March - April 1993 Vol. 3, No. 2

In This Issue New LIBS Logo

The Long Island Botanical Society now has a new
Logo. After a vote by the membership the logo at the
right was accepted.

This marks the second issue with articles about Roy
Latham. As we did not have room for Bob Dirig's
extensive biography in the last issue, it is included in
here. We also have included an article about Roy
Latham by Lance T. Biechele. Eric Lamont was kind
enough to send a copy of Roy Latham’s Letterhead
which we have included. This letterhead obviously
made an impression as several authors mentioned it.

There are a few corrections to Eric Lamont’s listing
of Roy Latham’s botanical publications.

Latham. R. A. 1948. Cetraria islandica (L) Ach. on Long Island.

N.Y.-IV, Bryologist 51; 50-51 [not 50: 269-2701
. 1949. Cladonia alpestris (L.) Rabenh. on Long Island.

N.Y. Bryologist 52: 146-148 [not 51: 50-51]

. 1978 [not 1972J. Common purslane, Poriulacca oteracea

at Orient. Long Island. The Pitch Pine Naturalist 4: 2-3

Next Issue: Costa Rica Field Trip.

PROGRAMS

' ph- i

9 Mar. 1993 - 7:30 pm, Moreno & Dorothy
Tagliapietra- Cherbavez, "Orchids of L. I. and
northeastern U„S«/* Uplands Farm Nature Center, Cold •
Spring Harbor,

13 Apr, 1992 * 7:30 pm, Paul Teese, "Evolution of
Photosynthetic Pathways/' Museum of LX Natural £
Sciences, E.S.S, B14g„ SUNY at Stony Brook. fr 1 /

♦Refreshments start at 7:30 p.m., the program starts
about 8:00 p.m.

The membership voted on a logo from among 9
choices. The first logo proposed by Eric Lamont was
selected. It depicts Schizaea pusilla Pursh (Curly Grass)
over a Long Island map in the background.

Schizaea pusilla was first collected on Long Island
in 1927 by Roy Latham. It was re-located in the 1970's
and a second location nearby was discovered.

Schizaea is a genus of about 30 species found
predominantly in the tropics. One species, Schizaea
pusilla Pursh (Curly Grass), is found in temperate North
America. It occurs on sandy flats usually under
Chamaecyparis trees. Its distribution is Newfoundland
and Nova Scotia, Long Island, southern New Jersey and
the Bruce Peninsula, Ontario.

During one of the first field trips of the Long Island
Botanical Society, the area it was known from was
visited and its presence at one of the two known sites
was confirmed.

I will try to work the logo into the masthead of the
newsletter in future issues. If anyone would like a copy
of the logo please contact Eric Lamont.-Steven
Clemants

Long Island March ~ April LWi PageT$

Botanical Society

THE BOTANICAL AND
LICHEN0L0G1CAL WORK OF ROY
LATHAM , LEGENDARY LONG ISLAND
NATURALIST

Introduction .

It was mid-November 1979, and Frederick C.

Schlauch had just relayed news that saddened me: Roy
Latham, a living legend, had passed away at Orient,

Long Island, at the age of 98.

I slowly made my way back to the Rare Plant
Workshop I was attending at the New York Slate
Museum in Albany, convened by State Botanist Richard
Mitchell to examine the status of our endangered and
threatened plants. After I had regretfully shared the
news, we held a moment of silence in Roy's honor; for
he had been the state's most versatile field naturalist, a
walking encyclopedia of natural history— and a highly
respected botanist.

Because his knowledge was so comprehensive. I
cannot write about Latham’s botanical work without
making frequent references to related areas of natural
history. The following notes on his life, compiled from
several sources (Schlauch 1971, Zawyrucha 1977, Anon.
1979. Pechuman 1979; F. C. Schlauch, verbal comm.:

C. J. Sheviak, verbal comm.), will indicate the context
in which his botanical work was done.

Roy Latham was bom at Orient on 23 May 1881, a
descendant of Jonathan Fish Latham who settled there
before 1800. Roy's parents were Fred and Fanny
Latham. Christened Angelo Roy Latham, the "little
angel" soon dropped the Angelo, perhaps retaining it as
a rarely used middle name [his Southold and Gardiner's
Island flora (Burnham & Latham 1914-1925) was signed
"Roy A. Latham"; see also Chaudhri et ai 1972], He-,
attended the one-room school in Orient for two or three
months each winter over several years, but was largely
self-educated avidly pursuing studies that interested him
for the rest of his life. Roy and his father and brothers
were active commercial fishermen early in this century,
their business peaking between 1915 and 1920; but his
main money-making occupation was growing potatoes at
his farm ("The Osprey's Nest" on Private Road in
Orient), which he pursued until his retirement in 1963 at
age 82. After that he leased his land to other Orient
farmers, while continuing his intense, lifelong labor of
love: studying the natural history of eastern Long Island.

Roy's fascination with, the natural world began at
age three, and continued throughout his life. ..It spanned ..
the gamut of natural history disciplines, including ; . , vi
ornithology, mammology, herpetology, ichthyology,, .
botany, lichenology, mycology, bryology, phycology.
entomology, and archaeology. A highly organized

v person who kept labelled specimens of everything he
found, he amassed huge collections of inestimable
scientific value in all areas of interest. The value of
Roy's collections is enhanced by their temporal span
and regional focus. The scope of his knowledge and

. experience was evident in whatever he wrote. It was
difficult for him to communicate about any organism
‘ . '.without mentioning others that were ecologically or
locally associated, often in great detail. Roy's innate
, brilliance and self-direction, in combination with his
extraordinary memory and long life, fostered his
eminence among amateur North American naturalists.
Although a private person, he confidently approached
the greatest authorities on subjects that interested him,
'gaining their respect and cooperation by the intelligence
of his questions and through the specimens and
first-hand knowledge he offered. He was repeatedly
credited as a major source in references dealing with the
natural history of Long Island (Bull 1975: 15, Brodo
1968, and Connor 1978, to mention a few).

