMANN DANIEL K. CATLIN RoBerT W. OTTO SaM’L. C. DAVIs WaRREN McKINNEY SHAPLEIGH Henry HitTcHcock EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Epwarp C. DonneELLy President ErHan A. H. SHEPLEY, Chancellor Board of Education of St. Louis Washington University GEorGE L. CapIGAN, Bishop RayMonpb R. Tucker, Mayor Diocese of Missouri City of St. Louis STRATFORD LEE Morton, President Academy of Science of St. Louis HONORARY TRUSTEE DupLEY FRENCH Oscar E. GLAESSNER, Secretary Waxtpo G. FECHNER, Assistant and Controller Controller HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL Clifford W. Benson, Paul Bernard, Mrs. Paul H. Britt, E. G. Cherbonnier, Philip A. Conrath, Carl Giebel, Robert E. Goetz, Paul Hale, Earl Hath, Mrs. Hazel L. Knapp, Dan O’Gorman, Gilbert Pennewill, Ralph Rabenau, F. R. McMath, Chairman. STAFF Frits Wo Went...2-ccccecesnccce-cooscccccacescsczssseeessersnccanencnecnnsacnsaaacssansecesecnssacngrentenssnsccanecs Director Hugh C. Cutler..........2-...eccecceceececeecceeceeneeceeeeeeeceesenenneenennesanenensesessesseeess Executive Director Edgar Anderson. ...........-..---::--:c-cseesceesseeseeeeeseesserecneeceenenseneneeneneeaes Curator of Useful Plants Henry N. Andrews..........2-2-.--:2--cscsceseccnsneeesseseceeseesseeesensnensnetaneegnarecassssenenenenens Paleobotanist Clarence Barbre ..........--.--c:---cs--c+--sseeeceesceeccenesneceennecennasenceneecnsesenscesecennnsenecenansens Instructor Louis G. Brenner. ......:02c0c-s es aa i PS 2 3 a} => NY XN SD a fav eal © KG aS i : Cover: Inside Climatron showing bog area soon after planting. PHOTO BY HEDRICH-BLESSING CONTENTS Report of the Director for 1960 ! des <4 Ofhce of publication: 306 E. Simmons Street, Galesburg, Illinois. Editorial Office: Missouri Botanical Garden, 2315 Tower Grove Avenue, St. Louis 10, Missouri. Published monthly except July and August by the Board of Trustees of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Subscription price: $3.50 a year. Entered as second-class matter January 26, 1942, at the post-office at Galesburg, Illinois, under Act of March 3, 1879. Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. XLIX No. 3 Bulletin March 1961 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR FOR 1960 FRITS W. WENT, Director aces success of an institution oil Ye is measured by public in- terest, then the Missouri Soe x Botanical Garden has done well in 1960. period 1949-1958, an average of 211,710 persons visited the Garden per year. In 1959 the number was 279,800, or 32% average, and 20% During the 10-year above the 10-year above the previous 20-year average. In 1960 the attend- ance as measured by turnstile count at the main gate, was 423,302 visitors, which is just 100° over the 10-year average, and 80% over the 20-year average. This attendance has been equaled only once (in 1929) and has been exceeded in 1928 (468,100 per- sons). If we add an estimated 184% to the main gate count because of persons entering through the Cleve- land and Alfred Avenue gates, our attendance last year was half a million. This compares favorably with esti- mated attendance at the New York Botanical Garden and Kew Gardens near London, of about one million visitors per year, since those gardens are located in areas where the popula- tion is about four times that of the St., Louis area. In our 1959 report we resumed a former practice of publishing the monthly attendance figures, and are including now therewith the figures (in thousands) for 1960 with the 10- year average and 1959 attendance for comparison. Average 1900 TO5Q 1049-1058 January 14.5 ae) 6.6 February 24.2 12.1 1222 March 11.6 25.6 13.6 April 44.7. 25.8 224 May 44.6 25.6 23167 June 221 253 19.4 July 46.7 27.7 21.4 August 41.6 255) 22n9. September 30.6 37.3 22.4 October 60.4 40.6 227, November 53.1 22.5 20.7 December P22 6.0 9.0 Year 423.3. 27958 Zi 7 From the 1960 figures it will be seen that, with the exception of March which was exceptionally cold and dur- ing which the ground was covered with snow practically continuously, the monthly attendance was higher than in similar months during the last ten years. It is also interesting to note that the peak month of April was due to the exceptionally fine bulb displays in the Garden and the excellent Spring Show, whereas the October figures are due to increased interest in the Garden resulting from the opening of the Climatron. The December attendance figure also far exceeds those of previous years, showing to what extent the (33) 34 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN Climatron is important in our overall Operation. At present, attendance at the Mis- sourt Botanical Garden on its peak Sundays is limited by automobile park- ing facilities on Tower Grove Avenue, Flora Boulevard and _ side _ streets. Therefore we must provide off-street parking if we want to serve the St. Louis public to the extent we believe local interest in gardens and plants is concerned. If no parking limitations existed, we believe that within a few years, attendance at Shaw’s Garden would reach a million visitors per year, or about four times that of com- parable Botanical Gardens. Even the present achievement must be consid- ered a record for an institution which receives no tax support (except for its scientific activities), and charges no general admission fee. The reasons for our success are simple. The Garden is located inside the city boundaries of a great metro- politan center. The private benev- olence of Henry Shaw, and recently of many prominent citizens, has enabled the Garden to provide unparalleled surroundings for public enjoyment, in addition to the financial support from thousands of St. Louisans as ‘Friends of the Garden.” The devoted efforts of the Garden staff to improve the Missouri: Botanical Garden, a certain amount of imagination offering com- pletely new and exciting experiences for our visitors, and educationally in- teresting information, are providing new pleasures never before offered any- where. We believe that we can con- tinue this program and improve on it, setting an example for institutions all over the world, proving that Botany and Horticulture are of such universal appeal and significance that their pur- suit can sustain a garden of unusual attainments. The major achievement of 1960 was the completion of the Climatron, which was officially dedicated on Oc- tober 1, and opened to the public for the first time on October 2. The dedi- cation ceremony was held in front of the East entrance of the Climatron at dusk, and Dr. Detlev Bronk, President of the Rockefeller Institute of New York, gave the dedicatory speech. A very large number of Friends of the Garden, all Trustees, a number of prominent St. Louisans and distin- guished out-of-town botanists such as the Directors of the New York Botanical Garden, Longwood Gardens, the Morris Arboretum and the Arnold Arboretum, attended and saw the Climatron opened by the dramatic turning on of the lights. The Wom- en’s Association offered refreshments inside the Climatron for all guests at the dedication ceremony. An esti- mated 1,500 persons filed past the refreshment tables at the lower level of the Climatron. Right from the beginning, the at- tendance of paying visitors at the Climatron has been a success. The average weekly income from these visitors has fluctuated considerably but, if anything, shows a tendency to increase. Sunday attendance has al- ways been best, with receipts ranging from $500 to $1,000. We had our peak attendance on Sunday, October 2, with Thanksgiving Day as a close second. During the weeks before 8 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 35 Christmas, attendance was low; how- ever, this is a normal seasonal drop occasioned only partly by bad weather conditions. Weekday receipts average $100, while the average on Saturday 1s $200. Many school children and other students have taken advantage of free admission extended to those groups. Since November 3 the Climatron has been open to visitors on certain days between 5:00 and 9:00 P.M. Originally, it was open Thursday through Sunday evenings; however, it developed that the Thursday night at- tendance was too low to justify the expense involved, with the result that the Climatron is now open Friday through Sunday evenings. Sunday evenings always bring the greatest number of late visitors, and again on Thanksgiving, there were more eve- ning visitors than on any other night. During the first week that the Cli- matron was open, a series of lectures was given in the evening for Friends of the Garden, as follows: October 2, 1960, Dr. Erwin Bun- ning, Director, Botanical Institute and Garden of the University of Tubingen, “Biological Clocks in Plants”; and Dr. Edgar Anderson, Curator of Useful Plants, Missouri Botanical Garden, “Experimental Research at Shaw’s Garden.” October 3, 1960, Dr. Russell Seibert, Director, Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, “The Signifi- cance of the Privately Operated Botan- ical Garden.” October 6, 1960, Dr. Frits W. Went, Director, Missouri Botanical Garden, “Plants and Gardens in the Western Hemisphere.” These lectures were fairly well at- tended. It was interesting to note that, with the proper public address system, the speaker could be heard, although the acoustics of the Clima- tron, from the lecturer’s point of view, are not ideal. On the other hand, the acoustics are excellent for the different jungle noises and the sound of the waterfall, all of which reverberate through the entire building to the extent that it is impossible to determine their exact source, with the resultant very natural effect. In June Ladislaus Cutak went to southern Florida to select and dig palms and other materials to be dis- played in the Climatron. Mr. C. A. MacFall, Jr., of the Lee Freight Sys- tem, donated a truck for transporting this material to St. Louis. The plants were given to the Missouri Botanical Garden by the Fairchild Tropical Garden, Mrs. Alvin R. Jennings and the U. S. Plant Introduction Garden. This material was temporarily kept in our other greenhouses, and in August was planted in the Climatron. Further plantings were made in September and succeding months so that, by the time the Climatron was officially opened, the visitors were greeted with a fine display of vegetation. Much of the plant material is grow- ing very rapidly, and within a few years we can expect to have most of the space in the Climatron filled with the more rapidly growing tropical trees and shrubs which then can be gradually replaced with the typical primary forest trees of the jungle. On June 15 C. Ranlet Lincoln as- sumed the position of Assistant to the 36 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN Director, and his efforts have been most effective in handling many phases of construction and operation of the Garden. During the summer the Director and Mrs. Went traveled through Europe, visiting Botanical Gardens and parks. One of the main objectives was to find the best features of these gardens and parks, with a view of incorporating them in the Missouri Botanical Garden. The places visited ranged from the purest Botanical collections with little attempt to make them attractive to the public, to an amusement park with attractive flower gardens (Tivoli in Copenhagen). As far as attendance is concerned, Tivoli had the greatest popularity, with free concerts, shows, circus performances, an amusement park for both adults and children, and many restaurants (a total of 9,500 seats). During the 4! month season a million persons pass through the Tivoli gates per month, which com- pares with a similar attendance per year for Kew Gardens in London, and the New York and Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and of Planten un Blomen in Hamburg and the Palmengarten in Frankfurt. The latter two have attractive restaurants, very colorful flower displays, music and other at- tractions, which explains their popu- larity in cities considerably smaller than London or New York. But in none of these Gardens or Parks were the plants displayed for their own sake, nor were their interesting aspects, morphologically, taxonomically, gas- tronomically or economically, sufh- ciently stressed. Both Tivoli and Planten un Blomen are self-supporting and do not need any tax-money. The number of seats in their restaurants are 9,500 and 9,000 respectively. Since we do not want to become an amusement park, and since the Gar- den has to become self-supporting, we will have to stress 1) eating facilities, 2) special attractions like the Clima- tron, 3) attractive floral displays throughout the year, and 4) botanical information of the highest order of interest and practical significance. Several experiences of special interest were 1) the realization that the baroque style, as exemplified by many churches in’ Bavaria, Austria and Czechoslovakia, have a spirit akin to the richness of flowers and the grace of floral displays, and that it would be highly appropriate to build any new Floral Display house in this style. Originated by Michelangelo with his creative exuberance, it became gener- ally accepted because of its bigness of scale, boldness of details and the vigor of its rhythmic flow. In_ general, Floral Display houses are conven- tional greenhouses (like our present one) of which the basic architectural outlines have to be softened by camou- flaging them with trees and palms, or they are just barns, erected for cheap- ness, of which one hopes that their structure will be de-emphasized by color and grace of the flowers dis- played. 