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Malesian Euphorbiaceae Newsletter 11
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Genera and Species to be revised for Flora Malesiana
One of the last actions per year is the processing of a new volume of the newsletter. Much has changed last year, but, alas, not an increase in revision work. Please, visit the list mentioned under “Genera and Species to be revised for Flora Malesiana” and select which genus you like to contribute; mail: Welzen@nhn.leidenuniv.nl. This year only two revisions were finished. The manuscript for Micrococca was received and Sauropus is finished.
However, much has changed on the internet (all discussed below). Petra Hoffmann (Kew) started a world-wide Euphorbiaceae Email newsletter, I finished the digitalisation of the Leiden specimens of Euphorbiaceae (75,000) and started two internet sites on Euphorbiaceae.
One more very memorable event this year, the publication of the “Genera Euphorbiacearum”.
Recently, Alan Radcliffe-Smith published “Genera Euphorbiacearum”. Here my book review for Plant Systematics and Evolution:
Radcliffe-Smith, A.: Genera Euphorbiacearum. x, 50 figs., 455 pp. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2001. Paperback US $ 42.00 ISBN 1-84246-022-6.
A generic account of the sixth largest family of Angiosperms in the world is always a hazardous undertaking. However, with the publication of his ‘Genera Euphorbiacearum’ Alan Radcliffe-Smith obviously reached one of the highlights in his career. He probably down sizes the amount of work he has done by starting the introduction with the statement: ‘This account of the genera of the Euphorbiaceae is based primarily on the unpublished MSS of the family housed in the Kew Archives, which was to have been included by Dr John Hutchinson in Volume 3 of his “The Genera of Flowering Plants”, …’. However, when you compare the ‘Genera of Flowering Plants’ with the present work than the difference is enormous. The ‘Genera Euphorbiacearum’ comprises an extra wealth of detail: more detail in references, descriptions, notes, distributions, numbers of species, etc. And every extra detail was time consuming.
Hans-Joachim (Hajo) Esser, presently working in the Herbaria of the Arnold Arboretum, treated three tribes, the Hippomaneae, Pachystromateae, and Hureae. Beautiful illustrations were prepared by Camilla Speight (inside drawings) and Christabel King (cover). The cover nicely shows the ornamental value of quite a few Euphorbiaceae (though I would never like to have a Dalechampia in my garden because of the stinging hairs), a family otherwise renown for its obscure flowers. But even these obscure flowers harbour a wealth of interesting shapes and structures, unsurpassed by many plant families and beautifully covered by the illustrations.
The treatment of the taxa is hierarchical and traditional, following the classification of Webster (1975, 1994). The family is subdivided into five subfamilies, 52 tribes, numerous subtribes, and 336 recognised genera. Perhaps it is a missed chance that the latest phylogenetic (molecular) insights were not used to update the classification. However, most of the phylogenetic literature is probably too recent for inclusion in the book. The classification is now similar to that of Webster except for the addition of three new tribes and two new subtribes. Obvious classification errors, like Macaranga in a monotypic subtribe, separate from Mallotus (both are almost inseparable, only the number of anther locules is different), or Coccoceras as a separate genus, while it is clearly a synonym of Mallotus (e.g., Airy Shaw, 1975; Bollendorff et al., 2000), were not improved, perhaps to maintain the stability of the classification as much as possible. A great effort has been made to place all genera. Only three genera could not be classified satisfactorily, they are placed under the heading ‘Incertae Sedis Familiae’ (page 420). I can solve the riddle for one of them, Myladenia Airy Shaw is a synonym of Xylosma G.Forst. (Flacourtiaceae). Like in Webster’s 1994 classification, all split families (from Antidesmataceae up to Pandaceae) were included, something I am quite glad about.
Besides the classification the book provides an overview of all genera. Synonymy, nomenclature, descriptions (or references to other descriptions when very similar), distributions and numbers of included taxa are provided for all taxa. Per genus additional references are given to figures (nice touch!), often uses are discussed or critical notes are provided. A big difference with Webster’s treatment (1994) is the inclusion of descriptions with every taxon, which is very valuable. Identifications keys are provided up to the genus level. Unfortunately, the keys are hierarchical and almost similar to those of Webster (1994), though they allow for more exceptions. Especially the first key, up to subfamily level, is difficult to use if your specimens lack pollen and/or ovules. In many keys pollen characters are very important (data mainly based on Punt, 1962), which makes them less useful for a quick identification by macromorphological characters. Additional artificial keys to the genera (not following the classification hierarchy), preferably a synoptical one for every gender, would have been very useful, though extremely difficult to make.
The layout of the book roughly equals that of the last overview of the family provided by Webster (1994), which make both publications quite comparable. The taxonomic part, 420 pp., is followed by an Appendix (with a list of new taxa/names and a synopsis of the taxa), Acknowledgements, References, and Indices to the taxa and illustrations. The synopsis of the taxa shows the classification, but I find it less handy than the one in Webster due to the lack of indentation and the numbers of the genera. Extra in the synopsis is the inclusion of all synonyms, a bonus for the users.
The book, like all recent Kew publications, has a modern and attractive layout and type setting. The contents, though perhaps appearing old fashioned, is extremely concise and even more useful. I am glad that Alan Radcliffe-Smith decided to continue with his project after Webster published the last overview in 1994. The present book will be a classical standard work for everybody working on Euphorbiaceae.