It was always exciting to receive a letter from Roy
Latham. These were written with an ancient typewriter
(an Oliver No. 7, purchased in 1912 — Latham letter to
me. 4 October 1977) on stationery featuring an Osprey's
nest atop an abandoned windmill on his farm. He
provided exceptionally clear and detailed summaries of
his natural history experiences in response to specific
queries, interpreted in an environmental and historical
context that covered nearly a whole century. When
other naturalists wrote with a 'question, Roy would
modestly declare he was too old, or his eyesight was too
poor, to look up his records or write much of an answer,
and then would deliver a wealth of information that
astounded. His comments were often tinged with
wistfulness, as if recollections of the former abundance
of plants and animals were painful. This is
understandable — he had watched the flora and especially
the fauna disappear in his lifetime, in response to
increasing human pressures.

As an example, in 1974 I wrote to ask Roy about
the Royal Walnut Moth (Citheronia regalis) on eastern
Long Island. This very large moth has ahnost
completely disappeared from the Northeast in recent
decades, and I wanted to have his perspective. Roy’s
reply (letters, 20 & 27 August 1974) gave a goldmine cf
information: adult flight dates, specific larval foodplant
records from encounters with wild caterpillars, specimen
records, nocturnal and diurnal observations of adults,
notes on human, interactions (including the
disappearance of this moth after aerial insecticide
spraying), and predation, notes [a Northern Black Racer
- {Coluber contractor, constrictor ;) eating one of the very
large caterpillars]. Few people could muster such
information so easily or present it so beautifully and
generously.

Long Island March - JpHff993 Pageld

Botanical Society

During the last few years of his life, despite failing
eyesight, Roy collected aphids on his farm, making
major contributions to the New York State list of these
specialized insects (Leonard 1971, 1975). He collected
and prepared 6,000 moth specimens in 1969, and
remained active through age 98. Roy died at his home
on 13 November 1979, and was buried in the Orient
Central Cemetery. *T ' - • * ■ --

Roy Latham possessed an innate genius for
documenting what he saw; and the responsibility and
good sense to deposit his specimens in museums and to
communicate about them in arenas accessible to other
naturalists. He published extensively in scientific
journals over seven decades. Frederick C. Schlauch, the
foremost authority on his publications, estimates that
there may be over 300 papers scattered through the
literature of the diverse disciplines that interested him
(Schlauch, verbal comm.). Between 1968 and 1978.
more than 100 papers and notes by Latham were
published in Engelhardtia and The Pitch Pine
Naturalist , journals of the Northeastern Field
Naturalists' Society [formerly Long Island
Herpetological Society]. Schlauch had founded this
group in 1965. and edited its publications. A
voluminous correspondence from 1967 to 1979 between
Schlauch and Latham strongly bonded these two
naturalists, resulting in an unsurpassed contribution to
the literature of Long Island natural history (Schlauch,

verbal comm.). :

- • ‘ >

Roy Latham, The Botanist 1 J

Although Roy Latham witnessed the development
of the automobile as a familiar mode of transportation,
he travelled extensively by horse and wagon, bicycle,
(Schlauch 1971). and on foot. He mentioned crawling
on hands and knees over every inch of certain tracts ,
(letter to me. 4 October 1977). which he must have
done to obtain the records his specimens prove. This
slow pace allowed close observation, and is undoubtedly
responsible for his outstanding success in locating
natural history treasures throughout eastern Long Island.

Among Latham's botanical writings. "The Flora of
the Town of Southold. Long Island and Gardiner's
Island," co-authored with Stewart H. Burnham, with its
five supplementary lists (Burnham & Latham
1914-1925), was his monumental achievement,
representing many years of field work and study of
collected specimens. Observations for this flora began
before 1900 (Latham 1957).

It is fortunate that Roy- became acquainted .with; -
Stewart Henry Burnham, himself an extraordinarily.. .
thorough natural history collector and record-keeper .

interested in vascular plants, cryptogams, and .
ornithology. Burnham was bom at Vaughns (near

Hudson Falls) in Washington County, New York, on 6
October 1870. After studying in local schools, he
attended Stanford University from 1893-1895; then
finished his undergraduate degree at the University of

Michigan at Ann Arbor, graduating with a B.S. on 22
June 1899. Further studies were undertaken at Cornell
University in 1904-1905. His concentration was botany.
Burnham’s professional credits are impressive:. Museum
Aid at the New York Botanical Garden (1901-1903),
Assistant in Botany at Cornell (1904-1905), Assistant
State Botanist of New York with Charles H. Peck
(1905-1913), Assistant in Botany at Cornell
(1920-1922). and Assistant Curator of the Cornell
University Herbarium (1922 until ca. 1940). Burnham
died at Hudson Falls, New York, on 25 September 1943
(Cattell & Cattell 1927; Barnhart 1965).