2) One of the finest gardens vis- ited, but the least satisfying, was Saville Gardens in Windsor Great Park in England. These gardens were laid out somewhere in the middle of the stately semi-wilderness of the old MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 37 hunting grounds of the English kings. Since there is no house or other human structure in or near the gardens, they seem to lack a purpose, and seem lost, in spite of their design. A lawn which does not provide a view from a win- dow, or walks which neither start nor end are an artifice in the domain of nature. 3) Everywhere, in England, Hol- land, Denmark, Germany and Czecho- slovakia, old private estate gardens are made into public gardens and in gen- eral a nominal admission fee is charged as a contribution to operating ex- penses. But we had the impression that admissions could pay only for a small fraction of the actual running costs. Besides, most of these estates are too far away from metropolitan centers to attract a sufhcient number of visitors. 4) In most of the Botanical Gar- dens with particularly rich botanical collections, one or more professional botanists were employed to build up the living collections (Kew, Miinich, Géteborg). Not only the greenhouse collections, but also the outdoor taxo- nomic plantings, the rock gardens and arboreta were rich in forms wherever special efforts were made to develop and maintain such collections through seed and plant exchange and through special expeditions. 5) Wisley Gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society occupies a special place because of its large-scale testing of plant materials and planting meth- ods. They can also be described as demonstration gardens such as we want to establish here at the Missouri Botan- ical Garden. This year the Director again has spent much time in lecturing: University of Pittsburgh, University of Florida, American Meteorological Society, Kansas City Meeting, Southern Illinois University, Cold Spring Har- bor Symposium, Purdue University, Sorbonne (Gif Phytotron), Univer- sity of Utrecht, Vegetable Research Station in Olomouc, Czechoslovakia, Agricultural Research Institute of Canada, Pioneer Hybrid Corn Com- pany, Des Moines. In addition, he has given talks for local groups of gar- deners and professional peopie. He also attended many meetings con- cerned with botanical problems, such as a tree growth conference in Tucson, a committee on Tropical Botany, and meetings of the Governing Board of the American Institute of Biological Sciences and of the National Commit- tee of the International Union of Biological Sciences. In September a Visiting Committee of the National Institute of Health was at the Garden for a day in con- nection with the Garden’s application for a facilities grant for the new Re- search Building, for which we already had a $250,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. This Committee obviously made a favorable recommendation, since we have re- ceived word that the National Institute of Health recommends a grant of $188,281 toward the new Research Building. Preliminiary architectural plans for this building were made by the archi- tects Murphy and Mackey, including laboratories for experimental work, a library and an herbarium which would 38 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN virtually double our present space. During the past year the Garden has received a great deal of publicity, especially in connection with the open- ing of the Climatron. This publicity was local, national and international, and consisted of newspaper spreads and radio and TV programs, in which many staff members participated, par- ticularly George Pring. One of the major activities con- nected with the Garden was the work of the “Friends of the Garden.”’ Under the able leadership of newly appointed otheers, Mr. John Averill, President; Mrs. William Bascom, Vice President: Mr. Sears Lehmann, Treasurer; and Mr. Harry Wuertenbacher and Mrs. Curtis Ford, Co-Chairmen of the Membership Committee, a major mem- bership campaign was started which, in spite of an increase in membership “Through the Garden Gate” exhibition 1960 fee from $5 to $10, materially in- creased the number of members in this organization and almost doubled the income of the previous year. The Historical Committee, organ- ized in 1959, continued its work in 1960 and in addition to further im- proving the restoration of the Tower Grove House, also restored Henry Shaw’s Mausoleum, which is now again in prime condition. This work was financed by income from admission fees from the Tower Grove House, and by a contribution from the Women’s Association. The Women’s Association expanded on its already impressive record of de- voted, imaginative and most effective service to the Garden. Under Mrs. W. Warren Kirkbride’s splendid chair- manship, the ladies were not content to rest on their laurels, or even to PHOTO P.A.K,. MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 39 repeat their past successes, but con- tinually devised new and attractive projects. Outstanding among these during the past year were: The “Pass the Hat” campaign, restricted to the Association’s membership, in which gaily-decorated miniature hats accom- panied an appeal for funds, phrased in verse by Mrs. Henry B. Pflager who, with Mrs. Charles A. Brandon, directed the campaign; and the Garden Gate exhibition and sale of garden material in May. This highly successful project was sponsored by the Famous Barr Company, and held at the parking lot of the Famous Clayton store. With an enormous quantity of creative ef- fort by the Association, led by Mrs. J. Bruce Butler, the Garden Gate not only earned over $5,000 which was donated to the Garden, but also estab- lished itself as a new feature of spring in St. Louis. It will be held again in 1961, and the Association is confidently expecting to double the proceeds. In addition to his administrative duties, Hugh Cutler continued his re- search on useful plants. This was sup- ported by a National Science Founda- tion grant. During the summer he was assisted in this work by Michael Wynne, a botany student at Washing- ton University. In May, Cutler took part in the conference of Directors of Systematic Collections at Lawrence, Kansas. During August he partici- pated in the Pecos Conference at Flagstaff, Arizona, and studied plant collections in institutions in New Mexico and Arizona. From February through August Edgar Anderson was in residence at the Garden, and spent most of his time in research and writing. From Sep- tember on, he taught and consulted at Connecticut Wesleyan College, Mid- dletown, Connecticut. THE HERBARIUM ROBERT E. WOODSON, Curator lke no one event may be singled out as particularly sig- nificant, the year 1960 has been a highly satisfactory one in the herbar- ium. Gains of the past few years have been consolidated and small, but con- sistent advances made on all fronts. A total of 18,425 specimens were mounted and incorporated in our col- lection, bringing the estimated content of the herbarium to 1,759,281 sheets. (The number added this year is almost half that of the preceding year, which reflects pressing need for the conserva- tion of our inadequate space.) 6,612 sheets were forwarded as loans re- quested by other institutions, of which we take a bit of pride in noting that almost one-quarter were sent outside the U.S.A. Missouri Botanical Garden received on In the same period the loan from other museums 5,513 speci- mens for research of our staff and students. 4,358 specimens were re- ceived on exchange from other muse- ums and we reciprocated with 1,725 sheets. As in many previous years, the prin- cipal research project of the herbarium has centered about the “Flora of 40 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN Panama,” in which Woodson has re- ceived indispensable collaboration from James A. Duke, C. H. Dodson and R. L. Dressler of our own staff and specialists of other institutions. Dur- ing 1960 two new fascicles were pub- lished. An outstanding feature of the “Flora” are the numerous beautiful and very critical line and stipple draw- ings prepared by Bernadette Velick. The “Flora of Panama” is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation. A second group project of the her- barium staff was the identification of very many plants of Peru collected by Mr. Felix Woytkowski because of their therapeutic or ceremonial use by abori- ginal tribes, particularly in the Ama- zonian headwaters. This research, undertaken under the auspices of Ciba Pharmaceutical Products, Inc., of Summit, New Jersey, is one of the more ambitious projects dealing with drug plants with which our staff has been concerned for most of the past decade, in cooperation with numerous concerns of the pharmaceutical indus- try. Such activity carries on the role in the interest of public health which the Missour1 Botanical Garden has played since the pioneer research on viruses initiated by the late Dr. B. M. Duggar, for many years our plant physiologist, and the fundamental studies of medi- cally important fungi by our present mycologist, Carroll W. Dodge. In addition to the “Flora of Pana- ma,”” Woodson has continued his study of population problems in the butter- flyweed, Asclepias tuberosa, which is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, as are the studies of Dodge on Antarctic lichens, of Bunting on Philodendron and those of Dressler on orchids. A_ particular pleasure to our staff has been the asso- ciation with one of our alumni, Dr. Richard W. Holm, now of Stanford University, who is spending a sab- batical year with us. As sparetime projects Duke is finish- ing a revision of the genus of Dry- maria, a weedy tropical genus of some 75 species, and is beginning a revision of the genus Triplaris, a group of tropical ornamental trees cultivated throughout Central and South Amer- ica and the West Indies. Robert Dressler together with Cal Dodson completed for publication in 1960 the “Classification and Phylog- eny in the Orchidaceae,” though this really represents work done for the most part in 1959. This review and evaluation of orchid classification with some ideas on relationship and_phy- logeny, has provided a background for much of our future work and_ has stimulated interesting correspondence with a number of colleagues. A num- ber of short notes have been published, some of which are technical, and some in a more popular style. A proposal to the National Science Foundation for support of this work has been granted. A small grant ($400.00) was obtained from Wash- ington University Graduate School Special Research Fund, which is to be used in the preparation of illustrations of orchids for these research studies. Dressler attended both the Second Mid-America Orchid Conference in Chicago, and the American Institute of Biological Sciences Meetings in MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 41 Stillwater, Oklahoma. presented at both meetings. Papers were George Bunting has had his activ- ities divided between the herbarium and the living collections. He assisted in identification of many dried collec- tions from Peru and Panama, as well as specimens sent in by the public for determination. An attempt has been made to name all living plants in the Climatron and other greenhouses. Laminated plastic labels recording per- tinent data about the species have been prepared and applied to the specimens already determined. Throughout the flowering season of daffodils (Narcissus), the named vari- eties and some unnamed seedlings (known as ‘Powell hybrids”) were observed, their locations mapped, and notes made concerning their excellence for use in gardens in the St. Louis area. This project was aided by Josephine Davies, Mr. and Mrs. George Pettus, Kenneth Peck, Mrs. Frits Went and Edgar Anderson. Cal Dodson was given a temporary position beginning in September as a Research Associate for the “Flora of Panama” project. He has worked on the families Anacardinaceae and Sa pin- daceae and is nearing completion of this phase of the project. In addition, his spare time has been devoted to the completion of a revision of the sub- tribes Stanhopinae and Catasetinae of the family Orchidaceae. The pride of our herbarium, as for the Henry Shaw School of Botany of Washington University as a whole, always has been our students. At the June commencement the degree of Ph.D. was conferred on Loren I. Nev- ling. Nevling is now assistant curator of the herbaria of Harvard University where he has for associates two fellow alumni from the Missouri Botanical Garden, Dr. Clarence E. Kobuski, his immediate superior, and Dr. Lily M. Perry. Post-graduate students pres- ently in residence and their respective research