From: aceska@CUE.BC.CA (Adolf Ceska)
Newsgroups: bionet.plants
Subject: BEN # 38
Date: 4 Sep 92 14:17:00 GMT
Distribution: bionet


BBBBB    EEEEEE   NN   N          ISSN 1188-603X
BB   B   EE       NNN  N
BBBBB    EEEEE    NN N N          BOTANICAL
BB   B   EE       NN  NN          ELECTRONIC
BBBBB    EEEEEE   NN   N          NEWS

No. 38                            September 4, 1992

Address: aceska@cue.bc.ca         Victoria, B.C.
-------------------------------------------------


DR. BARBARA McCLINTOCK  (1902-1992)

Dr. Barbara McClintock, 1983 Nobel Prize Winner in genetics,
died September 3, 1992. She received the Nobel Prize for her
discovery that certain genes can change their position on the
chromosomes of cells. She worked with maize and her discoveries
of gene transpositions and jumping genes were accepted only
after the progress in molecular biology  had provided rational
explanations for her findings.

Ref.: Keller, E.F. 1983. A feeling for the organism : the life
and work of Barbara McClintock. W.H. Freeman, San Francisco.
xix + 235 p.
Kittredge, M. 1991. Barbara McClintock. Chelsea House 
Publishers, New York. 103 p.
                                                        

BIODIVERSITY NETWORK NEWS - FIELD NOTES BRITISH COLUMBIA
From: IGC Conservation Biology Desk <consdesk@igc.apc.org>

One of British Columbia's rarest plants, Lupinus lepidus, has
been located in only four places.  The largest population
(upwards of 200 plants in some years) leads a precarious
existence on a 10 x 60 m strip between railroad tracks and the
main highway just north of Duncan, British Columbia.  The
British Columbia Conservation Data Centre botanist, George
Douglas, learned recently of plans to dig a trench for a fibre
optics transmission line along the railroad right-of-way.  It
looked like the line might go right through the population of
Lupinus lepidus so George contacted the BC Telephone Company,
who own the fibre optics line.  Within a few days, the company's
environmental officers met with George on site and assured him
that they would not disturb the tiny lupine population since the
line would be located on the other side of the tracks.


MYSTERY OF THE HERBARIUM POLYESTER TAPE SOLVED (BEN # 27)
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>

In my survey of herbarium mounting techniques (BEN # 27),
Mike Crisp from Australia strongly suggested 3M polyester tape
# 8440 for strapping herbarium specimens. Nobody in North America
has ever heard about a 3M tape with this number. After
the correspondence with Australian 3M companies, we found a North
American equivalent. It is made by the 3M and it is called
Scotch Brand Number 5 Electrical Tape. No, it is not that black
smudgy stuff that sticks to your fingers when you do "home
improvements" - it is clear and has excellent parameters. 

The Herbarium Supply Company read about 3M tape #8440 in BEN and
did their own independent search for the identity of the tape.
They came to the same result, requested all possible
documentation and testing results from the 3M Company, and
concluded that the tape would indeed be ideal for herbarium
purposes. They will be supplying the tape in 66 m rolls. They
will have rolls custom cut and I recommended the widths used in
the Canberra Herbarium, i.e., 3 mm, 4.5 mm and 6 mm. The
Definite Length Tape Dispenser (readily available from the 3M
Co. for over $100) is highly recommended and will also be
supplied by the Herbarium Supply Co.

The address of the Herbarium Supply Company is:

Herbarium Supply Company
3483 Edison Way
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Phone/FAX (415) 366-8868
(800) 348-2338
The owner and manager is Mr. Casper (Cap) Offutt III.


THE LYCOPSIDA: A SYMPOSIUM
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 79(3) (Summer 1992)

This excellent issue of the Annals of the Missouri Botanical
Garden can be ordered from:

Department Eleven
Missouri Botanical Garden
P.O. Box 299
St. Louis, MO 63166-0299, U.S.A.

The issue costs US$ 30.00 (+ shipment $2.00 in the U.S., $3.00
non-U.S. destinations), make check or money order payable to
Missouri Botanical Garden. The payment should accompany the
order, for institutional orders add $1.00 invoicing fees, if
payment is not enclosed. 

This publications covers many aspects of palaeobotany of
Lycopsida, as well as the recent taxonomical problems. This is an
indispensable publication for anybody who is interested in
pteridophytes. If you are from Missouri, you can check it in the
nearest library that carries the Annals of the Missouri
Botanical Garden.


BIODIVERSITY DISCUSSION LIST

BIODIV-L was established to help with the workshop "Needs and
Specifications for a Biodiversity Network" that was held in
Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil, in July 1992.

The intention of this list is to discuss technical
opportunities, administrative and economic issues, practical
limitations and scientific goals, leading to recommendations for
the establishment of a biodiversity network.

In order to subscribe to the list, send a message to:
listserv@bdt.ftpt.ansp.br
and within the message type text:
subscribe biodiv-l  your_first_name your_last_name


NEW PUBLICATION

Gates, Phil. 1992. The aliens are coming. - Plant life and
greenhouse effect. Puffin Books, London, New York, etc. 126 p.
ISBN 0-14-034636-8 Cost: CDN$ 4.99 [paperback]

This is a book for children (of any age). It deals with introduced
plants and problems related with them. The author suggests many
simple experiments that will teach children, how the plant lives
and what makes introduced weeds so aggressive. The book was
reviewed in the New Scientist some time ago.


NEXT ISSUE OF BEN

The next issue of BEN will bring a summary of the Biodiversity
Conference in Sacramento July 13-17, 1992 "Biodiversity in
the Managed Landscape: Theory and Practice."