In the introduction to then flora (Burnham &

Latham 1914), Burnham wrote: "Roy A. Latham of
Orient, from May 25, 1909, until the present time
[probably 1913], collected the following plants: and
many of the specimens passed through my hands while
in the State Botanist's office at Albany, New York,..,
[T]he... specimens are preserved in the New York State
Herbarium...." This well illustrates Latham’s method of
communicating with appropriate professionals to their
mutual benefit, and indicates that he began serious
floristic work in his late twenties. A large cache of
correspondence between Burnham and Latham from this
1 period is preserved at the New York State Museum

- Herbarium (NYS), with the records of Charles H. Peck
(John H. Haines, verbal comm.). Unfortunately, no
letters to or from Roy are in Burnham’s correspondence
at the Cornell University Archives, where the extremely
meticulous journals and many other artifacts of this
idiosyncratic Victorian botanist are also housed.

The flora these two men produced is outstanding in
its scope, covering insect galls, algae, fungi, lichens,
bryophytes, and vascular plants. Burnham had the
professional connections and scientific society
affiliations (Cattell & Cattell 1927) to facilitate
identifications by specialists, which greatly added to the
quality of then catalogue. They updated it five times
over the next ten years. It remains a model from the
period, and is a baseline of information about this
region's entire flora, as well as an important historical
document concerning the biota of the Mid- Atlantic
Coastal Plain.

Voucher specimens for this flora were deposited (as
they were sent for identification) at NYS (also at some
specialists' institutions, as indicated); but Burnham kept
many significant Latham specimens, for his enormous

- personal herbarium (75.000 specimens. Lanjouw &
Stafleu 1954), which now forms 'an important nucleus of
eastern New York material in the Cornell University
herbaria (BH-CU, and CUP). Roy's personal botanical,'

Long Island March - April 1993

Botanical Society

Page'll

lichenological, and mycological herbarium of several
thousand specimens was given to NYS in 1969
(Zawyrucha 1977).

Roy's "Flora of the State Park, Orient. Long
Island. N.Y." (Latham 1934b) is another very important
paper, with its notes on vegetation and abundance of
individual species. He treated the vascular flora "only," ''
but characteristically could not write about the beach
without brief mention of important breeding birds, fungi; ;
lichens, and marine algae. This paper provided the
historical foundation for a recent floristic re-survey of
the same tract conducted by Lamont & Stalter (1991).

Long Island orchids received special attention from
Latham, and his publications on these plants (Latham
1927. 1940, 1971b) furnished an historical perspective
for Lamont, Beitel, & Zaremba (1988) in their update.

Many rare plants and other organisms were found
by Latham on eastern Long Island. For example, Roy's
letter to me of 8 December 1976 contained this
information on the Curlygrass Fem ( Schizaea pusilla
Pursh), a widely disjunct species of eastern North
America, and one of the rarest Long Island plants: "I
did find the curly grass in two places on Montauk, one
patch south of the highway and the other in the far
western end, near the bay." Additional work on ferns
was summarized in "The Ferns of Eastern Long Island"
(Latham 1972a).

As might be expected of someone making
observations in one place over so many years, Roy
documented the establishment or spread of several
plants on eastern Long Island. These included Purple
Loosestrife [Lythmm salicaria L.] (Latham 1938);
Common Reed [Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex
Steud.] (Latham 1957); Santa Maria [Parthenium
hysterophorus LJ (Latham 1972b); Common Purslane
[Portulaca oleracea L] (Latham 1978a); Yucca [Yucca
flaccida Haw] and Pyxie [Pyxidanthera barbulata
Michx.] (Latham 1978b); and Tall Blue Lettuce
[Lactuca biennis (Moench) Fem.], which came up in
debris deposited by the 1938 hurricane, but had not been
previously reported (Latham 1955). Zawyrucka (1977)
quoted a Latham letter to him concerning Mexican
Husk-Tomato ( Physalis ixocarpa Brot. ex Homem.) at
Orient. These publications well illustrate the historical
value of Latham’s sustained botanical efforts.

Roy's work with cryptogams is well documented in
the Southold and Gardiner’s Island flora (Burnham &
Latham 1914-1925). Further notes on cryptogams
appeared separately. In his "Nature Notes from Orient"
(Latham 1954. 1956), Roy mentioned specific mosses
used by the Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor) as nest
linings. In other papers he reported moss hosts of the "
muscicolous fungus Cyphella muscigena Fr. (Latham
1920). and described the "Habitat of Cephalozia
francisci on Long Island" (Latham 1917). Specific

basidiomycetes and galls eaten by the Eastern Box ^
Turtle (Terrapene Carolina Carolina) were listed in
herpetological publications (Latham 1916, 1968. 1969a).

Additional "purely botanical" papers included
detailed accounts of Star-flowered False Solomon's-Seal
[Smilacina stellata (L.) Desf.], Fox Grape (Vitis
labrusca L.), and Sundews (Drosera spp.) on Long
Island (Latham 1930, 1971a, 1972c, respectively), and
general notes on Long Island flora (Latham 1934a).

Further examples indicate the necessity of
scrutinizing Latham’s entire literature (even though the
titles may not mention plants) for important botanical
tidbits that do not appear elsewhere: The destruction of
Buttonbush ( Cephalanthus occidentalis L.) swamps at
Orient is mentioned in a paper on turtles (Latham
1969b), while the existence of an Atlantic White Cedar
[ Chamaecyparis thyoides (L.) BSP.] swamp on Plum
Island is documented in an article on Ospreys (Pandion
haliaetus ) (Latham 1969c). Roy's report of White Oak
(Quercus alba L.) on western Long Beach, at Orient
Beach State Park, in "The Black-crowned Night Heron
at Orient, Long Island " (Latham 1972d), would seem of
little significance to the uninformed; but its value
increases when one realizes that the historic or
contemporary presence of Q. alba was not mentioned by
Latham (1934b) or Lamont & Stalter (1991) in their
floristic accounts of the Park. Close study of all of
Latham’s publications would require many months. I
have not checked numerous zoological and
archaeological papers which, because of Latham’s
attention to detail, will undoubtedly contain incidental
but significant references to plants.