topics include William C. Burger (Sorocea and related genera of Moraceae), Phung Trung Ngan (The Asian genera of Cynanchoideae), Gordon Hunter (the Central Amer- ican species of Saurauja), Howard Pfeifer (the North American and Antillean species of Aristolochia), Samuel W. Rosso (the tribe Aposta- sieae of Orchidaceae), and Fuad M. Safwat (the evolutionary morphology of the asclepiad anther). Burger, who came to us three years ago with the degrees of A.B. from Columbia Uni- versity and A.M. from Cornnell University, expects to receive the Ph.D. at the June 1961 commence- ment of Washington University. During much of 1960 the curator, Robert E. Woodson has been conspic- uous by his chronic absence from the herbarium because of imposed substi- tuting at the University for Dean Andrews, who is spending a sabbatical year in India. Yet the routine has moved smoothly, thanks to the under- standing diligence and close coordina- tion of the rest of the herbarium staff: James A. Duke, assistant curator; Barbara Mueller, secretary; George S. Bunting, taxonomist; Gordon Hunter, Cindy mounter; and Jack Wasinger. graduate assistant; Rosso, 42 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN THE LIBRARY GEORGE B. VAN SCHAACK, Liprartan CQUISITIONS, cataloguing and binding occupied as usual much time of the library staff. In addition to the several hundred serials normally added to the collections, 213 new titles were catalogued. The number of books bound was 408. The project, reported last year, of reproducing the catalogue and shelf list on standard size cards was completed late in the year. The long delay in finishing this work, the result of the contractor’s unsuspected lack of technique, was a major burden for eighteen months. Since a library catalogue is always changing, the job of keeping both the original and the incomplete copy up- to-date called for much staff time, which had not been anticipated. The new copy of the shelf list is filed adjacent to the card catalogue and will serve as a kind of classified catalogue, particularly useful since the card cata- logue has few subject entries. Shelf-housekeeping continued the replacement of worn-out pamphlet folders and the provision of strong cardboard slip-cases for several score older books in leather binding. Sev- eral hundred volumes of little used unbound journals were provided with firm cardboard covers into which the several numbers of each volume were pasted. The neat and easily consulted books thus produced are much more easily kept clean and in order on the shelves than the thousands of loose fascicles. Although no statistics are available, it is obvious that the use of the library has increased in the last few years; in particular, more people not on the staft or among the regular students are using the collections and inter-library loan requests have increased. The library has been able to meet these needs fairly well but the lack of con- venient reading areas and the general crowding of the shelves are indications that more adequate quarters for the library are badly needed. EDUCATION PROGRAMS Ki.:0, IN CHARGE OI & iis activities of the Programs are under the direction of Kenneth Peck. He was assisted by Josephine Davies, who left in December to return to her home in England. Children’s Activities—The children’s classes in 1960 were well attended in all phases. Some of the Saturday morning programs, such as Miniature Gardens and Christmas Decorations PECK Vistrors’ ACTIVITIES were attended by as many as 100 chil- dren, although the usual attendance on Saturday mornings was somewhat lower. A number of high school biology students participated in these classes for extra credit given them by their school instructors. The Pitzman Summer Nature Pro- gram, in its third year, had 472 registrants for the two 5-week sessions MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN of classes. Approximately half of this As part of the Pitzman Program, five number received certificates. a groups of children were selected to the These teams investigated several mat- form Junior Research Teams. ters of nature study. Details of these activities are described by Davies in the November, 1960 BULLETIN. In October and November, about 600 children from three local schools visited the Garden to plant Paper- white Narcissus bulbs which they were As in the past, each child was given two bulbs permitted to take home. and a period of instruction of what bulbs are and on how to grow them. In addition to classes, over 130 tours were conducted for both children and adults as compared to only 90 tours in 1959. Late in 1960, most of the tours were in the Climatron which is the favorite tour attraction in addition to The Tree Trail, as usual, was exceedingly popular during The Trail was changed this year and a new and fully the floral displays. the growing season. illustrated guide sheet was given to all who requested it at the Main Gate. Adult Courses —Clarence Barbre taught the courses for adults, consist- ing of Bulb Forcing, Plant Propagation and Spring Horticulture. Norton Nickerson, Robert Gillespie, George 43 Bunting and Robert Dressler taught other courses in botany and horticul- ture. Plans were made for a new program of adult instruction in Gardening and in Botany, with several new courses to be offered in 1961. January, 1961. See BULLETIN, Other Activities —The preparation of many kinds of educational displays is one of the important functions of the Education Programs. Some of these displays were used in the Clima- tron and Floral Display House. In- formative and identifying labels were prepared for some plants. A particu- larly fine set of signs for various lawn grasses and weeds was prepared by Paul Hale and Henry B. Lenhardt. About 80 people took part in a Sunday morning Grass Walk conducted by Edgar Anderson, George Van Schaack and Raymond Freeborg. During the fall semester the Garden conducted a college botany course at the request of St. Louis Baptist Col- the Museum Building and laboratory ses- lege. Lectures were given in sions in the classroom of the Experi- Robert Gillespie, Robert Dressler and George Bunting mental Greenhouse. gave most of the lectures, while the laboratory work was supervised by Walter Hewitson. ex eX ek EKA Mo MO MO ex eK Md MS 83 44 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN CLIMATRON AND GREENHOUSES LADISLAUS CUTAK, Horticutrurist HE major project was the comple- de of the Climatron and sub- sequent landscaping of the interior in time for the official opening on Octo- ber 1. As soon as the scaffolding was removed in early July, the removal of accumulated debris and dead palms was undertaken as the first step toward grading in preparation for actual land- scaping. Walks were staked out, topographical features planned, water lines laid down and about a hundred tons of mushroom compost was incor- Most of the work was done by the regular Garden porated into the soil. crew, although Rallo Contracting Company and Pring Landscapers were called in to do the heavy equipment work such as grading, moving tons of soil, digging holes for the specimen plants and hauling the huge palms into place. By the middle of August the Climatron was ready to receive the first plants. Thirteen large palms were set in place, and then actual planting began on August 17, and was completed in three days. These large palms—including two 25’ coconuts, two 30° royals, one 35’ Washingtonia and several cluster palms came from Florida as donations, specifically from Fairchild Tropical Garden, the Jennings Estate, and the U. S. Plant Introduction Station at Chapman Field, Florida. The specimen paln:s were root- pruned in March and were picked up in the latter part of May for trans- portation to St. Louis. It might be of interest to readers to learn that palm roots do not form new root-caps when injured or severed as in transplanting, so that new roots must be grown to sustain the plant. Palms, however, produce innumerable roots almost con- tinuously, although during the winter months the root growth is compara- tively dormant; therefore root pruning is advisable at that time. This gives the new short roots a chance to grow without disturbing their power to function. In the latter part of May, Lad Cutak and Al Mielezarek drove to Florida to prepare the palms for shipment to the Garden and to gather other plant material for the Climatron. The Lee-American Freight Lines of St. Louis dispatched a 40’ enclosed van to transport the palms, free of charge to the Garden. They did an excellent job and the plants arrived in very good condition, considering the warm windy weather prevalent during that period. To further protect the shipment, the palms were placed in the rear of the Flower House where boxes were built around their root balls and wood chips added to conserve moisture until actual planting was contemplated. By the time the Climatron was ready to receive the plams, the new roots had begun to burst hrough the burl» ‘I 2 men worked feverishly for long hour. to meet the deadline, and by the time the grand opening became a reality, the project was worthy of their efforts and something of which to be proud. The bog area began to shape up nicely in early September, MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 45 and with the placement of Water Hyacinths and other aquatics, no one but the workers would suspect that the area planting was so recent. An eight-foot high ‘“‘mountain” was slowly built and plants were established on its slopes. One will need only a vivid imagination to foresee what a startling feature this mountain will be when the plants reach their maximum size in the Climatron. Another outstanding feature is the waterfall whose water tumbles thunderously down the moun- tainside and drops to the lower levels. Actual work on the waterfall was begun on September 21, and in less than a week the project assumed a natural- istic aspect far beyond our expec- tations. It is now one of the big features for the visitors where many pictures are taken by shutterbugs. Feather rock (pumice stone) was used in the construction because of its light weight, and one large rock floats in the lower pool to the amazement of visitors. The Hawaiian area was started on September 23 and includes plantings of Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, crotons and other showy plants that are generally cultivated in the Islands. In early October Cutak was sent to Longwood Gardens in Kennet Square, Pennsyl- vania, to pick up a van load of material, chiefly tree ferns. These are now forming a striking feature in the Hawaiian area and also as group plantings on the mountain and around In December Cutak went on a collecting expedition to the waterfall. South America. The tropical waterlilies in the out- door pools were left undisturbed until they were taken out on November 4. As usual, they produced a good show until late in the season. FLORAL DISPLAYS PAUL A. KOHL, FLoricuLTURIST dine annual orchid show, the first major floral display of 1960, opened with a preview for the Friends of the Garden on the evining of January 21. Some Camellias bloomed in Decem- ber and January, but February was the month when 1i of the plants in the Linnean house were bedeck ith hundreds of flowers. Visitors 1 9m other parts of the United States-are amazed at the size of our plants which can compare with those grown out- doors in the South. During the year our collection of Camellias was aug- mented by thirty-two varieties of cuttings and small plants shipped to us by the Descanso Gardens of La Canada, California. We also received from the Norfolk Botanical Garden, Nor- folk, Virginia, one plant of the rare Camellia granthamiana, discovered in Hong Kong in 1955. The African Violet Show, scheduled for March 5 and 6, was postponed to May 7 and 8. Members of Friends of the Garden were invited March 10 to meet the new officers of the association and for a preview of the Spring Flower Show of tulips and daffodils. The tulips came from Holland, and the 24 varieties of daffodils were donated by 46 MISSOURI BOT ANI(¢ Mr. Jan de Graaff of the Oregon Bulb Farms. The Easter display opened on Palm Sunday, April 10. Many kinds of colorful plants were used in this show, the Azaleas being the most spectacular. Daftodil April 9 and 10, was cancelled, as was the St. Louis Horticultural Society for May 14 and 15. The Rose Show of Greater St. Louis Rose Society was The Show, scheduled for the Spring Flower Show of the postponed from May 21 to May 28. Hydrangeas were on display during June, and these were followed by Caladiums and other foliage plants. The first Hemerocallis show was staged on the balcony on July 9. The Illinois Gladiolus Society held its show July 24 and 25, tember 3 through 11 by the Henry Cacti were displayed Sep- Shaw Cactus Society. The Greater St. The African Violet Show May 1960 LAL GARDEN BULLETIN Louis Harvest Show, sponsored by the Men’s Clubs of Greater St. Louis, was held Regional Council of Garden September 17 and 18, and a week later, September 24 and 25, the Dahlia Soci ety of Greater St. Louis staged its The Veiled Prophet Queen’s bouquet Was on view show in the