y MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN VOLUME LVI NO. 1 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1968 we FF OS, DISSERTATIO BOTANICA BETULA NANA. Quam, Confen/i Ampliffime Fac, Medice in Reg, Acad, Upfalienii , PRASIDE VIRO Experientiffimo & Celeberrimo D. D. CAROLO LINN ZO, Med. & Botan. Prof: Reg. & Ord, Publico Bonorum Examini modefle fubjicit Se. Ra. Mrs. ALUMNUS LAURENTIUS MAG. KLASE, SMOLANDUS. In Auditorio Guftav. Maj. ad d30 Junii An, MDCCXLITL Horts, ante meridiem , folitis, Ee DEERE er zs STOCKHOLMIE Typis Hiftoriographi Regni Ne ee ee Set Se ee : tf Ww -« ee eS . : et Be H : : : I Ps ; er "vt oe Cn. ¥ ort ap, Sm nga a eee ty i mes st ae we ta OO ole oe cs i : Be. £ ! 8 F h ia 14 : eis a = i ¥ a 4 i ae E i 4 C 3 af ce 3 3 : Es ae r oa He hah 3 ~ 4 , oe : = 8 &: 4 Sk ir | ae ee Be ~ & 6 | Rag x : es fF? as " Ae te ie ft » 3 Ws W/9 Sa m4 . ae Hy Lee %\ é ‘ 4 ; ws! : a‘ ‘| i . ; 4 3\ : Pie nee ae 4 ee PY B : = & E ¥ a | a “me i i pon i IL Dried plant material from the Climatron/Flower arrangin, accessories/ A new selection of garden books! Begin your garde planning now/ And always—a fine selection of gifts. THE GARDEN GATE SHOP /at the main gate/Tower Grove and Flora Missour1t Botanical Garden VOLUME LVI NO. 1 EpIToR Barbara P. Lawton EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Edgar Anderson Derek G. Burch David M. Gates Mark W. Paddock Kenneth O. Peck FRIENDS & SHOP REPRESENTATIVE Mrs. Charles Ruprecht EDITORIAL & PUBLICATION OFFICE Missouri Botanical Garden 2315 Tower Grove Avenue St. Louis, Missouri 63110 Published bi-monthly by the Board of Trustees of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Subscription price: $3.50 a year. Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at St. Louis, Missouri. Bulletin JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1968 CONTENTS LINNAEAN DISSERTATIONS (Cover) GeorcE B. VAN SCHAACK . IN MEMORIAM— JOHN S. LEHMANN THE SMALL GREENHOUSE Harris ARMSTRONG THE MANY SIDES OF GEORGE VAN SCHAACK ErnA EISENDRATH BOTANY, MEDICINE, AND THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY James MANIOTIS . HISTORY LURKS IN THE HERBARIUM SUSAN VERHOEK . ROSES IN JANUARY BARBARA LAWTON GARDENING IN ST. LOUIS . FRIENDS OF THE GARDEN. A NEW COURSE ON HERB CULTURE KENNETH PECK WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN . THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN CALENDAR . COVER PHOTO BY TODD STUDIOS 2 14 20 25 26 27 28 29 a2 on the cover BEIUL A NANA" LINNAEAN DISSERTATIONS Confn/a opine Fa: Medico pfatewad TRASIDE Expersnesthine & Ceteberrim D. D “CAROLO LINN ZO, Med & Born Prot Reg. & Und George B. Van Schaack The cover illustration shows the title page of the first Linnaean ‘dissertation’. Translated it says: ‘Botanical dissertation concerning Betula nana, which Lawrence Magnus Klase modestly submits to the public examination of gentlemen, under the sponsorship of the Medical Faculty of the Royal Academy of Upsala, presided over by the learned master Dr. Carolus Linnaeus, in the hall of Gustavus the Great, on June 30, 1743, at the usual hour before noon.” It is a slender pamphlet of twenty pages containing a description of the dwarf birch, in par- ticular differentiating it from the common birch, listing previous references to it, discussing its uses, and, in general, ‘monographing it’ as we say today. The pamphlet has an engraving attached showing a branch as found in the Royal Academy’s botanical garden. Thus was launched the series of 186 “theses” directed by Linnaeus during the remaining thirty-three years of his life. It seems clear that a few of them were substantially the work of the students who studied with him; but equally likely most of them were largely his own, the student merely making a thorough study of the material, probably writing the initial draft of the text, and pretty surely paying for the publication of copies to be on hand for distribution at the examination. The Garden’s library contains an excellent collection of these ‘Amoenitates’, as they were called. It has all but one of the originals as prepared for the examination, and also most of the later collected editions. The latter often have some changes, many of them important for present day work. The depth of the "Carden’s library collections in this particular respect is typical, especially for the fields of plant taxonomy and distribution, botanical history, and botanical illustration. The single original dissertation lacking from the Garden’s collection is Anthropomorpha (animals of manlike form), in which Christian E. Hoppius of St. Petersburg, presented the history of the Simia genus (apes). Pretty certainly Linnaeus stuck his neck out further here than in any other of his publications, as he instructed his student to recog- nize four species: Pygmaeus, Satyrus, Lucifer, and Troglodytes, with documentation taken from tales of travel to distant lands, and to make an illustration showing four biped animals that were too manlike in appearance. The Garden’s bound set of original dissertations shows only stubs where the leaves have been cut out; was it by some reader over-intrigued by the content, or by some former owner who could not tolerate such potentially heretical material in his library? 2 In Memorium John S. Lehmann January 18, 1886—October 26, 1967 A FEW OUTSTANDING MEN make an institution great. The Missouri Botanical Garden has been unusually fortunate in the men who have walked its paths and given it wise guidance. Few people have done so much for the Garden as did John S. Lehmann. In the manner of Henry Shaw, Mr. Lehmann not only provided financial support, but gave freely of his time and ideas for many years. John Lehmann was educated at Harvard and went on to receive his law degree at Washington University in 1910. Like his father before him, he became an outstanding lawyer, respected for his effec- tive legal ability and shrewd common sense. His interest in botany and the Garden was of long standing. In the spring of 1931, John and Nan Lehmann took Edgar Anderson’s Saturday course of lectures and field trips centered around elementary botany and the local flora. Their estate became noted for its rare and beautiful shrubs, roses, and collection of fine apples. He was a scholar as well as a gardener. Together the Lehmanns built an outstanding library of horticultural and botanical books about roses. For many years the Lehmanns judged all the roses at the flower shows. When Dr. William L. Brown began his pioneering work in Kentucky bluegrasses for the St. Louis area, he worked closely with the Lehmanns, who were among the first to cooperate with him in de- veloping better management practices for St. Louis lawns. Mr. Lehmann became a trustee of the Garden on December 18, 1940, was President of the Board of Trustees from February 18, 1953 to December, 1957, and became an Honorary Trustee in September, 1955. When Dr. George T. Moore, Director from 1922 to 1953 retired, Mr. Lehmann became Acting Director and dedicated himself tirelessly to the Garden, gradually initiating a broad integrated program of practical and theoretical work in both horticulture and botany. He encouraged the local garden clubs to bring the National Council of State Garden Clubs to St. Louis and gave generously to their drive for funds for the headquarters building which was built next to the Garden. He was a major contributor to the cost of the Climatron and endowed the new rose garden, which bears his name. The Board of Trustees, the staff, and all of those who derive benefit from the Garden will be eternally grateful for this generous, wise, courteous gentleman who gave so much of his greatness to the Missouri Botanical Garden. The Small Greenhouse Harris Armstrong | Peabo the amateur gardener is forced, against his will, to the sad conclusion that the only reason his flowers and plants don’t match the glowing colors and the purple prose of the seed catalogs is that he doesn’t have a greenhouse. There are many and varied reasons why having a greenhouse is not the total answer, but by the time one has sent ine. a fine four-color greenhouse catalog, he has already invested a five-cent stamp and all the problems of greenhouse management are not revealed to him in the booklet. Instead, there are pretty smiling ladies, impeccably dressed, surrounded by blooming orchids, azaleas, and all manner of plants that don’t ordinarily bloom at the same time of year. The seed catalog men and the greenhouse catalog men are pro- fessionals, and we, the target of their skills, are self-confessed amateurs, even though we are “Friends of the Garden.” Thus the vision of one’s own wife, in a stylish frock, surrounded by exotic blooms, is just too enticing. We decide to take the plunge. We will get a greenhouse. This is just the beginning of a number of interesting decisions one must face. Where will the greenhouse go? What orientation should it have? How will it fit the picture one wishes his garden to portray? Then there is the matter of heating, largely determined by the fuel you choose to burn. After this are the considerations of distances from the utilities. Perhaps the most difficult decision is that of how big the new “‘wonder” should be. In my own case, it was impossible to have the greenhouse on the south side of our house. I was forced by existing structures to build separate from the house on the north side quite close to the West- borough Golf Course. Golfers and golf balls being what they are, I decided to use a lean-to greenhouse with a shingle roof toward the golf course. This, however, made it possible to see into the greenhouse from my bedroom window and so reminded me rather constantly that there were chores waiting for me out there. Since my wife and I like to travel frequently, the modern, auto- matic, “‘care-free’’ greenhouses of the catalog appealed immensely. I felt that such a greenhouse would solve the problem of upkeep while we are gone. At least it would hold to a minimum the amount of work we felt must be done. The pre-fabricated lean-to is made of glass and aluminum. It mea- sures six feet, eight inches by eighteen feet. Below this glass and aluminum is a redwood wall three feet high which rests on a railroad tie foundation. The glass sides face east, west, and south. On the north side, I have a steeply pitched wood wall-roof sloping down to meet the redwood wall. This roof is handsome with its wood shingles. The heat- ing plant and the evaporative cooler are located on this north wall, and so do not offend the view from my window. Located outside our little greenhouse is a gas-fired boiler which supplies circulated hot water in copper fin tube radiators located under the plant trays and at the outside walls. The reason for having the boiler outside the house is to preclude the possibility of noxious flue gases escaping into the area with the plants. This would be very bad for them, to say nothing of the gardener himself. The sequence of operation of the heating and cooling equipment is in the following order. Starting with night, we’ll assume it is cool and the boiler is operating. When the sun comes up and warms the greenhouse to, let us say, sixty-five degrees, the thermostat shuts off the boiler. As the sun continues to shine, the temperature rises and another thermostat causes little motors at the ridge of the glass We decided to take the plunge and get a greenhouse. PHOTO BY HARRIS ARMSTRONG roof to open a continuous row of ventilators. Since this is the highest location in the greenhouse, the warmest air is released and the cooler outside air enters, replacing it. If the temperature continues to rise in the greenhouse, the venti- lating fan will start up, and then, in the hottest of weather, by means of a manually operated switch, a pump located in the ventilating fan box will start pumping water from a pan in the base of the box up to the top to moisten excelsior pads on three sides of the fan box. The air being drawn through these moist excelsior pads is cooled by evapo- ration and this naturally raises the humidity of the greenhouse. The final hot weather operation must be manual; that is, to let down the roll shades on the window walls. These aluminum-painted shades are of wood slats. They provide about 70 percent shade as the slits of sunlight move across the plants with the sun’s passage through the sky. So much for heat and light control. Water, as it comes from the mains in the cold seasons, would shock the growing plants. This problem was solved by using a 30-gallon water tank, installed inside, so that the water passes through it, in at the bot- tom and out at the top. In this way, the water has a chance to warm up to the greenhouse temperature between waterings, which are not too frequent during winter. A single watering would scarcely deplete the tempered water. The watering system is rather elaborate. In addition to the usual hose and faucet for a watering can, we have an overhead mist system. It can go on for a period of from two seconds to nine minutes every ten minutes, or alternatively one minute to fifty-five minutes every hour. This performance is master-clocked for daylight hours, again optionally adjustable for long summer days or short winter days. This system of overhead automatic watering consists of ten very fine nozzles that each spray a two-foot circle and two larger nozzles that each spray a four- to five-foot circle. This system may be operated in parts and in varying combinations by means of cut-off valves. It is obvious that the automatic “‘care-free”’ greenhouse takes a lot of engineering. But once the gardener has mastered and coordinated the various greenhouse systems, he is free to devote his time primarily to his plants, no matter what the weatherman may threaten. The sloping north wall, made solid because of the golf ball menace, will eventually hold the orchid collection in suspended pots and watered by means of a number of jets controlled by a hand-operated valve. The plant tray below this sloping ceiling is also watered by a series of similar jets which are manually controlled. PHOTO BY HARRIS ARMSTRONG We feel that the pre-fabricated lean-to of glass, aluminum, and redwood is admirably suited to both its site and our purposes. The northwest corner of my little greenhouse has a cabinet with a counter and sink as well as drawers and shelves. The electric control clocks are all located in this cabinet behind folding doors so that they will not be in any of the spray patterns. We have gone through the rather complicated business of building this elaborate machine. Now the time has come when I must buy my wife the stylish frock and place her among the exotic blooms which are to fill my small greenhouse. Editor’s Note: Harris Armstrong is an architect whose work has long been admired nationally as well as locally. He is of the school that believes good architecture should fit not only its purpose, but also its surround- ings. Thus his interest and skill as a home gardener has been a natural outgrowth of his successful career. He has, in the field of gardening, been especially good in the propagation and use of alpine plants and succulents for the home garden. the many sides of GEORGE VAN SCHAACK Erna Eisendrath C= Van Scuaack has for years been so vital a cog in the local machinery of botanical scholarship that it is difficult to realize he was not always associated with botany. He has achieved such recog- nition among librarians that it will surely surprise many of them to learn his professional training was in other fields. And he has become so familiar a part of the Missouri Botanical Garden community of staff and students that many of them undoubtedly feel this was always the arena of his activities. Actually, Dr. Van Schaack’s first contacts with botany resulted from a sort of hobby less than twenty-five years ago; he came to the Garden a few years later, and his close affiliation with its library started in 1954, It is only since then that this versatile and cultivated man began to leave his mark upon one of the greatest cultural assets of our city—the magnificent botanical library which ranks high among those of the entire world. George Van Schaack did not, of course, build this great library himself; his contribution has been his conviction of its enormous importance, his dedicated devotion to its care, and his unceasing efforts to broadcast his conviction and to solicit help and support for the efforts that he has sustained, almost single-handedly, for a dozen years. The story of the library, its needs and its glories, was well told in the Globe Democrat Magazine of June 12, 1966, although Dr. Van Schaack had been telling this story for a number of years prior to that in his annual reports, and in an especially fine and moving article published in the Garden’s Bulletin in November, 1964. Here, in An Epilogue on Two Exhibitions of Books, Dr. Van Schaack made loudly and clearly the point that we have in St. Louis a facility that is not only rare and valuable, but is also tragically unrecognized as such. George’s story cannot today be separated from that of the library, even though he has himself retired from his position as its librarian. We write sorrowfully since we hate to see him go, but we are happy for the opportunity to express to him the sincere thanks of the Garden’s trustees and staff members, of the whole botanical community, espe- cially of those students whom he has generously helped, and of those citizens of St. Louis acquainted with his untiring efforts to preserve us PHOTO BY CLAUDE JOHNSTON Dr. George Van Schaack, closely affiliated with the Garden Library for thirteen years, has been a dedicated member of the Garden staff from 1947 until 1967. for future generations a treasure accumulated largely (but not wholly, for George has bought wisely and well!) in the past. When one “retires” these days, age is not a secret; you are not surprised to learn that George was born in 1903 in upstate New York, nor that he studied both at Syracuse University and at the University of Rochester. But from here on his curriculum vitae is full of surprises. Young Van Schaack concentrated in music, in theory and piano, for four years before moving on to Harvard in 1925. There he received B. S., M. A., and Ph.D. degrees in... guess what? . . . mathematics! It was in this field, then, that Dr. Van Schaack made his living as a university teacher until, in 1943, he enlisted in the U. S. Naval Reserve. Oddly, it was this move that eventually led to the quite new way of life and field of interest that he has pursued during most of his years in St. Louis. George’s association with botany began as a sort of avocational time-filler—a need that must certainly have been felt by many a young J. G. stationed in out-of-the-way areas of this earth. He found himself on Attu Island, the very tip of the chain of islands extending west from the Alaskan Peninsula; his job, to teach surface anti-submarine warfare. But you can’t teach a subject like that fourteen hours a day! Even in later years he characteristically worked that long, six or seven days a week; back in the war years he must have been hard put to fill his time. When the spring of 1944 came and the snow-bound island of Attu began to grow green, Lieutenant Van Schaack chose to fill his time by gathering and studying the many flowers which seemed to appear everywhere as if by magic. If you are at all acquainted with the prob- lems of collecting and accurately identifying plants, even when working in a known area with adequate, reference materials, including people acquainted with the local flora, you will have some idea of the challenge that he set for himself. A so-called Flora of the Aleutian Islands had been published in 1937 by the Swedish botanist, Eric Hulten, and this book was at hand. Dr. Hulten had not, however, included the almost essential crutch for a beginner—a key to the plants under discussion— nor did his book contain technical descriptions of them or illustrations of any kind! Aside from this book the available botanical library con- sisted of the seventh edition of Gray’s Manual of Botany (which does not consider the flora of Alaska) and Homer House’s popular Wild Flowers of New York. Perhaps it was the very poverty of his reference material at the point in his life when he was but a proto-botanist that has made George so sensitive to the value of a fine library; but it did not at that time prevent him from proceeding with his undertaking. Since George’s only sister, Eva, has her doctorate in botany, it was logical that he sent her the first plants he collected. She, realizing that such collections would be of significant value to the taxonomists, suggested that he send his further material to Dr. Egbert Walker at the Smithsonian Institution. Dr. Walker was so interested to receive them that he showed the plants to his colleague, Mrs. Agnes Chase, sometimes referred to as the Dean of Agrostologists, which simply means that she knew more about grasses than anybody else around. Quite naturally she was disappointed with George’s collections which included mostly plants that had showy flowers. ‘““What’s the matter with that island?’’ Mrs. Chase wrote to him. “Doesn’t it have grasses on it? If you are fortunate [sic] enough to 10 remain on Attu another season, please collect all the grasses you can.”’ Here then was another challenge for our friend. It’s not too terribly difficult to recognize which plants belong in the enormous family of the Gramineae—but it takes knowledge, a lot of patience, and a sharp eye to tell one of them from another. George responded so enthusiasti- cally to Mrs. Chase’s request that the study he put into fulfilling it led directly to his first official position at the Missouri Botanical Garden; in 1947 he was appointed Honorary Curator of Grasses. But I am jumping the gun, of course, while those of World War II are not yet silenced in our chronological biography. Dr. Van Schaack had the fortune, good or bad, to remain in the Aleutians long enough to collect some 400 flowering plant species, of which 150 had not previously been reported from Attu. One was a tiny cranberry, never before collected west of Juneau; another was a small Asiatic gentian, collected for the first time in North America! Meanwhile, in the winter of 1944-45, Dr. Walker published a key to the most important plants of the Aleutians; again there were no descriptions. Upon Van Schaack’s objection to this omission, Dr. Walker suggested he prepare a manual of the plants collected in 1944, This was printed by the Welfare and Recreation Department of the Navy in an edition of 500 copies, cryptically called Flowers of Island X—a few going to botanically minded associates, most of them whisked away as souvenirs. It is typical of George not only to respond with alacrity to chal- lenges seemingly impossible to meet, but also to pursue the objectives that they raise far beyond the limits required. He had learned a lot about the plants of Attu by the time he returned to civilian life, but he spent several months thereafter at the Smithsonian in order to con- solidate his information, and to make sure (he is a perfectionist of the first rank) that his plant identifications were correct. Then he returned to mathematics, becoming an assistant professor at Union College, Schenectady, for the academic year 1946-47. Just before taking up this appointment, an event with unforeseen consequence occurred. Attending the AAAS meeting here in St. Louis, he ran into his old friend, Dr. Walter Leighton, newly appointed Chairman of the Department of Mathematics at Washington Uni- versity, who asked him to join his department. A year later George was free to do so, by which time the position had acquired the very interesting and rather unusual adjunct that his contribution to research would be quite acceptable to the Department of Mathematics, even if it were carried on in the field of botany. a This very intriguing appointment, Dr. Van Schaack feels sure, resulted largely from Dr. Edgar Anderson’s own interest in grasses. At that time he was deep in his work on the grass Zea mays, or corn, and welcomed the addition of a colleague whose interest was the classi- fication of grasses in general. Besides, he knew George from Harvard days, when the mathematics student had helped the over-busy Bussey Institution professor with his calculus. Sixteen years later the tables were turned as the two of them worked together every Tuesday after- noon and evening for two years, reorganizing a section of the Garden’s grass collections. During that time, Dr. Van Schaack reports, “Andy, disclaiming all knowledge of taxonomy, taught me all the taxonomy and a large part of the botany that I know.” Typically, George tested his learning in a most ingenious way. Many a night before going home he would take down a volume of one of the Garden Library’s great treasures, Curtis’ Botanical Magazine, and thumbing through the handcolored illustrations try without peeking at the text to place each pictured plant in the family to which it belongs! Such work, of course, brought Dr. Van Schaack into close contact with the library where, to use his own words, he was simultaneously “impressed with its enormous value, and overwhelmed by the neglect to which it was subject. .. . Not only were the books miserably shelved and many of them in wretched condition, but also a large part of the thousands of irreplaceable pamphlets were in covers so tattered and worn that often even the name of the author could not be read.” He was so shocked by this that he “‘raised hell with the scientific staff” in an effort to rouse them to complaint. This bore results when, in 1954, Dr. Anderson, then Director of the Garden, appointed him Chairman of the Library Committee. A year later when Dr. Robert Woodson resigned as Curator of the Herbarium, Dr. Van Schaack was appointed Acting Curator in his place. George filled both positions at the Garden with efficiency and esprit, although he continued to carry a full teaching load at Washington University in mathematics! But finally in 1958 this moonlighting existence came to an end. Dr. Woodson resumed curatorship of the Herbarium, while Dr. Van Schaack took leave of the University and became full-time librarian. During the time he held this position he greatly improved many of the conditions that had so shocked him when he came to town—several thousand books were rebound and many more placed on more adequate shelving. He himself “‘handled’’ in one way or another almost half of the 100,000 ‘‘objects’’ under his care; he made himself well acquainted 12 with material of all sorts that the library houses, and, not only able to locate any part of it in no time flat, he could often save you and himself ever so much trouble by telling you exactly what that part contained, and whether or not it would serve your needs. He became an authority on the history of botanical literature as well as on the illustration of botanical books. He is widely consulted and highly respected in these esoteric fields, although he claims that all such knowledge has accrued to him only since the challenge with which he presented himself when he organized an exhibit of flower books from the Garden’s library at the City Art Museum in November, 1959. He also bought wisely to fill the gaps in certain categories of the Garden’s collections, gaps left open during the years when the Library’s book budget was even smaller. He has been sorely disappointed that, during his tenure, his charges have not been given the new home that is so sorely needed for them; but, whenever that home becomes a reality, it will owe to George the fact that the collection it houses is worthy of the best, and has survived the years of famine almost solely due to his devotion and efforts. When we say good-bye to you, George, it is with our thanks; and our farewells are accompanied with some envy of the Morton Arboretum to which you now go with our best wishes. 13 Botany, Medicine, and the Mississippi Valley James Maniotis ees YOUNGSTERS who explore a Missouri cave having bats come down with a chronic cough. A number of boys playing ball in the schoolyard get coughs, chest pains, and fever. A gardener spreads chicken manure on his flower beds and also gets chest pains and a cough and soon dies. “Bronchitis?” ‘“Pleurisy?” ‘“‘Atypical pneu- monia?’’ Possibly—whatever these terms mean—but more and more, medical men are becoming aware of an insidious and widespread fungal infection attacking the lungs of human beings called histoplasmosis. Fungi, a group of plant-like organisms, come in all sizes and shapes. Some are large, like the mushrooms and puffballs. A greater number are microscopic, however, like the molds and yeasts. Although the fungus causing histoplasmosis and the disease itself have been re- ported from many countries around the world, histoplasmosis is gen- erally associated with the Mississippi Valley and its larger tributaries— the Missouri, the Ohio, and the Tennessee, and is commonly referred to as “St. Louis disease.”” Published reports tell us that 30 million people in the U.S. have had histoplasmosis infections. A great deal of interest has been engendered in histoplasmosis in the Missouri area, because surveys of the population here have indicated that up to 80 or 90% of the individuals tested show positive skin test reactions to histoplasmin, a preparation from the fungus causing histoplasmosis, Histoplasma capsulatum. It is commonly known that people who have a high sensitivity to certain materials foreign to the body show violent skin reactions when such materials are scratched or inoculated into the skin. Similarly, the occurrence of a past or a current diseased state in a human caused by a microbe may be determined by intro- ducing chemical extracts of the microbe into the skin and observing the skin reaction of the patient. A positive skin test (a reddening or blistering) may indicate past or current infection by the micro-organism in question. Fig. 1 is a map of the U.S. showing the frequency of histoplasmin positive sensitivity. In region 1, 70-90% of the individuals sampled are positive, while regions outside this area show diminishing rates of sensitivity to histoplasmin. The highest region of sensitivity corresponds exactly to the Mississippi River Valley region. Mycologists, botanists who specialize in the study of fungi, have 14 found that the fungus causing histoplasmosis occurs normally in soil, almost always associated with small animals or their activities. It is known that some infected animals, such as birds and bats, may excrete the fungus in their sputum, urine and feces, although some authorities insist that soil burdened with large amounts of excreta have a changed acidity which permits the abundant growth of the fungus which is normally present in the soil. Thus, the first U.S. soil isolation of Histoplasma capsulatum was made from material next to a rat burrow near a chicken house. Since that time, it has been isolated near old chicken houses, from bat caves, from river water, from barnyard soil, from hollow trees, from heavily manured soil, and from such unlikely places as the feather stuffings of baby pillows and unused attics which have harbored wild birds, squirrels, or bats. Tracing the origin of a case of histoplasmosis thus can become quite a detective story, involving the talents of many scientists such as botanists, zoologists, ecologists, veterinarians, and medical men. The really insidious feature of the fungus is that it is often asso- ciated with institutions where children congregate, such as school buildings. Mycologists have found the fungus in the soil around such buildings, where numbers of starlings, pigeons, grackles and bats drop Map of the United States, showing geographic location of regions of high histoplasmin sensitivity. Region 1, 70-90% of individuals tested are sensitive; Region 2, 45-55% are sensitive; Region 3, 10-35% are sensitive. 