Roy Latham, The Lichenologist

Roy Latham noticed and collected Long Island
lichens throughout much of his life: "My observations of
lichens started in 1910 and continued with regularity
until 1930 and intermittently thereafter" (Latham 1945).
This is fortunate, as many of these organisms are highly
specialized and sensitive to human disturbance. A
number of Long Island records are known only from
Roy's collections (Brodo 1968: 276-277).

The Southold and Gardiner's Island flora (Burnham
& Latham 1914-1925) contained an extensive list of
lichens, and included a few new combinations (with
Burnham).

Latham continued to collect lichens, later becoming
intrigued with "Iceland Moss" ["Cetraria islandica (L.)
Ach.," now known as Cetraria arenaria KSmef.], which
he carefully documented on' eastern Long Island
(Latham 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948). Of this species, he
wrote (letter, 8 December 1976): "By early 1950 I
considered it so general that it could be seen wherever
looked for from Montauk west." Personal field work on

Long Island
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March - April 1993

Page 12

ong Island after 1974 has shown Cetraria arenaria
still to be widespread on the East End, but it has
disappeared from the Hempstead Plains since Brodo's
field work in the 1960's.

Another lichen of special interest was Alpine
Reindeer Lichen [" Cladonia aipestris (L.) Rabenfr,"
now called Cladina stellaris (Opiz) Brodo], which Roy
first mentioned in the Orient State Park flora (Latham
1934b) and treated in detail in later papers (Latham
1947, 1949). Latham (letter, 8 December 1976)
remarked that this lichen "seems to be a disappearing
species on Long Island. I noticed that thirty years ago.

I believe it can still be found in the Montauk-Napeague
region. Look under the margins of bushes, rather than
in the open spaces." I have seen depauperate Cladina
stellaris at Napeague in 1984 (Dirig L-1615 in NY).

Harris et al. (1987) also found it there in 1986.

Brodo (1968) did not consider the well known,
ivory-colored Reindeer Lichen [Cladina rangiferina (L)
Nyl.] to be at all common on Long Island, and neither
do I. Latham collected 25 specimens in earlier years
(Brodo 1968: 201), and wrote (letter to me, 8 December
1976): "Cladonia rangiferina [a synonym] was much
more common than aipestris. I never considered it as
rare as Brodo did. hi my old collecting years, I thought
it locally common throughout."

Herbarium searching and personal field work in
Long Island bogs disclosed several unreported
specimens of a beautiful bluish grey, foliose lichen,
Platismatia tuckermanii (Oakes) W. Culb. & C. Culb.
Noting how rarely this had been previously recorded on
Long Island (Brodo 1968: 239-240), I wrote to Roy for
his thoughts. His richly detailed answers are revealing,
hi his letter of 10 April 1977, Roy wrote: "I
congratulate you on finding Cetraria tuckermanii [a
synonym] near Llanders [at Owl Pond, Dirig L-279, in
my herbarium].... I thought I had tuckermanii from a
number of places, Napeague, near Montauk, Sag Harbor,
Llanders, Riverhead, and North Sea; Brodo evidently
discarded all but the North Sea record. I well recall that
habitat because there was a group of the rare little
Adder’s-tongue fem, Ophioglossum [vulgatum L.],
nearby, my third station on Long Island.... This
tuckermanii was on the low branches of Chamaecyparis
in a boggy depression which contained the largest
[Atlantic] white cedar I had a record of on Long
Island.... There are several stands of white cedars in the
Llanders area The collection I had was more than a
mile from Owl Pond. There are several good stands of .
swamp cedars in the Riverhead area and three stands in
the North Sea region. All I thought were tuckermanii
were on low branches of the white cedar, except the one
at Napeague, which was on beach plum [Prunus
maritima Marsh.] shrubs in a wet sandy gully.... I
doubt if tuckermanii is as rare as Brodo thinks on Long

Island."

A later letter (4 October 1977) gave more details:
"Northwest is a big region, and not too far from
Northsea [sic, probably the same as "North Sea" of the
previous letter]. It was a prime region for me between
Sag Harbor and the Hamptons There were ... acres of
white pine, Pinus strobus [L.], that [were] lumber cut
years ago. A few large trees still remain. It is wet
ground with many small swamps scattered throughout.
The woods border on salt marshes. I found many rare
plants, aside from lichens, at Northwest, some new to L.

I. The Cetraria , as I remember, was on twigs and small
branches of various kinds near the ground in the wet
woods all through the region.... At Northsea [sic] there
were white cedar swamps, some large old trees; no
white cedars at Northwest, just white pines and mixed
other growth. I ... crawled over the region ... on my
hands and knees. I have not been there in years, and
some of Northwest may now be summer homes. When
I was there in the 1940’s and before, there was not a
sign of human life all day at Northwest." Harris et al.
(1987) later reported an additional record of Platismatia
tuckermanii from Long Island (Buck 13926 in NY),

Of his specimens Roy wrote (letter, 8 December
1976): "My lichens, as named by Brodo, are in the New
York State Museum in Albany.... The number is around
2,000...." He continued (letter, 12 September 1977):

"All the lichens I sent to Cornell were through
Burnham. As I remember now, Stewart Burnham was a
close friend before 1910, when he was in botany with
Dr. Peck at Albany.... I sent him thousands of plants,
including many lichens, for the State collection, as they
had very little from eastern Long Island. Later, when
he moved to Ithaca [after 1920], I sent him a few
specimens. I do know that he retained part of the lichen
material that I sent to him at his home for his own
collection. He may have given most of that to
Cornell.... Burnham and I had a steady correspondence
for many years about birds, plants, botany in general,
and home life. I sent him, among other [things]. ...
marine algae, [with] which he was delighted as he
said it gave him ’a whiff of ihe sea."’