flower house. October 5. The annual Chrysanthe mum Show opened with a preview on November 3 and was followed in December by the Christmas display of Poinsettias. Exhibits Au ay from the Garden or Unrelated to Shows: The model of the Climatron was exhibited Bank April 2 and 3 the Missouri Aquarium Society Flower in the Mercantile Commerce during the week of January 25. displayed tropical fish on the balcony of the floral display house. April 24 was Flower Sunday at PHOTO P.A.K. MISSOURI BOTANICAL Christ Church Cathedral, and for that event 200 plants were used to decorate the church for the Annual Flower Sermon, provided for in the will of Henry Shaw. Marguerites were displayed in front of the St. Louis Chamber of Com- merce building on Broadway for the Cleanup Campaign Week of April 25. “Through the Garden Gate,” a fund-raising project of the Women’s Association of Shaws Garden, was held GARDEN BULLETIN 47 on the parking lot of Famous-Barr in Clayton, May 12 through 14. Four thousand annuals and perennials were supplied for this plant sale, and shrubs from the Experimental Greenhouse were also donated. The St. Louis Aquarium Society held its show July 16 and 17. October 8 and 9 the Budgerigar Society of Mis- souri, Inc., held its Midwestern Re- gional Show in the flower house. ORCHID COLLECTION R. J. GILLESPIE, OrcHIDOLOGIST One Im provements—The_ in- stallation of “Rain- Jet” auto- matic sprinklers, which were tried experimentally in 1959, was continued in 1960 so that at present all houses can be watered by this system when desired. In the Spring of this year, a fer- tilizer proportioner was attached to the water main and a constant level nutrient feeding system was begun. This fertilizing provides a constant and complete fertilizer solution always present, at a predetermined concentra- tion, in the water which is being While it is much too premature to evaluate the applied to the plants. effects of this program, numerous plants in the collection have made unusually large, robust growths during the past season indicating an improved environment. Artificial Orchid Trees—An inter- esting aspect of the Orchid Depart- ment’s work during the year was the development, under the personal super- vision of Frits Went, of a group of artificial orchid trees. These trees were made by welding together numerous steel pipe segments to form a tree- skeleton, and then covering this skele- ton with Osmunda fern fiber. Botan- ical orchids were then attached to the Osmunda in permanent position. ‘The plants on each tree were collected from the same geographic area, and thus represent natural grouping. These trees are now located in the Climatron and the extent to which they have prospered in that environment is quite obvious, even to the inexperienced observer. Orchid Show—The annual orchid show was held during the last week of January and during the entire month of February (Jan. 23-Feb. 28). The show consisted of a series of three orchid gardens, a California garden, an Hawaiian garden, and a Florida Numerous hybrid Catfleyas, Dendrobiums, Cymbidiums, and Cy pri- garden. pediums, as well as a fine selection of the Garden’s botanical orchids were staged in these gardens with an excel- 48 “first” for the orchid show was achieved in 1960 by lent effect. A new the staging of a table of miniature orchids illuminated under magnifying glasses, which enabled the public to and intricate floral details of these plants. observe the unusual colors the Displays—A continuous display of orchids was maintained throughout the year in the Botanical Orchid House and in the alcoves until the opening of A display area was constructed just inside the Climatron in October. new the main entrance to the Climatron and another circular botanical staging was built and is now being used in the Orchid plants were supplied weekly to the Climatron. cut flowers or Shaw House and as usual, cut flowers were supplied by the Garden for the Veiled Prophet Queen’s bouquet. A number of Orchid plants and flowers were also given to various de- and institutions serving individuals during the year. A selected group of the Garden’s orchid plants were used in driftwood displays in Famous-Barr’s Clayton store during the May Garden- Gate benefit sale by the Women’s Association. Accessions—New introductions into the orchid collection (some 900 en- tries) were particularly noteworthy during the year 1960. Many new species of botanical orchids, chiefly from South America, were added to One particularly valu- of the collection. able accession was a _ collection MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN selected Ecuadorian specie orchids which was donated to the Garden by Cal Dodson, formerly Director of the of Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Ecuador, and Botanical Institute, University now on the Garden Staff as Research Associate. Another interesting and valuable group of orchids from Indo- nesia was acquired for the Garden by Frits Went. This material adds some plants to the collection from an area from which the Garden had had only a few representative species. Research and Instruction—The pot- ting medium experiment involving a block of Cattleya Mrs. John 8. Lehman was concluded BULLETIN — for October, 1960). articles were published during the year (see In addition, several by the Orchid Department in national orchid publications. Four courses on orchid culture were given and were well attended and received. In May, Robert Gillespie had the privilege of being sent to London, England, to represent the Garden at the Third World Orchid Conference. In addition to attending the Confer- ence, Gillespie also visited numerous horticultural concerns and_ botanical gardens, both in England and on the The Orchid also participated in the Mid-America Continent. Collection Orchid Congress which was held in November in Chicago, Illinois, by assisting in the lecture program and in judging of the orchid show. eK eK EK & RX NS Ms ys eK 6K NS SD 85 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 49 GROUNDS AND MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS LOUIS G. BRENNER, Grounpbs SUPERINTENDENT HE increased visitor attendance I during the past year, largely in- duced by the completion of the Cli- matron, thoroughly tested the abilities of the Grounds Crew who were able to cope with the multitude of problems stemming from increased area usage yet were able to add a considerable number of man-hours toward com- pletion of the Climatron display area. Few new trees and shrubs were planted on the grounds this year be- cause of constructional features im- posed by the Master Plan of the Garden. specimens from the small nursery at However, several unusual the Experimental Greenhouse were planted into the Grounds. The Webster Groves Men’s Garden Club, under the direction of Mr. Dan O’Gorman, organized a_ volunteer group from this club and again pro- vided Dahlias and Cushion Chrysan- themums for a fine blaze of color in the Knoll area. These men provided hours of patient labor toward propa- gating and planting this fine display. The Rose Garden continued as a major summer and fall display, pro- viding an outstanding attraction to visitors who delighted in viewing the best of the new varieties and outstand- ing experimental hybrids of some of the nation’s great rose breeders, with whom the Garden cooperates in dis- playing most recent creations. Out- standing in the Rose Garden this year were Duet by Armstrong Nurseries Inc., Peach Glow by Jackson and Per- kins Co. and Coronado by Peterson and Dering. The continued excellence of the summer rose display was possible largely through the efforts of Mrs. E. F. Stuessie and members of Webster Groves Garden Club Group 4 who volunteered many hours toward light summer pruning and clipping faded blooms in the Rose Garden. The lawns of the Garden continue to improve. Large scale use of selec- tive weed killers and other herbicides has made relatively light work of the seemingly great chore of lawn main- tenance. In October a light dressing of fertilizer was applied to the lawns with the new cyclone type spreader purchased recently. With this unit added to the maintenance inventory it is now possible to apply frequent light dressings of fertilizer under ideal weather and soil conditions, important to good lawn maintenance. As mentioned above, the Grounds Crew played an important role in the completion of the Climatron where they were responsible for removal of the mass of litter left by the many contractors; hauling and tilling com- post into the soil prior to planting; planting of large new palms; con- structing walks; aiding in plant- ing the multitude of exotic tropical plant species; and moving and placing the large pumice stones at the base of the waterfall. The dashing mountain brook and ledge of the waterfall were built by Jess Mayhan and George Hochrein, who also repaired the columns retained from the old Palm House. Together they also recondi- 50 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN tioned the east ends of the Cactus and Succulent Houses isolated now through removal of the Economic and Fern Houses. Grounds crewmen managed to win the race with time by success- fully grading the ground in front of the Climatron, and producing a “fuzz” of new lawn by Dedication day. The Grounds Operations also main- tains the grounds of the National Council of Federated State Garden Clubs through a special cooperative agreement. Building maintenance included re- decoration in early spring of the , “Friends of the Garden” and Main Gate ofhces. Sales facilities in the Main Gate ofhce were greatly improved by the addition of cabinets and peg- board display panels. Main Gate facilities were further improved by the introduction of a See-Thru map designed and built by the Ground Department. This installation also includes a bulletin board of Garden attractions keyed to appropriate loca- tions on the map. During the sum- mer two of the growing houses of the Floral Display Department were re- conditioned by replacing ridgecaps and renovating the ventilator sash. Late in the year major repairs and redeco- rating were begun in the Main Gate restrooms. The Ground Operations continued to work closely with the Historical Committee of the Garden in restorative work at the Shaw House, and the Mausoleum, by doing much preliminary work in preparation for the many special craftsmen called on for restorative repairs. ENGINEERING OPERATIONS KENNETH A. SMITH, ENotNere “JC He background operations of the I Garden providing heat, water, electrical services and the maintenance cf equipment for all other branches has been performed under the direction of Kenneth Smith, Engineer, and James Hampton, his Assistant. In addition to the regular operations, these men have assisted with the prob- lems connected with the opening and operation of the new Climatron. These items include waterlines on both levels, installation of pump, piping and some concrete work for the waterfall; light shields for floodlights, and assembly, wiring and erection of the central light fixture. The framework for the artificial trees was welded by Hampton as a special project. Considerable time was required of these men to work with the various contractors, such as Minneapolis-Honeywell, in their in- stallations of devices and special mechanical equipment for automatic controls in the Climatron. The heating plant required a new refractory arch in No. 2 boiler. The boiler feed lines were replaced in the pump room. Other operations about the Garden included new water lines in the Curi- osity House; new furnace for the Main MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 51 Gate offices; spotlights for the Floral Display House and the Linnean House; additional wiring for the Shaw Home; and experimental equipment for use of research workers in the Experimental Greenhouse. ARBORETUM FRANK L. STEINBERG, SUPERINTENDENT fi ex Arboretum continues to be managed with a skeleton crew, yet the roads have been kept open, the grasslands managed and pruning and clearing continued. The area about the Pinetum Lake is open to cars daily, The longer drive past the dogwoods, redbuds and many drifts of natural- ized daffodils to the trailhouse and wildflower trails was kept open for six weeks in April and early May. Mowing required 727 tractor and man hours. The Pinetum was mowed in the late Spring and again in the Fall. All planted groups in the Pine- tum were cleared of brush and sprouts, and dead trees were removed. All the groups are clean and this should help the daffodil display in the Spring. Mowing 120 acres on the farm required 108 tractor and man hours. Guard rails on all the bridges were cleaned and painted. Minor repairs were made to the roof and gutters of the old brick residence. Brenner’s residence also required minor repairs. The Gate House was repainted. INFORMATION CENTER fies Main Gate offices were re- painted, new shelves, peg boards and a new heating system installed to serve the Information Center and for offices of the “Friends of the Garden” organization. The sales of books, pamphlets, correspondence and general public information are served by Mabel Shepherd during the weekdays, and by Trifon von Schrenk and _ Jess Mayhan on weekends and during eve- ning hours. George Pring answered numerous requests for information, appeared on radio and television pro- grams and gave a number of lectures. He represented the Garden at the Third Orchid Conference in London, Eng- land. He visited the Oxford and Cam- bridge Botanic Gardens and spent a week of study in the herbaria of Kew Gardens and British Museum on re- search in the Nymphacaceae to find new species that might be useful in future breeding work at the Garden. He spent three days at Floriade (Flori- cultural Exhibition) in Rotterdam, Holland. He visited the Gubler Green- houses in Zurich, Switzerland, which specializes in orchids and __ foliage plants. The new and improved Information Center with its enlarged and improved selection of books, pamphlets on plants, and souvenir items is attracting a larger number of visitors. MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN PROGRAMS SPECIAL SHOWS AND Disptays Bulb Show, March 5 through 19 Easter Display, March 26 through April 2 Free Nature PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN, aged seven and over, are held every Saturday morning from 10:00 to 11:30 A. M., Museum Building. March March March March 4 Three Cheers for the Green Thumb (you may take your plants home) 11 The Secret Life of a Plant 18 The Story of the Pincushion Forests 25. Make Your Own Dwarf Garden (bring your own container) CouRSES FOR ADULTS. Beginning in March 104 206 How to Propagate from Seed. (Two Sections). 