In January 1991, at the Congress for Caribbean Biodiversity held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, a group of botanists gathered to discuss a flora project for the Greater Antilles. It was the general consensus that the West Indies are often only seen by American botanists from the air on their way to South America and that such a project would focus attention on the inherent interest and diversity of the Antillean flora. Also, although floras for individual islands in the Greater Antilles have either been published or are ongoing, there was no synthesis available. Therefore, the same plant on more than one island may be known under more than one name. It was thus confirmed that indeed a flora encompassing the Greater Antilles was not only needed, but that this was the tight time to do it. As an initial step, this newsletter was suggested as a way that the many individuals, both those living within the Greater Antilles and those living elsewhere but with a floristic interest in the area, could communicate with one another.
The meeting in Santo Domingo was the second such gathering of botanists interested in the flora of the West Indies. The first was in 1990 at the Latin American Botanical Congress held in Habana, Cuba. Although there was no hesitation in the call for a Greater Antillean flora, many of the details were, and remain, unresolved. Thus, this newsletter offers a forum for discussion about various aspects of the flora. It is hoped that interested individuals will write with opinions and queries, not only about items discussed here, but also with ones they would like to see discussed and resolved. Similarly, there should be no hesitation about making suggestions about inclusions in and format of this newsletter.
All correspondence should be addressed to:
Dr. William R. Buck
New York Botanical Garden
Bronx. NY 10458-5126
U.S.A.
212-220-8624
FAX 212-220-6504
IF YOU WISH TO CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THIS NEWSLETTER. PLEASE SEND YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS TO WILLIAM R. BUCK (NY). OTHERWISE, THIS WILL BE THE ONLY COPY YOU RECEIVE.
The currently conceived flora project will encompass all plant and fungal groups within the Greater Antilles. Also, it was agreed that although there are already some treatments available for individual islands, e.g. the flora of Jamaica, that this is a new flora project and that treatments for it should not be abstracted from existing ones but rather be based on the examination of specimens. Naturally, with such ambitious goals, and presumably with widespread collaboration of specialists, a well structured organization is needed to insure that all taxa are treated, that the treatments are editorially uniform, and to resolve potential conflicts.
At this stage there are some organizers in place for some of the cryptogamic groups. These are Dr. David I. Ballantine (Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 5000. Mayagüez. PR 00709-5000) for algae. Dr. Richard C. Harris (New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY 10458-5126) for lichens, and Mr. William R. Buck New York Botanical Garden) for mosses. Still needed are coordinators for fungi, hepatics pteridophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms. For fungi and angiosperms it may be necessary to divide the taxa into smaller groups (e.g.. Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes ; Monocots and Dicots) because of their large size.
Additionally, it may be desirable to have regional coordinators for each of the islands. These individuals would be invaluable in assisting contributors not only with fieldwork, but with understanding the distribution of individual taxa within their islands.
On principle, all coordinators should also be contributors. By following this, not only will the coordinators be more understanding of the problems at the contributors, but the contributors will not rely too heavily on the coordinators.
At present there is no pre-decided structure to the Organizing Committee. However, there is no doubt that it will require a major commitment of time on the part of at least a couple of individuals if the flora is to be completed in a reasonable amount of time. Pedro Acevedo (US) has expressed a major commitment to the project. Also, the New York Botanical Garden is offering fellowships for specialists to work on their treatments at the Garden. These two institutions (NY,US) with large herbaria and libraries. may well have to carry the administrative burden of the project so that others can put their efforts into taxonomic treatments. The responsibility for unclaimed taxa wilt also fall on these two.