I have seen some of Roy’s original packets, with
labels or information typed with the same typewriter as
his letters. His collection title was "Flora of Long
Island." Roy "did not use Suffolk County much, if any"
as a tide (letter, 12 September 1977). Most of Roy’s
cryptogam specimens have been repacketed by
herbarium curators, and in many cases, new labels
prepared. The original packet was unusual. Many
cryptogam collectors fold a rectangular piece of paper in
thirds, like a business letter, then fold the ends under.
Roy folded the paper in thirds, longways, with the top
and bottom folded under, producing a roomier enclosure
for specimens. Lurther details on his lichen collection

March - April 1993

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Long Island
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were given to me in letters dated 12 September 1977
and 4 October 1977.

Roy's work provided the baseline knowledge of
eastern Long Island lichens for all future workers, as
Brodo (1968) stated. Harris et al. (1987) published an
updated list of Long Island lichens, adding five new . . .
species. Harris (1987) summarized additional Long
Island lichen records. Imshaug & Brodo (1966: 24)
even named a lichen subspecies for Roy: Lecanora
caesiorubella Ach., ssp. lathamii Imsh. & Brodo.

hi addition to collecting specimens. Roy's
knowledge of lichen natural history was unique. Who
but Roy Latham would have observed the lichen species
used for nest ornamentation by the Ruby-throated
Hummingbird {Archilochus colubris ) (Latham 1954)?

Or documented the disappearance of specific lichens at
Orient Beach State Park, after the great hurricanes of
1938 and 1944 (Latham 1945, Brodo 1968: 276)?
Natural history and life history observations of lichens
are rare in the literature because lichenology is still a
developing field, when compared to ornithology, for
example. Relatively few people know the names of
lichens, yet anything about their natural history. But
this modest Long Island farmer did know a great deal
about them.

The Latham Legacy

A number of circumstances and personal
characteristics combined to produce this natural history .
genius. Roy lived for nearly a century on a beautiful
island filled with many biological measures.
Self-employment in outdoor occupations provided
frequent opportunities to observe and collect natural
history specimens, or to take the time to investigate
something that interested him. The isolation of his
environment, combined with his intelligence, curiosity,
attention to detail, love and respect for other organisms,
and observational skills, led to natural history study as
an entertaining pastime. An intense focus and
self-direction, unusual record-keeping instincts, and a
vacant building on his farm resulted in large collections
in all groups. His knack for acquiring proper references
and studying anything he wanted to learn allowed him
to identify collected specimens, or find authorities to
whom he could apply for assistance. And an inborn
talent for remarkably clear, direct writing enabled him
to publish his findings. Roy was a brilliant person who
might have been a college professor or museum curator,
but he chose the simplicity and beauty of a rural
existence, and his life story teaches valuable lessons in
disciplined work, happiness, and longevity.

The biological and archaeological specimens Roy
Latham collected throughout his life have been
deposited as follows (Schlauch 1971, Bull 1975,

Zawyrucha 1977. Connor 1978, Anon. 1979. Pechuman
1979): ca. 100,000 botanical and mycological specimens
(vascular plants, fungi, lichens, and algae) and 10,000
zoological specimens (birds, mammals, amphibians,
reptiles, fishes, and mollusks)-were given to the New
York State Museum at Albany in 1969. An estimated

100.000 insects were donated to the Cornell University
Insect Collection in 1968; and hundreds of botanical,
lichenological, and mycological vouchers were deposited
in the Cornell herbaria via Burnham, as well. Roy's

30.000 aboriginal artifacts, including specimens from the
"Orient Phase" culture of ca. 1300-1000 B.C., which he
discovered (Pechuman 1979). now belong to the Long
Island Chaptef of the New York State Archaeological
Association, at the Southold Museum, Main Bayview
Avenue, Southold. What an eloquent and enduring
testimony to an industrious life!

One of Roy's most significant accomplishments was
his careful documentation of the effects of the great
hurricanes of 1938 and 1944 on the biota of eastern
Long Island. This is evident in many of his later papers
(Latham 1945, 1955, and many of his papers in
Engelhardtia)', and his letters on the topic have been
extensively quoted (Brodo 1968, Bull 1975, Schlauch
1971, Zawyrucha 1977).

Roy Latham was among the great general field
naturalists of the Northeast, ranking with James Eights
(Miller & Goldsmith 1980, Miller 1980). William T.
Davis (Schlauch, verbal camm.), and Daniel Smiley
(Winerip 1986, Huyghe 1991), yet holding a unique
position, similar to that of Gilbert White in England
(Massingham 1983). from having thoroughly studied and
recorded his region over a entire century.

Gifted naturalists of this calibre are rare, and appear
to be bom that way. All have an instinctive grasp of a
primary field principle: Knowledge of natural history
comes from time spent in the field, but many
encounters, especially with animals, occur by
coincidence; thus knowledge is only slowly acquired,
and it becomes intensely interesting, and often
challenging, to collect and organize experiences to
produce ever-increasing levels of refinement and
understanding. Few codes of fife could be more
absorbing than to be always watchful for an organism
you never before have seen — flying before you,
swimming around the bend in the stream, hidden under
the next leaf, or living between the grains of sand at
your feet. How fortunate we are that Roy Latham
followed this code so thoroughly and so well!