5 Sessions, Fee $12.00. Tuesdays, March 14 and 21, April 4, 11 and 18, 1:00 to 2:30 P. M. Thursdays, March 16 and 23, April 6, 13 and 20, 8:00 to 9:30 P. M. Fundamental facts and procedures for producing annuals, biennials and some perennials from seed for use in your garden. The Garden supplies seed, germinating media and soil for four metal flats of seedlings which you may take home. Persons wishing to supply their own seed must bring it to the first session. Instructor Clarence Barbre. Economic Botany. 5 sessions, Fee $10.00 Wednesdays, March 15 and 22, April 5, 12 and 19, 8:00 to 9:30 P.M. General instruction in useful plants and their relation to man are studied, using the Garden’s extensive collections of materials from archeological sites, primitive culture and modern breeding experiments. Instructor Hugh Cutler. A SERIES OF LECTURES ON RESEARCH AT THE GARDEN. GIVEN THE First Monpay oF Eacu MonTH “The Evolution of Some New World Plants” Dr. Hugh Cutler, March 6, 8:00 P. M., Museum Building. “Orchid Hunting in South America.” Dr. C. H. Dodson, April 13, 8:00 P. M., Museum Building. Dr. Dodson, Taxonomist and Research Associate in the Herbarium, assisting in the preparation of the Garden’s “Flora of Panama.” BOARD OF TRUSTEES RoBertT BROOKINGS SMITH, Sam’L. C. Davis President Henry HitrcHcock LeicesTeER B. Faust, JoHN S$. LEHMANN “7. Iu C4. > ¥ Vice President Rosert W. Orro Henry B. PFLAGER, WarREN MCKINNEY SHAPLEIGH Second Vice President Howarp F. Barr DupLeY FRENCH, DaNIEL K. CATLIN Honorary Trustee EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Epwarp C. DONNELLY, ErHan A. H. SHEPLEY, President, Board of Education of St. Louts Chancellor, Washington University GEoRGE L. CaDIGAN, RayMOND R. TUCKER, Bishop, Diocese of Missouri Mayor, City of St. Louis STRATFORD LEE Morton, President, Academy of Science of St. Louis FRIENDS OF THE GARDEN Mrs. Wm. R. Bascom, President, Mrs. Curtis Ford, Vice President, Harry FE. Wuerten- baecher, Jr., Vice President, Mrs. Eli M. Strassner, Vice President, Sears Lehmann, Treasurer. HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL Clifford W. Benson, Paul Bernard, Mrs. Paul H. Britt, E. G. Cherbonnier, Philip A. Conrath, Carl Giebel, Robert. E. Goetz, Paul Hale, Earl Hath, Mrs.. Hazel L. Knapp, Dan O’Gorman, Gilbert Pennewill, Ralph Rabenau, F. R. McMath, Chairman. WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION Mrs. J. Bruce Butler, President, Mrs. James G. Alfring, Vice President, Mrs. Bert A. Lynch, Jr., Vice President, Mrs. Frank Vesser, Treasurer, Mrs. Samuel D. Soule, Cor- responding Secretary, Mrs Edwin F. Stuessie, Recording Secretary. HISTORICAL COMMITTEE John S. Lehmann, Chairman, Mrs. Edwin R. Culver and Mrs. Neal S. Wood, Co-Chairmen for Restoration. GARDEN STAFF Frits W. Went, Director C. RANLET LINCOLN, Assistant Huon C. Cutter, Executive Director : po The Director ay ; Epcar Anperson, Curator of Useful Plants ee reese! Henry N. ANDREWS, Paleobotanist Vitor MUEHLENBACHS, Research CLARENCE Barere, Instructor Associate Lovuts G. BRENNER, Arborist and Norton H. Nickerson, Morphologist Grounds Superintendent Lictran Overvanp, Research Assistant Gerorce S. BuntincG, Taxonomist = . ea KenNETH O. Peck, In Charge of LapisLtaus Cutak, Horticulturist and Visitor Relations Greenhouse Superintendent Georce H. Princ, Superintendent Carrot, W. Donce, Mycologist : : OweEN J. Sexton, Research Ecologist Ropert L. DressLteR, Taxonomist and Editor of the ANNALS KENNETH A. SMITH, Engineer James A. Duke, Assistant Curator FRANK STEINBERG, Superintendent of of the Herbarium The Arboretum, Gray Summit E. L. Evincer, Plant Recorder and GEORGE B. Van Scuaack, Librarian and Editor of the BULLETIN Curator of Grasses Watvo G. FECHNER, Business Manager TRIFON VON SCHRENK, Associate Curator ; : of the Museum Ropert J. Gitvespie, In Charge of Orchids 7 a > > eae F Rorert E. Woopson, Jr., Curator of the Pau. A. Kout, Floriculturist Herbarium SOME FACTS ABOUT SHAW’S GARDEN The Missouri Botanical (Shaw’s) Garden was established in 1859 by Henry Shaw, a St. Louis businessman, to be controlled by a Board of Trustees for the public benefit. The Garden is a non-profit institution which receives no support from the city or state, depending on the income from the Shaw estate supple- mented by contributions from the public. The old stone walls and cast-iron fences, the Linnean House, the Museum Building, the part of the Administration Building which was Shaw’s Town House, relocated in the Garden in 1890, and the Tower Grove House, his country home, all date from Mr. Shaw’s time. The Main Gate, display and growing green- houses and most other facilities date from the period immediately following the turn of the century. The Climatron, opened in 1960, is the first of several new buildings planned for the Gar- den’s redevelopment. It is the world’s first geodesic dome, fully climate-controlled greenhouse and contains the Garden’s tropical collections. The Garden—70 acres—is open every day of the year (except Christmas and New Year) from 9 A.M. until sundown, the greenhouses 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., the Climatron Monday through Thursday 9 A.M. to 5 P. M., Friday through Sunday 9 A.M. to 9 P.M. ‘Tower Grove House is open daily from 1 P.M. to 4 P.M. (December to March on weekends only). The Display House presents four seasonal displays: November, Chrysanthe- mums; December, Poinsettias; February, Orchids; Spring, Lilies and other flowers. During the year are other shows, competitions and festivals sponsored by various Garden Clubs and Flower Societies. Courses in Botany and Horticulture for adults are conducted by the Garden staff. Children’s nature studies are provided each Saturday of the year and a special nature program is held during the summer. Information on these activities is published in the BULLETIN or may be had by mail or phone. The Garden main- tains a research program through the Henry Shaw School of Botany, Washington University. In 1926 an Arboretum — 1600 acres — was established at Gray Summit, Missouri. Foot trails and roads pass through the Arboretum and are open to visitors in April and May. The Garden Administration Building is located at 2315 Tower Grove Ave., and the Garden main entrance is at Tower Grove and Flora Place. The entrance at Tower Grove and Cleveland Avenue is also open to the public. The Garden is served by both the Sarah (No. 42) and the Park-Southampton (No. 80) city bus lines. Persons interested in helping to support the Garden and tak- ing part in Garden activities are urged to do so through the “Friends of the Garden”. Information may be obtained from the Main Gate or by mail or phone. MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN & // /- April 1961 ullelir Volume XLIX Number 4 Cover: The Dandelion. A maligned member of the Aster Family except for those who appreciate its “blossom wine” or the “greens.” All drawings by P. A. Duke CONTENTS April Asters The Structure of the Orchid Flower Women’s Association Friends of the Garden Missouri Botanical Garden Programs ye Office of publication: 306 E. Simmons Street, Galesburg, Illinois. Editorial Office: Missouri Botanical Garden, 2315 Tower Grove Avenue, St. Louis 10, Missouri. Published monthly except July and August by the Board of Trustees of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Subscription price: $3.50 a year. Entered as second-class matter January 26, 1942, at the post-office at Galesburg, Illinois, under Act of March 3, 1879. Missour1 Botanical Bulletin Vol. XLIX No. 4 (,arden April 1961 APRIL, ASTERS JAMES A. DUKE STERS are members of the largest family of flowering plants, a family entitled the composite family or Compositae. This family, and es- pecially the aster, are responsible for the burst of color in autumn, at which time they offer their most magnificent display. Although the true asters are absent from the April flora of Missouri, a few close relatives begin to flower in April, and some of these can be found in March on occasions, especially near cities, where the temperatures are more amicable. Numbering about a thousand gen- era, the composite family is a very diverse and widespread group, many of which occur naturally in Missouri. There is almost an equal number cultivated as ornamentals. Among the more familiar ornamentals are anthemis, chrysanthemum, cineraria, coreopsis, cosmos, dahlia, gerbera, marigold, sunflower and zinnia. Of importance as edibles are lettuce (Lac- tuca), endive (Cichorium), salsify (Tragopogon) and the globe artichoke (Cynara). Not to be forgotten are the nuisance members such as the goldenrod, ragweed, dandelion and cocklebur. A few, such as chicory, tansy, costmary, and southernwood, are used as spices and often find a place in the herb garden. It is hoped however that this article will serve to familiarize you with those few Mis- souri species which begin flowering in April. The botanical name Compositae is not without significance. How many of you have seen a child dissecting a daisy, repeating, “she loves me; she loves me not”? Many would assume that the child were stripping the daisy of its petals, but the process is more complicated. The composite or aster family, as it is commonly called, is so > named because the “flower” is in real- ity a complex aggregation of several, even hundreds of flowers, grouped together on a common receptacle to form the composite structure known botanically as the bead. So when the child strips the daisy “flower” of its “petals,” he is actually stripping the head of several of its constituent flowers. With this in mind, let us examine more closely the “flower” of the robin’s plantain (Fig. 1), one of the earlier composites to flower, and the one superficially most closely resembling the aster. At the same time let us compare it with the true flower of the spring beauty (Fig. 2), a member of the portulaca family, which can be found blooming at the same time as the robin’s plantain. The outermost whorl of the spring beauty flower con- sists of two greenish structures, the (53) 54 Inside sepals, which are almost round. these are five pink petals, which are longer and narrower than the sepals. Inside the petals are five stamens, which consist of narrow elongated stalks, the filaments, (fil.) at the tip of which are the anthers (anf.), which are yellowish to pinkish and which the The somewhat resemble a football in shape, produce pollen. anthers and upon closer examination are seen to be divided into four quarters. In the center of the flower is the ovary, a globular structure which at maturity At the tip of the ovary is a long stalk, the will produce about five seeds. style (s/y.), which towards its apex, divides three branches (sti), the stigmata (sing. into short papillate stigma), to which the pollen is trans- ferred when pollination is effected. On most plants of the spring beauty Ach. Disk Flower MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN several flowers will be observed. The collective name for the flowers and the branches upon which they are borne is the inflorescence. If we could visualize the condensation of the in- florescence so that all the branches and stalks had fused, visualized something close to the com- we would have posite inflorescence which is called the head. Outside the head of the robin’s plan- tain is a whorl of green structures, the phyllaries (phy.), which resemble the sepals of the spring beauty somewhat but in reality correspond to its upper- In the center of the head of the robin’s plantain we will find which will with the larger flowers