Any interest in being either a taxonomic or regional coordinator should be expressed to
Pedro Acevedo or William Buck.
|
Angiosperms in the Greater Antilles |
|||||
| Dicotyledons | |||||
| Family |
Cuba |
Española |
Jamaica |
Puerto Rico |
Total |
| Acanthaceae |
23 |
23 |
17 |
12 |
32 |
| Aizoaceae |
4 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
| Amaranthaceae |
15 |
14 |
5 |
10 |
16 |
| Anacardiaceae |
7 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
9 |
| Annonaceae |
5 |
5 |
3 |
5 |
7 |
| Apiaceae |
12 |
12 |
10 |
8 |
19 |
| Apocynaceae |
19 |
21 |
15 |
13 |
26 |
| Aquifoliaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Araliaceae |
5 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
8 |
| Aristolochiaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Asclepiadaceae |
12 |
12 |
10 |
8 |
16 |
| Asteraceae |
96 |
88 |
44 |
60 |
129 |
| Balanophoraceae |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Balsaminaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Basellaceae |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Family |
Cuba |
Española |
Jamaica |
Puerto Rico |
Total |
| Bataceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Begoniaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Berberidaceae |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
| Bignoniaceae |
18 |
15 |
13 |
14 |
26 |
| Bixaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Bombacaceae |
7 |
10 |
2 |
4 |
10 |
| Boraginaceae |
7 |
7 |
6 |
7 |
9 |
| Brassicaceae |
11 |
15 |
10 |
9 |
16 |
| Brunelliaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Burseraceae |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
| Buxaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Cactaceae |
19 |
18 |
5 |
14 |
26 |
| Callitrichaceae |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Canellaceae |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
| Cannabaceae |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Family |
Cuba |
Española |
Jamaica |
Puerto Rico |
Total |
| Capparaceae |
6 |
8 |
5 |
4 |
8 |
| Caprifoliaceae |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
| Caricaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Caryophyllaceae |
5 |
11 |
5 |
2 |
14 |
| Casuarinaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Cecropiaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Celastraceae |
7 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
10 |
| Ceratophyllaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Chenopodiaceae |
5 |
7 |
3 |
5 |
7 |
| Chloranthaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Chrysobalanaceae |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Cistaceae |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
| Clethraceae |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Clusiaceae |
7 |
10 |
6 |
5 |
10 |
| Cneoraceae |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Family |
Cuba |
Española |
Jamaica |
Puerto Rico |
Total |
| Cochlospermaceae |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Combretaceae |
7 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
7 |
| Connaraceae |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Convolvulaceae |
11 |
13 |
6 |
12 |
15 |
| Crassulaceae |
2 |
7 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
| Cucurbitaceae |
18 |
19 |
8 |
12 |
23 |
| Cunioniaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Cuscutaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Cyrillaceae |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Dichapetalaceae |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Dilleniaceae |
5 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
| Droseraceae |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
| Ebenaceae |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Elaeocarpaceae |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Elatinaceae |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
| Family |
Cuba |
Española |
Jamaica |
Puerto Rico |
Total |
| Ericaceae |
6 |
7 |
3 |
4 |
10 |
| Eriocaulaceae |
5 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
| Erythroxylaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Euphorbiaceae |
41 |
51 |
23 |
34 |
59 |
| Fagaceae |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
| Flacourtiaceae |
11 |
11 |
6 |
9 |
12 |
| Frankeniaceae |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Fumariaceae |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Garryaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Gentianaceae |
12 |
8 |
4 |
4 |
14 |
| Geraniaceae |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
| Gesneriaceae |
8 |
8 |
8 |
6 |
12 |
| Goodeniaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Haloragaceae |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| Hernandiaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Family |
Cuba |
Española |
Jamaica |
Puerto Rico |
Total |
| Hippocrateaceae |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
| Hydrophyllaceae |
3 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
| Icacinaceae |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| Illiciaceae |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Juglandaceae |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Krameriaceae |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Lacistemataceae |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Lamiaceae |
14 |
19 |
8 |
12 |
23 |
| Lauraceae |
7 |
8 |
6 |
8 |
9 |
| Lecythidaceae |
0 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| Leguminosae |
93 |
111 |
58 |
86 |
144 |
| Lentibulariaceae |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| Linaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Loasaceae |
3 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
| Lobeliaceae |
5 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
| Loganiaceae |
5 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
6 |
| Family | Cuba | Española | Jamaica | Puerto Rico | Total |