15 their excreta from building ledges onto the usually dry and powdery soil of the playground below. It happens that children are particularly susceptible to the disease, showing the greatest infection and mortality rate of any other age group, and their play activities, in creating dust clouds of the spores, simply insure the possibility of infection through inhalation of spores. One mycologist has found an effective way to combat this occurrence in such situations—simply lay down some new soil, plant grass, and keep a good lawn by watering regularly! Other authorities routinely insist on blacktopping play areas where infection has been traced. It is interesting to note that small children also show a high frequency of oral infections—which may be related to the placing of dirty fingers in the mouth. Faced with these facts, one can readily understand the recent concern of state and federal health officials over the Dexter, Missouri, area, where a number of histoplasmosis cases were reported. For the last 17 years millions of blackbirds have overwintered in a 20 acre tract in the center of town. It was estimated that 15 million birds were Starlings defy man’s efforts to remove them in both city and country. Flocks shown here are (left) near Dexter, Missouri (1965), and (right) perched upon a building in St. Louis (1961). PHOTOS COURTESY THE POST-DISPATCH Vit |, 4 % , Ca ? Ti ” »} ay ie 5 > é ‘< on i sae 2 & ee 1 16 in roost there during the early part of 1965. Since it would have been an enormous health problem to dispose of 15 million poisoned birds, the birds were displaced from the town to an area a mile away by the use of flashing red lights and sirens. Similar histoplasmosis out- breaks, traced to the presence of flocks of birds, have been reported in other places in Missouri and nearby states. In Milan, Michigan, a recent outbreak of histoplasmosis in junior high school children was traced to starlings in the trees around the school playground. To eliminate the source of infection, the trees were removed to remove the bird roosts. It is interesting to note that the starling, introduced from England, is now the most numerous bird in America. Significantly, domestic dogs and cats show a 50% rate of infection in areas where human positive histoplasmin reactions are high. No one, however, has shown that these pets play significant roles in dis- tributing the fungus in the environment or transmitting it to man or other animals—although the possibility exists. Nor has anyone ever shown an infected human to transmit the disease to other people. Other mammals which can be infected are: rats, mice, skunks, opos- sums, cattle, and horses. Chickens have not been shown to carry the fungus. The high frequency of isolation of the fungus in association with chickens may be due to the acid nature of the heavily manured soil where chickens are kept. As for the causative agent of histoplasmosis, it is a microscopic fungus which looks different depending on where it grows. In the soil, or when grown on corn meal agar medium at room temperature in the laboratory, Histoplasma capsulatum looks like any other mold. It produces fine filaments or threads which turn a brownish color as the filaments produce spores. These spores are light, are easily air- borne, and constitute the highly infective phase of the fungus when breathed into the lungs. When grown on agar containing blood at 37°C (the temperature of the body), or when grown within an experi- mentally inoculated mammal, or when found in an infected human, the fungus grows much like the common baker’s yeast, producing oval, yeast-like cells which may be carried by the lymph or blood- stream throughout the body of the animal or human. All evidence to date indicates that the usual route of infection of histoplasma is through the lungs. If, for example, some farmer working his soil or some workman leveling land for an airfield repeatedly inhales dust clouds containing spores of the soil form of the fungus, chances are good that such individuals will come down with a benign (non-fatal) Ly form of the disease, which, from most symptoms, may be diagnosed as some (unknown) respiratory ailment. Common symptoms are dry cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, and hoarseness. Sometimes “fever of unknown origin,” night sweats, weight loss, aches in the muscles and joints, and a general feeling of malaise are associated with this respiratory form of the disease. Chest Xrays taken some time after initial inhalation of spore clouds may show nodules or other findings resembling tuberculosis, and it is known that in areas where histoplasmosis is widespread, up to 2,000 patients having histoplasmosis are hospitalized inadvertantly each year in T.B. sani- toriums. Histoplasmosis is a great imitator not only of T.B. but of other diseases, simulating influenza, pneumonia, leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, carcinoma, and other fungal diseases. Primary or initial lung infections of histoplasma generally are not severe. Most people show a rapid and often medically unobserved recovery. CP gt * PHOTO COURTESY THE POST-DISPATCH The war on these nuisances is not new, as can be seen in this 1940 photo of south St. Louis residents waging a losing fight against a large flock of starlings by beating wT D © te) oD D D my, £ on pots and pans. More recent efforts with sound devices proved just as ineffectual. 18 In some cases of histoplasmosis, and this is found only in a very small minority of individuals exposed to the fungus, the disease may advance to a severe or fatal form as the fungus is carried throughout the body. In these severe cases the lung manifestations usually are less prominent, but severe changes of the internal organs are found, such as enlargement of the liver and spleen. Other manifestations include: endocarditis; meningitis; Adinsonian Disease; ulcers of the mouth, the pharynx, the stomach, the larynx, and the bowels. Some 80% of the individuals with the severe form of the disease will die if it is not treated medically. Statistics tell us that probably upwards of 50 (known) deaths each year in the U.S. is due to severe histo- plasmosis. Until recently, no single antibiotic or chemotherapeutic agent was known which was of any value in treatment of the severe form of the disease. There are two new antibiotics, however, Ampho- tericin B and X-5079C, which appear to be really effective in the early treatment of human histoplasmosis and offer hope to the unfortunate few who develop the severe form of ‘St. Louis disease.” As our technology advances and our cities become more populated, our soil, water, and air more disturbed and polluted, and the delicate biological balances which nature evolved over millions of years are overthrown, we become faced with hazards the magnitude of which is enormous. Face them we can, and temporary answers may be pro- vided. But any biologist reading the story of histoplasmosis would wonder, among other things, if there were any awareness of the chains of circumstances which would permit huge flocks of undesirable starlings to congregate in cities. Who destroyed the forests, who killed the songbirds, who introduced the starling and the sparrow to America? And shall we now kill the starlings and blacktop everything? With increasing frequency, many of the basic problems confronting us today are there because we have ignored the capabilities of our own environment. 19 PHOTO BY CLAUDE JOHNSTON The Beagle, shown here in the waters off Cape Horn, took Charles Darwin on his first major collecting trip. History Lurks in the Herbarium Susan Verhoek hs HERBARIUM MAY SEEM a forbidding place to those who are not acquainted with it. Inside the cases repose more than two million plants, carefully tucked away in the dark amid moth ball fumes until a botanist has need of them. To some these plants are just “hay,” to others they are an important scientific record, and to those with a sense of history and adventure they mark a time, a place, and a person in an adventuresome journey. Throughout the herbarium there are specimens which are tangible proofs brought back from exploring expeditions all over the world. Several of the specimens in the Missouri Botanical Garden Herbarium have their history well described and a few in particular have a great deal of historical as well as botanical interest. When many parts of the world were being discovered and colonized it became the project of men of science to explore and document the face of the earth much as the scientific men of today are attempting to explore the space around it. One such exploring program was under- 20 taken by the British Admiralty in 1768. The primary purpose of the sea voyage was to travel to Tahiti and there observe the transit of Venus which was to occur in 1769. The Admiralty assigned James Cook to captain the Endeavour in the two-year trip around the world. Lord Sandwich, head of the Admiralty, also permitted two naturalists to join the expedition in order to record the climatological and “natural curiosities” of the journey. Joseph Banks (later Sir Joseph) was the senior naturalist. Banks was born in London and sent to Harrow and Eton to study after the fashion of education of the day. However, he found that he was more interested in botany than in Greek and Latin and became a primarily self-taught naturalist. At the time of the expedition Banks was 25 years old and had already explored New- foundland and been elected a Fellow in the Royal Society. The other naturalist was Daniel Solander. Solander had been a pupil of Linnaeus and perhaps was persuaded to go along on this trip because his curiosity had been aroused by the collections of foreign plants sent back to Linnaeus by friends and students. Whatever the reason, Solander was on board the Endeavour as it set sail on the two- year (August 1768 to July 1771) voyage which was to take it from England to Madeira and from there past an unfriendly Portuguese Rio de Janiero, to Tierra del Fuego where three men froze to death, to Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia, and finally around the tip of Africa and back to England. One of Captain Cook’s biographers has said that this journey was “‘to the English nation the most momentous voyage of discovery that has ever taken place.”’ When the Endeavour stopped at Funchiale on the island of Madeira, Banks and Solander stayed in the home of the English consul; going out to collect in the morning, returning for dinner, and going out again in the evening. On these trips they explored the countryside within three miles of the town. Banks describes the town and the island in his Journal: ““As much of the island as we saw showed evident signs of a volcano having some time or other possibly produced the whole, for we saw no one piece of stone which did not clearly show signs of having been burnt, some very much, specially the sand, which was absolutely cinders. Indeed, we did not see much of the country, but we were told that the whole resembled the specimen we saw of it. “When first approached from seaward the land has a very beautiful appearance, the sides of the hills being entirely covered with vineyards almost as high as the eye can distinguish. This gives a constant appear- 21 ance of verdure, although at this time [of the year] nothing but the vines remain green, the grass and herbs being entirely burnt up, except near the rills by which the vines are watered and under the shade of the vines themselves.’ Here by the rills in the vineyards the two men collected our specimens of Medicago lappacea L. (an alfalfa relative), Trifolium angustifolium L. (a clover), and Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John’s-wort). Thirty-four years later, a similar exploring voyage was undertaken by the Beagle under the command of Captain Robert FitzRoy. On the trip, the scientist was a young man just beginning his career, Charles Darwin. Although Darwin accompanied the expedition in the capacity of a geologist, he collected and made observations on the plants and animals along the way. In December of 1834, he collected a fern, Asplenium magellianicum Kf. He was at that time at Cape Tres Montes, a projection from the dissected southern coast of Chile. In the process of charting the coast of South America, the Beagle had taken refuge from a storm. Darwin and Captain FitzRoy went ashore but found the rugged cliffs too inhospitable to climb and the woods impenetrable. Charles may have picked this fern from a crag in the rock as he at- tempted to climb. The specimen was taken to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and subsequently purchased by the Missouri Botanical Garden in 1897. PHOTOS BY CLAUDE JOHNSTON Banks and Solander collected this specimen (left) by a stream on the island of Madeira, the first stop on Captain Cook’s momentous voyage of discovery. This gentian (center) was growing by the banks of the Little Sandy when Fremont’s party camped there to dry out the baggage and take some astronomical readings. When the Beagle took refuge from a storm in a bay along the coast of Chile, Charles Darwin picked this fern (right) from the seaside cliffs. 22 PHOTO BY CLAUDE JOHNSTON Fremont’s expeditions travelled through the Wind River Mountains to explore the American West and return with samples of the plants which grew there. While the explorations of the European countries were concen- trating on the coast lines of the globe, the young countries of the New World were concerned with explorations of their frontiers. In the United States in the first half of the 19th century there was a need to survey the land and to find supply routes westward to Fort Laramie and beyond. With this objective in mind Captain J. C. Fremont set out from St. Louis on several expeditions. All of these expeditions collected plants as well as topographical and astronomical data. Fremont’s first expedition was to the North Central Plains. Fremont, his guide Kit Carson and his party (many of them Creole and French Canadians recruited in St. Louis) traveled up the Kansas River to the Platte and up the North Fork of the Platte to South Pass in the Wind River Mountains. Once through the Pass, Fremont and his men were on the other side of the Continental Divide. Fremont describes the occasion in his report: ‘Approaching it [South Pass] from the mouth of the Sweet Water, a sandy plain, one hundred and twenty miles long, conducts, by a gradual and regular ascent, to the summit, about seven thousand feet above the sea; and the traveller, without being reminded of any 2a change by toilsome ascents, suddenly finds himself on the waters which flow to the Pacific Ocean. By the route we had travelled, the distance from Fort Laramie is three hundred and twenty miles, or nine hundred and fifty from the mouth of the Kansas. “Continuing our march, we reached, in eight miles from the Pass, the Little Sandy, one of the tributaries of the Colorado, or Green River of the Gulf of California. The weather had grown fine during the morning, and we remained here the rest of the day to dry our baggage and take some astronomical observations. The stream was about forty feet wide, and two or three deep, with clear water and a full swift current, over a sandy bed. It was timbered with a growth of low bushy and dense willows, among which were little verdant spots, which gave our animals fine grass, and where I found a number of interesting plants.’’ One of the plants collected here at Camp Little Sandy was Gentiana affinis Griseb (a gentian). This specimen was turned over to Dr. Asa Gray. From there it came into the possession of Dr. George Engelmann of St. Louis and through him into the hands of Henry Shaw. The second expedition, 1843-44, was beset by bad luck. On the seventh of March, after having crossed the Sierra Nevada in spite of snow and starvation, Fremont, who had taken a part of the group ahead, retraced his steps to meet the rest of the party. He found an emaciated group of horses and men that had experienced great difficulty in descending the mountains. The paths had been slippery with rain and melting snow and fourteen horses and mules had fallen over precipices and been lost. One of the hapless animals was the mule loaded with the plants collected over 2,000 miles of travel. On the return trip, the party camped for the night by the Kansas River, only to be awakened in the night by a flash flood that ruined the baggage and nearly the entire collection of plants. Fremont’s third expedition became involved in the Bear Flag Rebellion in California in 1845. However, despite these disturbing influences, Fremont’s last two expeditions managed to send back some specimens from various points along the roads into the wilderness of the American frontier. There is a phlox from beside the North Fork of the Platte and a milkweed and an evening primrose among the species collected in the vicinity of Fort Bent on the Arkansas River. These specimens, as well as those collected by Darwin, Banks, Solander, and hundreds of other collectors form the collection in the Herbarium which gives evidence that men have explored unknown places and brought back a record of what they found there. 24 PHOTOS COURTESY ALL-AMERICA ROSE SOCIETY Europeana (on the left) is a brilliant cardinal red everblooming floribunda. This rose won its 1968 award on all-around perfection. Miss All-American Beauty (on the right) is the 1968 All-America award winning pink hybrid tea rose. Roses in cfanuary Barbara Lawton H fh MAY SEEM to be the wrong month to think about buying roses for your garden, but it just isn’t so. Gardeners would be wise to order rose plants, especially the more popular varieties, as soon as possible so as to get top quality plants. Potted roses may be set in until June or thereabouts, but bare-rooted stock should be planted by the last of March. The All-America Rose Selections for 1968 include Miss All-Ameri- can Beauty, a true pink hybrid tea; Scarlet Knight, a scarlet-red grandiflora; and Europeana, a cardinal-red floribunda. Al Saxdal, the Garden’s expert rose grower, has found that Miss All-American Beauty and Europeana have done exceptionally well and promise to be truly outstanding. Miss All-American Beauty, excellent for both cutting and display, has an added bonus in its delightful tea fragrance. Europeana remains of a manageable size for the home garden; its handsome full foliage and profuse beautiful blooms con- stantly draw admiring visitors in the Rose Garden. Both varieties are unusually productive and worthy of a place of honor in any garden. 25 GARDENING IN ST. LOUIS JANUARY and FEBRUARY N JANUARY, an indoor month and the first month of the new year, begin your garden log or notebook. In the long run, records of plantings, plans, and other garden items will save you time. Catalog time is here again. It is easy to get carried away by seed catalog visions, so plan carefully, keeping in mind color, blooming periods, and your capacity for garden work. Place orders for seeds and plants early. Feed the birds and provide water for them, too. In addition to seed and suet, they will enjoy things such as apples and leftover pancakes, muffins, or toast. Press down frost-heaved soil around plants. If the plant has been heaved with the soil, mulch the exposed roots and reset the plant after the soil thaws. Water evergreens when ground is dry and not frozen. Indoor plants: Keep soil moist, but well-drained. Proper care will minimize pest and disease problems. Most trees can be pruned now, except maples and of course spring flowering species. Brush snow off evergreens as they are brittle in winter and will break easily. Don’t let unseasonable warm spells fool you into removing winter mulches. Save fireplace wood ashes to spread under shrubs and in beds as this is a valuable source of potash. Dormant spray to combat scale can be applied in February if day temperatures stay above 40 degrees. Apply arsenical pre-emergent crab grass killer if weather permits. Non-arsenical crab grass killers should be applied later. Dormant shrubs and plants can be planted if ground is unfrozen. Salt will injure or kill plants, so use sand or cinders in icy weather if there’s any chance of the salt being shoveled or swept into garden beds or lawn. 26 Friends of the Garden W: WOULD LIKE to voice our thanks to Mrs. John Wagner and Mrs. A. Lee Shapleigh, working with Mrs. Thomas Collins and Mrs. Tom K. Smith, for their wonderful job in running the Garden Gate Shop sale at the Chrysanthemum Show. The three-day sale was a great financial success due to your patronage and your assistance. All the volunteers who manned the booths, as well as our regular Garden Gate Shop volunteers, are to be commended for the time they so graciously devoted to the project. Was Mr. Kohl’s beautifully de- signed show more breath-taking than ever, or does it just seem that way each successive year? Further accolades are in order for Mrs. Edwin Stuessie and Mrs. Leslie Gleason. Both ladies have been working here at the Garden for three years, Mrs. Stuessie in the Garden Gate Shop and Mrs. Gleason as secretary of our Friends. Mrs. Stuessie willingly shares her horticultural knowledge with our many visitors, and her warm support of the Shop Volunteers makes a “working day” a pleasure. With changes in the Shop Committee, she provides a continuity of knowledge about sources of supply and bookkeeping procedures with- out which it would be impossible to operate the Shop so successfully. Mrs. Gleason is our primary contact with the Garden’s professional personnel as well as the Friends’ office. She even provided transporta- tion for Stix, Baer and Fuller’s lovely models and their exciting clothes, which were shown at the Preview. Keep working on new members for our Friends. Be sure that the Friends’ office has your name on record for each new member you enlist. Mrs. George Stemmler is gathering exciting prizes for the Friend who brings in the most new members— 150 joined our ranks in October. The Poinsettia Show in December was truly striking, and epitomized the holiday spirit with its vivid reds and whites. Again the Garden Shop had a table, with some of their special Christmas merchandise to tempt you. This will be a practice at all the Previews for the Friends in the future. The Orchid Show will open with a party for the Friends on Friday, February 9, with clothes from Pappagallo, 9202 Clayton Road. 27 St. Fiacre, the patron saint of gardeners and herbalists. A New Course on Herb Culture Kenneth Peck oe OF NEW and different courses are always on my mind and I was highly pleased when the St. Louis Herb Society ap- proached me with the offer to give a course on herbs. And give it they will! Meeting with Mrs. M. L. Holekamp and Mrs. D. Goodrich Gamble, it was decided that the new course would meet on two Wednesdays from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. The dates set are April 24 and May 1, directly on the heels of the seed-sowing course. Lectures will be given by various members of the Herb Society and will deal with the history, use, and general culture of herbs in the Midwest. Participants will have the opportunity of planting and taking home herb plants of their own. If you have been tempted to have an herb garden, here’s where you can get a running start. Students should bring a sandwich; the Garden will supply coffee. The fee is $10.00 for Friends of the Garden, and $12.00 for others. Both meetings will be held in the Experimental Greenhouse. An absolute upper limit of 30 students has been set, so sign up early. 28 WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN A Man Wuo Carep—Dr. William Harrison Emig studied botany at the Missouri Botani- cal Garden and was awarded a Ph.D. from Washington University in 1915. Dr. Emig recently passed away in Colorado Springs, and left an insurance bequest to the Garden. In this way Dr. Emig was strengthening the Garden so that future generations also may receive training in botany at this venerable institution. As with hundreds of other alumni, the Missouri Botanical Garden gave Dr. Emig the substance for his lifetime career in Botany, and he returned this favor with generosity when he determined the destiny of his modest estate. For this consideration we are deeply grateful. Dr. William Harrison Emig. SISISp Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Fox (he is Lord Mayor of Leeds, Yorkshire, England) paid an un- expected visit to the Garden in October. Mr. Fox is a graduate of Mill Hill, the school which Henry Shaw attended in the second decade of the nineteenth century. Mr. Fox is this year’s head of the Old Millhillians, the school’s alumni association, and was in this country on textile business. He was reminded of Shaw’s importance to St. Louis while on a sightseeing tour of the Garden, and this led to a delightful chat in the Direc- tor’s office with Mrs. Gates, Edgar Anderson, and Mark Paddock. SISIS! Kupos To ALL the many people who helped make the Garden’s Annual Fall Picnic on October 7 such a success. An unusually gay note was added this year—the Mellow Fellows, a trio of musicians playing the musical saw (almost a lost art nowadays), piano and drums. We had this treat because of Frank McCready at the Main Gate— his brother plays the saw. Leslie Gleason lent her own piano for the occasion, and Bill Walker set up tables in the new greenhouse. The day started out gray and damp but the foot-tapping music of the Mellow Fellows with Joe Hood keeping time soon brightened it up, while Al Saxdal and Roy Esters made sure everyone had a glass of good cheer from the beer barrel. By one o’clock Jimmy Hampton and Jack Pavia, who had been working since sun-up barbecuing chicken, pork steaks, and ham, cheered on by Paul Richards and Joe Baker, were ready and so were we! Jimmy and Jack are really barbecue chefs! The meat was delicious and combined with all the many homemade dishes the ladies brought, it was truly a finger-lickin’ day. After lunch Lad Cutak took care of the adult games and prizes, as he so ably 929 does every year, while Mark Paddock took some of the children fishing at the lake where prizes were given for the biggest fish, the smallest, etc. Some children ran sack races and relay races with the help of Melanie Brown and Julie Gates; others preferred a hayride with Kenny Skaags pulling the wagon with the Garden’s tractor. All in all it was a memorable day! SUSU) Dr. anp Mrs. Tuomas F. Fuytwara of Honolulu, Hawaii, visited the Garden on November 7 for the express purpose of looking over our Cypripedium or Lady’s-slipper orchid collection. Shaw’s Garden is noted for its Lady’s-slippers and these are featured each year in the annual Orchid Show held in February. The Garden amassed its fine collection in 1918, when it acquired the D. S. Brown Collection along with hundreds of other exotics. The Fujiwaras have been growing and collecting Cypripediums for the last 20 years. Today they have one of the finest collections in our fiftieth state, and have won many awards for their fine specimens. Originally Thomas and Henrietta Fujiwara started out with Vandas, the islands’ most grown orchid, but when a Cypripedium Leeanum was given them in 1947 they were so impressed with the flowers and the ease with which it could be flowered again that they purchased a few seedlings from Massa- chusetts and decided to concentrate on this interesting group. Since that year they have become confirmed Cypripedium enthusiasts, and the Fujiwara camera and note- book were put to good use in our Cypripedium house. ISIS) Dr. Russet J. Serert, Director, Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, made a three-day visit to St. Louis recently, stopping off at the Garden to renew acquaintances with the staff, utilize the Herbarium, and check plants which have possibly been damaged by air pollutants in this area. Dr. Seibert received his botanical training at Shaw’s Garden working on the taxonomy of Bignoniaceae (a family of woody, tropical, climbing plants) collected with Dr. Robert E. Woodson, Jr., in Panama, and did research on rubber-producing plants, particularly Hevea, during the war years. Dr. Seibert is greatly concerned with air pollution which is definitely hurting the lilacs in the Atlantic states. Even the Maidenhair tree (Ginkgo Biloba), considered one of the most resistant trees to insects and disease, is showing susceptibility to pollutants in the air. While inspecting the greenhouses here, Dr. Seibert also pointed out possible damage that air pollution is causing to some of the exotic plants. SINS THE 25¢ Main Gate admission fee at Missouri Botanical Garden will be increased to 50¢, effective Friday, December 1, while the 25¢ admission fee to the Climatron inside the Garden will be eliminated. The number of visitors has been increasing, Dr. Gates said, and a 150-car landscaped parking lot has been opened at the corner of Shaw and Tower Grove avenues at the northeast end of the Garden. The entrance is on Tower Grove. There will be no charge for parking. With the Climatron admission eliminated, annual passes to the Garden and Climatron are now priced at $2.00 and a special 25¢ admission fee has been established for students 13 through 17 years of age. Children under 13 are admitted free if accompanied by an adult. SINS 30 TOGETHER... FOR THE FULL LIFE PHOTO BY MARK PADDOCK T HE ARTS AND EDUCATION COUNCIL recently made a special grant to the Education Department of the Garden to bring children from the inner city to its Saturday morning classes. Many of the children had never been to the Garden before. In the Saturday morning classes they are learning to plant their first bulbs, to build bird feeders and to grow their own winter vegetable gardens. Most of the children attending under the Arts and Education Council grant have come from the Peabody-Darst-Webbe public housing developments under arrange- ments made with the president of the joint Tenants Councils, Mrs. Evelyn Glenn. The Council’s grant to the Garden also made possible the printing of new booklets for use in the Saturday classes together with the preparation of plant materials for the children to take home. Bil The Missouri Botanical Garden Calendar January 6 January 13 January 14 thru Feb. 4 January 20 January 27 February 3 February 9 February 10 February 11 thru Mar. 24. February 17 February 20 February 24 (JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, 1968) CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE Procram. ‘‘Winter Puzzles.’ Identi- fication of trees in winter. Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE Procram. ‘‘Jungle Plants.’’ Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. PRIMROSE AND CYCLAMEN SHOW. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE Procram. “Building Blocks of Life.” Microscopic study of cell structure. Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m CHILDREN’S SatuRDAY NaTurE Procram. “Table Top Greenhouse.” (Bring a | lb. coffee container and plastic bag large enough to cover.) Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE Procram. “The North Woods.” Illus- trated talk on Michigan and Wisconsin woods. Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. OrcuHIp SHow: PREVIEW Party for Friends of the Garden. 5:30-7:30 p-m. in the Floral Display House. CHILDREN’S SatuRDAY Nature Procram. ‘Mystery of the Orchid.” Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. OrcHID SHOW. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PRrocramM. ‘“‘Nature Movies.” Admis- sion is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. Buppinc AND Grartinc. Techniques helpful to the home gardener will be taught by James I. McCaskill in the Museum Building, from 7:30-10:00 p.m. Friends of the Garden, $6.00; $8.00 to others. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE Procram. “Pin Cushion Forest.’ The life story of mosses. Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. 32 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Harry E. WuerTENBAECHER, Jr., President A. Tron Primm III, Vice President CiareNcE C. BARKSDALE, Second Vice President Howarp F. Barer Sam’L. C. Davis Leicester B. Faust RicHarp A, Goopson Rosert R. HERMANN Henry Hircucocx Leonarp J, HoLtanp Warren McKinney SHAPLEIGH Tom K. Smrrn, Jr. C. Powett WuirexEaD EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS A. J. CERVANTEs, Mayor, City of St. Louis Tuomas H. Exior, Chancellor, Washington University James E. Hurt, President, Board of Education of St. Louis Srratrorp Lee Morton, President, Academy of Science of St. Louis FRIENDS OF THE GARDEN # Women’s Executive Board Officers: Mrs. Joseph W. Lewis, President; Mrs. Bourne Bean, First Vice President; Mrs. Thomas R. Collins, Jr., Second Vice President; Mrs. J. Lionberger Davis, Jr., Secretary; Mrs. Charles Limberg, Assistant Secretary. Mrs. Leslie J. Gleason, Executive Secretary and Publicist HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL Ralph Rabenau, Chairman Mrs, J. Herman Belz, Mrs. Paul H. Britt, E. G. Cherbonnier, Mrs. D. Goodrich Gamble, E. J. Gildehaus, Robert E. Goetz, Ear] Hath, Mrs. Hazel L. Knapp, F. R. McMath, Dan O’Gorman, Gilbert Pennewill, Mrs. Gilbert J. Samuelson, Rudy Zuroweste. GARDEN STAFF Davip M. Gates, Director Epcar Anperson, Botanist Crarence Barsre, Instructor Currrorp Benson, Plant Breeder Wit H. Brackwe t, Jr., Research Associate Leonarp Brake, Research Associate Derek G. Burcu, Chief Horticulturist Tuomas B. Croat, Research Associate Laptstaus Cutak, Horticulturist and Manager of Public Relations Hucu C. Curter, Curator of Useful Plants Joun D. Dwyer, Research Associate Watpo G. Fecuner, Secretary of Board and Controller Raymonp Freesorc, Research Associate James Hampton, Chief Engineer and Superintendent of Operations CiauvE Jounston, Grower, Floral Displays Paut A. Koat, Floriculturist Cuartes Krener, Grower, Linaean Garden Mrs. Barsara Lawton, Editor of Bulletin Mrs. Cuar.otre Lancg, Assistant to the Librarian Watrer H. Lewis, Director of the Herbarium Eucenta Mappox, Librarian F. R. McMartn, Rosarian Viktor Murs_ensacn, Research Associate Royce L. Oxiver, Research Assistant Mark W. Pappock, Administrative Assistant to the Director Kennetu O. Pecx, Head Instructor Mrs, Marian Preirrer, Orchid Grower GeorcE H. Princ, Superintendent Emeritus Patricia Putnam, Editorial Assistant to Annals Joun Ripeway, Curator of Bryophytes AnpreE Rosyns, Visiting Curator, Flora of Panama ALFRED SaxpaL, Rose Grower Owen J. Sexton, Research Ecologist Frank Sremnserc, Superintendent of the Arboretum, Gray Summit Susan VERHOEK, Senior Herbarium Assistant Visit Your Missouri Botanical Garden Gj (SHAW’s GARDEN) = & Tt Missouri Botanical Garden’s main entrance is at Tower Grove and Flora Place. The Garden is served by both the Sarah (No. 42) and the Southhampton (No. 80) city bus lines. The Missouri Botanical Garden Arboretum—1600 acres—estab- lished at Gray Summit, Missouri, in 1926, is open to the public. The Garden—70 acres—is open every day except Christmas and New Year’s. For the main entrance, grounds, Climatron, display greenhouses, and Floral Display House: May 1 through October 31............ 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. November | through April 30........9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sundays and Holidays........0...00...... 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. For Tower Grove House: May 1 through October 31............ 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. November | through April 30......10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Display House presents four major shows: November, Chrysan- themums; December, Poinsettias; February, Orchids; April, Spring Flower Show. During the year other shows, competitions, and festivals are sponsored by various garden clubs and flower societies. Courses in botany and horticulture for adults are conducted by the Garden staff. Children’s nature classes are provided free on Saturdays from mid-September to early June. The Pitzman Nature Program is held for children during the summer. The Garden is world famous for its scientific research program. The scientists of the Garden hold teaching appointments on the staff of Washington University. The Missouri Botanical Garden was established for the public’s benefit in 1859 by Henry Shaw. The Garden, a non-profit institution, relies for support solely upon contributions from the public, the Arts and Education Council, and income from the Shaw estate. The Garden receives no city or state tax support. Support your Garden and take part in Garden activities through the Friends of the Garden. Information may be obtained from the Main Gate or by mail or phone (TO 5-0440). SLSISISIS) SI SU SIS) SIS = 6 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN VOLUME LVI NO. 2 MARCH-APRIL 1968 NARCISSVS Y. ; Z = q" = Hifi, it i ve yy Se MAY a GS [pi FAN VKH om oitain ee a ee ‘ ip se * ‘ = Foe Bika 3 Taiee. ARR I BEES Sa —e RS ol | meee, Fn ee wis, } 2. a eee ~, Te hentwadl , : Oem Fe Pe ee a Claude Johnston Professor Richard W. Pohl of Iowa State University using the Herbarium in his research. 39 Printing of negatives of African type photographs continued and to date over 7,000 8 x 10 prints have been made. Labels continue to be typed at the rate of 15 per print. Major collections from Africa, Mexico, and Latin America were determined by Drs. Burch and Dwyer, Messrs. Royce L. Oliver and Tom Elias, Misses Olga Herrera and Susan Verhoek. Lt. Col. R. Kendall Baker, Rtd., specializing in orchids, has been invaluable in identifying innumerable collections. Each staff member has likewise determined material in plant families of their research interest. Publications NE OF THE very finest opportunities the Garden received in 1967 () was the arrival of Mrs. Barbara Lawton as Editor of the Bulletin. Since she assumed the editorship starting with the September-October issue many changes have occurred: the Bulletin has expanded in both size and scope. It is now a bi-monthly publication; six issues published on the first of alternate months. The format has been changed con- siderably, while maintaining a traditional feeling. Cover color will be changed on the first of each year. The Bulletin is now being printed in and mailed from St. Louis. The Garden staff and others with Garden affiliations have been extremely generous with advice, botanical information, and articles. There are now several regular features: “Gardening in St. Louis,” “From the Director,”’ ‘Friends of the Garden,” and ‘“‘Who, What, Where, When.” The issues average 36 pages which gives better oppor- tunity to spread the word on horticulture, research, and activities at the Garden. About 3800 copies of the Bulletin are being printed of each issue for the Friends of the Garden membership, garden clubs, paid subscriptions, exchanges with other institutions, Garden staff and alumni, and others, including counter sales. The Bulletin is one of the direct lines of communication between the Garden and the community. We are, therefore, making a great effort to expand our circulation to include St. Louis area leaders, educational and public libraries of the bi-state region, and editors in this region. The Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden is a journal in its 54th year of publication, containing scientific contributions from the Mis- souri Botanical Garden and the Department of Botany at Washington University. Additional progress has been made in expanding the scope 40 of the journal, and papers from outside our institution are now ac- cepted for publication. The Editorial Committee consists of the Editor, Walter H. Lewis: Assistant to the Editor, Patricia E. Putman; Derek Burch: John D. Dwyer; and Andre Robyns. Dr. George B. Van Schaack was also a mem- ber of the Committee until his retirement from the Garden in November. Three issues were published in 1967, totaling 400 pages. Two of these issues were devoted to the Flora of Panama project. The other issue contained seven articles on the results of individual research projects. Subscriptions are continuing to increase, with 1967 showing a 30% increase over 1966. Almost 400 scientific institutions receive tie Annals through an exchange arrangement by which our Library re- ceives their publications. Journals received on this exchange basis would cost the Garden $3,000-$5,000 per year if they were paid for through subscriptions. Public Relations ADISLAUS CuTAK, Manager of Public Relations, and Leslie Gleason, Publicist for the Friends of the Garden and social events, have continued to increase the Garden’s exposure to the public, both in the media and through special events. Hardly a week passed without some mention of the Garden in local dailies, weekly neighborhood news, radio, and television. There were many excellent features and photo- feature articles in the Post and Globe during 1967. One of them, ‘Aloe Touted as Cure for Burns and Rashes,”’ is still causing a response. The story about Judith Moore, “Only Woman on Garden Staff Digs Out- door Work,” appeared throughout the country. Grounds Maintenance magazine carried “Air Pollution Damage to Plants.”’ The St. Louis Masai featured “Shaw Started More cha a Garden” authored by Dr. Cine and the German KOSMOS magazine had a color-picture story on the Climatron in their August issue. Aforticulture magazine carried a fine, complete article about the Garden in their June issue. Scores of illustrated lectures were presented by the Garden staff during the year before garden clubs, civic, social and religious organi- zations; the subjects ranging from plant explorations to specifics on particular plant groups. Mr. Cutak made spot appearances on Harry Fender’s program over KMOX, as well as appearing regularly on a weekly program initiated by WMRY-FM of Belleville, Illinois. 4] It is amazing how much interest our Climatron still generates after seven years of operation. As the first building of its type for exhibiting plants in naturalistic surroundings and under ideal climatic conditions, it serves as a pattern for architects to follow in building similar struc- tures. During 1967 an increasing number of U. 5. cities asked for information and literature on our Climatron, and some even sent representatives to inspect our installations, with an eye to creating similar biological houses. Commercial firms, particularly banks and civic centers, have been increasingly interested in staging special exhibits in which the Garden is asked to participate. In April, the Garden assisted the Visitors’ Center by contributing to a miniature replica of the St. Louis World’s Fair of 1904 some rare old photos depicting the role of the Garden in the Fair. In August an exhibit was set up at the McDonnell Plane- tarium consisting of herbarium specimens of plant material obtained by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the first government-funded re- search project in the United States. These exhibits were viewed by over 150,000 people. The Garden also helped prepare special exhibits for Famous-Barr’s “Hail to the British Commonwealth” festival and the 54th Annual Purdue Horticultural Show. The Museum Building at the Garden was readied for permanent displays. Storage cases on each side of the main room were painted, fluorescent lighting installed, and blue and yellow satin cloth draped to form a rich background for the exhibition of rare books, gourds, and other material utilizing the theme of the Missouri Botanical Garden’s role in the study of cultivated plants. Among the distinguished visitors to the Garden were the Honorable George Price, Premier of British Honduras, who is an amateur orchid fan; Dr. Lorenzo Medrano, landscape architect and iris enthusiast; Adrian D. Thompson, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agri- culture and Natural Resources, Guyana, seeking information on orna- mentals; Kenzo Fujihara, horticulturist and Technology Head of Kyoto Botanical Garden; Margaret Kreig, authoress of ‘‘Green Medicines;”’ Dr. Thomas Fujiwara of Honolulu, orchid enthusiast with the most complete collection of Lady Slipper orchids in the Islands; Professor Martin Cardenas, cactologist and economic botany lecturer of Cocha- bamba, Bolivia, and many others, including a Survey Team from Para, Brazil. One of our country’s leading scientist-statesman, Dr. James R. Killian, Jr., also visited the Garden this fall. A member of the Board of Trustees of Washington University, he is also presently Chairman of the corporation of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 42 Maintenance and Engineering NDER the capable direction of James Hampton, Chief Engineer, and U his assistant, Jack Pavia, the Garden’s physical facilities under- went many improvements during the year. The single most important project completed in 1967 was an in- stallation of which most visitors and staff will be completely unaware: the heating systems for the conservatories and buildings at the north half of the Garden were completely renovated. A new low pressure boiler replaced a condemned 55-year-old high pressure boiler and the other two high pressure boilers were converted to low pressure. The old steam-powered water pumps were replaced with automatic electric pumps, and the whole heating system was converted to auto- matic control. This conversion will save the Garden about 5000 man hours per year, since it eliminates the need for men to be on duty around-the-clock each day during the seven-months heating season. There is another bonus in this conversion; oil consumption has dropped markedly. The heating plant breeching was replaced, the brick smoke stack was reinforced, and the top 20 feet removed for safety purposes. Other notable improvements completed in 1967 were: A 150-car parking lot for visitors was constructed and the driveway and parking lot adjacent to the Park Building were surfaced. Outdoor lights were installed throughout parts of the lower garden, and a drinking fountain was erected near the Experimental Greenhouse. The iron fence along Magnolia Avenue was rebuilt and many other sections of the Garden’s fencing were repainted. Several rooms in the Experimental Greenhouse and Administra- tion Building were renovated and redecorated to provide space for the new personnel. The Director’s office suite was redecorated. Additional air conditioners, rewiring, lighting, and telephones were installed as the new staff created these needs. A portion of the basement in the Director’s residence was remodeled— Walls painted, ceiling panelled, gas furnace installed. To provide central air conditioning for Tower Grove House, two four-ton cooling units were placed on the roof in such a way to keep the appearance of the House as authentic as possible. This installation was completed without damage to the interior. Two orchid houses were completely rebuilt and reglazed. Automatic ventilation was installed in one of the Growing houses and the large 43 cooling fans for the other three Growing houses. Glass in the ends of the Floral Display House was replaced with corrugated plastic and the structure was painted outside. One of the lily pools in front of the Linnaean House had a new concrete bottom installed, replacing the old one of soil. It is this department as much as any, that is responsible for the brightening public image that “the Garden looks better than ever.” Tey CaP y ae “Fé te: ee es , Mark Paddock - Claude Johnston Jack Pavia of the Maintenance Department installing flood lights on the Linnaean House. The addition of a new, automatic boiler system vastly improved heating of our growing houses and conservatories. Friends of the Garden HE Women’s Executive Board of the Friends of the Garden, under Mrs. James G. Alfring, who was President until May, had the Orchid Show Preview Party in February for Friends of the Garden and the Spring Flower Show Preview in conjunction with The Arts and Education Council. In the spring, Mrs. Charles Limberg and Mrs. Leslie Gleason, Executive Secretary of the Friends, worked on The Arts and Education Fund Drive. Also during the spring, Mrs. Alfring and her committee drew up bylaws, which were approved by the Di- rector and the Board of Trustees. In May, the Friends sponsored a lecture by Gordon Blinko, a British Royal Gardener, at Steinberg Hall, and the Friends’ office arranged a Spring Festival at the Garden in conjunction with the Garden staff. After a meeting with Mrs. Alfring, the Junior League Committee decided to have their annual Debutante Ball in the Floral Display House on June 24. The League donated $3,000 to the Garden and, since the Ball was deemed such a success by all concerned, requested it at the Garden again in June 1968. Mrs. Joseph Lewis became the new President in May and had a get-together of the new Board members, staff, and Shop Volunteers at a first meeting in June. There was a memorial concert for E. Gary Davidson (Clarissa Start’s husband) on the lawn of Tower Grove House in June arranged by the Executive Secretary. Many small meetings were held during the summer and numerous money-raising projects were discussed and investigated. The Member- ship Committee and Friends’ office worked hard on a large mailing which, combined with Board members writing personal notes to de- linquent members and new prospects, brought in 198 new members. As. of December 31, 1967, there are 2,799 members (based on a thorough recount in 1967); three being new life members: Mr. and Mrs. Clarkson Carpenter, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Ridgway, and Mr. and Mrs. Louis S. Sachs. The total contributions for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 1967 were $50,500; total expenditures, $10,300. The bylaws were voted upon and passed at the September meeting. In October a membership drive contest was announced in the Bulletin, with prizes to be awarded June 1, 1968. Mrs. Richard Hawes, III, was in charge of the Veiled Prophet Queen’s reception for school children at Tower Grove House. The reception was especially grand this year because all four Special Maids were also in the receiving line. Mrs. John Mitchell provided hostesses for the members of the National Trust for Historic Preservation who visited the Garden, and Leslie Gleason made 45 arrangements for the Repertory Opera Theatre’s evening performance in the Floral Display House—a beautiful setting for lovely voices! The Chrysanthemum Preview Party brought 900 members and a very successful Christmas sale from the Garden Gate Shop was held in conjunction with the opening of this floral display. The Friends’ Board proposed to various garden clubs of the city that they donate various needed items to the Garden, and two of them have already voted to give a herbarium case and the cost of constructing a patio behind the Garden Gate Shop for display of outdoor wares. The December Poinsettia Preview had carolers, as well as the fashion show, eggnog, other refreshments, and a display of Christmas gifts from the Shop. Again a large crowd was on hand. The Tribute Fund becomes increasingly well-known and donations received through it have grown steadily since its inception several years ago. Tower Grove House TT" cRAcIouS old home of Henry Shaw, Tower Grove, continued its pattern of community service under the direction of the Historical Committee. The Committee consists of Mr. Leicester B. Faust, Mrs. Jerome F. Kircher, Mrs. Robert E. Koch, Mrs. John S. Lehmann, Mrs. George T. Pettus, and Mrs. Neal S. Wood. The Garden wishes to thank Mrs. Edwin R. Culver who served long and well as Chairman of the Historical Committee. One of the greatest assets of Tower Grove House is the devoted and loyal hostesses who bring Henry Shaw’s day back again so vividly to the visitors. The Historical Committee is deeply appreciative of their loyalty in staffing the house on snowy days as well as pleasant summer days, and is keenly aware of the time and effort they devote to Tower Grove House. The Historical Committee is always on the alert for period pieces and accessories to be placed in with Henry Shaw’s furniture. In 1967 shabby upholstery was replaced with Victorian stripes and damask, typical of the 1850s, and other appropriate additions were made such as old ingrain carpets, Victorian wallpaper for the bathroom and some unusual smaller articles. Special displays of beautiful old glass, china, Victorian dolls, and other collections are rotated in the cabinets of the house, to the delight of the public. Members and visitors alike enjoy the many special events of Tower Grove House. An “Sold fashioned Christmas with Henry Shaw,” the 46 result of much research, was particularly effective. The Repertory Opera Theatre sparked the Christmas season with a program of carols and also held a concert on a warm Sunday afternoon, reminiscent of the times when bands serenaded Henry Shaw as he sat on his balcony overlooking his beloved garden. The Veiled Prophet Queen’s Recep- tion brought thousands of school children to Tower Grove House. The house welcomed many bus loads of appreciative and admiring guests in October, when the National Trust for Historic Preservation met in St. Louis. Since 1954 Tower Grove House through its Historical Committee has been keeping alive the tradition of Missouri hospitality so graciously expressed by Henry Shaw. Garden Gate Shop fl Nee GARDEN GATE SHOP is a very successful project of the Friends of the Garden. Ever since its opening in 1965, sales have risen steadily and receipts in fiscal 1966-67 were up 50% from the previous opening year of 1965-66. Visitors appreciate the Shop for its fine imaginative merchandise and as a good source for publications about gardening and natural history. Mrs. Edwin F. Stuessie is continuing in the role of Shop Manager. She has guided the Volunteers, ably selected by Mrs. H. Leighton Morrill, in marking stock and selling. Along with her office duties, Mrs. Stuessie kindly and intellingently answers the many unique questions presented to her by the visitors to the shop. As in the past, there were booths at all of the Previews. Mrs. John S. Wagner, assisted by Mrs. A. Lee Shapleigh, was in charge of the sale at the Chrysanthemum Show. For the first time there were two artists present—Ed Gray from Michigan was here to demonstrate his copper sculpture, and Jim Scott displayed his beautiful paintings. Also shown were ceramic works by Walter Brockman and_ hand-carved mushrooms by Roger Sloan. Mrs. Nicholas Kurten, assisted by Mrs. George Mauze, was in charge of the Shop display at the Poinsettia Show. This was equally rewarding in its returns. In June, Mrs. Thomas Collins and Mrs. Tom K. Smith, Jr., assumed co-chairmanship of the Shop following a very successful year under the direction of the co-chairmen Mrs. William Robinson and Mrs. Fred Wenzel. The Missouri Botanical Garden Calendar February 11 thru March 24...... March 2.......... March 9................ March 16......... March 19, 26....... April 9, 16, 23 Also March 21, 28, April 11, 18, 25 March 23......... April 6,13,20,27, May 4 March 27..... March 30........ March 31 thru May $..:0.5.0.. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “Nature Films.” April 13.......... April 13.......... April 13, 14......... April 20.......... (MARCH-APRIL, 1968) ORCHID SHOW. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “Plants with Se- crets.”’ 10:00-11:30 a.m. Admission is free. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “Plants in a Cap- sule.’’ 10:00-11:30 a.m. Admission is free. _ CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “Rise of Forests.” 10:00-11:30 a.m. Admission is free. HOW TO RAISE ANNUALS AND PERENNIALS FROM SEED. To be taught by Clarence Barbre and Kenneth Peck in the Experimental Greenhouse. Tuesday session—1:00-2:30 p.m.; Thursday session— 8:00-9:30 p.m. $12.00 for Friends of the Garden; $16.50 to others. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “Miniature Gar- dens.” (Bring rigid container, maximum size—10"x10"x3" deep.) 10:00- 11:30 a.m. Admission is free. _ THE DYNAMICS OF OUR LANDSCAPE. To be taught by Dr. Edgar Anderson and other staff members at the Arboretum. (Bring your lunch and beverage.) 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. $9.00 for Friends of the Garden; $12.00 to others. FUNDAMENTALS OF BONSAI. To be taught by Mrs. Kay Hert in the Experimental Greenhouse. 7:30-9:30 p.m. $15.00 for Friends of the Garden; $18.00 to others. _ SPRING FLOWER SHOW. Preview Party for Friends of the Garden. 5:30-7:30 in the Floral Display House. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “Sowing Seeds.” (Bring a | lb. coffee container.) 10:00-11:30 a.m. Admission is free. SPRING FLOWER SHOW. 10:00-11:30 a.m. Admission is free. HOME ORCHID CULTURE. Course instructor, Robert Gillespie. 10:00- a.m. to 3:00 p.m. $8.00 for Friends of the Garden; $10.00 to others. _ CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “Flower Shapes and Names.”’ 10:00-11:30 a.m. Admission is free. DAFFODIL SHOW in the Amateur Display House. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “From Dust to Seed.”’ 10:00-11:30 a.m. Admission is free. INTRODUCTION TO HERB GARDENING. Lectures by members of St. Louis Herb Society in the Experimental Greenhouse. (Bring a sandwich.) 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. $10.00 for Friends of the Garden; $12.00 to others. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “Transplanting Seed- lings.”” (Bring a 1 Ib. coffee container.) 