of the spring beauty. most leaves. several minute flowers, show several _ similarities The outermost whorl of this flower, MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 55 known as a disk flower, consists of several threadlike bristles, the pappus bristles (p.b.) which collectively form the pappus. Although the similarities are remote indeed, the pappus bristles correspond to the sepals (sep.) of the spring beauty. Inside the pappus bristles we find a five-lobed tube, the corolla tube (c./.), which corresponds to and more closely resembles the petals of the spring beauty. The petals of the composite have grown together at their base, somewhat like the toes of a duck. The five lobes of the disk flower show vestigially the relationship to the five separate petals of the spring beauty. Inside the corolla tube and scarcely visible to the naked eye are five stamens, the tips of which barely emerge from the tube of the corolla. The stamens also show a_ tendency toward coherence. Their anthers (ant. ) have grown together to form a second tube inside the corolla tube. The ovary of the disk flower is completely enclosed within these two tubes and can be located only by dissection, but it will be found to be quite similar to that of the spring beauty, except that it has become fused with the basal portion of the pappus and the corolla tube (c.7.). has only two stigmata (sf/.), rather Furthermore, the style than three as in the spring beauty. The ovary in the composite family forms only one seed and that, inex- tricably fused with the lower portion of the pappus, is known as the achene (ach.). Since there are several flowers in a head, several achenes are normally produced, and the pappus bristles, which usually remain attached to the achene, often aid in their dispersal. This is merely half of the compli- cated story of the composite flower. We have studied only the disk flowers which are at the center of the head. At the periphery of the head are more flowers, constructed on a slightly dif- ferent pattern, and showing even less resemblance to the flower of the spring beauty. These outer flowers, known as ray flowers or ligulate flow- ers, have pappus bristles similar to those of the disk. The corolla tubes, however, are very one-sided or asym- metrical, and the outer conspicuous sides form strap-like structures, the rays or ligules (lig.), which are usu- ally the most striking feature of the composite flower. To the uninformed these are the “petals” of the daisy. Embraced by the asymmetrical corolla tube of each ray flower are a style and 2 stigmata (sfi.), similar to those of the disk flower, but the stigmata are visible toward the interior of the ray flower (see figure 1 sf/.). Stamens are lacking in the ray flowers, which are thus unisexual (female), as contrasted to the bisexual disk flowers. This brief introduction to the com- posite flower may serve to explain why many naturalists, as well as amateurs, tend to avoid and pass by the numer- ous and sometimes quite attractive members of the composite family. Due to their complexity and multi- plicity, the family is a difficult one to master in a short time. Variability might be added to the list of charac- teristics of the composite family. We have come to find that the so-called flower is actually a head, an aggrega- tion of several flowers, and in a single head are two quite different types of 56 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN flowers, the symmetrical disk flowers € toward the center, the “eye” of the ox-eye daisy, and the asymmetrical ray or ligulate flowers toward the periph- ery, the “legs” of the spider chrysan- themums. This arrangement is only one of many variations on the com- posite theme. In some genera all the flowers in a head are symmetrical (discoid) while in others all are asym- metrical (ligulate). In some genera all flowers are of one sex on one plant and of the opposite sex on another; in others, the inner flowers in a given head may be of one sex, while the outer may be of the other, or com- pletely asexual; converse relationships also exist. In some plants, the heads are themselves aggregated into com- pound heads. To describe the variables and their combinations would be tantamount to describing the thou- sands of species of composites, a monu- mental task. Let us limit ourselves for the present to a basic understand- ing of the composite head, and at the same time familiarize ourselves with the seven genera which bloom in April here in Missouri. One of the best tools for plant iden- tification is the dichotomous key, which works by offering two alterna- tives. A series of couplets are con- trasted, alternate members of the couplet bearing the same letter. To identify your plant, read each mem- ber of the couplet; only one will apply to the plant you are identifying. Following the applicable member will be either a letter which directs you to the next couplet or, if you have be- ginner’s luck, the name of your plant. One should pursue the couplets until he arrives at the name of the plant. Then the plant is no longer a mystery but an addition to the list of “wild- > flowers I have known.” April has few composites, and the fewer the alterna- tives, the easier the key. Why not pick the first composite you see this month and try to identify it with the key. And remember, if the first does not apply to your plant, proceed to the second a. In case the key fails you, brief descriptions and_ helpful illustrations follow the key. You will find it more rewarding to use the key first and corroborate your identifica- tion with the illustrations, but you may find it a trifle easier to pass the key and identify by means of the illustrations. Key to ApRiIL-FLOWERING COMPOSITES a. Plants without milky sap; some or all flowers without ligules. (Pro- ceed to > if this is true of your plant; to the alternative a if untrue), b. Ligules yellow—Squawweed (Se- necio) (1) b. Ligules not yellow, sometimes completely absent (proceed to c) c. Heads without ligules (‘‘pet- als’”)—Pussy Toes (Anten- naria) (2) c. Heads with white or lilac ligules (proceed to d) d. Stem leaves less than '% inch broad; pappus with only 5 bristles — (Chactopap pa) (3) d. Stem leaves at least '4 inch bread; pappus with many bristles — Robin’s Plantain (Erigeron) (4) MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 57 a. Plants with milky sap; all flowers ligulate (proceed to ¢) e. Achenes without pappus bristles at the top—(Apagon) (5) e. Achenes with conspicuous bristles at the top (proceed to f) f. Leaves merely toothed; heads 4, to 1 inch broad; pappus bristles emerging from top of achene — Dwarf Dandelion (Krigia) (6) f. Leaves deeply lobed; heads at least 1 inch broad; pappus bristles on a stalk emerging from the top of the achene— Dandelion (Taraxacum) (7) 1. Senecio, Squaw-weed, Ragwort (Fig. 3). Characterized by the bright yellow ligules and the leaves which are often egg-shaped, this ay ( x Fige 3 A iP wl; large genus has several species expected to bloom in April. The silky bristles on the achene are numerous and lack the stalk so characteristic of the dandelions. Were it not for the lack of milky juice, this could con- ceivably be confused with the dwarf dande- lions. In the dwarf dandelion, by means of contrast however, every flower in the head has a ligule, whereas in the squaw-weed only the outer flowers have the ligule. Senecio is ene of the largest genera in the composite family, and classification of the species is very involved. The butter-weed, Senecio glabellus, differs from the others in having no basal leaves, or in having the basal leaves, when present, deeply lobed, the lobes extending almost or completely to the midrib of the leaf. The golden rag- wort, S. aureus, is characterized by having all or most of the basal leaves shaped somewhat like a valentine. Bruising the upper leaves and phyllaries will often yield a peculiar and delicate odor. Senecio plattensis, the prairie ragwort (Fig. 3), and S. pauperculus, two closely related species of the prairies and glades, both have leaves which are tapered to the base and often (at least in S. plattensis) have a characteristic wooly appearance. These species lack the delicate odor in their phyl- 58 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN Fig. 5 laries. Another closely related species, S. obovatus, has spoon-shaped or nearly round leaves which are not woolly. It is further differentiated from the preceding by producing runners somewhat like a strawberry. 2. Antennaria, Pussy Toes, Everlasting, Ladies’ Tobacco (Fig. 4). Pussy toes stand out from other early-flowering composites in that they have no ligulate flowers, i.e., all the flowers are discoid. The distinctive silvery cast of the flowers, rivaled by the pussy willow, also occurs on the stem and _ leaves. The basal leaves persist throughout the winter. In some plants all the heads are male and in other plants, all are female; the female plants are usually more robust. Three species flower in April. In Anteunaria neglecta, the female of which is illustrated in Fig. 4, the basal leaves have only one rib. Of the other two species, both of which have three ribs in the basal leaves, A. plantaginifolia has phyllaries less than 46 of an inch long, while A. fallax has the phyllaries longer. Picked at the right stage (before the fruits have fully matured), the plants are nice for dry floral arrangements, and persist for some time. This explains the common name “Everlasting.” 3. Chaetopappa (Fig. 5). As in Zinnia, Dahlia, Cosmos and several other genera, the Latin name is most commonly used for this genus, represented in Missouri by one species, Chactopappa asteroides, which is not very common. The plant is xather inconspicuous with small narrow leaves. The color of the rays varies from white to lilac, as do those of the robin's plantain, which however has numerous and conspicuous silvery pappus bristles. The pappus of Chactopappa has only five bristles (p.b.) although there are some minute scales (sca.) intermixed with them, 4. Erigeron (robin’s plantain) (Fig. 1). The robin’s plantain is the first of the Erig- erons to bloom in spring, and it is probably the most attractive of them, closely resembling the true Asfer of autumn. Since it was dis- cussed in the explanation of the composite flower, there is little to add except to call attention to the numerous pappus_ bristles which, as in many composites, are responsible for the widespread dispersal of the seeds. The leaves are rather hairy but not so attractive as those of Antennaria. Robin's plantain is more common in southern than northern Missouri. 5. Apogon (Fig 6). Apogons are closely related to the dwarf dandelions (and included in the genus by recent taxonomists). The differences are rather technical and they are rarely observed by the amateur; hence the Apogons seem also to have acquired no collo- quial names in Missouri. The genus is repre- sented in Missouri by only one species, Apogon oppositifolia. As the name implies, the leaves on the stem arise in pairs, with one member directly opposed to the other at a given point MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN on the stem. These dwarf plants are char- acterized by the milky sap exuded when the stem is broken, and furthermore by a waxy, bluish coating on the leaves which may _ be rubbed off with the finger. The long leaves are asymetrically toothed as a rule, although many leaves on a given plant may be quite smooth-edged. Leaves of many composites often exhibit such an array of variation that the only adjective that can be surely applied to them is variable. The heads consist of about 20 florets, each of which has a yellow ligule (lig.). On the uppermost part of the floral stalk just below the head may often be found a tufted ring of toadstool-shaped hairs, scarcely visible to the naked eye. These also occur in some of the dwarf dandelions. The achenes (ach.) usually lack the bristles so characteristic of the dwarf dandelions how- ever. Apogons are more common in_ the southern part of the state. eR crn sek crK 59 6. Krigia, Dwarf Dandelions (Fig. 7). Of the four species of Krigia expected in the April flora of Missouri, only one, Krigia biflora, has leaves on the stem as does Apogon, but the flowers of K. biflora are much larger than those of the Apogon. Of the dwarf dande- lions the easiest to recognize is K. dandelion, which has a bulbous root sometimes an inch in diameter [see Fig. 7 (bul.)]. The flowers of K. dandelion, as those K. biflora, which lacks the bulbous root, are nearly as large as those of the true dandelions. The two remaining spring-flowering dwarf dandelions have smaller flowers, and the characters sep- arating them are difficult to discern with the naked eye. Each head of K. occidentalis has eight or fewer triangular phyllaries with a prominent midrib. In K. virginica there are nine or more phyllaries and they are very narrowly triangular, approaching the grass blade in their proportional dimensions. These four species of Krigia are more common in the southern part of the state. 