- , y Acknowledgements

Irwin M. Brodo, Robert T. Clausen, John F. Cryan,
Timothy M. Dillon, John H. Haines, Paul C. Huth, Peter
A. Hyypio, Lori Leonardi, Richard T. Mitchell, LaVeme

March - April 1993

Long Island
Botanical Society

'Page^R

L. Pechuman, Frederick C. Schlauch, Charles J.

Sheviak, and Charles R. Smith provided information
useful in completing this article. Edward A. Cope. John
F. Cryan, BenteS. King, Frederick C. Schlauch, and
Christina A. Sperling reviewed an early draft of this
paper, making valuable suggestions. - ■ ■ . ■ " •

Literature Cited s • > -

Anon. 1979. Roy Latham, noted naturalist, dead at 98. Suffolk
Times. 15 November 1979: 2.

Bamhan. J. H 1965. Biographical notes upon botanists. VoL 1,
A-For (C). New York Botanical Garden. G. K. Hall k Co.,
Boston, xvi + 563 pp.

Brodo. I M. 1968. The lichens cf Long Island. New York: a

vegetational and floristic analysis. New York State Mur. Bull.
410: i-x. 1-330.

Bull. J. 1975. Birdl of the New York area. New York, Dover
Publications. Inc., xiv + 540 pp.

Burnham, S. FL k R. A. Latham, 1914-1925. The flora of the Town
of Southold, Long Island and Gardiner 1 » Inland (with five
supplementary lists). Torreya 14: 201-225, 229-254; 17: ‘
111-122: 21: Ml. 28-33: 23: 3-9, 25-31; 24: 22-32; 25: 71-83.

Cattell, J. M, k J. Cattell (eds.). 1927. American men of science,
founh edition. The S a m a Press. New York, viii + 1132 pp.

Chaudhri, M. N„ I. H. Vegier, k C. M de Wal. 1972. Index

herbarioium, pan II (3). Collecton. I-L. Regnum Vegeubile 86:
414.

Connor, P. F. 1978. The Mammals cf Long Island. New York. New
York State Museum Bulletin 416: i-vi, 1-78.

Hams. R C. 1987. Additional species not recorded in "The Lichens
of Long Island, New Yo*. " Evansia 4: 4-5.

Hams. R C.. C. K. Schmitt, k K. Anderson. 1987. Lichens of
eastern Long Island. New York collected dicing the 1986
Andrews Foray. Evansia 4: 1-3.

Huyghc.P. 1991. Works in progress, a naturalist preserved. The
Sciences 31(4): 12-15.

Imshaug, H A. k I. M. Brodo. 1966. Biosystematic studies on
Lecanora pallida and some related lichens in the Americas.

Nova Hedwigia 12: 1-59.

Lamont. E. E., J. M. Beitel, k R E. Zaremba. 1988. Current status
of orchids on Long Island. New York. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club,
115: 113-121.

Lamont. E. E. k R Stalter, 1991. The vascular flora of Orient
Beach State Park, Long Island, New York. BulL Torrey Bot.
Club 118: 459-468.

Lanjouw, J., k F. A. Stafleu. 1954. Index herbarioium, pari II (1),
Collectors. A-D. Regnum Vegeubile 2: 108.

Ladwn, Roy. 1916. Notes on Cistudo Carolina from Orient, Long
Island. Copda 34: 65-67.

1917. Habitat of Cephalozia frandsd cm Long Island. N. Y.
Bryologist 20: 63-64.

1910. Musci hosts of Cyphella muscigena Fr. Bryologist 23:

7.

1917. Tipularia uniflora on Mantauk Point. Long Island.

Torreya 27: 51.

1930. Star-flowered Solomon’s Seal, Vagnera stellata (L)

Moroog, on eastern Long Island. N. Y. Tomyn 30: 78-79.

. )934a. Botanical notes from Long Island. Torreya 34: 95.

. 1934b. Flora of the State Park. Orient, Long Island, N. Y.

Torreya 34: 139-149.

1938. Lyihrum salicaiia L on Long Island, N. Y. Tomya
38:72.

. 1940. Distribution of wild orchids on L L Long Island

Forum 3: 103-107

. 1945. Cetraria islandica (L.) Ach. on Long Island. N. Y.

Bryologist 48: 159-160.

. 1946. Additional notes on Cetraria islandica (L.) Ach. on

LongLland. N. Y. Bryologist 49: 71.

. 1947. Cetraria islandica on Long Island, N. Y. - IIL

Bryologht 50: 269-270.

1948. Cetraria islandica (L.) Ach. on Long Island. N. Y. IV,
Bryologht 51: 50-51.

. 1949. CLadonia alpeslris (L.) Rabenh. on Long Island, N. Y.

Bryologist 52: 146-148.

. 1954, Nature notes from Orient Long Island Naturalist 3:

3-9.

. 1955. Hurricane observations. L I. Naturalist 4: 11-14.

. 1956. Nature notes from Orient. L. I. Naturalist 5: 19-25.

. 1957. Phragmiles. L. L Naturalist 6: 26-27.

. 1968. Fungus-eating habits of the Eastern Box Turtle of

Long Island. Engelhardtia 1: 12.

1969a. Eastern Box Turtle cats green oak gall. Engelhardtia

2: 1.

. 1 969b, The Eastern Mud Turtle and Stinkpot on eastern Long

Island. Engelhardtia 2: 1-2.