10:00-11:30 a.m. Admission is free. 48 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Harry E, WuERTENBAECHER, Jr., President CLarence C, BarkspaLe, Second Vice President Henry Hrrcncock Leonarp J. HoLLAND Warren McKinney SHAPLeIcH Tom K. Smrru, Jr. C. Powet, WuirewEaD A. Timmon Primm III, Vice President Howarp F. Barr Sam’x. C. Davis Leicester B. Faust Ricuarp A. Goopson Rosert R. HERMANN Honorary Trustees: Grorce L. CapicaN Duptey Frencu EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS A. J. CERVANTEs, James E. Hurt, Mayor, City of St. Louis Tuomas H., Exot, Chancellor, Washington University President, Board of Education of St. Louis Srratrorp LEE Morton, President, Academy of Science of St. Louis FRIENDS OF THE GARDEN Women’s Executive Board Officers: Mrs. Joseph W. Lewis, President; Mrs, Bourne Bean, First Vice President; Mrs. Thomas R. Collins, Jr., Second Vice President; Mrs. J. Lionberger Davis, Jr., Secretary; Mrs. Charles Limberg, Assistant Secretary. Mrs. Leslie J. Gleason, Executive Secretary and Publicist HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL Ralph Rabenau, Chairman Mrs. J. Herman Belz, Mrs. Paul H. Britt, E. G. Cherbonnier, Mrs. D. Goodrich Gamble, E. J. Gildehaus, Robert E, Goetz, Earl Hath, Mrs. Hazel L. Knapp, F. R. McMath, Dan O’Gorman, Gilbert Pennewill, Mrs, Gilbert J. Samuelson, Rudy Zuroweste. GARDEN STAFF Davin M. Gates, Director Epear ANpERsON, Botanist Ciarence Barsre, Instructor Currorp Benson, Plant Breeder Wit H. Brackwett, Jr., Research Associate Leonarp Buake, Research Associate Derex G. Burcu, Chief Horticulturist Tuomas B, Croat, Research Associate Lapistaus Cutak, Horticulturist and Manager of Public Relations Huexu C, Cutier, Curator of Useful Plants Joun D. Dwyer, Research Associate Watpo G. Fecuner, Secretary of Board and Controller Raymonp FreEsorc, Research Associate James Hampton, Chief Engineer and Superintendent of Operations Hyrum Jounson, Research Associate CraupE Jounston, Grower, Floral Displays Paut A. Kont, Floriculturist Cuartes Krener, Grower, Linaean Garden Mrs. Barsara Lawron, Editor of Bulletin Mrs. CHarLotre LANGE, Assistant to the Librarian Watrter H. Lewis, Director of the Herbarium Eucenia Mappox, Librarian F. R. McMatn, Rosarian Vixtor Murxvensacn, Research Associate Royce L. Ottver, Research Assistant Marx W. Pappockx, Administrative Assistant to the Director Kennetu O. Peck, Head Instructor Mrs. Marian Preirrer, Orchid Grower Warren Porter, Research Associate Grorce H, Princ, Superintendent Emeritus Patricia Putnam, Editorial Assistant to Annals Joun Ripcway, Curator of Bryophytes AnprE Rosyns, Visiting Curator, Flora of Panama ALFRED SaxpaL, Rose Grower Owen J. Sexton, Research Ecologist FRANK STEINBERG, Superintendent of the Arboretum, Gray Summit Sanpra THornton, Educational Assistant Susan VERHOEK, Senior Herbarium Assistant Hisit Your Missouri Botanical Garden y (SHAW’S GARDEN) <—> with a chemical program, using as little chemical as / necessary and the kind that damages helpful insects | the least. Pointing out that biological control is not only safer but cheaper than chemical means, they | >< suggest ways of reducing the need for chemicals in ‘ our gardens. Actually, the handbook is stiff going in \ spots, but worth it. \ Most of us are more interested in the “pretty” part of gardening. Unfortunately, the next material falls under the heading of Housekeeping: Mumps and Measles Division. While the contributors to the Handbook on Garden Pests, also put out by Brooklyn Botanic Garden, touch on biological measures that will help the prob- lems, they concentrate on explaining the safe ways to use pesticides for ornamental shrubs and plants. They give us a spray formula for home garden use at -_———___ 8 Ps with safety ratings, principal uses, and the equipment needed. Best of all are the illustrations of the diseases and pests—really excellent coverage. Getting one-up on crabgrass et al turns out to be not as easy as advertisements claim. From the Hand- book on Weed Control (Brooklyn Botanic Garden) we get the straight story. Their explanation of the weeds’ intentions in life make the counter measures seem suddenly logical. Included are a rogue’s gallery of lawn and garden weeds (and prescriptions for their downfall) as well as good management practices. They also tell us how to keep annual and perennial beds weed-free and discuss natural landscaping via herbicides (they’re “iffy”? about this). The emphasis is on exact measurement of weed-killers, stressing use only when needed and at the proper growth time. Here again we are urged to avoid chemicals that accumulate in the soil. Back to the pretty things in life with Edwin Steffeck’s book Wild Flowers and How to Grow Them (Crown Publishers, Inc.). He tempts us with lovely illustrations and clear descriptions of these beautiful and often fragile native plants, encouraging us to try them in our gardens. There are full details on the likes and dislikes of each and carefully detailed in- structions for transplanting or propagating them. Sponsored by the American Nature Association and the Wild Flower Preservation Society, the book also makes a strong plea for conservation. Active, aggres- sive public programs of conservation are needed, he feels, lest our native plants disappear with civiliza- tion. It is Mr. Steffeck’s hope that garden clubs and civic groups will undertake projects to re-introduce these plants and to protect them from destruction by bulldozer. In the same vein is Gardening With Native Plants, another superb handbook from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Guest editor Helen Hull chose as contribu- tors to this handbook pioneers in the field. The general objective—to encourage interest in preserving 28 our natural heritage and growing the native plants in our gardens—is similar to that of Mr. Steffeck’s book. Here, however, there is a broader sweep of subject matter. One fascinating article tells how to make a terrarium of wild plants. There is a list of books available on wild flowers, where to buy their seeds (or how to collect your own), and names of trails and preserves to be visited. The discussions of regional flora, although interesting in them- selves, have facets that apply to plants in general. Our own Edgar Anderson, in his article “Wild Flowers of the Ozarks,” explains why plants there are so different from others of the same species. Also, many fine illustrations and cultural suggestions for different regions. We’re about ready for a funny book, something easy to read. | enjoyed Janet Gillespie’s latest, Peacock Manure and Marigolds (Viking Press), to the point of reading aloud sections of it to a long-suffering husband. It got quite a lot of attention from the reviewers, for a garden book, when it came out in 1964. Even Harper’s and Saturday Review accorded favorable remarks. She has absorbed the controversy from the Rachael Carson furor and combines this research with her own experi- ences, plus those of her forbears, to come up with ways for our gardens to grow with minimum spray. Other bits of lore and amusement, too. For that very special gift, you'll want to consider America’s Great Private Gardens by Stanley Schuler (Macmillan). This handsome work takes us via color photographs and commentary on a tour of 36 private (i.e., not open to the public) gardens across the country. The St. Louis garden of Mrs. Warren T. Chandler is one of these. After such heady browsing in the horticultural field, I regained perspective with a foray into the intricacies of botany. Dr. Anderson makes complex subjects clear—and palatable—to the uninitiated with his delightful presentation. Plants, Man and Life (Edgar Anderson, Little Brown, 1952) is a history of cultivated plants and, at times, a scientific detective story. He has revised the original, adding a gossipy glossary helpful to the general reader (University of California Press, Berkeley, paperback or stiff cover). (Mrs. Chute is a volunteer and Friend of the Garden.) 29 WHO, WHAT, W HERE, WHEN SiSyS) A NEW COLLECTION OF IMPORTANT BOTANICAL PAPERS to be studied by graduate students (“Papers on Plant Systematics,” selected by Robert Ornduff, published by Little, Brown and Co., Boston, 429 pp. $6.00) provides evidence of the Garden’s importance in basic research. Five of the 30 articles are by staff members or by students who once studied here and one-quarter of the pages are filled with their work. They range from the work of a 1924 graduate, Carl Epling. to recent papers by Dr. Anderson and his students and by Dr. Walter Lewis. Our Herbarium is one of the five largest in the New World, and the Library has few equals anywhere for taxonomic work, but the teaching and research staff has always been small in comparison with that of many SIN IMPORTANT VISITORS TO THE GARDEN come in all shapes and sizes. During the last week in February, a flock of the gregarious migrating cedar waxwings encamped in the trees between the Administration and Museum buildings. These handsome crested birds are predominantly seed and berry eaters, though they also catch insects on the wing. They can be seen, at times, flocked in berry-bearing trees and shrubs. SSIS) Dr. Epcar ANDERSON, Botanist, appeared on The Visiting Scholar Program at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute during the first week of March. Made possible by an anonymous gift, The Visiting Scholar Program enables the Virginia Polytechnic Institute to offer learning of the highest rank to students, professors, and the public by inviting “the world’s greatest minds” to participate. Dr. Anderson conducted seminars for plant breeders, botanists, and professors. For his public lectures, he chose the subjects ‘Natural History and the Exact Sciences: An Effective Combination for Biological Research” and “Corn Breeding Problems.” SiSUS) LEONARD Ha t, well-known conservationist of Possum Trot fame, gave a lecture to the Friends of the Garden and the general public on March 7. Mr. Hall spoke on ‘‘Trees, Their Association with Man, and Their Importance in His Modern Environment.” Hall received the Thomas Stokes Award ‘‘for the best writing on natural resources in an American newspaper,” the Governor's Award as Missouri State Conservationist for 1965, and many others. NUNN Tue Arrican VioLet Sociery or America held its national convention in St. Louis April 18-20. There was a tour of the Missouri Botanical Garden, and Director David M. Gates gave the convention a dynamic opening speech entitled Plants, Planets, and People. The Society held workshops devoted to various phases and problems of African violet culture and to successful programming for local violet societies. Judging schools GS) Mr. JoHN MaseK gave a slide talk on Japanese gardens and Bonsai at the Garden on April 23. Mr. Masek, a landscape nurseryman, traveled to Japan last fall, the only Midwesterner in a group of 15 people. His slides cover all phases of Japanese gardening and culture. other institutions. were also held. 30 Photo courtesy Post-Dispatch Miss Donna Panos holds a large flower of the southern magnolia. AMONG THE MANY SPRING HIGHLIGHTS at the Missouri Botanical Garden is the blooming of the southern magnolia or bull bay (Magnolia grandiflora), the grandest of all broad- leafed evergreen trees in the South. St. Louis is a little too far north for this tree to be hardy, but there are a few specimens in our area. Probably the grand-daddy of all is the one in back of Tower Grove House which produces saucer-shaped white blooms as large as nine inches in diameter in late May and early June. SSIS) FLOWER SuNDAY AT Curist CHURCH CATHEDRAL was held this year on April 28. A lasting memorial to Henry Shaw, who in his will designated that the Missouri Botanical Garden furnish the flowers which decorate the Cathedral, the sermon is always dedi- cated to ‘“‘the wisdom and goodness of God as shown in the growth of flowers, fruits, and other products of the vegetable kingdom.”’ This year’s sermon was delivered by The Rey. Claudius Miller, III, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd (St. Louis C ounty). 31 yen ud > Photo by Pan American Airw Rio Harbor. PPLLSS SSS SS TLS SSS SSS SSeS SSS SESS SESS SS PSSSS EPS S II EH KG : : : o} * You Don’t Have to Know the Language ¢ 0 ~~ a . : Me » to Enjoy South America te oy e o The fabulous scenic wonderland of South America boasts of be 3} beauty that’s beyond the need of words in any language. Here you 4 "will see private gardens, emerald-matted jungles, and such marvels 4 3} as the Inca mountain-top cities of Peru and the pastoral meadows and fjord-like lakes of the Chile-Argentine border. All this is con- 4 * trasted with exciting, bustling, modern cities like Buenos Aires, with 8 its daring architectural “‘Edificios,”’ and exotic Rio de Janeiro, the i gay city of fiestas and carnivals, framed by the world’s most beautiful 4 harbor. is 4 Be sure to join the “Friends of the Garden” Garden Tour of ti 3» South America, leaving St. Louis January 16th, 1969 and returning 3 February 7th. The tour will be under the leadership of Lad Cutak, %» noted Missouri Botanical Garden horticulturist, and Jean Berke, Inc., 3 whose 20 years’ experience in planning international garden tours % brought them the distinction of being the subject of the very first #¢ 3» _ article of its kind to be featured in a national magazine such as “‘Life.”” Ms ; For further information abeut this exciting experience, contact: Po o $ es Sante Travel Agency PA 6-3040 or bo $i Friends of the Garden Office TO 5-0440 : oy Ko oy Fi 4é * OF mail the coupon below to: io 3 The Friends of the Garden . 4 Missouri Botanical Garden iH ay . : . Ko ay St. Louis, Missouri 63110 i Hi te % 46 a4 A je - - -- ~~ Lc oy Ko 4 be . Please send information on the i Garden Tour of South America to: Me Ht ie ah a a NAME ae if Ké 3h Ke 3 ADDRESS He 4 Ke ‘ Ko % CITY STATE ZIP _ PHONE ay é ms ASSSSSAAASSSASSSASSAAAASASSASAARAASSSSSASAAAASAASSSSaA Photos by Claude Johnston Dr. Burch and Dr. Lewis explain the intricacies of gardening and the Herbarium to Mrs. Robert E. Koch (Ladue Garden Club), Mrs. John Hundley, Jr. (Sowing Circle Garden Club), and Mrs. John W agner (Ladue Garden Club). Mrs. Jay Taussig from the Grass Roots Garden Club. Mrs. C harlotte Lange, and Mrs. Joseph Lewis an as Susan Verhoek recounts the history of the Garden’s special nek THE HERBARIUM THANKS. all members of the Grass Roots, Ladue, and Sowing Circle Garden Clubs, and Mr. and Mrs, Joseph Lewis for the gifts of four new herbarium half-cases. Each has been inscribed with a brass plaque indicating donor and year. These cases are necessary for housing the dried 2a echt of plants received from all over the world and stored at the Garden for hotanjeal research purposes. The Herbarium has about 2 million such specimens with thousands more being added annually, largely as a result of the staff’s ever increasing activity in tropical ee ee Overcrowding has become acute, nd new cases are desperately needed in 1968 to kee *~p pace with acquisitions. It is gratifying to botanists at the Garden to find our Garden Clubs and Friends willing to contribute directly to the Garden’s scientific pro- gram. We hope that such support will continue. On Washington’s birthday the Herbarium staff held a coffee in appreciation of gifts received in 1967. The donors and some Friends had an opportunity to visit with the staff and see the Herbarium. 34 11,000 St. Louisans need not read this... but, if you were not one of the 11,000 who joined together last month to support the Arts and Education Fund, stop for a moment and think: This once a year appeal provides an important part of the income which keeps the Garden growing together with the St. Louis Symphony, Adult Education Council, Community Musie School, KETC (Channel 9), Little Symphony, Mark Twain Summer Institute, Museum of Science and Natural History, Young Audiences and the Arts and Education Council. These are ten of the great privately supported riches of our com- munity. They come to you for help once a year through the Arts and Education Fund. If you have not given, please send your 1968 con- tribution now to the Arts and Education Fund, Box 1968, St. Louis, Missouri, 63118. If you are one of the 11,000 who have given to the Fund in 1968, one million St. Louisans who use, enjoy and learn from the ten agencies are greatly in your debt for helping them enjoy the full life. L. J. Sverdrup Eugene F. Williams, Jr. Campaign Co-Chairman Campaign Co-Chairman 35 The Missouri Botanical Garden Calendar May 18....... May 18, 19.......... May 18, 19 May 25...... May 25, 263.4.:ii::. June 1.0... June 2-23... June 3........... June 4............... Littl. 2. June 18.0.0... July 3 (MAY and JUNE, 1968) ..HERB SOCIETY PLANT SALE. May 3, 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; May 4, 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. _ CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “Nature Hunt.” Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. . CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “The Mighty Oaks.’ Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. _ CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. ‘‘The Bread- Winning Family.” Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. SPRING FLOWER SHOW. St. Louis Horticultural Society. DAHLIA BAZAAR in Museum Building. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. ‘Dangerous Plants.’’ Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. ROSE SHOW. Rose Society of Greater St. Louis. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “‘Plants of the City.” Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. HYDRANGEA SHOW. PITZMAN NATURE PROGRAM. Registration begins, by phone or in person at the Garden. ‘THE MAGNIFICENT FLORA OF SOUTH AFRICA. An illustrated talk by Prof. W. P. U. Jackson of the University of Capetown. Admission is free. 7:30 p.m. in Museum Building. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “Uses of Wild Plants.” Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. PITZMAN NATURE PROGRAM begins first five-week session. Pre-registration required. thru August 25...... SUMMER SHOW of begonias, caladiums, coleus, fuchias, gloxinias. (Call TO 5-0440 for further information.) 36 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Harry E. WuertTenspakEcuer, Jr., President A. Timmon Primm III, Vice President Crarence C. BarKspate, Second Vice President Howarp F. Barer Sam’z. C. Davis Leicester B, Faust Ricnarp A. Goopson Ropert R. Hermann Honorary Trustees: Georce L. CapIGAN Henry Hircucock Leonarp J. HoLLanp Warren McKinney SHAPLEICH Tom K. Smrru, Jr. C. Powett WuirExEAD Duprey FRENCH EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS A. J. CERVANTES, Mayor, City of St. Louis Tuomas H. E ror, Chancellor, Washington University James E. Hurt, President, Board of Education of St. Louis StrratrorD Lee Morton, President, Academy of Science of St. Louis FRIENDS OF THE GARDEN Women’s Executive Board Officers: Mrs. Joseph W. Lewis, President; Mrs. Bourne Bean, First Vice President; Mrs. Thomas R. Collins, Jr., Second Vice President; Mrs. J. Lionberger Davis, Jr., Secretary; Mrs. Charles Limberg, Assistant Secretary. Mrs. Leslie J. Gleason, Executive Secretary and Publicist HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL Ralph Rabenau, Chairman Mrs. J. Herman Belz, Mrs. Paul H. Britt, E.G. Cherbonnier, E. J. Gildehaus, Robert E. Goetz, Earl Hath, Mrs. Hazel L. Knapp, F. R. McMath, Dan O’Gorman, Gilbert Pennewill, Mrs. Gilbert J. Samuelson, Rudy Zuroweste. GARDEN STAFF Davip M. Gates, Director Epcar ANDERSON, Botanist CLARENCE Barsre, Instructor Cuirrorp Benson, Plant Breeder Wit H. Bracxwett, Jr., Research Associate Leonarp Brake, Research Associate Derex G. Burcu, Chief Horticulturist Tuomas B. Croat, Research Associate Lapistaus Curak, Horticulturist and Manager of Public Relations Hucu C. Curier, Curator of Useful Plants Joun D. Dwyer, Research Associate Watpo G. Fecuner, Secretary of Board and Controller Raymonp Freesorc, Research Associate James Hampton, Chief Engineer and Superintendent of Operations Hyrum Jounson, Research Associate Ciaupe Jounston, Grower, Floral Displays Paut A, Konat, Floriculturist Mars. Barsara Lawton, Editor of Bulletin Mrs. CHARLOTTE Lance, Assistant to the Librarian Watrer H. Lewis, Director of the Herbarium Eucenta Mappox, Librarian F. R. McMatn, Rosarian Viktor MUEHLENBACH, Research Associate Royce L. Oxtver, Research Assistant Mark W. Pappock, Administrative Assistant to the Director Kennetu QO. Peck, Head Instructor Mrs, Marian Preirrer, Orchid Grower Warren Porter, Research Associate Georce H. Princ, Superintendent Emeritus Patricia Putman, Editorial Assistant to Annals Joun Rincway, Curator of Bryophytes AnprE Rosyns, Visiting Curator, Flora of Panama ALFRED SaxpaL, Rose Grower Owen J. Sexton, Research Ecologist Frank STEINBERG, Superintendent of the Arboretum, Gray Summit Sanpra THornton, Educational Assistant Mrs. Susan WILtiaMs, Senior Herbarium Assistant Visit Your Missouri Botanical Garden @j (SHAW’s GARDEN) Te Missouri Botanical Garden’s main entrance is at Tower Grove and Flora Place. The Garden is served by both the Sarah (No. 42) and the Southhampton (No. 80) city bus lines. The Missouri Botanical Garden Arboretum—1600 acres—estab- lished at Gray Summit, Missouri, in 1926, is open to the public. The Garden—70 acres—is open every day except Christmas and New Year’s. For the main entrance, grounds, Climatron, display greenhouses, and Floral Display House: May 1 through October 31............ 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. November 1 through April 30........9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sundays and Holidays.................... 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. For Tower Grove House: May | through October 31............ 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. November 1 through April 30......10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Display House presents four major shows: November, Chrysan- themums; December, Poinsettias; February, Orchids; April, Spring Flower Show. During the year other shows, competitions, and festivals are sponsored by various garden clubs and flower societies. Courses in botany and horticulture for adults are conducted by the Garden staff. Children’s nature classes are provided free on Saturdays from mid-September to early June. The Pitzman Nature Program is held for children during the summer. The Garden is world famous for its scientific research program. The scientists of the Garden hold teaching appointments on the staff of Washington University. The Missouri Botanical Garden was established for the public’s benefit in 1859 by Henry Shaw. The Garden, a non-profit institution, relies for support solely upon contributions from the public, the Arts and Education Council, and income from the Shaw estate. The Garden receives no city or state tax support. Support your Garden and take part in Garden activities through the Friends of the Garden, Information may be obtained from the Main Gate or by mail or phone (TO 5-0440). GS SIS) SSS ye a _ MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN VOLUME LVI NO. 4 JULY-AUGUST 1968 Grof sndianifch Flos Solis Peruuianus. Eonnenblum. a a ae 4 ee. AEST: Pts npc. acme eat > RAE ey oe SEAS oh tae forge mb eats ae abessnnes, aired! Vee ORAS Pd 2 eer Siok 4, NE ah ae ie ae rs By SOS ARO EF toy 4 SR hak eer" den in your gar BS RS ~ £ S Y 8 dp i = S as: QR, or patio this summer? Come see us ings you will need... we have th THE GARDEN GATE SHOP /at the main gate/Tower Grove and Flora MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN VOLUME LVI NO. 4 JULY-AUGUST 1968 EpiTor Barbara P. Lawton EpITror1AL COMMITTEE Edgar Anderson Derek G. Burch David M. Gates Mark W. Paddock Kenneth O. Peck FRIENDS & SHOP REPRESENTATIVE Mrs. Charles Ruprecht EDITORIAL & PUBLICATION OFFICE Missouri Botanical Garden 2315 Tower Grove Avenue St. Louis, Missouri 63110 Published bi-monthly by the Board of Trustees of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Subscription price: $3.50 a year. Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at St. Louis, Missouri. CONTENTS From the Director Gardening in St. Louis. Sunflowers in the Library (cover) Carla Lange Sunflowers in the Field (cover) Edgar Anderson Master Showman: Paul A. Kohl. Barbara Lawton Thanks from the Garden Mark Paddock Honeydew . . Kenneth Peck The Clouds of the Climatron Elwynn Taylor Vegetable Sheep David M. Gates Is it a Rocket? Kenneth Peck Who, What, Where, When Friends of the Garden . A New Guide Program. Mark Paddock Missouri Botanical Garden Calendar Cover: Photo Copy by Todd Studio wn 2 i3 ra | 23 32 FROM THE Z DIRECTOR ULTURAL AND SCIENTIFIC institutions are often taken for granted C and frequently their staff members are better known outside their own communities. We wish more people of the St. Louis area were aware of this city’s most unusual cultural and scientific institution— the Missouri Botanical Garden. Botanical gardens do not exist in every city of the world—there are parks; there are gardens, there are floral displays, but there are very few botanical gardens such as this which contribute significantly to research, teaching, and the public education concerning the world of plants. The Missouri Botanical Garden receives no financial support from either the City of St. Louis or the State of Missouri and has come close to financial disaster because too many of the people of St. Louis and its environs take it for granted. After 109 years of serving the public, the Garden is launching a major drive for capital funds. These funds are desperately needed for construction of a new Library-Herbrarium building and a new educational facility which will include an auditor- ium. This drive, the first in the Garden’s history, will be in effect from January | through July 1, 1969, We earnestly solicit your financial support through direct contributions, pledges of future contributions, remembering the Garden in your will, joining the Friends of the Garden organization. In whatever way you elect to assist the Garden financially, your contribution will be gratefully received. The Missouri Botanical Garden is well-known throughout the botanical and horticultural world and has already contributed greatly to the people of St. Louis. Have you contributed to the Garden lately? If not, won’t you do so soon? David M. Gates GARDENING aN: ST. LOUIS Juty— Aucust OIL MOISTURE is often the biggest summer problem. Flower beds S and shrubs should be checked daily for dry, baked soil and water applied as needed. Remember that bluegrass does much of its growing underground when nights are cool. Crab grass is shallow-rooted and most active during hot weather. Thus, the two rules for successful bluegrass lawns: 1. Cut bluegrass no shorter than three inches because a thick, long lawn will shade out annual weeds. 2. Do not sprinkle the lawn, but give it a good soaking once every 10 days if the ground is dry. Mulches are the gardener’s friend in holding soil moisture as well as keeping down weeds. Any vegetative waste will qualify as mulch (even woody prunings if chopped fine enough); dead blooms, hedge trimmings, grass cuttings, pulled weeds. Shade trees can be pruned now. It is best to keep in mind the natural shape of a given tree, plus its setting in your yard. Pruning should not only help the tree, it should also have its esthetic rewards. An inconspicuous paint or commercial compound may be applied to wounds to prevent infection though many feel this is not necessary if pruning is properly done. Continue with a simple regular spraying program where needed. Cutting of dead and wilted flowers and of seeds will keep annuals blooming luxuriantly. Patio and planter geraniums do well in any well-drained soil mix. Feed sparingly as rich soil will produce lush foliage but, alas, few blooms. Early morning, even before breakfast, is the best time of day in St. Louis heat spells. Flowers for the house are best when cut at this cooler time. Gardening is a good way to start the day. 3 Sunflowers In The Library Carla Lange HE woopcut of the sunflower copied for this issue of the Bulletin Dives taken from Pierandrea Mattioli’s Kreuterbuch, edited, revised, and enlarged by Joachim Camerarius, and published in 1586 in Frank- furt am Main, Germany. This herbal is part of the Garden’s extensive pre-Linnaean collection. The illustrations in this book include some of those prepared by Conrad Gesner for his own proposed treatment of plants, never pub- lished because of his untimely death from the plague in 1565. His woodcuts were sold to Camerarius with the proviso that he should undertake their publication. Camerarius failed to fulfill the spirt of this obligation, for although he published many of them, he included these only as supplements to his own drawings in his German Mattioli edition of 1586. The large remainder had to wait for publication by Trew, a century and a half later. The finest collections of woodcuts of plants of first-rate importance were those of Brunfels, Fuchs, Mattioli, Gesner, and Camerarius pub- lished between 1530 and 1590. From a scientific viewpoint, those of Gesner and Camerarius show a marked advance in the introduction of enlarged sketches of separate parts of the plants, such as petals and seeds. Sunflowers In The Fields Edgar Anderson HE SUNFLOWER is the only one of the world’s great crop plants which Tee in or near the continental United States of America. Ancient- ly, it was one of the most sacred plants of our Indians. It has now spread around the world as an oil crop, an ornamental, and a whole weed com- plex of prairies, plains, railroad tracks, industrial areas, and city slums. From all of these, such a backlog of pests and diseases have evolved and accumulated that every attempt to grow sunflowers as a standard com- mercial crop in the United States has resulted in disaster. The only ap- proaches to success were in the far Northwest, outside the range of the weedy sunflowers. The world’s authority on these plants is Professor Charles Heiser of Indiana University, who began to dig into these fascinating problems as a student of botany at the Missouri Botanical Garden and Washington University. Dr. Hugh Cutler of the Garden staff continues to measure and atalogue the sunflower remains of prehistoric peoples in the new World. [his evidence accumulates slowly and requires skill and patience to nterpret, but it is outlining with precision the long and tangled history of the sunflower and the people who grew it. How, for instance, did it pread to Peru, and at so early a time that its Latin scholarly name, as you vill see from the cover, has become The Peruvian Flower of the Sun? MASTER SHOWMAN: PAUL A. KOHL Barbara Lawton uRING the past four decades, millions of visitors to the Missouri Botanical Garden have been inspired and thrilled by the flower displays found here throughout the year. The vast majority of these floral “shows” have been due to the artistic skill of master Floricul- turist Paul Kohl. It is fitting that we learn a little about this vigorous but unassuming man in 1968, for it was 60 years ago that he first visited the Garden. Mr. Kohl’s contributions to the Garden and its visitors are inestimable, yet relatively few of us really know him as a person. His talents and skills are many, covering outdoor, temperate plantings as well as tropical and temperate gardening in greenhouses, but he is best known for the famous seasonal flower shows held in the Floral Display House each year—Chrysanthemums in the fall, Poinsettias in December, Orchids in late winter, and the Spring Flower Show. Born in Indianapolis, Paul Kohl moved to the St. Louis area at an early age. He says, “As a boy I was deeply interested in plants, and | recall going alone on a Saturday morning to Shaw’s Garden to see my first chrysanthemum show in 1908 which, at that time, was staged in a tent. | remember that after returning home from the Garden I tried creating a show in miniature on a dinner plate by using twigs and bits of plants to represent flowers.” The Henry Shaw School for Gardening, which had opened in 1889, was improved and enlarged in 1914. This made it possible for those wishing to have professional training in such fields as gardening horticulture, and landscape architecture to obtain complete training in the necessary subjects at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The courses of instruction for the three-year school (listed in the Bulletin for April 1914) cover all phases of botany plus design—from mechani. cal drawing to garden architecture. Paul Kohl heard of the school and with several other students enrolled in the fall of 1914. Classes were held in Tower Grove House. Claude Johnston Paul Kohl staging the spectacular 1968 Orchid Show. the south room of the Museum, a portion of what is now the Library, and also at Washington University. The students of this period were most fortunate in being able to train under John Noyes, the nationally distinguished landscape architect who designed the Rose, Linnean, Formal and Economic gardens. John Noyes is the man responsible for the good, over-all fundamental plan for the Garden. Mr. Kohl graduated from the School for Gardening in the late fall of 1917, and became assistant supervisor of the school gardens in the St. Louis public schools. After only a few months, he entered the Army and in June of 1918 he was assigned to the Army Transport Service in Tours, France. During this period, travel was Paul Kohl’s business and what pleasurable trips did not come about through Army assignments, he took on leaves and post-service vacation. He says, “For me, it was fortunate to be stationed in the Touraine Valley where the numerous chateaux and gardens and the many historic places were an endless source of interest. Touring the parks and gardens of Paris and visiting Versailles and Fontainebleau brought to life the gardens that had been described in the landscape course at the Garden. From Paris to Lyons, the Rhone Valley, south France to Lourdes and Cauterets in the Pyrenees, Pau, Bayonne and Biarritz, Bourdeaux, LaRochelle, St. Nazaire, Quimper and Brest were a grand tour of France by train and automobile.” Army service behind him, Paul Kohl returned to his previous work in the public school garden program for but a few months, as he was offered the position of floriculturist at the Missouri Botanical Garden. He joined the Garden staff in January 1920, and took charge of the Rose Garden, Linnean Garden, Italian and Economic gardens, and the flower borders on the Knolls. Surveying his years at the Garden, Mr. Kohl reminisces: “In the years I have been associated with the Garden, each decade has seemed like the chapter of a book. The early nineteen hundreds had been the construction years. Some of the greenhouses had been moved north of the Linnean Garden wall and used as growing houses until about 1925, when the remaining structures were dismantled. The entrance gate, conservatories, parterre, fruticetum, arboretum, and the west stone wall all had given way to a new and enlarged garden. The only portions of the original garden walls now remaining are the stone walls along Tower Grove and Shaw boulevards, the stone and brick wall near the Linnean House, and the Linnean House itself. “The 1920s were years of establishing the gardens recently created. This 1917 photo of staff and students of the School for Gardening shows some familiar faces. At the back is Dr. George T. Moore, director at that time. In the next row of four are: instructors, George H. Pring and Alex Laurie; and students, James Monteith, Garland Ellis. The front row of five men includes: students, George Pedlow, Andrew Cella; instructor John Noyes; and students, Clarence Pedlow, Paul Kohl. The women students in front are Clara Fuhr and Margaret Corley. Smoke pollution was getting worse as the St. Louis population and industry increased, and this initiated thoughts of moving the orchid collection to some area remote from the smoke belt. After considering several locations in the country, land was purchased west of the town of Gray Summit, Missouri. This meant many trips down the narrow, winding Manchester Road to the new arboretum to take pictures of the progress in developing the site and the erection of the new orchid range. ‘During the next two decades the Garden remained stable but in the 1950s, changes were again being made. The Economic Garden was eliminated and half of the formal or Italian Garden became part of the floor of the Climatron, which was completed in the fall of 1960. The pot plant greenhouses, built in 1920, were replaced with four new houses in 1966, and these adjoin the new Park Building.” The staging of the floral displays were added to Mr. Kohl’s duties in 1927. This involved not only designing and staging four to five large shows and intermediate displays each year, but also growing the plants, and obtaining or making the various props. Paul Kohl worked out ways 9 for raising and caring for the fussier plants in quantities. One has only to see the basket, cascade, and spider mums which he displays so artistically in the Fall Chrysanthemum Show to see how well he has succeeded. In 1933 the Society of American Florists sponsored a large flower show in the St. Louis Arena, using the main building and the east wing. The Garden was prevailed upon to install a garden in this show and, in addition, staged a large display of orchids and three pools of tropical waterlilies. This first spring flower show in the Arena was such a success that succeeding shows, sponsored by the local florist and nursery industry, were staged in 1935, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941 and 1942. The Second World War ended this series of shows, but in 1947 another one was held, this time in Kiel Auditorium. Two more spring shows were staged downtown in 1948 and 1949, and the last big show, in 1951, was again held in the east wing of the Arena. All of these shows were of one week’s duration and the Garden participated in each one. They entailed a great amount of additional work for Kohl’s men. Every bit of material, sod, flowering plants, shrubs, and trees had to be trucked to the Arena or Kiel Auditorium and then, a week later, the process was reversed. In Henry Shaw’s will is a bequest that once a year a sermon be preached in Christ Church Cathedral ‘‘on the goodness of God as shown in the growth of flowers, fruits, and other products of the vegetable Kingdom.”’ In the early years, the altar was decorated with cut flowers from the florists. Later the Garden was requested to furnish cut flowers and many iris and peonies were supplied when the sermons were given on a Sunday in May. When the dates of the sermons were changed to two weeks after Easter, cut flowers from the gardens were not available so flowering pot plants were requested. These solicita- tions increased through the years to the extent that the occasion at the Cathedral was referred to as “Flower Sunday.” The Garden now grows and transports two truckloads of plants to the Cathedral annually and, in recent years, has been called upon to help stage and water the plants. Few people realize the number of man hours involved in growing and preparing the plants, delivering and calling for them on this occasion. Whether plants are grown for the gardens or the flower shows, they are grown in pots. Whenever a new venture for the benefit of the Garden is started, it gravitates to the pot plant department. That was the case with “Through the Garden Gate’’ plant sale, so successfully 10 held on the parking lot of Famous-Barr in Clayton each year from 1960- 1964. The number of plants to be sold was increased each year, until it reached such proportions that our own plants for garden use were being crowded off the greenhouse benches. Planning and installing flower shows requires ingenuity, timing of plants to bloom at specified times, carpentry for fashioning the backgrounds, and the use and re-use of materials to reduce expenses. Plans are geared to accommodate hundreds of visitors in a few hours and, when necessary, models are made of the main features of the shows so that the men can see, in miniature, what they are building. All plans for the shows are drawn to one-eighth inch to the foot, and then are chalked full scale on the floral display house floor. Paul Kohl took up photography in his early years and his slides form a fine visual record of the flower shows and the Garden’s growth. Recently he gathered photographs dating back to the Garden’s begin- ning and, incorporating these with his own slides, made up an excellent slide show. The public has come to know Mr. Kohl personally through his slide shows and talks, as well as his Bulletin articles, lectures, and courses on gardening and plant therapy. He has brought along younger men, training them to the special demands of his unusual field. The Poinsettia Show in 1967, staged by Claude Johnston, was a tribute not only to Claude’s talents, but to Paul Kohl’s training. The men in Mr. Kohl’s section are open in their admiration and respect for him. One said, ‘‘When you’re working with Mr. Kohl, the time flies—it seems that no sooner do you start work than it’s time to quit.” ““He’s a real master,” said another. ‘‘Mr. Kohl’s not content with less than perfection. He can stand ’way up there on the top level of the Display House and tell if part of a flower show set is off by this much.” Here the man held his thumb and forefinger almost together. Here is the measure of this quiet and unassuming man, Paul A. Kohl. His native skills, artistic sense, and way with plants are beauti- fully demonstrated in his flower beds and floral shows; that he is respected as much by his staff as by his public is a tribute few men earn. 11 THANKS FROM THE GARDEN... Mark Paddock EVERAL substantial gifts have been made to the Library Restoration Fund in the past few months. This fund is used to restore valuable books in the Missouri Botanical Garden library. The project is well under way, with three part-time book restorers and bookbinders work- ing at the task. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bascom recently donated $5,000 to this fund and Mrs. Arthur Hoskins gave $2,000 for book restoration. Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Waller donated $1,000 to the Garden in memory of Mrs. Waller’s father, the late Professor Henry C. Cowles. Professor Cowles was one of America’s very first plant ecologists. He is often considered the Father of the School of Dynamic Ecology. Several very substantial bequests have been made to the Garden recently, Mr. Otto Tietjens bequeathed $217,000 to the Garden, Eleanor L. Garvin bequeathed approximately $105,000, and Mabel Johnson bequeathed $42,000 in memory of Ellen Ricker. All of these bequests are being added to the endowment funds of the Garden and are invested according to the investment policies of the Board of Trustees. Income from these investments is then used for Garden operations. 12 Kenneth Peck Drops of honeydew cover the windshield of a car parked under a tree. HONEYDEW Kenneth Peck (Illustrated by Sandra Thornton) AVE you ever noticed how automobiles parked under trees on H warm days frequently become covered with distinct spots of dust? These spots are sticky droplets which have fallen from the trees and become covered with dust. If you are standing under a tree, you may feel an occasional droplet of this material but will seldom see anything. What is actually going on here is that a group of soft-bodied insects called aphids are giving off a substance known as honeydew. Aphids gather in great aunber on the tender, growing tips of branches and are responsible for the removal of great quantities of sap from plants. In order to figure out how acids were capable of removing sap, it was necessary to make some observations. Using a hand lens iia a low- power microscope, I was witness to some rather unexpected events. 13 While watching an aphid-infested rose branch, I noticed that the aphids frequently wiggled in an up-and-down motion, but not all at the same time. After watching for some time, I saw one aphid raise its body as though it were going to stand on its head. After doing this, the aphid rubbed its abdomen with one hind leg six or eight times. While doing this, a droplet formed at the very rear of the aphid’s body. To my amazement, the final act of this sequence was a hind-leg kick that re- moved the droplet quickly and cleanly. The aphid then lowered its body. To make sure I had really seen what I thought I saw, I patiently waited for other aphids on this branch to do the same thing. The day following my little discovery, I peeked in on some aphids of a different sort on a branch of Viburnum. To my delight, they performed the same little act of using a “chorus-line” kick to remove the tiny bead of liquid sugar. This, then, is the source of honeydew. The illustrations in the center fold show a sequence of these events. The kicking behavior is not seen in all kinds of aphids, but even so, this does not prevent them from forcibly discharging sugar droplets. This is almost more mystifying, for there is little one can see that shows just how the droplets are so efficiently ejected. Asking why such means of sap removal might be necessary poses an interesting question. The sugar droplets are frequently watery (see picture), while being very sticky at other times. Drying out very quickly, they leave a film on any solid surface. Were any great number of sugar droplets to fall on a single aphid, the poor creature would soon be all “gummed up.” It looks like aphids must get rid of these sugar droplets out of necessity. W. M. Wheeler, in his excellent but highly technical book entitled Ants, has a marvelous chapter on the association of ants with aphids and other insects. It gives a highly descriptive account of the well known fact that aphids are visited and tended by ants. Certain ants keep aphids underground in winter and take them to plants during the srowing season. This is mostly true of the kinds of ants showing no strong food preferences for other insects, seeds, or fungi. When ants are hungry, it is supposed that they visit aphid-infested vegetation for the purpose of obtaining honeydew or “ant-manna.”” By gently stroking the aphid’s abdomen with its antennae, the ant may induce the aphid to gently eject honeydew which is immediately con- sumed by the ant. If an aphid does not respond to an ant’s strokings, the ant will seek another aphid that will. Honeydew falling on leaves may be licked up by ants and by bees and wasps as well. 14 \\ j { cf ayy , HAA au A } yi yt) PS oe VV These aphids are on the underside of a leaf, removing sugary sap which becomes honeydew. The aphids shown here are magnified about seven times. Ny VAIN, n 15 16 Aphid in “normal” position. The proboscis is vertical to the leaf or stem surface, the stylets having been extended until they pierce the sugar- conducting “phloem” (see text). Before giving off honeydew, the aphid raises its body slowly, but in a somewhat uneven, up-and-down-and-up- again kind of movement. Soon after the aphid has raised its body to a nearly vertical position, it begins rubbing its abdomen with the “thigh” portion of a hind leg. This is almost simultaneous with the formation of a sugar droplet as shown. + The droplet is a bit larger. The aphid, still nearly vertical, has finished “‘rubbing”’ its abdomen and has ‘‘cocked” the lower portion of its hind leg. The aphid releases its “cocked” leg, kicking the sugar droplet free. The kicking motion is so quick, that you never see the droplet of honeydew, even when watching very closely. The honeydew released, the aphid quickly resumes its “normal” position. It may repeat this sequence again after 20 to 30 minutes. From beginning to end, the process here illustrated takes place in less than 10 seconds. 17 The cornicles or siphons which occur on the aphid’s abdomen do not secrete honeydew as it was once thought. However, a waxy sub- stance can be squirted from these structures into the face of an enemy like a lady bug. This protective device merely slows the enemy down so that the aphid may take evasive action. I mentioned earlier that certain aphids kick the honeydew from their abdomens. Others have noticed that aphids kick when they are giving off the protective waxy substance into the face of the enemy. The kicking is an interesting habit in connection with the voluntary release of honeydew, and in the absence of aphid-tending ants, ejecting the honeydew seems logical. But the rubbing that an aphid does of its ANTENNAE / é / PROBOSCIS ABDOMEN (ENCLOSES STYLETS) The parts of the aphid mentioned in this article. own abdomen suggests a parallel to the stroking done by ants. You can, in fact, stroke the abdomen of an aphid with a hair and cause it to gently yield a drop of honeydew as it would for an ant. Another reason why it is good for an aphid to forcibly eject honeydew is that it removes the sugar that would attract possible enemies. It should be mentioned that sucking insects other than aphids are responsible for honeydew and other forms of sugary excretions. Mealy bugs, which are usually white and wooly looking, and scale insects, which are brown and shiny appearing, both give off large amounts of honeydew, particularly in tropical climates. The jumping plant lice of Australia give off a form of honeydew which becomes crystalline and is called “‘sugar-lerp.”” Ants and people are equally fond of it. The sur- 18 prising thing is the amount produced—according to one account, a man can pick up two to three pounds of sugar-lerp a day! Plant scientists have used the aphid as an instrument in the study of the sugar made by plants. From the illustrations, you can see that the aphid’s mouth penetrates the surface of the leaf or stem. The mouth is a tube containing four slender hairs which are pushed through soft plant tissues into the sugar-conducting part of the plant which is ? called ‘phloem.’ While the aphid’s mouth is still inserted in the plant, it is possible to cut the body away from the tubular mouth, thereby leaving an open conduit to the phloem. Under pressure in the phloem, the sugary sap Kenneth Peck Aphids can infest a plant in such number that whole leaf and stem surfaces are almost completely covered. will flow sometimes for several days, yielding pure sap. Analyzing the sap from a tree can give the botanist clues to the way plants make food. The green leaf of a plant is a factory which manu- factures sugar by converting radiant energy of sunlight into the chemi- ro) J (o) oe oO cal energy of sugar. This is perhaps the single, most important biological 8) g I I I o process we know of. Because of the marvelous water-conducting system of plants, the machinery of the leaf is supplied with enough water to if ; PI : keep it cool, and the sun won’t scorch it to death. Some of the water Pp brought to the leaf is also used in the sugar-making process. Conse- B 8 £ I quently, the sugar formed is a liquid thicker than water and is trans- ported to the phloem in the leaves down through the stem and into the roots. Aphids, by gathering on the soft parts of plants, can easily “‘tap”’ 19 the main stream of sugar from the veins of leaves and tips of branches. More has been done toward learning how to eliminate the aphid as a pest on plants than toward trying to understand why nature allows this little fellow to make his wholesale pilferage of plant sap such a successful way of life. There is some broad indication that plants regularly lose many substances, even sugars, from their leaves during rainfalls, in quantities that can be measured in the hundreds of pounds per year per acre. Thus, plants actually add much to the soil from which they are at the same time constantly removing other materials, like water and minerals. Perhaps the aphid’s removal of honeydew from trees is a small but important part of the great system of exchange that takes place between plants and their environment. eC Arts AND EDUCATION COUNCIL MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN *SHAW'S GARDEN” Publication of this article was made possible through a grant to the Education Department of the Missouri Botanical Garden from the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis. Reprints have been prepared for use and distribution in Garden programs. 20 A cloud layer in the Climatron just above the tops of the tree ferns. The layer is only 14 inches thick and is formed and maintained in the Climatron in much the same way clouds are layered in the atmosphere above us. THE CLOUDS OF THE CLIMATRON Elwynn Taylor HEN you visit the Climatron in cold weather you can plan on finding a rain storm inside. The cool panes of the dome condense moisture from the warm, humid air within the structure. This conden- sation produces a regular falling of large drops of water. Most lady visitors find it wise to wear plastic rain hats to protect their hair. During the late summer and fall, more complex weather systems may form within the Climatron. Those who work in the Climatron have observed a layer of clouds hanging all the way across it about 10 feet above the level of the entrance. The cloud layer is normally less than two feet thick, often only six to eight inches. On the day the photograph was taken, the cloud 21 layer was 13 feet above the entrance level and 14 inches thick. The air temperature from the ground to 12 feet, varied from 80° to 84° F and the relative humidity went from 60% to 75%. Then in the very next foot of height, the air temperature jumped 11° F to an uncomfortable 95° and the relative humidity to 100%. Another two feet higher we found the temperature had decreased 3° to 92° F, and the relative humidity had dropped to 81%. The cloud layer is exciting to watch and study. When one climbs up through it on a ladder he sees a sight far different from what might be expected in a greenhouse. The clouds below look like the ground mist of tropical jungles or of England in autumn. The physical cause of these cloud layers in the Climatron is almost identical to that which causes cloud formation in the sky. A layer of very warm air overlaying a layer of cooler air forms what is known as an inversion. There is also another cooler air layer above the warm layer. The rising moisture stops and forms clouds at the inversion layer, both outdoors and in the Climatron. Most of us have seen smoke rise from a chimney, then flatten out and spread when it comes to a certain level. The smoke stopped rising when the inversion layer was reached. Inversions determine the layers of clouds in the atmosphere and also cause air pollution difficulties because they tend to layer the pollutants in the air. The best time to observe the clouds at the inversion layer is in the late summer when the outdoors is cool and the sun is bright, a common occurrence in St. Louis the day after a cold front has passed through. If some of the large ventilating fans are running on such a day, a visit to the Climatron between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. may very well allow you to observe this interesting aspect of the environment inside it. (Elwynn Taylor is a graduate student in the biophysical ecology program headed by Dr. Gates.) Stone Age bee-keeping The study of pollen continues to branch out in various ways. In an international journal devoted to pollen in its various aspects a Russian scientist recently presented evidence from pollen studies that plants with a heavy yield of nectar were being encouraged in the Stone Age. E.A. Za VEGETABLE SHEEP (Koaulia eximlia) David M. Gates HERE Is, on the South Island of New Zealand, a large unusual plant, oer named vegetable sheep (Raoulia eximia). Mostly white, but occasionally green, the leaf cushions of this and other related species of Raoulia greatly resemble in size as well as form a resting sheep when ; f di } sas. Ayraags Vey \ Ah a ij eal i apn) ‘ 7 i | Re Ne fist 4 Sid fit \ Cai Vy é | uy SON Tf a NY AS F/ _ AN XN \ 4 Y. ‘ AOR oe Y NASER = 7 ; | \ N= { NB j by it 1 ha This drawing of Raoulia eximia (from Illustrations of the New Zealand Flora by Cheeseman and Hemsley, 1914) shows an entire plant as well as individual parts of this odd member of the composite family: 1. Branch end with flower-head, 2. & 3. Leaves, 4. & 5. Bracts (modified leaves under flowers), 6. & 7. Florets, 8., 9. & 10. Pappus-hair, anther, and style-branches of a floret. 23 ~~ ae David M. Gates Professor W. R. Philipson of the University of Canterbury at Christchurch, New if ] ; Zealand, is shown here with a large specimen of the extraordinary vegetable sheep plant which grows on the South Island. viewed at any distance. In closeup photographs, these oddities look like immense well-trimmed cauliflower heads. Vegetable sheep are found on the dry rocky faces of the mountains. The Raoulia cushions are all constructed on the same plan. Above, the stems branch again and again and towards their extremities are covered with small, wooly leaves, packed very tightly. Stems, leaves, and all grow into a dense convex mass. Within the plant is a peat made of rotting leaves and branches which holds water like a sponge, and into which the final branchlets send roots. Thus the plant lives mainly on its own decay and the woody main roots serve chiefly as an anchor. IS IT A ROCKET? Kenneth Peck O, IT’s NoT even okra! It’s just an Oxalis fruit loaded with viable N seeds that will soon be dispersed and producing new plants. As a weed, Oxalis is a double threat: On one hand, it survives most selective weed killers and on the other hand, it has a devastatingly effective means of seed dispersal. This says nothing about its powers of vegeta- tive growth. Oxalis leaves are trifoliate and bring the term “shamrock”’ to the lips of some who see it. Common names for this plant include: wood sorrel, lady’s sorrel, sheep sorrel. It has a tart taste that is somewhat pleasing to children. Leaves of most of our weedy kinds are pale green through yellow-green to almost green-red-purple. The flowers are in- variably yellow, although white and magneta are common among those forms of Oxalis grown on purpose. Each flower is capable of producing one of the fruits illustrated above. The theme here, of course, is the fruit and the way it disperses its seeds. The fruit is elongate, from one-quarter inch to nearly an inch long, and the surface is generously clothed with stiff-looking hairs. Looking at it end-on, it is star-shaped with five points. It is these points which form the ridges along the length of the fruit. When nearly ripe, the fruit ruptures along the ridges. Some time after, seeds are forcibly released, often in several directions at once. The mechanism of seed release appears to be a simple affair— perhaps much simpler than what a man would design if he were assigned the task of devising the release mechanism for the plant, although it pas “ Kenneth Peck The familiar oxalis with its ripening seed pods. challenges the imagination as to how and why such a device came to be. The seeds are lined up inside the ridges and each one is enclosed in a smooth, shiny, white rubbery jacket which is attached to the central axis of the fruit. The seeds are ejected when this jacket shrinks from drying and literally turns itself inside out with such violence that the seeds are virtually launched into a respectable trajectory. I have, on occasion, heard these fruits discharging their missiles in greenhouses when it was very quiet and where Oxalis can be at its weedy worst. If you would care to have an interesting experience, take a fruit which is nearly ripe and roll it gently between your thumb and forefinger. This is not the kind of thing you will be burning to pass on to your children, but it will give you some ideas as to the force of seed release and, at the same time, aid in the spread of a noxious weed. 26 WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN A SouveENIR AND GuIpDE Book TO THE GARDEN is now available. This full color book is being sold in several places, including the Garden Gate Shop, the Main Gate, and Tower Grove House. SSIS THE GARDEN IS VERY FORTUNATE to have received a five-year grant from the Ford Foundation for the development of a training program for graduate students and post-doctoral scientists in biophysical ecology. The grant totals $420,000. Dr. David M. Gates, Director of the Garden and a pioneer in biophysical ecology, will direct the program. SSIS) Tue U. S. Atomic Enercy Commission has granted the Garden a con- tinuation of its contract for ecological research and training. AEC will provide the Garden with $24,800 for an additional year of the program. These grants will make the Garden one of the leading centers for ecolog- ical research and training in the world. NINN Frances Perry, noted English author, horticulturist, and lecturer, visited the Garden in April. She was touring the United States, giving a series of lectures before well-known garden clubs. Although no lecture was scheduled in St. Louis, Mrs. Perry wished to visit the Climatron and water- lily facilities, and also to renew acquaintance with George H. Pring, superintendent emeritus, who was instrumental in developing 40 Nym- phaea hybrids. The name Perry is well-known in England, and also to all water gardeners in the English-speaking world. Frances Perry is related to the “House of Perry” or Hardy Plant Farm in Enfield, leading waterlily nursery in the British Isles. She has written 12 books including ‘‘ Water Gardening,” one of the first books to deal with this phase of gardening. The most unusual of Mrs. Perry’s many honors is her appointment as the first woman on the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society. THE FRIENDS OF THE GARDEN held a picnic on Sunday afternoon, April 21, at the Arboretum in Gray Summit. Skies were clear and wildflowers were at their peak of spring bloom. Brass band tunes by the Edelweiss Musi- kanten added to the festivity of the day. The picnic was a great success, enjoyed by all; a suitable finale to the Friends of the Garden’s 1967-68 season. ya § Tue University THEATRE OF St. Louts produced “Teahouse of the August Moon” during the first week of May. Since the stage play has its locale in Okinawa, one of the most famous islands in the Ryukyu archipelago, the director of the play asked to have publicity pictures taken in the Climatron, where many Okinawan plants are grown, such as sago, rice, sugarcane, banana, ferns, and orchids. In conjunction with the per- formance, the Garden staged an educational exhibit telling about the island’s principal plants. The Garden plays an important role in many community projects. VSI) Mrs. VircintA M. Brewer is the new manager of Tower Grove House. Originally from Iowa, Mrs. Brewer has spent the past 20 years traveling as a customer service representative for Remington Rand. With her great interest in people and places she has always enjoyed exploring the many cities and town to which business has taken her. We welcome her to the Garden. Tue Sr. Louts Hers Soctety held its annual plant sale May 3 and 4 in the greenhouse concourse at the Garden. Included in the sale were most of the culinary “greats” as well as many of the old-fashioned housekeeping, medicinal, and beauty herbs. This was the Society’s greatest sale to date from a monetary standpoint. Customers were waiting in line long before the doors were opened. The sale offered local herb enthusiasts a golden opportunity to start an herb garden or to expand and round out a collec- tion. Jan Verdonkschot, executive chef at the Missouri Athletic Club, and ect, helped with the publicity. Harris Armstrong, professional archit , — _ T La + be f Claude 7 aenen Photos Harris Armstrong, architect, samples his green salad prepared for members of the St. Louis Herb Society. Customers enjoy the scents of various herbs while shopping at the Herb Sale. 28 Piatt it Fi re devas wopesstel on ee load Bata me oe" 200R POG) tet LBMMER, wa f Claude Johnston A portion of the Missouri Botanical Garden exhibit at the Homeowners’ Field Day where staff members held a question-and-answer clinic. THE Firra AnnuAL Homeowners’ Fievp Day, featuring many exhibits and demonstrations on grasses, trees, and decorative plants, was held from noon until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 5, at Tilles Park in St. Louis County. The event, attended by an estimated crowd of 5000 persons, was spon- sored by the St. Louis County Extension Center in cooperation with the Missouri Botanical Garden and leading nurserymen of Greater St. Louis. This was the first year the Garden was asked to participate, and an exhibit of decorative house plants and herbs was staged. Lad Cutak, Claude Johnston, Mark Paddock, and Ken Peck answered hundreds of questions. Hucu CuTrLer AND LEONARD BLAKE traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to discuss their recent work on the origin and evolution of corn and squash at a three-day symposium on Problems of pre-Columbian New World Contacts. Dr. Cutler presented a paper entitled Travels of Corn and Squash. The symposium was arranged by the Geography and Anthropology De- partments of Southern Illinois University for the annual meeting of the Society for American Archeology. Most archeologists who excavate re- mains of corn or squash send them to the Garden for study. 