7. Taraxacum, Dandelion (see cover). The dandelion is probably as well known as any of the Missouri weeds, and it is nearly as infamous as crabgrass. But since this is our first lesson let us take a closer look at this culprit. The outer structure; on the head are the phyllaries. In the red-seeded dandelion (Taraxacum lacvigatum) they are constricted at the tip like a tenpin, whereas they are rather evenly drawn out to the tip in the common dandelion (Taraxacum palus- tre). In early spring the whole interior of the flower-head is bright yellow. Examination shows that the yellow belongs to the strap- shaped ligules (lig.), each ligule representing one floret. Later in the season the yellow will disappear after the florets have matured, and each will be represented by a single achene (ach.) which, in the red-seeded dandelion, is reddish-brown, and in the common dandelion is olive-brown. At the top of the seed on a long and conspicuous stalk are the ends of the pappus bristles, the whole pappus resembling the skeleton of a broken umbrella, and_ these seeds can be carried for miles by the wind as a result of this parachute-like construction of the pappus. So if lawns are your interest, and you consider the dandelion a pest, or if wines and greens are your interests, and you consider the dandelion an epicurean godsend, why not examine the flower more closely? There more there than the unob- servant eye. in in composites, rreen is meets Sy mah) 60 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN THE STRUCTURE OF THE ORCHID FLOWER ROBERT 6 es remark is frequently heard that the iris flower is “just like an orchid.”” Of course, such a statement comes only from someone who is not very observant. But how can we compare an orchid flower with more ordinary flowers? It is difficult to see stamens and pistils in the flower of an Odontoglossum or a Vanda, yet these are truly flowers, and they have evolved from more ordinary flowers in the course of geological time. There is much that we do not know about the evolution of the orchid flower, but what is known is enough to make a fascinating and enlightening study. The orchid family belongs to that major division of the flowering plants which the botanist calls the ‘Mono- cotyledoneae,” or simply, the mono- cots. These plants have their parts in three’s (rather than four’s or five’s), and so it is this basic plan which we expect to find in the orchids. We may conveniently compare the orchid flow- er with the lily or the amaryllis, which are rather typical monocots. The lily flower has all of its parts in sets of three—two sets of three petals, two sets of three stamens, and one three- parted pistil. Interestingly enough, these sets show a regular, geometric alternation from the outside of the flower to the center (see figure 1). THE DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF THE OrcHip FaMILy If we study only the most complex and highly evolved orchids, we could find any number of features to distin- guish them from other plants. How- » DRESSLER ever, if we take the whole orchid family, including some of the small- flowered species which are scarcely ever cultivated, it becomes much more difhcult to “define” the orchids. Some of the more primitive orchids have flowers which are really very much like those of other plants. Of the several features listed below as char- acteristic of the family, only three of them are found in all orchids. Since any one of these features may be found — __bract a Sepal A hy ie o . cee ~ - C(O petal \ / anther \ NE | / » =, | / peas . es ey = | a |\ NA ovary \ \ \ \\ \\ 4 ay, me ~~ , Year SA age ee _Z Sepal es etal —— KD VW stem Figure 1. Diagram of a monocot flower, showing the parts which are present in orchid flowers. The petal which is next to the stem in bud becomes the lip in the orchid flower. Two of the anthers of the outer set and one of the inner set (here shown by dotted lines) are never developed in normal orchid flowers. MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 61 in other kinds of plants, it is really the combination of features which indicates an orchid, rather than any one “key” feature. 1. The stamens are all on one side of the flower, rather than being sym- metrically arranged. 2. The stamens and pistil are at least partly grown together. 3. The seeds are tiny and numerous. 4. The flower usually has a lip. 5. The flower usually twists around in the course of development. 6. Part of the stigma (the rostel- lum) is usually involved in transfer- ring the pollen from flower to flower. 7. The pollen is usually bound to- gether in few large masses (which may be either soft or hard). This listing of the features which are distinctive for the family does not begin to outline the complexities of orchid structure. So let us consider each part of the orchid flower in greater detail, starting at the base and working upwards through the column. Ovary In the lily flower we find a three- parted ovary in the center of the flower, and this develops into a capsule when the flower is pollinated. In the orchids the capsule appears to develop from the stem beneath the flower. In some distant ancestor of the orchids the bases of the sepals, petals and stamens grew to the ovary to an ever increasing degree,* until these parts seem to be attached above rather than beneath the ovary. The ovary which *When we speak of parts being “grown together” we do not mean that they develop as separate parts and then grow together. Rather they grow as a single structure from the first blob of tissue which starts the flower. is beneath the flower and covered by a sheath of sepal, petal and stamen bases is called “inferior” by the botanist, but this refers to its position, rather than its quality. This is actually an evolu- tionary advancement over the “supe- rior” ovary. The ovary of an orchid is especially hard to find because of an economy which is general in the orchid family. In many flowers the ‘“‘ovules”’ or embryonic seeds are all ready for fertilization when the flower opens, but in most orchid ovaries the ovules are not present when the flower opens and they do not develop unless pollina- tion takes place. That is why there is such a long time between pollina- tion and actual fertilization in many orchids. The ovary, style and stigma of the orchid are basically made up of three parts or ‘‘carpels,” but these structures are so modified and grown together that they are scarcely recognizable. When the capsule opens it does not split between the carpels, but each carpel splits down the middle. If you want to see recognizable carpels, you should study the fruit of larkspur, columbine or peony. The lip of the orchid flower is on the upper side of the bud but the ovary and the stem or pedicel, beneath it, usually twist so that the lip is lowermost in the open flower. Thus, the orchid flower is usually upside- down as compared to other flowers, and this is so general that the species which have their flowers right-side-up appear upside-down to us, which is a_ bit confusing. This process of twisting in the bud is technically known as , ec ve bs > resupination. 62 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN SEPALS AND Prrats The two sets of petal-like parts in the lily flower are so similar that the botanist does not speak of them as sepals and petals, but uses the collec- tive term perianth. It is customary, though, to speak of sepals and petals in the orchid flower, even though the outer segments are not green, as true sepals usually are. The two sets are usually rather different in the orchids, so there is some justification for this distinction. The outer set are simply called sepals, and the inner set, or two of them, petals. The inner segment which is opposite the fertile stamens is called the lip, and is usually quite different in shape, and sometimes in color, from the other five segments. It is usually the lip which gives character to the orchid flower, but there is great variation in the size and arrangement of the sepals and petals. Either two or all three sepals may be grown together, and the lip, the petals, or even the lateral sepals may be grown to the column, The number of variations which occur on the basic pattern of 3 sepals, 2 petals and a lip is truly remarkable. That one of the petals forms the lip and that the stamens are all on one side of the flower, points to the basic dif- ference between the orchid and the iris. The iris has three stamens, as a few orchids do, but they are symmet- rically arranged, being one of the two sets found in the lily flower. The orchid is bilaterally symmetrical. It can be cut down the middle into two halves which are mirror images, but (like ourselves) it can be cut into equal and similar halves only along that one line. The iris or lily can be cut into equal halves along several different lines, since they have a basically radial symmetry. NECTARIES Any structure which produces a sugary solution, or nectar, is classed as a nectary, and there are several types of nectary in the orchids. Many orchids have small nectaries on the outside of the sepals, which secrete nectar while the bud is developing. This activity may in some way be asso- ciated with the high rate of growth of the flower buds. Shallow, cup-like nectaries within the flower are known in many species, especially those that have a “column foot” (described be- low). The most conspicuous sort of nectary is the long tubular “spur,” such as we find in Angraecum, Calan- the or Habenaria. Cattleya and sev- eral related genera have long tubular nectaries embedded in the base of the flower, alongside of the ovary. These are most striking in Brassavola, where they may be as long as six or seven inches. COLUMN The column is one of the best known characteristics of the orchid family. Where most other plants have separate stamens and style in the center of the flower, these structures are united into a single organ in most orchids. In most of the better known orchids the stamens and style are grown together for their full length, but they are only partly united in Cypripedium, Spi- ranthes, Neuwiedia, and some other genera. At one time it was thought that the column was a stem structure, MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 63 Figure 2. Diagram showing how the three fertile anthers of the primitive orchids (A) have been modified. In the ladyslippers and Apostasia (B) the lateral anthers are fertile and the median anther is sterile or absent. In most orchids the median anther is fertile and the lateral anthers are sterile (C) or absent (D). but we now realize that the stem ends at the base of the ovary, and the col- umn is only the style and parts of the stamens, united and thickened. Many orchids show a peculiar structure a his a6 “a ventral outgrowth at the base of the known as a column foot. column, which has the lip jointed to This is especially striking in its tip. Cephalanthera Spiranthes many species of Dendrobium (see figure 6). ANTHER In some orchids the anther, which is the pollen-bearing part of the stamen, is very like that of the lily or amaryl- lis. The ordinary sort of anther is an oblong structure with four long pollen- sacs which become two before the anther splits open to release the pollen. The anther is usually attached to a long slender “filament” at or near one end. In most orchids the filament is almost completely grown to the column, so that only its tip can be recognized as such. In most of the familiar orchids the anther is a cap- like structure sitting on the tip of the column, with the pollen beneath it. In the Habenaria group the anther pro- jects beyond the rest of the column, but its base is so completely grown to Orchis Cattleya Figure 3. Diagram showing the position of the anther in different genera; the stigma is shown by hatched lines, and the pollen by stippling. In Cephalanthera a very unspecialized anther projects beyond the tip of the column. In Orchis (or in Habenaria) the anther projects beyond the column, but is solidly grown to the column at its base; the bases of the pollinia are attached to a viscidium (part of the stigma). In Spiranthes the anther is on the back of the column and the apices of the pollinia are attached to the viscidium. In Cattleya the anther sits on the apex of the column like a cap, and part of the stigma (the rostellum) projects downward next to the anther. 64 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN the column that one cannot tell where the column stops and the anther starts. Another peculiarity of this group is that the two halves of the anther are often widely separated, with a band of anther tissue or “connective” between them. It has sometimes been suggested that these orchids have two anthers, like the ladyslippers, but their structure and development indicate that this is not the case. POLLINIA A few orchids have powdery pollen with separate grains, like other plants, but in most orchids the pollen grains are at least loosely bound together in masses or “pollinia.”” In Spiranthes or Epipactis, for example, the pollinia are two or four soft, fluffy masses which are bound together by “‘viscin,” an elastic, somewhat viscid material de- Figure 4. Diagram showing the evolution of the orchid column. rived from the tissues of the anther. There are two major types of speciali- zation in the structure of the pollinia. In the Geodyera and Habenaria groups the pollinia are soft and mealy, as in Spiranthes, but each pollinium is divided into many small packets, which are attached to a viscin core by strands of viscin. When a bee carry- ing Habenaria pollinia brushes the stigma of another flower a few of the packets stick to the stigma and the viscin strands stretch and break, leav- ing the packets in the stigma. Thus, a single pollinium can pollinate many flowers. The pollinia which are di- vided into packets in this way are termed “‘sectile,” and the packets are termed “massulae.”’ In the largest of the orchid tribes, the Epidendreae, we have a complete series from the soft mealy pollinia of anther The first figure (A) represents a primitive orchid similar to Cephalanthera, with an ordinary anther, and a simple, three-lobed stigma. B represents an orchid in which the pollinia are compact and hard except for the mealy caudicles; and part of the stigma is specialized as the rostellum. This is similar to Cattleya. In (C) the caudicles of the pollinia are attached to a part of the rostellum (viscidium) which is removed as a unit with the pollinia. Cymbidium is of this sort. Oncidium or Vanda, in which there is a strap, or In (B) and (C) the anther is shown as projecting beyond the but such orchids normally have the anther sitting on the (D) represents a highly evolved orchid such as “stipe,” attaching the viscidium to the pollinia. column, to show the parts more effectively, apex of the column as shown in figure 5 (A). MISSOURI BOTANICAL Sobralia, through the more compact pollinia of Phajus, to the rather hard pollinia of Cattleya and_ the very hard pollinia of Oncidium or Vanda. In this group the hard “waxy” pollinia usually bear a small amount of mealy pollen with viscin strands, which serves to attach the pollinia to each other or to the viscidium (see below) and is often the part glued to the visiting insect. This mealy portion of the pollinium is termed the “cau- dicle.” The anther of the Epidendreae may contain either 2, 4, 6, 8 or occa- sionally 12 pollinia. GARDEN BULLETIN 65 STIGMA The three-parted nature of the pistil is reflected in the stigma, which 1s usually a shallow depression on the underside of the column, but is a mound-like structure in the lady- slippers. The three lobes of the stigma are quite thoroughly grown together, but are frequently separated by faint lines on the surface of the stigma. The stigma produces a sticky, sugary solution in which the pollinia become stuck. This solution is of the right concentration to stimulate the pollen pollen grains into growth. Each Figure 5. Column structure in two different orchids. (A) shows the column of a Schomburgkia (or Laelia), in which the structure is similar to Cattleya. The rostellum (r) projects below the column where a visiting insect will receive some of its glue in backing out of the flower. In the process it will tip back the anther (as in 2) and the mealy caudicles will stick to the glue-covered back of the insect. (B) is the column of a Brassia (similar to Oncidinm), in which there is a well developed viscidium (v) or sticky pad which will attach to the visiting insect, and a stipe (st) or non-sticky strap attaching the pollinia to the viscidium. In 7 the pollinium (p) is pulled away from the stipe to show the caudicle (c). a, anther; c, caudicle; p, pollinia; r, rostellum; s, stigma; st, stipe; v, viscidium. 66 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN Angraecum Brassavola Internal Nectary Column Foot Oncidium Callus Figure 6. Some special features of orchid flowers. The section through an Angraecum flower shows a long spur developed from the base of the lip. In the Brassavola the nectary is internal and can be seen only when the flower is cut open. into a long ‘foot,’ which has the Oncidiunm shows an ornate callus. The base of the column in Dendrobinm is extended lip hinged to its tip and has a nectary near the tip. The lip of MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 67 grain produces a slender tube which grows down the length of the column and into the ovary, where fertilization takes place. The special interest of the stigma is in that part of it which is discussed next. RosTELLUM One of the outstanding features of orchid evolution is the way a part of the stigma takes part in pollen transfer in the majority of orchids. The part of the stigma that is so specialized is called the rostellum. In the primitive genus Cephalanthera there is no rostel- lum, but insects leaving the flower usually pick up some of the stigmatic fluid on their backs and the pollinia stick to this fluid. In Caffleya a special part of the stigma (rostellum) sticks down in front of the anther, so that the visiting insect is almost sure to brush this part and pick up some of the glue which it produces. The flower is so designed that the insect will also tip the anther back and hit the caudicles of the pollinia with its glue-covered back or head. When it enters another flower, the pollinia stick to the stigma and the soft caudicles break. A further specialization of the rostellum is seen in Cymbidium, Epi- dendrum and Sophronitis. In these genera the caudicles of the pollinia are already attached to the rostellum be- fore the insect arrives, and a portion of the rostellum comes off as a sticky c ’ pad, or “viscidium,’ with the pollinia. While this is quite a fancy structure in its own right, this is not the end of its specialization. In Oncidium, Vanda, Stanhopea and many other genera there is a strap of non-sticky tissue from the column which attaches the pollinia to the sticky viscidium. This band of tissue, or “stipe,” is the elastic of Catasetum’s cleverly contrived sling-shot, and the large pollinia of Catasetum show the viscidium and stipe very well. The stipe should not be confused with the caudicle, as the caudicle is a part of the pollinia, and derived from the anther, while the stipe is not. Orchids which have a well developed stipe usually have also short caudicles attaching the pollinia to the end of the stipe. The rostellum is generally said to be one of the three stigma lobes, but this idea has sort of fallen to pieces lately because a few inquisitive botanists looked at orchids, instead of reading the authoritative works of their illus- trious predecessors, and found that the rostellum is a part of one of the lobes of the stigma, but it is rarely or never the whole lobe. A GLossaRyY OF TERMS DESCRIBING THI OrcHID FLOWER I have tried to bring together here some of the commoner botanical terms, such as sepal, petal and anther, along with all of the special terms which have been used to describe the orchid flower (in English). Do not feel that you need to know nearly sixty terms to under- stand the orchid flower. The average grower will get along quite nicely with ovary, sepal, petal, lip, column, pollinium and stigma. The reader with more than average curiosity will likely learn anther, rostellum resupinate, nec- tary and spur; while a few will want to under- stand even callus, caudicle, viscidium and stipe. Most of the other terms are of interest only to the specialist, and even he cauld get along without many of them, with a little effort. In several cases, more than one term has been used for the same structure; in such cases we will list the preferred or best-known term in bold- face type and the synonyms in italics. Acranthous. The inflorescence terminating the vegetative shoot, as in Cattleya or Epi- dendrum: the term is rarely used (see also pleuranthous). Androclinium. = clinandrium. 68 MISSOURI BOTANICAL Antenna; pl. antennae. A slender appendage on each side of the column of Catasetum, the “trigger” which sets off the pollen throwing mechanism (cirrhus). Anther. The pollen bearing structure of a flower (see also stamen). Appendage. = caudicle. Auricle. A small lateral outgrowth on the column of Habenaria and allied genera, possibly a sterile anther. Autogamous. Self-pollinating, without the aid of insects or other visitors (see also cleistogamous). Bract. A small leaf-like or scale-like struc- ture at the base of the flower (below the pedicel). Bursicle. A sack-like covering over the vis- cidium in some genera of the Habenaria group. Callus. A crest or fleshy outgrowth of the lip, as in many species of Oncidium. Carpel. A leaf-like structure which bears the ovules and seeds. In the orchids the three carpels are so modified and united that they are scarcely recognizable. Caudicle. A portion of the pollinium which is usually slender and is composed of viscin with some pollen grains; often confused with stipe (appendage). Cirrhus. = antenna. Claw. Narrow basal portion of a lip or petal, Cleistogamous. Refers to flowers which automatically pollinate themselves without opening; a form of autogamy. Clinandrium. The cup-like apex of the col- umn which partially surrounds the anther, “anther-bed” (androclinium). Column. The central portion of the orchid flower, which is formed by the partial or complete union of the male and female parts (stamens and style). (gynandrinm, Synostegium, gynostemium ). Column foot. A ventral extention of the base of the column which has the lip attached at its tip; very well developed in Dendrobium. Column wing. A lateral projection from the column, as in Oncidinm: these may sometimes represent sterile anthers. Cuniculus. A nectary which is concealed within the ovary or pedicel, as in Brassa- vola; the term is rarely used. Dorsal. Referring to the upper side of the flower, as the orchid flower is usually borne, as in “dorsal sepal’’ (see also ventral, lateral, median). Epichile. The terminal portion of the lip in Stanhopea and related genera (see also hy po- chile, mesochile). GARDEN BULLETIN Filament. The slender, sterile portion of the stamen which bears the anther, forms a part of the column in the orchid flower. Gland. = viscidium. Gynandrium. = column. Gynostegium. = column. Gynostemium. = column. Granular. Refers to pollen masses which are soft and mealy, as in Spiranthes or Epipactis. Hypochile. The basal portion of the lip in Stanhopea and related genera (see also epi- chile, mesochile). Incumbent. Refers to the anther which is bent downward, rather than parallel with the column (erect), as in Cattleya. Isthmus. The narrow middle portion of the lip in species which have a wide gap between the lateral lobes and the mid-lobe, as in Cattleya granulosa. Labellum. = lip. Lamina. The broad flattened portion of a lip, petal or leaf. Lateral. To either side of a vertical line drawn through the center of the flower, as in “lateral sepal.” Limb. The flat expanded portion of the lip, as opposed to the throat or claw. Lip. One of the three petals which is usually larger and differently shaped than the other two, the median petal (/abellum). Massula; pl. massulae. A packet of pollen in those genera which have the pollinia sub- divided into small packets (see also sectile). Median. Along a vertical plane through the center of the flower and from front to back: thus the dorsal sepal may be called the median sepal; the lip, column and anther are normally median in position. Mentum. A chin-like extension at the base of the flower; conspicuous in Polystachya and many species of Dendrobinm, associated with the column foot. Mesochile. The middle portion of the lip in Stanhopea and related genera (see also epi- chile, hypochile). Nectary. A nectar producing structure (see also spur and cuniculus), Operculate. Lid-like, may be applied to an- thers which rest on the apex of the column like a cap (see also incumbent). Ovary. That part of the flower which de- velops into the fruit; the base of the pistil. Ovule. The structure which develops into the seed. Pedicel. The stem which supports an indi- vidual flower, usually jointed at the base. This word has also been used to designate the stipe of the pollinia, but this is too confusing. MISSOURI BOTANICAL Peduncle. The stem which supports one or many flowers; the pedicels are attached to the peduncle. Perianth. A collective term for sepals and petals together. Petal. A colored, leaf-like flower part; in orchids restricted to the three inner parts, and usually to two of these (see lip). Pistil. The female or seed-bearing element of a flower; composed of one or more carpels (3 in the orchids), and divided into ovary, style and stigma. Pleuranthous. The inflorescence borne later- ally, as in Oncidinm or Vanda; the term ts rarely used (sez also acranthous). Pollen. One-celled spores borne in the anther; these develop the male gametes or sperm nuclei. Pollinarium. The complete set of pollinia with associated parts—viscidium or vis- cidium and stipe; the term is rarely used, but a special term is needed for the complete apparatus. Pollinium; pl. Pollinia. In the orchids, a more or less compact mass of pollen; the anther may contain 2, 4, 6, 8 or 12 pollinia. Resupinate. Having the pedicel twisted so that the part of the flower which is upper- most in bud (the lip) is on the lower side when the flower matures. Retinaculum, == viscidium. Rostellum.