. 1969c. The status of the Osprey at Orient. Long Island.

Engelhardtia 2: 3.

. 1971a. A large ? ox Grape vine on Gardiiers Island.

Engelhardtia 4: 46.

. 1971b. The Crane-fly Orchid on Long Island. Engelhardtia

4: 55.

. 1972a. The ferns of eastern Long Island. Engelhardtia 5 :

1-2.

. 1972b. Three plants of the Santa Maria found at Orient, Long

Lland. Engelhardtia 5: 4.

. 1972c. Notes on the sundews of Long Island. Engelhardtia

5: 6.

. 19726 The Black-crowned Night Heron at Orient. Long

Island, Engelhardtia 5: 19.

. 1978a. Common Purslane, Portulaca oleracea, at Orient. Long

Inland. Pitch Pine Naturalist 4: 2-3.

. 1978b. Pyxie, Pyxidanthera barbulala, on Eagle Neck. Orient.

Long Island. Pitch Pine Naturalist 4: 3.

Leonard, M. D. 1971. A second supplement to a list of aphids of
New York (Homoptera: Aphididae). Search Agriculture
Entanology (Ithaca) 4, VoL 1, No. 12: 1-31.

. 1975. A founh supplement to a list of aphids of New York

(Homoptera: Aphididae). Search Agriculture Entomology
(Ithaca) 16. Vol. 5, No. 4: 1-11.

Massingham, H J. (ed.). 1983. The essential Gilbert White of
Selbome. Breslich k Foss. London, xx + 361 pp.

Miller. C. 1980. The scientific career of James Eights: an annotated
bibliography. Skenectada2: 10-16.

Miller. C., k N. Goldsmith. 1980. James Eights. Albany naturalist:
new evidence. New York History 61: 23-42.

Pechuman, L. L. 1979. Obituary-Roy Latham, 23 May 1881-13
Nov. 1979. The Collector. A Monthly Publication of the
Department of Entomology at Cornell 1(4): 6.

Schlauch. F. G 1971. The namralist of Orient Long Island Forum
34(6): cover I. 121-123.

Winerip, M. 1986, My. A serendipitous son of scientist. Discover

7(7): 84-91.

Zawyrucha, T. S. 1977. America should know Roy Latham.
Wetlands 5(4): 6-13.

--Robert Dig, Bailey Hortorium Herbarium & Plant
Pathology Herbarium, Cornell Univ.

Copyright 1993 by Robert Ding

Roy Latham

and the Liverworts of Long Island

Liverworts are bryophytes that range
morphologically from fist., thallus form s to those having
bilateral leaves reaching several centimeters long.

Generally confined to living prostrate on the substratum : ■'*
to avoid desiccation, they are often overlooked by' the
casual observer..

Such was not the case with Roy Latham. In his
constant searching for lichens, "[they are] my first
interest" (in a letter from Latham to Biechele, 1975),

Roy added an impressive collection of sixty-three
liverwort taxa from eastern Long Island. These
specimens are now deposited in the Bryophyte
Herbarium of the New York State Museum in Albany.

The discovery of Cladopodiella franscisi (Hook.)

Joerg., the first record from New York State, came
about while searching the cranberry bogs around Great
Pond near Southold (Latham, 1917). In his letter to me
(1975) Roy continues, "[around 1910] I used to spend a
lot of time around the dunes ... leaving home before
dawn and tramping the dunes till dark. One night I
found my bike broken and walked away from the dunes
to Orient after dark"

With the completion of the FLORA OF THE
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD. LONG ISLAND (Burnham
& Latham, 1925), Latham had described 40 species of
liverworts from the region. (Unfortunately, two taxa, ; .
Calypogeia sphagnicola (Am. et Perss.) Wamst. et
Loeske and Pellia fabroniana Raddi (now a synonym of
P. endiviifolia (Dicks.) Dum.) were initially incorrectly
annotated). Many of Latham’s collections were
determined by Andrews, Conklin, Evans and Fulford
and some duplicate material was sent to the Sullivant
Moss Society now located in the ABSH at Southern
Il li nois University.

No longer restricted to the geography of his
manuscript, Latham was able to explore the fascinating
flora of the sandy pine barrens and beach dunes along
the south fork of the island. Along with more frequent
trips to Gardiner's Island. Roy added such rarities as
Barbilophozia barbata (Schmid, ex Schreb.) Loeske;

Geocalyx graveolens (Schrad.) Nees; Marsupella
sphacelata (Gieske) Dum. and Trichoc olea tomentella
(Ehrh.) Dum. all associated with a more northern,
mountainous topography. Here, then, were possible
relics of the last glacial epoch that found refuge in the
hepatic communities of eastern Suffolk County. . ,

In 1974, when he was 93 years old, Roy was very
interested in my collection of the NY rarity Jubula
pennsylvanica (Steph.) Evans (determined by Mulford ,
Martin at the New York Botanical Garden) near Trout
Pond in Noyac. In a letter on December 7th of that
year, he writes: "Thank you for the fine specimen of the

rare Jubula pennsylvanica. So far as I know now, it is
the First for Long Island under this name. It is the first
for the east end."

Roy Latham had an amazing ability to instantly
recognize a new or different species when there were, in
those days, few, references and field guides. He was
truly a naturalist of the 'old school' who always seemed
to find time to answer almost any question and would
generously contribute his knowledge of the subject. His
legacy is forever forged within the natural history of
Long Island.-Lance T. Biechele. Princess Anne,
Maryland

' Literature cited

Bumham, S. H„ & R. A. Latham. 1914-1925. The flora of h e Town
of Southold, Long Island and Gardiner’s Island (wiJth live
supplementary lists). Toneya 14: 201-225.229-254; 17:

111-122; 21: 1-11, 28-33: 23: 3-9,25-31: 24: 22-32: 25:71-83.