29 Friends of The Garden The Board of the Friends of the Garden held their May meeting in Dr. Gates’ home. The organization now has (through April) 2820 active members. The Board asks all Friends to continue the good work of soliciting new members and to consider increasing individual tax-deductible contribu- tions. The Friends’ attendance at the Previews has grown by leaps and bounds. There were approximately 1200 at the Orchid Show, or per- haps you noticed the crowd. In the future, guests will be welcome at the previews at a charge of $1.00. The Garden Gate Shop has grown to be one of the finest of its kind in our area, due not only to the hard work of its staff but also the patronage and interest of its many customers. In December the Shop presented the Trustees of the Missouri Botanical Garden with a check for $10,000. The patio behind the shop is under construction and will soon be available for displaying outdoor merchandise. Ee | Claude Johnston Enjoying a morning meeting in the Directors’ Residence are the members of the 1967-68 Friends of the Garden Board: Mrs. Charles Limberg, Mrs. Thomas Collins, Jr., Mrs. Joseph Lewis, Mrs. J. Lionberger Davis, and Mrs. Bourne Bean. 30 A NEW GUIDE PROGRAM fadiocs HIS FALL the Missouri Botanical Garden is beginning a training gine for volunteer guides. This will be volunteer work of the finest sort, as these guides will have the opportunity of gaining as much as they are giving. A comprehensive course of instruction will begin on September 17 and last for eight weeks. The course is planned to give participants an understanding of botany, horticulture, and the behind-scenes operation of the Garden. After the eight-week course, there will be regular meet- ings and discussion periods led by the Garden’s professional staff. In this way, guides will continue to gain knowledge in depth about horti- cultural and botanical subjects of timely interest. Once the training course is completed, volunteer guides will be called upon to serve as leaders of groups of children or adults visiting the Garden. The guide program will be under the immediate direction of Mr. Kenneth Peck, Head of the Garden’s Education Department, and Mr. Mark Paddock, Assistant to the Director. A member of the Women’s Executive Board of the Friends of the Garden will act as Coordinator of the Guide Service. Information may be obtained by calling Mr. Peck or Mr. Paddock (TO 5-0440). Registrations must be made in advance. UE \ le . \; \ 9: 7 on Wisi aa, ( Kenneth Peck A good program for guides is a key to the public’s understanding of the Missouri Botanical Garden. (A tour of the Climatron is shown here.) 31 The Missouri Botanical Garden Calendar (JULY and AUGUST, 1968) July 3 SUMMER FLOWER SHOW: begonias, caladiums, coleus, fuschias, thru gloxinias. August 25 July 21 BIRTHDAY CONCERT in memory of Henry Shaw by the Reper- tory Opera Theatre. Enjoy birthday cake and lemonade to Shaw’s favorite tunes. East lawn, Tower Grove House. Admission free; only gate fee required, 2:30-4:00 p.m. July 23 PITZMAN NATURE PROGRAM Second Session for Children. thru Tuesday / Thursday and Wednesday /Friday sections from 10:00 August 23 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Admission is free. Pre-registration is required. August 6, PREPARATION AND CARE OF LAWNS. Course will be taught 13, 20 by Raymond Freeborg in the Museum Building from 7:00-9:00 p.m. Friends of the Garden, $5.00; $6.00 to others. BOTANICAL BOOKS David M. Gates F YOU HAVE in your possession, or know of someone else who has, | rare or unusual botanical, horticulture, or gardening books, please consider donating them to the Library of the Garden. The Library of the Missouri Botanical Garden is among the finest in America today because of the generosity and foresight of many people who have contributed generously their own private libraries concerned with the subject matter of plants. Do not assume that we have all of the books on botany or that we do not wish to receive more. Very often the copies we do have are badly worn or are in a state of disrepair, or are missing an occasional plate or page. It is quite likely that an unusual or rare book in your possession may nicely fill in a vacant spot on our shelves or add a second copy of a much used important piece of reference material. a2 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Harry E. WuertTensarEcuer, Jr., President A. Timmon Primm III, Vice President CiarENCE C. BARKSDALE, Second Vice President Howarp F, Baer Sam’z. C. Davis LeicesTER B. Faust Ricuarp A. Goopson Rosert R. HERMANN Honorary Trustees: Georce L. CapicaN Henry Hircucock Leonarp J. HoLLanp Warren McKinney SHAPLEIGH Tom K. Smrru, Jr. C. PoweLtt WHITEHEAD DupLey FreNcH EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS A. J. CERVANTES, Mayor, City of St. Louis Tuomas H. Exror, Chancellor, Washington University James E. Hurt, President, Board of Education of St. Louis Stratrorp Lee Morton, President, Academy of Science of St. Louis FRIENDS OF THE GARDEN Women’s Executive Board Officers: Mrs. Joseph W. Lewis, President; Mrs. Bourne Bean, First Vice President; Mrs. Thomas R. Collins, Jr., Second Vice President; Mrs. J. Lionberger Davis, Jr., Secretary; Mrs. Charles Limberg, Assistant Secretary. Mrs. Leslie J. Gleason, Executive Secretary and Publicist HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL Ralph Rabenau, Chairman Mrs. J, Herman Belz, Mrs. Paul H. Britt, E. G. Cherbonnier, E. J. Gildehaus, Robert E. Goetz, Earl Hath, Mrs. Hazel L. Knapp, F. R. McMath, Dan O’Gorman, Gilbert Pennewill, Mrs. Gilbert J. Samuelson, Rudy Zuroweste. GARDEN STAFF Davin M. Gates, Director Epcar ANpErson, Botanist CiareNce Barsre, Instructor Currrorp Benson, Plant Breeder Wit H. Bracxwet, Jr., Research Associate Leonarp Brake, Research Associate Derex G. Burcu, Chief Horticulturist Tuomas B. Croat, Research Associate Lapistaus Curak, Horticulturist and Manager of Public Relations Hucu C. Cutrer, Curator of Useful Plants Joun D. Dwyer, Research Associate Watpo G. Fecuner, Secretary of Board and Controller Raymonp Frersorc, Research Associate James Hampton, Chief Engineer and Superintendent of Operations Hyrum Jounson, Research Associate CraupvE Jounston, Grower, Floral Displays Paut A. Kont, Floriculturist Mrs. Barsara Lawton, Editor of Bulletin Mrs, CHARLOTTE Lance, Assistant to the Librarian Water H. Lewis, Director of the Herbarium Eucenta Mappox, Librarian F. R. McMatu, Rosarian Vixtor MuEHLENBACH, Research Associate Royce L. Ottver, Research Assistant Mark W. Pappock, Administrative Assistant to the Director Kennetu QO. Peck, Head Instructor Mrs. Marian Pretrrer, Orchid Grower Warren Porter, Research Associate Grorce H., Prine, Superintendent Emeritus Patricia Putman, Editorial Assistant to Annals Joun Rineway, Curator of Bryophytes AnprE Rosyns, Visiting Curator, Flora of Panama ALFRED SaxpaL, Rose Grower Owen J. Sexton, Research Ecologist FRANK STEINBERG, Superintendent of the Arboretum, Gray Summit Sanpra Tuornton, Educational Assistant Mrs. Susan Witiams, Senior Herbarium Assistant Visit Your Missouri Botanical Garden (SHAW’S GARDEN) Forest Park Hwy 40 4 100, & estet a% ancn Ry, ‘ AY 18 N o Shaw s Missouri Botanica]: : a PLA 64 2 fi. a] Garden oO ES c Magnol gS ia 0 eS > zo Arseng| a fe) a) = 3 8 J re} Av = A 66 Ch i pp ewa 2 0 & ae MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN VOLUME LVI NO. 5 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1968: * ° gata * Sehiy ee £ XS hes. at Rei adtaeaanncacton Res ats S22 GAS Re Ree. ES oly gee aA RIS Ae ARTSY fala tee Fata IR Wepated: Theres 8 ATS ATELY, Aye ea Raat aaa cashueer tc, oh ies ae 1 aay MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN VOLUME LVI NO. 5 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1968 EDITOR Barbara P. Lawton EpirortAL COMMITTEE Edgar Anderson Derek G. Burch David M. Gates Mark W. Paddock Kenneth O. Peck FRIENDS & SHOP REPRESENTATIVE Mrs. Charles Ruprecht EDITORIAL & PuBLICATION OFFICE Missouri Botanical Garden 2315 Tower Grove Avenue St. Louis, Missouri 63110 Published bi-monthly by the Board of Trustees of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Subscription price: $3.50 a year. Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at St. Louis, Missouri. CONTENTS From the Director . Gardening in St. Louis . The North American Pumpkin COVER) ¢ % «.'steleee Hugh C. Cutler Migration of a Plant . Robert W.. Schery A Night in the Jungle Susan V. Williams Strange Aspects in the Study of Fungi James Maniotis Herb Society’s Test Garden . Mary A. Gamble Our Friend Gilbert Pennewill Dorothy Anderson and Dan O’Gorman Friends of the Garden Mary Ruprecht The Art of Ikebana Florence T. Morris New Guide Book Barbara Lawton Who, What, Where, When . Missouri Botanical Garden Calendar Cover: Photo Copy by Todd Studio 15 19 24 29 30 31 33 34 36 FROM THE DIRECTOR HE ENVIRONMENTAL bomb has been lit. It is not a question of whether or not it will explode. It is already detonating and our beautiful green world of plants, animals, people, water, soil, and atmos. phere is being ravaged and destroyed. We all believe that people are entitled to the highest quality of the basic human rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but mankind today is already denying future generations this heritage. As Congressman Daddario of New York has written recently: ““We have between 30 and 70 years to reverse the destructive trends which a sprawling acquisitive humanity has created for itself. After that it will be too late. Too late to stem the human tide. Too late to control the eradi- cation of resources. Too late to halt the pollution of Earth. Too late for anything except to witness the gradual sinking of our standard of living and the erosion of personal liberty.”’ The Missouri Botanical Garden can help solve some of these major issues that face mankind. The Garden is uniquely and pre- eminently qualified to give major assis- tance to man’s well being in the future as it has in the past. With your support, the Missouri Botan- ical Garden can continue its work and increase its contributions to all of us. David M. Gates GARDENING IN ST. LOUIS SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER HE HOT SEASON is behind us and gardens are aiming toward their fall peak of bloom. Asters and chrysanthemums are among the most rewarding perennials at this time of year. Roses also will perk up and come through with their late season blaze of glory. The annual zinnias, marigolds and petunias get a new lease on life. As always, the blooms on the top depend on what’s underneath, so make sure flower beds have enough moisture. Mulching holds moisture in the soil. If the summer sun kept you away from the hoeing department and the soil has baked hard, work that crust with a hoe or cultivator so that water can more easily soak in, being careful of shallow roots. Thoroughly soak bluegrass lawns once a week. Lawns should be fertilized in early September. Seeding of bluegrass is best done at this time also. Mow lawns as long as they continue to grow. Fall is ideal for setting out new shrubs and trees. Spring flowering perennials can be divided and transplanted now. Plant for next spring’s early bloom; Narcissus and madonna lilies should be planted in Sep- tember; Hyacinths and tulips in October and November. The ideal depth for planting bulbs is three times the height of the bulb, except for the madonna lilly which should be planted about 1 inch deep. If summer’s motto is “beat the heat’’, fall’s slogan should be “beat the freeze”. All planting and transplanting should be done before ground is frozen. Miniature tulips, daffodils and other small bulbs may be started in pots now to bloom inside this winter. Place in potting soil with tops of bulbs just beneath soil surface, water, and place in dark, cool (40°-50°) place till they sprout (20-90 days depending on variety). Bring pots in the house keeping them cool, well lit, and watered. Winter blooms are a joy during your garden’s off-season. Set up a cold frame to over-winter hardy plant materials that didn’t yet into the garden last summer. THE NORTH AMERICAN PUMPKIN Hugh C. Cutler Q* OUR COVER is a photocopy of an illustration in Leonhart Fuchs’ De historia stirpium, which was published in Basle in 1542. This, the earliest representation of our pumpkin of Halloween and Thanks- giving, must have been made from plants grown in Europe for the details are accurate and the graceful arrangement suggests a living plant more than a dead specimen. Professor Erna Eisendrath of Washington University made a study of some early botanical illustrations and discovered that, though Fuchs had worked from a living model, most of the better known botanical works for over a hundred years later copied his illustrations. Some of these copies were reversed because Fuchs’ print was traced directly on the new woodblock. In many cases the copies were greatly reduced in size. Fuchs had emphasized the lobed leaves and ridged and prickly fruit stem so well that even in a small copy published by Johannes Bauhin in 1650 we can recognize the plant as being the pumpkin of northern North America and not one of the four other cultivated species which were confined to Latin America and our Southwest at the time of Columbus. Familiar cultivated varieties, or cultivars, of the same species (Cucurbita pepo) are Connecticut Field pumpkin, Acorn squash, Sum- mer Crookneck squash, Italian or Zucchini squash, and White Bush Scallop squash. Usually the name pumpkin is applied to coarse and strongly flavored fruits utilized when ripe as forage, as a table vege- table, or in pies. Squashes are finer textured, milder flavored cultivars used immature, or when mature are baked, boiled, or in pies and less commonly used as feed for livestock. This separation does not always hold up. Italian or Zucchini squash is usually eaten when very young but the mature fruits are usually coarse, strongly flavored, orange, and differ very little except in shape from the Halloween pumpkin. Squashes and pumpkins are among the oldest food plants in the New World. In Salts Cave, one of the caves in Mammoth Cave Na- tional Park, archeologists have found small warty squashes which were left by Indians about 2400 years ago. These fruits are much like some of the smaller squashes advertised in seed catalogs today. In northern Mexico, squash seeds and fruits have been found in 9000 year old levels of the Ocampo Caves. These must have come from wild or weedy plants gathered by these early Indians for this is before agriculture is considered to have begun in this region. By 7000 years ago several kinds of squash and beans were being grown in northern Mexico. Corn slightly later. Many gardeners have grown small, yellow-flowered ornamental gourds for decorations. These gourds are so much like some of the wild squashes of Texas and northern Mexico that it is sometimes impossible to tell them apart. The usually larger, white-flowered bottle gourd or dipper gourd is a distant relative of the small ornamental gourd and in a different section of the squash family. While the small ornamental gourd will hybridize readily with many edible pumpkins and squash and with some wild squashes, none of these will hybridize with canteloupes or watermelons. * * * ERE SE SS ERR PLANTS AND FLOWERS NCIS FOR SALE The Ladue Garden Club will have it’s . Flower Cart on the parking lot of . Ladue City Hall every Friday in ee September and October—10 am to 2 pm. = PASTAS AS AS ASS ASS as GS A SSE EEN NS 5 a a Ne ae Ee eas eas 3 ie a is me . a aS ES aS THE MIGRATION OF A PLANT Kentucky BLUEGRASS FOLLOWED SETTLERS OF NEw WorLD Dr. Robert W. Schery | eae BLUEGRASS, Poa pratensis, has made its mark as one of the most widespread and “successful” of the higher plants. Through- out history, Kentucky bluegrass has increasingly enhanced its world position, for it followed man as he felled trees and turned soil. It is a true grass, a member of the Gramineae, one of the plant kingdom’s most useful families. We all depend upon grasses—for grains that make bread, for forage that nurtures our livestock, for the cover that holds our soil, for sugar, for certain essential oils and medicinals, and even for beer. Except for a small percentage of instances in which there is true sexual crossing, the seed of Kentucky bluegrass is identical with the mother plant on which it is borne. This type of asexual reproduction, known as apomixis, is analogous to cuttings or live starts in other grasses and horticultural plants. Apomixis has been regarded as a relatively advanced character, and often is associated with polyploidy, the doubling of the chromosomes (in the case of Kentucky bluegrass, repeated and seemingly irregular duplication). For the bluegrass seed industry, apomixis is a boon; it is necessary to find only one plant of unusually desirable features, and propagate from it by seed. This has been the chief means of discovering new bluegrass varieties, rather than the more involved crossing of isolated parent plants. By the same token, the system imposes limitations, and it becomes difficult to cross bluegrasses of two different types in order to combine desirable features of both parents in the offspring. Not much is really known about the hereditary make-up of Ken- tucky bluegrass other than that it is mixed and has an extremely wide range of chromosome numbers—ranging from less than 50 to more than 200 in some polyploids. With such a diverse genetic complex to choose from, there is almost no need for the plant breeder to attempt sexual crossing. One of the original antecedents of Kentucky bluegrass may have been diploid Poa pratensis, native to southeastern Europe, with a chromosome number of possibly only 14. In its subsequent peregrina- tions there has occurred a grand genetic mix-up, perhaps with other bluegrasses, and certainly involving a great deal of duplication and 6 This drawing is after a woodcut from a 1640 Parkinson herbal and refers to bluegrass as “‘Medow Grasse.” The plant is shown at seeding time, June in St. Louis. Each shoot that becomes a seedhead will die, and the basal tillers must fill in to create an attrac- tive turf. variation in chromosome sets. The resulting complex—the present- day Poa pratensis—may represent a synthesis of several species. Bluegrass is a “‘cool-weather’’ grass, as distinguished from “warm- weather” grasses such as Bermuda, Zoysia, Bahia, and other southern types. While the latter flourish in the heat of summer, bluegrass physiology is adjusted to a lower optimum temperature. In those regions or seasons where temperatures range between 55° and 80°F., Kentucky bluegrass is at its glorious best. The food build-up from photosynthesis exceeds its dissipation, and there is abundant thicken- ing, quick revival, and beautiful color. Growth slows when tempera- tures approach freezing, but the health of the grass is in no way im- pared. Kentucky bluegrass can stand crisp freezes without harm and with scant blemishing; in middle latitudes it is not until after Christmas that its sods begin to show the effects of winter. The grass is primarily spread by underground runners called rhizomes, which weave a firm sod. If the stembuds at the crown of the plant grow upward instead of sideways, they form new shoots (culms) called tillers, which thicken the stand of grass. This is characteristic of growth during autumn, when, incidentally, the leaves are short and bend low in response to the declining day length. Rhizomes may be produced almost any time the growing weather is favorable, particu- larly with plants that are not crowded (sod-bound) and are rooted in loose soil. With “wild” bluegrass, enough rain to keep the grass green during ~ the good growing weather of autumn augurs well for a fine seed crop the following June. Many fat shoots will initiate a primordial inflores- cence, or seed head, about Christmastime, as temperatures drop to near freezing. Short day length is also necessary; plants kept in a lighted greenhouse will not set seed. In spring, each culm that is to become a seed head carries characteristic, stubby “flag” leaves with a bluish sheen; the seed stalk becomes tough, and for a couple of weeks during late spring it is difficult to mow neatly. Each culm that bears a seed head will die, to be replaced by side tillers. Even the healthiest of bluegrass will experience a temporary downturn in early summer, and the regaining of its resplendency depends largely upon how quickly and fully the new tillers take over. Obviously, tiller resurrec- tion will be more adequate in favorable climates with coolish nights. There will be some differences in growth pattern depending upon the variety or selection, but research has indicated the marvelous plasticity of natural Kentucky bluegrass. Plants brought together from north and south, east and west, dissimilar in their appearance where they grew, all gradually mold to an essentially identical norm when grown side by side. The reason for this adaptability is not altogether known; probably it is because of the tremendous genetic reservoir that gives bluegrass a broad base compatible with most environments. Kentucky bluegrass populations differ as the plant extends its range. In this country it seems to have behaved according to Vavilov’s hypo- thesis that greatest variation occurs at the center of origin and dis- persal. It looks as if the lower Midwest, Kentucky in particular, where bluegrass was known early and widely planted, served as the seat of dispersal. Even today, Kentucky seems to carry the largest bluegrass gene pool of any area. From this center, particularly successful heredi- tary combinations appear to have migrated rapidly outward, espe- cially pushing northwest. Collections of specimens from North Dakota and Minnesota exhibit a narrower range of variation and express a more characteristic phenotype (physical appearance) than in Kentucky, where no single expression seems to have dominated the population. This, then, is Kentucky bluegrass as we have it today—one of the most nutritious pasture grasses, an excellent soil builder, and the most widely used quality lawn grass. How came this change from diploid vagrant to polyploid world colonist, from unnoticed adventive to pampered lawn grass? It is probably a good assumption that Kentucky bluegrass originated in Europe or the Near East, where semi-domestication and the chance Lawn Institute Clumps of ‘‘wild” or natural Kentucky bluegrass pulled up to expose roots and rhizomes. The many above-ground stems arising from the crown are tillers that serve to thicken the grass in the lawn, while the snake-like stems spreading sideward are the rhizomes which will turn up some distance from the parent plant to create a daughter plant. for intercrossings leading to polyploidy have been so notable with many cultivated plants. The early Greeks had a word for it, although it merely signified ‘“‘fodder herb” or “‘forage grass.” This “‘pua’’ of Euripides and Eubulus has been verified as a floral constituent of the Peloponnesus, where the climatic cycle has a summer moisture deficit similar to that of our Midwest. It is also identified by Professor G. Hausman, Director of the Experiment Station of Field and Pasture Crops at Milan, as a “grass found in every part of Italy, especially the mountain districts.” What is probably Poa pratensis flourished in southeastern Europe in pre-Christian times. No doubt the Romans grazed their chargers on bluegrass as their legions marched on Heidelberg and Paris. Garibaldi’s palace at Inns- bruck was described as having a lovely lawn, probably of bluegrass. The herbalists of the Middle Ages made recognizable woodcuts of bluegrass, which they called “‘meadow grass” or “June grass” in the polynomial descriptions prevailing before Linnaeus. They verify cog- 9 nizance of bluegrass by the Greeks, mentioning its medicinal properties as prescribed in ancient Greek tomes. By the time botanical identifica- tion had become a science, bluegrass was known throughout the con- tinent. It was Linnaeus, in his Species plantarum, who gave it the Poa pratensis designation— Poa after the old Greek; pratensis meaning “of the meadow.” Today, in all its variations, it is universally known as Poa pratensis, although through the years scores of common names have been accorded it. At the time of the discovery of the New World, Poa pratensis was widely spread throughout northern Europe, even though given scant attention in an age when pastures were taken for granted and cultivated lawns scarcely yet “invented,” although formal estate gardens were the vogue. Was bluegrass also in Asia, the North Atlantic islands, in North America itself? We can only guess. Circumstantial evidence suggests that it was not. Glacier-capped islands of the North Atlantic make poor stepping stones, and there are no herbarium specimens to indicate that bluegrass came from the inhospitable wastes of Siberia across the Bering Sea to Alaska, and thence into the western United States. That it was not in North America when the first colonists landed at Jamestown is indicated, too, by the fact that it was never given an Indian prefix in the colonial records, a custom with newly discovered plants such as Indian corn (maize). Most likely it was merely a chance passenger on the early ships bringing colonists and cattle to the new land—taken for granted, if it was noticed at all. There are no exact records, but then who would report to Raleigh about grass while ex- ploring a new continent beset with “treasure” and mystery? Yet the early records of the Jamestown colony, and of subsequent settlements in eastern North America, leave no doubt that bluegrass could have gained a foothold. There are many mentions of tilled lands and gardens, prime habitat for bluegrass. Thomas Harriot’s 4 Brief and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia, 1588, includes a notation that ‘‘we found topsoil deeper, we saw there more and larger fields and finer grass, as good as any in England... more English cattle should be transported; likewise our varieties of fruits, roots and herbs ...some of them have already been sown and have grown well...” Other reports of “English grass’, as bluegrass mixed with white clover was termed in those days, attest to familiarity that implies Old World origin. Captain John Smith, in 1629, reported ‘James Towne is yei their chief seate most of the wood destroyed, little corne there 10 planted, but all converted into pasture and gardens; wherein doth grow all manner of herbs and roots we have in England in abundance and so good grasse as can be... ”” William Penn told of sowing English grass, and Thomas Jefferson mentions it repeatedly. By Revolutionary times there were many names for Poa pratensis—at least twenty-seven have been counted—including “‘blue grass,’’ so called by Thomas Jefferson in his Notes on Virginia, 1782. Other names were green grass, Junegrass, meadow-grass, and greensward grass. Trained botanists did not set foot in America until the mid- eighteenth century. Peter Kalm observed bluegrass in 1749, indubitably Poa pratensis, abundant along the St. Lawrence. Gronovius listed it— no mistaking the identity—in his Flora virginica of 1762. And there are reports of “‘seas of grass,’ of uncertain bontanical definition, greeting Boone when he first left the Yadkin Valley of North Carolina for his explorations into Virginia’s western territory, known as Cain- tuck. Indeed, Caintuck, eventually Kentucky, is said to have meant “among the meadows’”’ in Indian language. It is not known how bluegrass first reached Kentucky. One report, difficult to varify, mentions an Irishman, John Findley, who paddled down the Ohio River from Pennsylvania, and then up the Kentucky River to trade with the Shawnee in 1752. Findley is said to have built a cabin and stockade, and to have scattered “English hay”’ that had been packed around his cargo. Was this the first introduction of the grass that was to be named for the eventual state of Kentucky? A John Finley—perhaps the same person—is also reported to have engaged Daniel Boone to act as his guide across the old “‘warrior’s path” from the Blue Ridge into Kentucky, in 1769. Might this, or other Boone expeditions, have carried bluegrass seed into the state, either by chance or by intent? While these speculations may be worth considering, the most likely explanation is that Poa pratensis, noted so widely in French Canada by botanist Peter Kalm in 1749, may have been carried down into the [llinois country by French missionaries in the late seventeenth century, and from there spread along the waterways, by-passing the mountains, to what is now Kentucky. The missionaries may have intentionally brought in bluegrass seed as they were wont to do with seeds of other plants. Marquette and La Salle had opened missions in Illinois as early as 1762 and 1682, and there were settlements at Kaskaskia, Illinois, by 1700, and at Vincennes on the Wabash River by 1702, a half century ahead of John Findley’s Indian trade in the ll same general area. Both settlements were flourishing when visited by Charlevoix in 1721. It is likely that bluegrass was poised just north of Kentucky, or introduced there, before Boone visited the land he opened. Interesting support of the belief that bluegrass may have natural- ized in the Midwest is given by letters written in 1818 by an Illinois resident named Birkbek: ‘“‘Where the little caravans have encamped as they crossed the prairies, and have given their cattle hay made of these perennial grasses, there remains everafter a spot of green turf for the instruction and encouragement of future improvers— a fact which, I think, is conclusive against the prevailing notion that the natural grasses, as they are called, are the best adapted to soil and climate.” It is well accepted that the North American prairies were entirely of grasses that turn brown in winter; Birkbek’s observa- tion suggests that Old World introductions were present where trav- elers encamped. There are those who claim that the bluegrass that made Kentucky famous actually came from southern Indiana, brought back by the returning volunteers who fought with Harrison at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. It was reported that the soldiers discovered the superior qualities of bluegrass and, when they returned home, sowed the seed on limestone soil. A present-day farmer, C. Henry Baum, Jr., of West Lebanon, Indiana, maintains that General Harrison camped in his grove at both start and finish of the Tippecanoe expedition. He believes that the bluegrass seed in question was gathered from his farm. Similar claims are made for a spot five miles north of Crawfords- ville, where a Federal penitentiary now stands near Terre Haute (the seed reportedly sent to Henry Clay in Kentucky by his brother-in-law, General Harrison). Another Indiana resident, Mayme Jacobs, cor- roborates: “My great-grandfather, John Hamilton, was a captain with General William Henry Harrison in his raid on Tecumseh, and my mother heard great-grandfather Hamilton tell of being one of those who carried the bluegrass seed to Kentucky.” Although admitting that bluegrass came to the United States with the Jamestown and Williamsburg settlers, still others have claimed that it was not in Kentucky until after 1812. Rather, they say, the cavalry with Anthony Wayne spread bluegrass at the encampments on the Pickaway Plains in Ohio, where it prospered, and from which seed was gathered and taken to the Lexington area of Kentucky. About 1822, a man named Rodeck is said to have gathered the seed and de- iz livered it to the farm of his brother, who settled near Lexington. This is possible, but most likely it is not the first introduction into Kentucky, where bluegrass had probably flourished on the rich phos- phatic soils for a long time. In any event, there, near Lexington, the English grass, meadow-grass, speargrass, or what you will, became Kentucky bluegrass. Poa pratensis was not known by the name Kentucky bluegrass until after 1833. Neither Elliott’s Botany of South Carolina and Georgia, 1812; Muhlenberg’s Catalog of the Plants of North America, 1813: nor Short’s Catalog of the Plants and Ferns of Kentucky, 1833, mention it by that name, although the species is invariably listed. But by 1840 there are references such as this by Bidwell and Falconer: “the limestone region of Kentucky was famous in the West as the center of prosperous and contented agriculture. Its bluegrass pastures were widely known...” Well’s Yearbook of Agriculture, Lawn Institute Bluegrasses of different stature. When distinctive types of Kentucky bluegrass are discovered, they can be perpetuated fairly easily because the seed is apomictic to a high degree (duplicates the parent plant because there is no sexual crossing). Here are two famous lawngrass cultivars, Fylking to the left and Merion to the right. They have been selected by horticulturists because of especially low, dense growth, re- sistance to disease, and other attributes of advantage in the lawn. 13 1855-6, mentions: “Poa pratensis: smooth-stalked meadow grass. In Kentucky it is called Kentucky bluegrass ... succeeds far better in Kentucky... than it does in any part of Europe, where it 1s native.” And Charles Flint, Grasses and Forage Plants, 1858, notes: “In Ken- tucky it is universally known as bluegrass, and elsewhere frequently called Kentucky bluegrass . . Thus did Kentucky bluegrass gradually come to be known for the state. It remains resplendent today over the fields and pastures of north-central Kentucky, one of the finest and most beautiful agri- cultural areas in the world, renowned especially as the breeding ground for some of the fastest thoroughbred horses. To a large extent the grow- ing of bluegrass for seed is now carried on farther west. But the tradi- tion lingers in Kentucky, where a way of life has been based upon grassland farming. Not only in Kentucky, but throughout the United States, bluegrass has played an important role in suburbs and agricultural areas. Dr. E. N. Fergus of the University of Kentucky points out: “With little assistance it achieved wide distinction for pasture and turf. One has only to imagine—if he can—home lawns, parks, playgrounds, air fields, golf courses, roadsides, cemetaries, campuses and other in- stitutional grounds without their carpets of bluegrass to appreciate in some degree the significance of this grass in our living.” Perhaps the most eloquent eulogist was John James Ingalls, senator from Kansas, 1873-1891, who delivered a speech, “In Praise of Blue- crass,’ to Congress. Ingalls concluded: “Grass feeds the ox; the ox nourishes man; man dies and goes to grass again; so the tide of life, with everlasting repetition, in continuous circles, moves endlessly on and upward, and in more senses than one, all flesh is grass. But all flesh is not bluegrass. If it were, the devil’s occupation would be gone.” Robert Schery is Director of the Lawn Institute in Marysville, Ohio. He was a student of the late Robert E. Woodson, receiving his master’s and doctorate degrees from the Henry Shaw School of Botany at Washington University, where he later taught for several years while doing research at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Dr. Schery’s interest in grasses is of long standing. He has been associated in various ways with the commercial production of grass and grass seed. His book, Plants for Man, is considered the best text on economic botany. 