References
Airy Shaw H. K. (1975). The Euphorbiaceae of Borneo. Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 4: 1—245.
Bollendorff. S. M., Welzen P. C. van, Slik J. W. F. (2000) A taxonomic revision of Mallotus section Polyadenii (Euphorbiaceae). Blumea 45: 319—340.
Punt W. (1962) Pollen morphology of the Euphorbiaceae with special reference to taxonomy. Wentia 7: 1—116.
Webster G. L. (1975) Conspectus of a new classification of the Euphorbiaceae. Taxon 24: 593—601.
Webster G. L. (1994) Synopsis of the genera and suprageneric taxa of Euphorbiaceae. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 81: 33—144.
Petra Hoffmann (Kew) started a new Euphorbiaceae Newsletter with world-wide coverage. The newsletter is always sent by email. If you like to join, please contact Petra by email: P.Hoffmann@rbgkew.org.uk
At the moment four newsletters were
distributed. The last issue, November this year, had the following topics:
Changes
to the Flora List (see below), Changes to the directory, New List members,
General news, New Publications, In Press and in Prep.
In addition, a list
is built with the names of (all / most) Euphorbiaceae specialist, including
their addresses, email accounts, and general interests:
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Example: |
Dr Petra Hoffmann |
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Herbarium |
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Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |
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Richmond |
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Surrey TW9 3DF |
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U.K |
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Tel: +44-(0)20-8332-5248 |
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Fax: +44-(0)20-8332-5278 |
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*systematics
of Phyllanthoideae, esp. Wielandieae and Antidesminae |
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*Euphorbiaceae of Madagascar |
Another very nice
touch of the new newsletter is an overview of recent revision work per region.
Very handy indeed; here a small part:
Genera completely revised relatively recently (minimum: key and descriptions of all species)
Adenopeltis: Pax, F. & Hoffmann, K. 1912. Euphorbiaceae-Gelonieae. In: Engler, A. Das Pflanzenreich IV.147.IV (Heft 52): 264-265.
Aleurites: Stuppy, W., van Welzen, P.C., Klinratana, P. & Posa, M.C. T. 1999. Revision of the genera Aleurites, Reutealis and Vernicia (Euphorbiaceae). Blumea 44: 73-98.
Algernonia: Emmerich, M. 1981. Revisao taxinomica des generos Algernonia Baill. e Tetraplandra Baill. (Euphorbiaceae-Hippomaneae). Arq. Mus. Nac. Rio de Janeiro 56: c. 92.
Anomocalyx: Secco, R. S. 1990. Revisão dos gêneros Anomalocalyx Ducke, Dodecastigma Ducke, Pausandra Radlk., Pogonophora Miers ex Benth., e Sagotia Baill. (Euphorbiaceae- Crotonoideae) para a América do Sul. Col. Adolpho Ducke, Belém, Museu Para. Emilio Goeldi, 133 p., il.
Anomostachys: Kruijt, R. Ch. 1996. A taxonomic monograph of Sapium Jacq., Anomostachys (Baill.) Hurus., Duvigneaudia J. Léonard and Sclerocroton Hochst. (Euphorbiaceae Tribe Hippomaneae). Bibliotheca Botanica 146: 1-109.
Astrocasia: Webster, G. L. 1992: Revision of Astrocasia (Euphorbiaceae). Systematic Botany 17(2): 311-323.
Baccaurea: Haegens, R. 2000. Taxonomy, Phylogeny, and Biogeography of Baccaurea, Distichirhops, and Nothobaccaurea (Euphorbiaceae). Blumea Suppl. 12: 1- 218.
Petra also
distributed the Kew Records on Euphorbiaceae from 1999 onwards.
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Example: |
Levin_GA |
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1999 |
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Notes on Acalypha (Euphorbiaceae) in North America. |
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Rhodora |
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101(907): 217-233 (1999) - |
I started two internet sites on Thai and Malesian Euphorbiaceae. The main purpose of both sites is to distribute revisional data as widely as possible. Usually, revisions for the Flora of Thailand and Flora Malesiana are first published as precursors, but not many users receive the often specialised journals. The internet sites publishes the revisions as they are (thus with a low amount of effort) and adds extra internet wizardry to facilitate the use of the data.
One of the nice things are the hyperlinks. With dichotomous key you can hyperlink the move to a next question or if a taxon is keyed out, a link to the taxon description. Also, returning to former questions is easy by using the ‘Back’ button.
Other extra functionality is created by hyperlinking names to addresses and email addresses (the latter can be used to send automatic emails).
A pleasant addition of internet is the simple insertion of plates, photos, maps, etc. These will gradually be added to all descriptions as far as they are available.
The two sites are not finished yet. As soon as revisions are finished then the data will be added to the sites. The Thai site is much further developed than the Malesian site. All genera have the following text format:
- Genus name plus nomenclature and literature
- Genus description
- Notes on numbers of species, distribution, classification per genus
- Key to the species
- Per species: species name, nomenclature and literature (all arranged per type), species descriptions, distributions, habitat & ecology, vernacular names, uses, notes.
The Thai site contains the following items:
- Key to the Euphorbiaceae genera of Thailand
A long key, often divided into questions for staminate or pistillate/fruiting specimens, to the genera of the Thai Euphorbiaceae. The questions are hyperlinked and when a genus treatment has been added, a hyperlink to the genus (and with that possibilities for an identification up to species level) is included too.
- Euphorbiaceae genera