Latham, R. A. 1917. Habitat of Cephalozia francisci on Long Island,
N. Y. Bryologist 20: 63-64.

Roy Latham Letterhead

Above is a copy of the famous Roy Latham
Letterhead depicting an Osprey nest in a windmill.

Tong I sland March " April 1993 Page T5

Botanical Society

Society News

January meeting

The January meeting was held at the Planting Fields
Arboretum. It was a rather informal affair with tours of
the greenhouses including the desert-cactus house, two
orchid houses, palm house, and begonia house. Carol
Johnston gave a slide show about Shu Swamp.' ’

February meeting

Tropical Night was hosted by Margaret Conover.
Speakers were Lois Lindberg and Skip Blanchard who
each showed slides from the LIBS trip to Costa Rica in
January, Charles Jansen who presented slides of his
studies on Monkeys in Argentina and Steve Clemants
who presented slides from several trips to South
American and Mexico. Margaret purchased various
tropical ftiits for all to partake.

It was announced at this meeting that Steve Young
at the New York Natural Heritage Program is no longer
being funded by New York State. For the time being
he is being funded by grants.

The Nominating Committee is being chaired by
Betty Lotowycz. If you want to nominate someone
please contact Betty.

L.I. Naturalists Meetihg \ -

r y . • \

Glenn Richard announced at the ' Feb. meeting that
there will be amceting^oFthe L,I. Naturalists on
Tuesday, March, .16, 9, arn^at The Environmental
Centers (rfSetauket-Smithtown (ECSS). . ^

The L.I. Naturalists 'is a loosely organized group of
people who are involved in natural science education.
They meet twice a year at various locations and share
information with each other. There is no official
membership or leadership of the group. If you are
interested contact Glenn Richard at 516-632-8230 (w).

New Field Trip Charman

Glenn Richard is the new LIBS field trip
chairman. Glenn is Director of Education at the
Museum of LX Natural Sciences, SUNY at Stony
Brook Anyone interested in leading a field trip during
the 1993 season, please call Glenn at 516-632-8230 (w).

Spring Field Trip '

Tentative events include a joint photographic
workshop with the Sierra Club in May, and trips to

Caleb Smith State Park to inventory the flora together
with the Flora Committee.

Orchid Talk

LIBS member and photographer Sherman Wolfson
will present a program on "Local Wild Orchids" on
Saturday, March 27, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm, for the South
Fork Natural History Society, at an East Hampton
location. For more information call Carol Crasson at
516-267-7944.

Programs

9 March 1993 - Moreno and Dorothy Tagliapietra-
Cherbavaz will present a slide show titled "The orchids
of LX and northeastern U.S.", at the Uplands Farm
Nature Center, Cold Spring Harbor. The speakers have
published their photos in a number of places, and the
photos have won awards at orchid shows. They are
active in the Greater New York Orchid Society, and are
planning a book on the Orchids of New York State.

13 April 1993 - Paul Teese will present a talk on the
"Evolution of a Photosynthetic Pathway". This talk will
be about his research on the evolution of a C3-C4
intermediate photosynthetic pathway in a tropical
Asteraceae. The talk will be at the Museum of LX.
Natural Sciences, E.S.S. Bldg., SUNY at Stony Brook.

11 May 1993 ■ Barbara Bentley will present a talk on
the Ecology of Lupine. This will be held at the
Museum of LX Natural Sciences. E.S.S. Bldg., SUNY
at Stony Brook.

June ■ Skip Blanchard has tentatively agreed to talk on
Costa Rica.

Treasurer's Report

Carol Johnston has submitted a treasurer's report
fonn 1992. An abbreviated version follows. Anyone
interested in more info should contact Carol.

Long Island Botanical Society, hie.
Treasurer's Report
December 31, 1992

Opening balance $1,877.43

Income total $1,980.00

Expenses total $1,050.14

Net gain 5 929.86

Liabilities (outstanding bills) - 0 ■

Ending balance $2,807.29

Long Island March - April 1993 Page 17

Botanical Society

i m \ tf\\

LONG ISLAND BOTANICAL SOCIETY
Founded: 1986; Incorporated: 1989.

The Long Island Botanical Society is dedicated to the
promotion of field botany and a greater understanding of
the plants that grow wild on Long Inland. New York.

President

Vice President

Treasurer
Recrd Sec'y
Cor'sp Sec’y
Local Flora
Field Trip
Membership
Conservation

Education

Hospitality

Program

Editor

Eric Lamont
Chris Mangels
Carol Johnston
Barbara Conolly
Jane Blanchard
Skip Blanchard
Glenn Richard
Loit Lindberg
Louise Harrison
John Turner
Margaret Conover
Mary Laura Lamont
Nancy Smith
Joanne Tow
Eric Lamont
Steven Qemants 7

Membership

Membership is open lo alL. and we welcome new memben.

Annual dues are $10. For membership, make your check
payable to LONG ISLAND BOTANICAL SOCIETY and
mail to: Lou Lindberg, Membership Chairperscn, 45 Sandy
Hill Rd.. Oyster Bay. NY 11771-3111

LONG ISLAND BOTANICAL SOCIETY
P.O. BOX 905 *

LEVITJOWN, NY 11756

Long Island
Botanical Society

March - April 1993

Page 18

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1 1 1 1 !J 1 M 1 1 1 m { 1 1 ! 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 M t 1