14 A Night in the Jungle 7, Andre Robyns Albrook Air Force Base, Canal Zone, is home base for the helicopters that carried the Missouri Botanical Garden collectors into the jungle. Susan Verhoek Williams N A PREVIOUS issue of the Bulletin, I described some adventurous botanical expeditions of other centuries. Current expeditions can be just as adventuresome, both in spite of and because of modern conveniences. The latest Missouri Botanical Garden expedition to Panama, led by Dr. Walter Lewis, was working under an Air Force grant and Air Force helicopter lifts gave us access to remote parts of the Panamanian jungle. When we boarded our helicopter at Albrook Air Base, Canal Zone, early on a December morning, our pilots jovially asked if we were ready to spend the night in the bush. Their question was not entirely in jest because three days earlier the helicopter had been unable to brave a tropical storm to return for another group of MBG botanists who had been collecting specimens along sea cliffs and a river. Our objective was the mountains in the western province of Los Santos, and our route was along the Pacific coastline, the most easily recognizable landmark. To our right we could see the coastal plain 15 and the mountains on the continental divide beyond. Eventually, the mountains of Los Santos loomed ahead of us and we flew through valleys and over the lower ridges. Once in the interior, we began to search for a landing spot. Helicopters are maneuverable and the pilots’ aim accurate, but the mountain sides were steep and covered with dense jungle, and we had to find a clearing with enough flat space for the helicopter to put down. After some searching, a clearing appeared several hundred feet below the top of one of the jungled peaks, about 2000 feet above the Pacific Ocean, visible in the distance. A native had cleared the space to plant corn and rice and to pasture his cattle. There were two huts in the clearing and someone said, as we circled overhead, “I get that hut for tonight.”’ As it turned out, we all did, but at the time we thought we were joking. The owner of the clearing met us as we landed and agreed to help us find “‘flores.”” We followed our guide up and down several small hills, and since the mountains of Los Santos are covered with rain forest and it was the rainy season, it was not surprising that the path was muddy. It took some time for the botanists from St. Louis to resign themselves to sinking more than ankle deep at each step. Higher up, the mountain paths through the jungle ceased to tug at our shoes as we walked. Instead, there was slick clay which offered no footing to anyone wearing shoes, and our barefoot guide was the only one who managed the ups and downs of the trail without sliding. Botanical collecting in the jungle was fascinating. The fruits of the trees and shrubs in the family Rubiaceae (Coffee family) were be- ginning to ripen; vines similar to morning glories were blooming, and the begonia season was in full swing. We collected a begonia with small white flowers and a seven foot stalk! Animal life was not quite so evident but our guide pointed out the two-inch paw marks of a jungle cat and prevented us from disturbing a hairy brown tarantula that measured eight inches from toe to toe. Flocks of green parrots flew from the tree tops making raucous noises. We returned to the clearing to wait for the helicopter, and as we waited, clouds drifted around the mountain tops and rain began to fall. We decided that it was just a shower and would soon pass. Half an hour later, the clouds were lower and it was raining harder. Sitting in the clearing under the larger plastic bags which had not yet been filled with plants, everyone decided that it was not just a shower. Still we sat, ready to wave and shoot flares, listening for the comforting ‘“whop-whop-whop”’ noise of our helicopter. 16 At first we thought we heard it in the valley to our right, and later we definitely heard it on our left. Straining to see through the clouds, we hoped a small patch of blue would reveal the helicopter; but hope was not enough. Then we heard the helicopter coming closer, evidently up the valley parallel to us, but all we could see were the same gray clouds rolling in around us, Then we saw it—a miniature seen through a tunnel of clouds! We shot our flares in case we were close enough for the pilots to see if they happened to be looking in the right direc- tion. But just before the clouds closed in again we saw the helicopter turn and go away. They hadn’t seen our flares or our clearing, and, by that time, had been searching so long that their fuel was running low. Six muddy, cold botanists sat on a hilltop and wept. As dejection was replaced by a desire for warmth and dryness, we asked our guide for permission to build a fire and the use of his hut. The hut was a “bohio’’, similar to the ones found all over Panama, basically four poles and a palm thatched roof. Panamanians may add more stakes around for walls and weave them with palm thatch. Our guide’s home was one of these, but our “hotel” for the evening, since it was a small corn crib, was open on two sides and the other two sides were neatly stacked with corn. It was not a luxurious looking place but in comparison with the cold, wet dusk of the rice field sur- Joan Nowicke In the total space available in the bohio the botanists wait for the helicopter to return. Members of the expedition grouped around the fire are Susan Williams, Dr. John Ridgway, Col. A. V. Zaborowski, Air Force liaison officer, and Dr. Andre Robyns. Not pictured are Joan Nowicke and Dr. Walter Lewis. 17 rounding it, the bohio seemed like home. We got the fire going, spread our plastic bags over the red dirt floor, put our muddy shoes by the fire, and Dr. Lewis served the remainder of our lunch for supper. He “carved” a hard-boiled egg, gave us each half a sandwich, and passed out candy bars for dessert. An added feature was a choice from a “relish plate’’—a carrot stick, one olive, or half a pickle. While we leisurely ate our dinner, darkness set in. Knowing it would be 12 hours before the dawn and that if we slept so early we would be awake during the longest part of the night, the six of us sat crowded into the small space not filled with corn and talked. Things soon began to move above us, dropping corn, mud and thatch down our backs and onto our plastic carpet. Someone pointed out that corn means at least mice and we hoped not rats as well. It was also observed that snakes looking for a juicy meal might find a corn crib full of good things to eat. The only way to escape such unpleasant thoughts was to sleep. However, it soon became apparent that all of us could not sleep in such a small area at once. Occasionally someone decided that he could not sleep on the lumps in his part of the floor any longer and he stepped outside to stretch for a few minutes. However, once he left his space on the floor the other sleepers spread out a little more and he was forced to join the ranks of the fire watchers or the snake patrol until a toe hold opened up on the floor of the bohio and he could work his way back in. For those who stayed awake, the night was beautiful— a cool breeze was blowing; the sky had cleared, and the stars were bright. In the distance the lights of ships on the Pacific going to and from the Canal were visible. Eventually a rooster on the next hill began to crow, and we were able to see beyond the circle of our own firelight. The dawn promised a clear, sunny morning and we knew that our helicopter would soon be back for us. We ate our breakfast of candy bar and piece of orange and the more daring drank the coffee that our host brought us. Then we folded our plastic bags and trudged through the mud one last time to the hill where the helicopter would land. We could see it as soon as we heard it—a long way off and searching for us in a zigzag path. As soon as it turned toward us, we set off our flares and the pilots came straight in. The loading of plants and people was accomplished in seconds and the helicopter lifted off for a calm flight back to the Canal Zone, ending our adventurous modern expedition. 18 Strange Aspects in the Study of Fungi James Maniotis bY TO THE mycology laboratory at Washington University, unless they are botanists themselves, are aghast when they observe piles of petri dishes filled with animal feces. It is true, I have a great liking for the dung of animals; the more esoteric the animal, the greater my delight. I feel it is time to explain my unusual interest. Particularly since one recent visitor to the laboratory helpfully suggested that my scatological tendency might be a Freudian neurosis. In my defense I must state that, as a mycologist, fungi are my business. Feces are a good source of a large number of fungi, some new to science, some well-known, but all interesting (Fig. 1). Lacking the chlorophyll of the green plants, and consequently unable to manu- facture their own elemental sugars, fungi grow wherever organic material presents itself. They are great opportunists. From a fungal point of view, which may be not exactly esthetic to us, a horse “apple” is a supermarket for microorganisms, containing large amounts of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and other materials. It is not only, as Harry Truman reputedly said to Queen Elizabeth, “good for the roses,’’ but is also good for a large number of other living things, too, including roundworms, flatworms, protozoa, bacteria, mites, in- sects, fungi, and so on. But let’s concern ourselves with the fungi for the time being. After a few days in a petri dish, freshly deposited horse or cow dung will yield the common pinmold, Pilobolus, whose spore-bearing stalks, the sporangiophores, cover the dung surface and look like a number of little pins sticking out of the dung (Fig. 2). Each spor- 19 angiophore (Pg. 21, A) develops a swelling near its top, upon which is formed the black spore- containing sac, or sporangium (Pg. 21, B; Fig. 4). Sporangia appear like little derby hats. Oddly enough, the sporangio- phores are strongly oriented toward the light diniac their formation (Pg. 21, C). In nature, during the morning hours, the sporangiophore tip actually follows the sun in its apparent motion across the sky. Then, about 11:00 through noon to 1:00 o’clock, the swelling below the sporangium bursts and literally shoots the sporangium towards the sun. The sporangium may travel over a yard or more in its flight and adheres to the surface on which it lands by means of the sticky material at its base (Pg. 21, D). Hence the suitability of the name, Pilobolus (Greek for hat-thrower) for this fungus. Each sporangiophore aims its sporangium at a light source with uncanny accuracy. Fig. 4 show a jar containing horse dung with Pilobolus. It is sealed from the light except for a tiny window. Fig. 5 shows the same jar a few days later with the covering removed. The discharged sporangia are dis- tributed in the area where the window was situated. Why should this strange creature discharge its sporangia in such a manner? Obviously, it is distributing itself in nature. But the story doesn’t end at this point. The sporangia in nature typically strike and stick to grass blades which intercept them in their flight. Normally, the spores (in the sporangia) of Pilobolus will not germinate to produce fungus filaments unless they pass through the mouth, stomach, and intestinal canal of some herbivore, such as cow or horse. We can simulate these conditions for germination in the laboratory by sub- jecting the spores to heat approximately that of the body temperature of the cow or horse, and using bile salts and acid solutions. These treatments, essentially the same as encountered by the spores inside the herbivore, encourage spore germination in the laboratory. After passing through the animal, the germinated fungal spores in the freshly deposited dung form threadlike filaments typical of most fungi. These grow through the dung, absorb food and then produce the sporangio- phores. But in laboratory media, the germinated spores produce only a limited amount of filaments, which produce few or no sporangio- phores, unless some substance which is found normally in dung is added. This substance was identified as heme, a component of lea haemoglobin and also of the enzymes responsible for cellular respira- tion in all living things. The heme probably comes from the cells or the glands lining the intestinal canal of the herbivore. It is apparent, then, that when Pilobolus throws its “hat’’, it is 20 James Maniotis Pilobolus kleinii. (A) Elongated sporangiophore terminating in (B) a swelling supporting the derby-shaped sporangium; (C) Direction of the source of light; (D) Two discharged sporangia adhering to a glass surface; the lower sporangium has burst open releasing its spores (arrow); (E) relative size of the third larval phase of the parasitic worm causing cow bronchitis compared to the Pilobolus sporangiophore. not only disseminating itself in nature, but (if I may be unscientific for the moment) sticks to grass in order to get inside the horse or cow to obtain the right conditions for spore germination, to get its food and “‘shot’’ of heme to produce sporangiophores and spores! What we have here is a beautiful instance of biological adaptation. How did this strange and involved sequence of events come about? I am only guessing now, but it seems probable that the ancestors of Pilobolus, being as opportunistic as other fungi, found dung to be a good place to grow, better than the dead leaves and soil where they competed for food with a host of other microorganisms. Perhaps these ancestors lost the capability of producing certain vitamins or heme- like materials not found in soil and leaves. Thus Pilobolus became committed to an existence of living on dung. But other fungi were 21 opportunistic, too, Conditions became very crowded on dung. Then, perhaps, a few strains of Pilobolus developed which had spore walls resistant enough to pass through the intestine of a herbivore without being digested by the animal. Since often the race is to the swift in nature, what swifter way was there to get in dung and start growing in it than while inside the animal? And somehow Pilobolus evolved this capability. In doing this, the fungus sacrificed its capabilities to grow in soil. But each phase of sacrifice of its free-living capabilities in- creased the capabilities of the fungus to grow and reproduce its own kind on herbivore dung. It became specialized to a particular way of ae | James Maniotis Fig. 1. Horse-dung culture. Emerging from the surface of the dung are the fruiting bodies of a small species of the “inky-cap’”” mushroom, Coprinus. Passage of the spores of this mushroom through the animal’s intestine actually favors germination of the spores. Fig. 2. Some horse-dung from a stable giving rise on its surface to the fruiting bodies of the pinmold, Pilobolus. The arrow indicates a cluster of sporangiophores. Fig. 3. Pilobolus kleinii on horse-dung. Several sporangiophores each bearing a spor- angium. These were photographed at 11 a.m. By noon, the sporangia were discharged. Fig. 4. A jar containing freshly-deposited horse-dung. It has been sealed from light except for the little window. The jar was placed near a laboratory window for several days with its window oriented to the outdoors. Fig. 5. The same jar with its covering removed. The sporangia (black dots indicated by arrow) are clustered around the area where the window was situated. 22 life which was successful, in terms of its own reproduction. And so it is with most living things, this interdependence, with sequences as strange, involved and intricate as that observed in Pilobolus. We wonder what the next phase of development in Pilobolus may be. Since it requires heme from the herbivore’s intestine, a reasonable guess would be that some of the future descendants of Pilobolus will become parasitic on intestinal tissue. One can recount a number of such complex relationships between animals, man, dung, and the organisms in dung. I am reminded of the story of the mycologist’s wife and the U.S. customs officer. When this lady, visiting England, was about to return to the U.S., she wondered what she could bring back for her husband, a great American mycologist active in the early years of this century at Harvard. What could be more appropriate for a mycologist than some elephant dung from the fabulous London Zoo? When asked by the customs official if she had anything to declare in a particular package, she procrastinated, and stated there was nothing of value to declare. ‘“What’s in the package, lady?” “Elephant dung.” Following lengthy explanations, the dung was admitted. But there was a sequel to this anecdote. The mycologist, so the story goes, found an unusual fungus in the dung, and when his wife visited England the following year, he requested she bring back more of the same. As luck would have it, the same customs inspector greeted the lady upon her return to the U.S. “Well, lady, what is it this time? More elephant dung?” And sure enough, it was. Many microorganisms have evolved intricate life cycles involving passage through animals and distribution in fecal materials. A number of these organisms, including fungi, bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and various worms, are parasites of man or his animals. And, indelicate though it may be, one of the realities of life is fecal material. With more and more people on this earth and corresponding increases in numbers of food animals, there are increased amounts of feces, which present great technological and health problems. Thus it is clear that microbiological scatology, or whatever you want to call it, has some human relevance after all. Dr. Maniotis is an associate professor of botany at Washington University. 23 Herb Society’s Test Garden Serves Many Purposes Mary A. Gamble HAT DOES IT TAKE fo grow herbs in the St. Louis area? This is the basic question the members of the St. Louis Herb Society wanted answered when they asked Dr. Derek G. Burch, Chief Horticulturist at the Missouri Botanical Garden, to let them develop a “test garden” there. In this garden they would try to find the an- swers to the many questions about herbs which they asked themselves and each other, and which were put to them regularly by the public. In it they would try out their ideas, satisfy their curiosity, and prove or disprove their methods. ‘Tests’? to the herbers did not imply the exact, controlled con- ditions of the scientific laboratory. It meant, rather a trying out, a testing to develop a set of practical rules which, if followed, would allow the busy, hurried, and often harried St. Louis area gardeners a better than even chance of success in their gardens. The test garden was agreed to and the plot readied for spring plant- ing in 1967. It met ideally two fundamental requirements for an herb garden: it had full sun and good drainage. A third fundamental—fair to good garden soil—was supplied by the friable topsoil which was judged better than fair. It was not tested. Herbers are realistic. They know that more gardeners talk about testing their soil than do it. The overall test plot measured 22 feet east and west and 72 feet north and south, with a gentle western slope. It was ploughed and cultivated, then divided into three 6-ft. by 72-ft. beds. Each of the beds then was prepared differently. In one liberal quantities of peat moss and agricultural lime were worked to provide a type of soil suit- able to almost all herbs; in the second bed only the agricultural lime was added to make a sweet soil such as most herbs like; the third bed was left ‘“‘as is,” or unimproved. The three beds were then planted in matching 6-ft. rows so that 24 every seed was subjected to three different soil conditions. For plant- ing, shallow troughs were dug and filled with vermiculite. A marker with planting date and seed variety noted was placed at the head of the row and a steady hand then tapped the seeds from the packet, spacing them evenly the length of the trough. This done, the seeds were covered with a thin layer of vermiculite and watered gently. This first year 25 different herbs (species and varieties) were planted, part on May 23 and the balance on May 31. First germination from the earlier planting—the dependable Sweet Basil (Ocimum basili- cum) —was noted on May 31. Then the unexpected happened, as it always does in gardening. Breaking the ground for the test garden literally had set off an explosion of weed seeds which germinated and flourished beyond control. In desperation a weed and, it turned out, herb killer was applied. The results confirmed the general opinion among the tradi- tionalist herbers that modern sprays have no place in an herb garden. But herbs and herbers are resilient and enough of the former survived for the latter to salvage the experiment. As the summer progressed it was clear that the herbs which had been planted in the more thoroughly prepared bed (that with peat aS es aad ee rr a F = Ae ice ‘, 4 Ange Mad : “8 Mary Gamble Herb Society ladies are shown here cutting back herbs during the test garden’s first season, 1967. moss and agricultural lime applied) were winning the race. So, as herbers are pragmatic, they agreed that, unless one lived in the old- time Florissant valley or on a Missouri river bottom farm, it was foolish to try to raise herbs in totally unprepared soil when ofttimes a modicum of work would yield a measurably more bountiful harvest. It was decided that any serious gardener would be more than willing to prepare his soil properly. (Herbers are idealistic, they believe in gardeners.) Therefore in spring 1968 all seeds would be planted in a properly prepared bed. This plan was followed. Seeds of 17 species and varieties of herbs were planted, part on May 7 and the balance on May 14. Unseasonably cold weather held back germination. The basils proved exceptionally slow and sorrel (Rumex acetosa) won the 68 germination sweepstakes. Again, there were problems, not all unexpected. In 1968 as in 1967 the weeds flourished. And again the dominant one was purslane (Portulaca oleracea). To herbers, a saving grace with purslane is that it is an historic and therefore interesting plant. In Elizabethan England, one of the great ages of herbs, it was enjoyed as a “‘sallett’? herb, and medicinally was considered “good for them which are troubled with spitting of blood.” In France it was one of the ingredients of Bonne Femme soup. To weeding herbers, purslane was a reminder that many a present day weed is a once useful herb fallen on evil times. Planting seeds of a smaller number of herbs in a single bed freed a substantial portion of the test garden for expanding another experi- ment, started on a small scale in 1967. This was to set out various perennial herbs in the test plot and see what happened to them under field conditions. The results with tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), sage (Salvia officinalis), burnet (Sanguisorba minor) and chives (Allium schoenoprasum) were so good (as had been expected) that this spring other herbs were added, notably lavender (Lavendula officinalis). In short, the test garden has also become a nursery for a portion of the perennials which the Herb Society will sell at the annual Sale of Herb Plants (1969 date: Friday and Saturday, May 2 and 3). These field- grown herbs should provide an interesting group of ““specimen”’ plants for the sale, as well as increasing the quantity available to customers. Thus the primary purpose of the test garden continues to be satisfied while using it as a nursery not only broadens the growing experience of Herb Society members but also improves the plant sale which bene- fits the Garden’s greenhouse (herbers are notably practical). 26 Mary Gamble Members of the Herb Society plant seed in their test garden in spring of 1968. The test garden cannot be isolated from the Herb Society’s other gardening efforts at the Missouri Botanical Garden. It is, rather, an important link in a chain, the end purpose of which is to produce more and better plants for the plant sale and, replacements for the Herb Garden viewed by the public. Some herbs which are displayed as specimens in this garden are grown in quantity in the test garden to provide material for vinegars, drying, etc., for the herb products sales which the Society holds at irregular intervals. The test garden also serves as a repository for seedlings and surplus plants from the Herb Garden and members’ gardens so that they can be used rather than discarded (herbers abhor waste). Well-rooted cuttings from the greenhouses and cold frames are set out in the test garden to benefit from a season in the sun. And the testing of seeds at continues. With each planting a record is kept of source and germina- tion results to increase the usefulness of the Society’s gardening records. It is all a little informal, because herbers, except in their rare formal gardens, tend to be casual. They’re more serious about their gardening than themselves. Their approach is to “do as much as we can, putting first things first.” The accumulated experience of the test garden, the herb garden, and that of members in their own herb gardens, will form the basis of a special bulletin to be published jointly by the Herb Society and Shaw’s Garden (planned publication date is mid-April 1969). In it the Society will tell what worked for its members in growing herbs in our locale. No amateur gardeners have ever worked under more fortuitous circumstances. Dr. Edgar Anderson, internationally renowned botanist and co-founder and honorary member of the St. Louis Herb Society is infinitely patient as he provides instant knowledge, as is Dr. Burch, a Henry Shaw member of the Society. Mr. Paul A. Kohl, Garden Floriculturist, with whom the herbers work happily the year-round producing plants for the herb garden and plant sale, is equally generous with knowledge and advice. In addition, as Society work crews make and root cuttings, pot plants, prune and care for them, Mr. Claude A. Johnston, Grower, Floral Displays, as well as other members of the greenhouse staff, keep an interested eye on their work. If any seems not quite up to Garden standards, there’s a gentle suggestion that results would be better if the work were done this way. Throughout the year almost every member of the St. Louis Herb Society, at one time or another, works in the herb gardens and greenhouses. All consider this a privilege, and an unequaled opportunity to learn about gardening from men who know, in one of the world’s great botanical gardens. The herbers rate the test garden a happy experience. To their prejudiced eyes it is as beautiful in its utilitarian, productive way as is their Herb Garden in its charming, 19th century formality. The test garden has proved, among other things, that modern herbing, although rooted in tradition, thrives on experiment and change. It is this excitement and challenge which explains herbing’s continuing hold on its enthusiasts who never stop asking questions and seeking answers. 28 Our Friend, Gilbert Pennewill Dorothy Anderson and Dan O’Gorman ii bees UNTIMELY death of Gilbert Pennewill in May was a great loss to the cause of horticulture in St. Louis. He was an active member of the Missouri Botanical Garden Horticultural Council, serving as Chairman in 1956-57. He was a past president of the St. Louis Horti- cultural Society as well as a member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Pennewill enjoyed the hobby of iris hybridization and was a past president of the St. Louis Iris Society. In 1962 he was awarded the Green Bronze Medal of the Men’s Garden Clubs of America, for outstanding service to the Midwest Region. An active member and past president of the Men’s Garden Club of Richmond Heights, he was awarded the William Olson Medal in 1965 for meritorious service to the club. Mr. Pennewill was always willing to help on any project of the Missouri Botanical Garden. He organized the Cutting Garden south of Tower Grove House, and spent many hours supervising and working to make it a successful project. He would be on hand to help with the children’s Christmas wreath workshop, and to help distribute spring seedlings to the children. He served as a Garden Guide as well as an Answer Man, in George Pring’s absence. Mr. Pennewill was always neighborly and helpful, as well as friendly. An even-tempered man, he never lost his patience. He fitted-in without pushing-in. Now that he is gone, there is a cog miss- ing, an inconspicuous cog that made the whole machinery of the Garden run more smoothly. 29 Mary Ruprecht The Board of the Friends of the Garden held their final meeting of the year at the Museum on June 3, and the officers for the coming year were installed: President, Mrs. Guy Oliver; Ist Vice-President, Mrs. H. Leighton Morrill; 2nd Vice-President, Mrs. Tom K. Smith, Jr.; Recording Secretary, Mrs. Joseph E. Griesedieck; Ass’t Secretary, Mrs. Charles F. Limberg. The new guide program, under the direction of Mr. Kenneth Peck and Mr. Mark Paddock, will begin its course of instruction on Septem- ber 17 and continue for eight Tuesday mornings. Mrs. Parker Smith will act as coordinator for this program, with Mrs. Clarence Barksdale as her co-chairman. Any of the Friends who have not availed them- selves of this opportunity to become more knowledgeable about the Garden, and things botanical and horticultural, should call Mr. Peck or Mr. Paddock (TO5-0440) at once. Another of Mr. Kohl’s magnificent Chrysanthemum Shows will be previewed for the Friends about the first of November. The Garden Gate Shop will again have a three day sale of their unusual Christmas items, so you will have a chance to get a running start on the holiday season ahead! 30 THE ART OF IKEBANA | Florence T. Morris OR HUNDREDS of years the Japanese have practiced the art of Ikebana. A very weak and inadequate translation of this word is “flower arranging.” A truer picture might be given if we say it is an “art of the flower,” developed through infinite ingenuity, with love and understanding of flowers. In the English translation the connotation of manual dexterity often predominates rather than artistic insight. Of course it is neces- sary for anyone who wishes to clearly understand Ikebana to have a knowledge of its rules and forms. The art is a great deal more than placing flowers in a container to look pretty. Ikebana, which also might be translated as “bringing flowers to life,” implies an attitude toward the blossoms which is based upon a way of looking at and living with nature. Ikebana is a way of living—in other words, a philosophy. This disciplined art form will be taught at the Garden in five sessions beginning November 6. (For further information, call TO 5-0440.) The teachers, Mrs. Walter E. Morris, assisted by Mrs. Bruce Johanboeke and Mrs. Theodore Guhman, are all of the Ikenobo School. This is one of the largest and oldest schools in Japan, having been in existence for five hundred years. It is now headed by the 45th Headmaster, Senei [kenobo in Kyoto, Japan. 31 Benefit the Missouri Botanical Garden While Enjoying the Trip of a Lifetime! s Pan American The ruins of Sacsahuaman, showing Indians relaxing at the ruins of the baths built for the noblemen of the Incas. Join the ‘Friends’ GARDEN TOUR OF SOUTH AMERICA January 16th through February 7th, 1969. These twenty-three days will include the sightseeing hi-lights plus visits to private gardens and estates not generally open to the public. Our own Lad Cutak will be along to enlighten you on the horticultural aspects. There will also be plenty of time for beaching, fishing, golf and shopping for those who wish to indulge themselves. May we send you a brochure? Contact: Friends of the Garden Office TO 5-0440 or Sante Travel Agency PA 6-3040 By NEW GUIDE BOOK Das a i e a es: = . Barbara Lawton Experts check the large proof sheets of the new guide book, to make sure color and register are correct. Barbara Lawton ea IS ALWAYS a need and desire for the Garden to better com- municate with its visitors and friends. With this in mind, the Missouri Botanical Garden has created a department of publications. This new department is off and running with its first major production, a much needed Guide Book to the Missouri Botanical Garden. This handsome full-color guide (44 pages) is being sold for $1.25 in several places, including the Main Gate and the Garden Gate Shop. Well designed and comprehensive, it makes a fine souvenir or momento of a trip to the Garden, as well as telling the Garden’s story to old and new friends alike. The Publications Department has also produced an informational brochure which includes a map of the Garden. This is being given to each paying visitor. Plans are being made for a series of publications dealing with gardening and horticulture in the Midwest. The first will be on herb gardening and is scheduled for production in early spring. ao WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN THE MINISTER TO THE EMBassy of the Republic of China, Shih-ying Woo, visited St. Louis in the late spring. Dr. Woo came to the Garden on a Sunday afternoon and was escorted through the grounds by Mrs. Emily Horner, one of the Garden’s ambassadors of good will. He most enjoyed the Linnaean Garden where the iris and peonies were at their peak. i Si Ni ) \ 14 a aN Kim Gray (Mrs. Raymond) joined the Garden in July as Dr. Burch’s assistant. Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Kim recently received her degree from Oregon State University where she majored in botany with an emphasis on horticulture. Kim’s husband is serving a three year hitch in the Army. Kim enjoys fishing, ceramics, sports, and dogs. Ni Ni ei Tue Museum Buiipinc has a new look. The south room has been re- modeled and is now a full fledged kitchen, The make-do arrangements for meetings at which food is served are a thing of the past now that the beautiful new equipment has been installed. THE CENTRAL STATES CHAPTER of the Society of American ‘Travel Writers held its annual meeting in St. Louis on June 14 thru 16. St. Louis lived up to state tradition in showing the journalists the tourist potential of our city and it is hoped that the travel editors, writers of major daily newspapers, auto touring magazines and national travel publications will respond with articles on the attractions they saw in St. Louis. A reception and tour was given in the Climatron, with luncheon in the Flower House preceded by a short talk by Dr. David Gates who welcomed the guests to the Garden. One hundred members were in attendance, seated at tables which carried a blooming orchid as a centerpiece. Among the notables were Robert 5. Kane, president of the Society and author of a series of books on travel; Senator Noel Cox of the Missouri Tourism Commission; Uzi Michaeli and Menachem Eyal, directors of the Israel Government Tourist Office. 34. Ss Ss Si Recent Herparium Visirors include the following: Dr. James S. Pringle, Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Dr. Mildred E. Mathias, University of California, Berkeley; Dr. Jerry C. Anway, Ohio University, Athens; Miss Rosemary Grosvenor, Govern- ment Herbarium, Salisbury, Rhodesia; Prof. Joseph Ewan, Tulane University, New Orleans; and Miss Mireya D. Correa A. of the Uni- versity of Panama, Panama. Si! S! Sy Miss Correa is an old friend of our herbarium staff, having helped and participated in many of the expeditions to Panama from the Missouri Botanical Garden. She works closely with the U.S. Army Tropic Test Center at Fort Clayton, Canal Zone, helping organize the herbarium at the test center, contributing to vegetational study of the Albrook Site, and assisting the many plant collectors who go to Paceoueo. S) S) S) THe NationaL HEMEROCALLIS Society held its annual meeting in St. Louis on July 4-6. About 300 members visited the Garden on July 6, toured the grounds from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and met in the Hemero- callis Test Garden where important seedling daylilies were grown by several hybridizers. These and new hybrids were sent to the Garden in the autumn of 1966 and exhibit a range of colors from the tradi- tional yellow and orange to pinks and various hues of browns. S) Ss) S) THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSERYMEN, INC. held its 93rd annual convention at the Chase-Park Plaza Hotel on July 13-17, with over 700 members in attendance. This association consists of wholesalers, landscapers, retailers and allied associates of the nursery industry. Over a hundred exhibitors held a trade show in conjunction with the meeting. The Garden set up an exhibit of flowering orchids and bromeliads in the lobby of the Chase-Park Plaza. The plants were set on a table against a background of pictures of Garden scenes and the various projects of the Garden. Dr. David Gates, Mark Paddock and Lad Cutak, along with their wives, represented the Garden at the Wholesale Nursery Growers Barbecue held at Forrest Keeling Nursery in Elsberry on July 13. Many of the nurserymen visited the Garden during their stay in St. Louis. ys) The Missouri Botanical Garden Calendar September 1-8..... September 14....... September 21. September 21-23... September 28.......... September 28, 29 October 1, 8, 15, 29.29. Nov. S.ccss2, October 5......... October 12.............. October 19... October 26.............. October 1, 8, 15, 1 Ae. Se ere at 8:00-9:30 p.m. or October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 at 1:00-2:30 p.m. (SEPTEMBER and OCTOBER, 1968) HENRY SHAW CACTUS SOCIETY SHOW. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “Table Top Greenhouses.” (Bring 1 lb. coffee container and plastic bag large enough to cover.) Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “Little Round Green Things and Others.” Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. DAHLIA SHOW. Greater St. Louis Dahlia Society. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “How to Make a Terrarium.” (Bring wide mouth jar or small glass bowl.) Admis- sion is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. HARVEST SHOW. Midwest Regional Council of Men’s Garden Clubs. NATURAL HISTORY. A new course to be taught by Edgar Anderson in the Museum Building from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Friends of the Garden, $9.00; $12.00 to others. (Cost of books extra.) — CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. ‘Planting Bulbs.” (Bring 1 Ib. coffee container.) Admission is free. 10:00- 11:30 a.m. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “Fall Treasure Hunt.’ Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. _ CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “Fall Colors.” Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “The Forests of the Rocky Mountains.” Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. ~PLANT PROPAGATION FROM CUTTINGS. To be taught by Mr. Clarence Barbre and Mr. Kenneth Peck in the Experimental Greenhouse. Friends of the Garden, $12.00; $16.50 to others. (Call TO 5-0440 for further information.) i Se Sree ~o.-—>-S The Missouri Botanical Garden is a fund member of the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis. 36 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Harry E, Wuertensarcuer, Jr., President A. Timon Primm III, Vice President Ciarence C. Barxspate, Second Vice President Howarp F. Baer Henry Hircucocx Sam’L. C. Davis Leonarp J. HoLtanp Leicester B. Faust Warren McKinney Suapceicn Ricuarp A, Goopson Tom K. Smiru, Jr. Rosert R. Hermann C. PoweLtt WuitEHEAD Honorary Trustees: GeorcE L. CaDIGAN Dopey Frencu EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS James E, Hurt, President, Board of Education of St, Louis Stratrorp LEE Morton, President, Academy of Science of St. Louis A. J. CERVANTEs, Mayor, City of St. Louis Tuomas H. Etior, Chancellor, Washington University FRIENDS OF THE GARDEN Women’s Executive Board Officers: Mrs. Guy W. Oliver, President; Mrs. H. Leighton Morrill, First Vice President; Mrs. Tom K. Smith, Jr., Second Vice President; Mrs. Joseph E. Griesedieck, Secretary; Mrs. Charles F. Limberg, Assistant Secretary; Mrs. Leslie J. Gleason, Executive Secretary and Publicist. HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL Ralph Rabenau, Chairman Mrs. J. Herman Belz, Mrs. Paul H. Britt, E. G. Cherbonnier, Mrs. D. Goodrich Gamble, E. J. Gildehaus, Robert E. Goetz, Earl Hath, Mrs. Hazel L. Knapp, F. R. McMath, Dan O’Gorman, Mrs. Gilbert J. Samuelson, Rudy Zuroweste. GARDEN STAFF Davmwp M. Gates, Director James Attman, Capital Fund Drive Epcar AnpERsoN, Botanist Ciarence Barsre, Instructor Currorp Benson, Plant Breeder Leonarp Brake, Research Associate Derek G. Burcu, Chief Horticulturist Tuomas B. Croat, Research Associate Laptstaus Curax, Horticulturist and Manager of Public Relations Huen C. Curcer, Curator of Useful Plants Jonn D. Dwyer, Research Associate Watpo G. Fecuner, Secretary of Board and Controller Kim Gray, Assistant to Chief Horticulturist James Hampton, Chief Engineer and Superintendent of Operations Anprew L, Jounson, Program Development Hyrum Jounson, Research Associate CLaupE Jounston, Grower, Floral Displays Paut A. Kout, Floriculturist Barbara Lawton, Publications Manager Cuarvotre Lance, Assistant Librarian Water H. Lewis, Director of the Herbarium Eucenta Mappox, Librarian F. R. McMartu, Rosarian Vixtor MUEHLENBACH, Research Associate Royce L, Oriver, Research Assistant Mark W. Pappock, Administrative Assistant to the Director Kewnnetu O. Peck, Head Instructor Marian Preirrer, Orchid Grower Georce H. Prine, Superintendent Emeritus Joun Ripeway, Curator of Bryophytes ALFRED SaxpaL, Rose Grower Owen J. Sexton, Research Ecologist Frank STEINBERG, Superintendent of the Arboretum, Gray Summit Sanpra THornton, Educational Assistant Susan Wiuurams, Senior Herbarium Assistant Visit Your Missouri Botanical Garden (SHAW’S GARDEN) Forest Park Hwy 40 t 100 oo t nenest© g No S/) 2 ~\ N 0 Shaw . Missouri Botanical. : = PSB 84 Gardenij ~ & Magnolig ie & = =) -< “ oO) a x Sad MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN VOLUME LVI NO. 6 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1968 BOE. Gare ent va re aetes yg, ee ag are . ‘ ai i “prgsica ae Sy gp i Pe 3 a bom Viena See Nie SMRRISS ba pees Bet ¥ a or Fae O's z wes ae * 4 trcict bere « as Eeiaabsaatheand ic eae CS ie . Ss aP i ay are Pe ee ee een re a Ree poet ee reany : as alla ae Rg - RRR eee x In, straw glass, and cook e/ Tower Grove and Flora in gat 7 ic, Ceramics, VLE REIT FE OED IE Seas > Sai: aL bee RS RNS PRN BES FRc as Ne o> ah pee . iP ts ; Ca -\s ‘es re i oP. ; » NS ate. oo : SU Neigh 1 ay - ‘ “ef d ef nf, y ; ; - i } a ‘ . 3 Fi Ve e ae > i AL at ee é F, ' ra \ gor. “ $ , LE ff . je 4 Pig ft *, $ Pe ae Oe 2 re, ‘ | 48 #1 Ve : Wx: i Wie A te or ae j u“ s , s ped r& : SEL. Hil P es 6 FEB OTe \ i Md ae Fate i yy E Ht ‘ jeve’ e b # ; ry o% Z 4 ee ; * fO% c yaa : eg ; J cA be 4 4 sy | ey | | Tae ra i :” hh ; - mans fir ] P| : met. ' f 7 ‘9 © | t Aa: ate, | “A g ey, i ‘ } é “ a or, . mare” ay : aa # ‘elhe, * Pd, eg) ear P F : rf ha ling ie ey 2 4 ; H t 4 * | | = aes \ A { { | | ft | - sy a \ # | ri 4 f pee) a j te 4 ’ a 1 ; Gr i } aa wl \etcocs asd { | : BY? & = ~ { ‘: __ SHAW “HOUSE - AWE GARDEN ; age nonenn RMISEL HORS : STLOUIS, MOne . Nn, ee The Historical Committee held their regular board meeting and made many plans for Henry Shaw’s Tower Grove House for 1968-1969. The Committee hopes to have many different and interesting collec- tions displayed in the three cabinets in the halls. At present Mrs. Neal S. Wood’s collection of ruby glass is in the second floor cabinet. A collection of Old Paris gold wedding band and white china (1860) is displayed in the back hall opposite the kitchen. This was given to The Tower Grove House by Mrs. Martha V. Kaltwasser. In the back hall near the office we have our own collection of the Dewdrop, also Dewdrop and Star pressed glass. Anyone having an interesting collection of the Shaw period, please let us display it for the public to enjoy. Call Mrs. V. Brewer PR 3-9000 and one of the Historical Committee will contact you. 28 South Lim ‘ io de Janeiro American Adventure alee FRIENDS’ Garden Tour of South America is filling rapidly with those who are anticipating the after-Christmas doldrums. Are you among the St. Louisans who shudder to think of our dank dark Mis- sissippi Valley winter? By the sixteenth of January, 1969, it will be early summer in Rio de Janeiro! Mr. Ladislaus Cutak, of the Missouri Botanical Garden, will accom- pany the tour. Mr. Cutak is not only an interesting companion and a horticultural expert, but also an outstanding amateur photographer. Bring your Brownie! This carefully planned trip has something for everyone. You will have an opportunity to swim and sun, to shop for precious stones or alligator bags, to visit private estates not open to the usual tourist, to savor the Spanish colonial and Indian past of this enormous con- tinent as well as the beauties of Brasilia, the world’s most modern capital. You may even want to fish for three days in Bariloche, Argen- tina, while you feast your eyes on scenery that resembles Switzerland! If you want additional information about this exciting ‘“‘South American Adventure’’, call Mrs. Gleason—at TO 5-0440. She has brochures on the trip. The wooly bear caterpillars predict a long cold winter ahead! 29 The Missouri Botanical Garden Calendar November 2.. November 2, ne November 3-24...... November 9............ CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “Fun. with November 12 ’ 19, 26, December 3 at 7:30-9:30 p-m. and November 23 , 30 at 2:30-4:30 p.m. November 16 (NOVEMBER and DECEMBER, 1968) CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “Bird Feeders.” (Bring empty half-gallon milk carton.) Admission is free. 10:00- 11:30 a.m. ORCHID ARRANGEMENT AND CORSAGE MAKING. To be taught by Mr. Lloyd Kallial in the New Growing Houses from 9:30 a.m. until noon. Friends of the Garden, $6.00; $8.00 to others. CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOW Fruit.’ Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. WINTER BOTANY. This course of six sessions on the recognition of woody plants in winter will be taught by Dr. Edgar Anderson and Mr. Kenneth Peck in the Museum Building. Friends of the Garden, $9.00; $12.00 to others. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. ‘Ants in Your Plants.’’ Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. November 23.......... CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. ‘Winter Win- 5 dow Vegetable Gardens.” (Bring rigid container, 10” x 10” x 3” deep.) Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. November 30.......... THE HOME GREENHOUSE. This course for those who wish to and December 7 learn how to manage their own greenhouses will be taught by Dr. Derek Burch and Mr. Paul Kohl in the New Growing Houses from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Bring a sandwich. Coffee and soda pro- vided.) Friends of the Garden, $9.00; $12.00 to others. November 30.......... CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “‘Insectivorous December 1 thru... January 4, 1969 December 7... December 14 December 21] December 28 Plants.” Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. POINSETTIA SHOW. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. “The Coldest Island.” The natural history of Antarctica. Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. ‘Making Christ- mas Cards.’’ Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. ‘Christmas Wreaths.” (Bring a wire coat hanger bent into a hoop.) Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. CHILDREN’S SATURDAY NATURE PROGRAM. ‘‘Nature Mov- ies.’ Admission is free. 10:00-11:30 a.m. (Call TO. 5-0440 for further information.) 30 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN A SELECTIVE INDEX FOR VOLUME LVI (1968) NOTE: This is a selective index and therefore there are omissions of certain regular features of the Bulletin such as “From the Director,” Friends of the Garden, various news articles and rosters, ‘“‘Who, What, Where, When,’ etc. The index is in three parts: Title, Author, and Book Reviews. *indicates that an article is illustrated in some fashion. TITLE INDEX *The art of Ikebana 56:5:31 *Botany, medicine, and the Mississippi Valley 96:1:14-19 *Christmas rose 56:6:4 *The chrysanthemum 56:6:5 *The clouds of the Climatron 56:4:21-22 *Daniel Boone elm 36 :6:8-9 *Daylilies for your garden 56:3:6-11 *George Engelmann 56:6:10-17 *Evening primrose I 56:3:20-21 *Evening primrose II 56:3:22-23 Gardening in St. Louis 56:1-6 various paging *Ginger (Zingiber officinale) —56:3:17-19 *Glorious wreaths for all seasons 56:6:6-7 *Herb Society’s test garden serves many purposes 96:5:24-28 *History lurks in the Herbarium 96:1:20-24 *Honeydew 56:4:13-20 *(Iris) That tiny brown speck 56:3:6-11 *The kapok tree and the dramatic history of Rumphius’ herbal 56:3:4-5 *Linnaean dissertations 96:1:2 *The many sides of George Van Schaack 56:1:8-13 *Master showman: Paul A. Kohl 96:4:6-1] *In memoriam, John S. Lehmann 562133 *The migration of a plant; Kentucky bluegrass followed settlers of the New World 96:5:6-14 *Missouri Botanical Garden annual report, 1967 96:2:16-47 *Narcissus V 96:2:3-4 *New guide book 56:5:33 *A night in the jungle 96:5:15-18 *The North American pumpkin 56:5:4-5 *Our friend, Gilbert Pennewill 56:5:29 *(Oxalis) Is it a rocket? 96:4:25-26 *Rose gardens 96:3:24 *Roses in January 56:1:25 *The small greenhouse 56:1:4-7 *The story of the white redbud 56:2:5-7 *Strange aspects in the study of fungi *Sunflowers in the fields *Sunflowers in the library *Vegetable sheep (Roaulia eximia) 56:5:19-23 56:4:5 56:4:4 56:4:23-24 AUTHOR INDEX Anderson, Dorothy and Dan O’ Gorman *Our friend, Gilbert Pennewill . Anderson, Edgar *Evening primrose I. *The story of the white redbud . *Sunflowers in the fields . Anderson, Edgar and Edgar Denison *Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Armstrong, Harris *The small greenhouse Baer, Mary E. *Glorious wreaths for all seasons Benson, Cliff W. *That tiny brown speck (Iris) Chute, Nancy With book and trowel: gardening books reviewed Cutak, Lad *Daniel Boone elm Cutler, Hugh C. *The North American pumpkin . . 56:5:29 . 56:3:20-21 » BOLT . 96:4:5 . 96:3:17:19 . 96:1:4-7 . 56:6:6-7 » 26:3:6-11 . 96:3:25-29 . 56:6:8-9 . 96:5:4-5 AUTHOR INDEX Cont. Denison, Edgar and Edgar Anderson *Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Fisendrath, Erna *The many sides of George Van Schaack . Gamble, Mary A. *Herb Society’s test garden serves many purposes . Gates, David M. *Vegetable sheep (Roaulia eximia) . Kubota, Nobuyuki The chrysanthemum Lange, Carla *Christmas rose. *Sunflowers in the library Lawton, Barbara *George Engelmann . . *Master showman: Paul A. Kohl *New guide book . *Rose ‘gardens *Roses in January Maniotis, James *Botany, medicine, and the Mississippi Valley . *Strange aspects in the study of fungi Morris, Florence T. *The art of Ikebana . O’Gorman, Dan and Dorothy Anderson *Qur friend Gilbert Pennewill Peck, Kenneth *Evening primrose II *Honey dew *(Oxalis) Is it a rocket? . Pettus, George T. *Daylilies for your garden Robyns, Andre G. *The kapok tree and the dramatic history of Rumphius’ herbal Schery, Robert W. *The migration of a plant; Kentucky bluegrass followed eetilecs: of the New World Taylor, Elwynn ~ *The clouds of the Climatron . Van Schaack, George B. *Linnaean dissertations *Narcissus V Verhoek, Susan *History lurks in the Herbarium Williams, Susan Verhoek *A night in the jungle . BOOK REVIEWS Arnold, Harry L. (M.D.) Poisonous plants of Hawaii (A) . Jeffers, Robert H. The friends of John Gerard (1545- nr surgeon and botanist (A) Kenfield, Warren G. The wild gardener in the wild landscape (A) Menninger, Edwin A. Fantastic trees (A) (A) —Edgar Anderson, reviewer. 32 . 96:3:17-19 . 56:1:8-13 . 96:5:24-28 . 96:4:23-24 . 56:6:5 . 56:6:4 . 56:4:4 . 56:6:10-17 . 56:4:6-11 . 56:5:33 . 56:3:24 . 56:1:25 . 56:1:14-19 . 56:5:19-23 . 56:5:31 . 56:5:29 . 56:3:22-23 . 56:4:13-20 . 56:4:25-26 . 56:3:6-11 . 96:3:4-5 . 56:5:6-14 . 56:4:21-22 . 56:1:2 . 56:2:3-4 _ 56:1 :20-24 . 56:5:15-18 . 56:6:2] . 56:6:18 . 56:6:20 . 56:6:22 BOARD OF TRUSTEES ry E. WuERTENBAECHER, Jr., President A. Timon Primm III, Vice President Ciarence C. BarKspALe, Second Vice President Howarp F. Barr Henry Hitcucock Sam’. C. Davis Leonarp J, Hottanp Leicester B. Faust Warren McKinney Spapeicu Ricuarp A. Goopson Tom K. Smiru, Jr. Rospert R. Hermann C. Powrett WarrenEeap Honorary Trustees: Georce L. Capican Dub ey Frencu EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS A. J. CERVANTES, James FE. Hurt, Mayor, City of St. Louis President, Board of Education of St. Louis Tuomas H, Etior, Srratrorp LEE Morton, Chancellor, Washington University President, Academy of Science of St. Louis FRIENDS OF THE GARDEN 1en’s Executive Board Officers: Mrs. Guy W. Oliver, President; Mrs. H. Leighton Morrill, First President; Mrs. Tom K. Smith, Jr., Second Vice President; Mrs. Joseph E. Griesedieck, Secretary; Charles F. Limberg, Assistant Secretary; Mrs. Leslie J. Gleason, Executive Secretary and Publicist. GARDEN GATE SHOP Thomas R. Collins, Jr. and Mrs, Tom K. Smith, Jr., Co-Chairmen; Mrs. H. Leighton Morrill and Frank Hendrickson, Volunteer Committee; Mrs. Edwin R. Stuessie, Shop Manager. HISTORICAL COMMITTEE Jerome F. Kircher, Chairman ge Brooks, Mrs. Robert Koch, Mrs. John S. Lehmann, Mrs. George Pettus, Mrs. Neal S. Wood. Virginia Brewer, Manager of Tower Grove House. HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL 1 Rabenau, Chairman J. Herman Belz, Mrs. Paul H. Britt, E. G. Cherbonnier, Charles S$. Duchesne Carl Giebel Jr., E. J. haus, Robert E. Goetz, Earl Hath, Mrs. Hazel L. Knapp, F. R. McMath, Dan O’Gorman, Mrs. rt J. Samuelson, Rudy Zuroweste. GARDEN STAFF Davip M. Gates, Director ; ALLMAN, Capital Fund Drive Carta Lance, Assistant Librarian rR ANDERSON, Botanist Frep O. LanpHear, Research Associate sd ENCE BarsRE, Instructor Watter H. Lewis, Director of the Herbarium onD Benson, Plant Breeder Eucenta Mappox, Librarian ARD Bake, Research Associate F. R. McMartu, Rosarian « G, Burcu, Chief Horticulturist Vixtor MuEHLeNsBACcH, Research Associate (AS B. Croat, Research Associate Joan W. Nowicxe, Research Associate HALL R, Crospy, Assistant Botanist, Royce L. Ouiver, Research Assistant rator of Cryptogams Mark W. Pappock, Administrative Assistant Laus Cutak, Horticulturist and Manager 10tha Dikector Public Relations Kennetu O. Peck, Head Instructor -C, Cutter, Curator of Useful Plants DurkEE, Research Associate D. Dwyer, Research Associate 0 G,. Fecuner, Secretary of Board Marian Preirrer, Orchid Grower Greratp W. Pincet, Research Technician Duncan M, Porter, Assistant Botanist, Flora of Panama Sie a to Chief Gerorce H. Princ, Superintendent Emeritus betoilititint Joun Ripcway, Curator of Bryophytes , Hampton, Chief Engineer and ALFRED SaxpaL, Rose Grower perintendent of Operations Owen J. Sexton, Research Ecologist ce R. Horrman, Research Associate Oscar H. Sous, Research Associate ew L. Jounson, Program Development FRANK STEINBERG, Superintendent of the m B. Jounson, Research Associate Arboretum, Gray Summit 9E Jounston, Grower, Photographer Sanpra THornTon, Educational Assistant A. Kont, Floriculturist Susan VerHoEK, Herbarium Supervisor aRA Lawton, Publications Manager Satty Watker, Research Associate Visit Your Missouri Botanical Garden NV (SHAW’S GARDEN) 2 hes Missouri Botanical Garden’s main entrance is at Tower Grove and Flora Place. The Garden is served by both the Sarah (No. 42) and the Southhampton (No. 80) city bus lines. The Missouri Botanical Garden Arboretum—1600 acres—estab- lished at Gray Summit, Missouri, in 1926, is open to the public. The Garden—70 acres—is open every day except Christmas and New Year’s. For the main entrance, grounds, Climatron, display greenhouses, and Floral Display House: May 1 through October 31............ 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. November 1 through April 30........9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sundays and Holidays.................... 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. For Tower Grove House: May 1 through October 31............ 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. November 1 through April 30......10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Display House presents four major shows: November, Chrysan- themums; December, Poinsettias; February, Orchids; April, Spring Flower Show. During the year other shows, competitions, and festivals are sponsored by various garden clubs and flower societies. Courses in botany and horticulture for adults are conducted by the Garden staff. Children’s nature classes are provided free on Saturdays from mid-September to early June. The Pitzman Nature Program is held for children during the summer. The Garden is world famous for its scientific research program. The scientists of the Garden hold teaching appointments on the staff of Washington University. The Missouri Botanical Garden was established for the public’s benefit in 1859 by Henry Shaw. The Garden, a non-profit institution, relies for support solely upon contributions from the public, the Arts and Education Council, and income from the Shaw estate. The Garden receives no city or state tax support. Support your Garden and take part in Garden activities through the Friends of the Garden. Information may be obtained from the Main Gate or by mail or phone (TO 5-0440). SiS Sp SS SS SIS) Sp Sh A