| Loranthaceae |
4 |
7 |
5 |
6 |
10 |
| Lythraceae |
7 |
9 |
4 |
5 |
10 |
| Magnoliaceae |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
| Malpighiaceae |
15 |
10 |
5 |
8 |
16 |
| Malvaceae |
21 |
24 |
13 |
16 |
26 |
| Marcgraviaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Martyniaceae |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Melastomataceae |
19 |
19 |
17 |
14 |
26 |
| Meliaceae |
7 |
7 |
4 |
7 |
8 |
| Menispermaceae |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| Menyanthaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Moraceae |
9 |
8 |
6 |
7 |
9 |
| Moringaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Mollugonaceae |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Myoporaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Myricaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Family | Cuba | Española | Jamaica | Puerto Rico | Total |
| Myristicaceae |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Myrsinaceae |
5 |
5 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
| Myrtaceae |
21 |
15 |
9 |
13 |
23 |
| Nyctaginaceae |
9 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
9 |
| Nymphaeaceae |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
| Ochnaceae |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Olacaceae |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| Oleaceae |
5 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
6 |
| Onagraceae |
3 |
5 |
5 |
1 |
5 |
| Orobanchaceae |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Oxalidaceae |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
| Papaveraceae |
2 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
| Passifloraceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Pedaliaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Phytolaccaceae |
7 |
6 |
5 |
7 |
7 |
| Piperaceae |
4 |
6 |
2 |
3 |
6 |
| Family | Cuba | Española | Jamaica | Puerto Rico | Total |
| Pittosporaceae |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Plantaginaceae |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Plumbaginaceae |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Podostemaceae |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
| Polemoniaceae |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| Polygalaceae |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Polygonaceae |
6 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
8 |
| Portulacaceae |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| Primulaceae |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| Proteaceae |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Punicaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Pyrolaceae |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Quiinaceae |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Rafflesiaceae |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Ranunculaceae |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| Rhamnaceae |
6 |
9 |
4 |
7 |
12 |
| Family | Cuba | Española | Jamaica | Puerto Rico | Total |
| Rhizophoraceae |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Rosaceae |
5 |
10 |
5 |
4 |
11 |
| Rubiaceae |
74 |
55 |
37 |
31 |
88 |
| Rutaceae |
13 |
13 |
7 |
9 |
18 |
| Sabiaceae |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Salicaceae |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| Sapindaceae |
12 |
16 |
10 |
13 |
18 |
| Sapotaceae |
7 |
13 |
5 |
9 |
14 |
| Sarraceniaceae |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Saxifragaceae |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
| Scrophulariaceae |
22 |
23 |
21 |
9 |
38 |
| Simaroubaceae |
5 |
6 |
4 |
5 |
7 |
| Solanaceae |
19 |
16 |
11 |
13 |
21 |
| Staphyllaceae |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
| Sterculiaceae |
14 |
13 |
8 |
10 |
14 |
| Styracaceae |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Family | Cuba | Española | Jamaica | Puerto Rico | Total |
| Surianaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Symplocaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Tamaricaceae |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Theaceae |
5 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
6 |
| Theophrastaceae |
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
| Thymelaeaceae |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
| Tiliaceae |
8 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
8 |
| Tovariaceae |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Tropaeolaceae |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Turneraceae |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Ulmaceae |
4 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
| Urticaceae |
9 |
8 |
5 |
7 |
11 |
| Valerianaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Verbenaceae |
21 |
23 |
19 |
21 |
24 |
| Violaceae |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Viscaceae |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
| Family | Cuba | Española | Jamaica | Puerto Rico | Total |
| Vitaceae |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
6 |
| Zygophyllaceae |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
| Monocotyledons | |||||
| Agavaceae |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
| Alismataceae |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Amaryllidaceae |
8 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
11 |
| Araceae |
10 |
10 |
9 |
11 |
13 |
| Arecaceae |
16 |
21 |
7 |
14 |
29 |
| Bromeliaceae |
10 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
10 |
| Burmanniaceae |
5 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
| Cannaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Commelinaceae |
9 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
10 |
| Cyclanthaceae |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| Cymodoceaceae |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Cyperaceae |
18 |
16 |
14 |
9 |
24 |
| Dioscoreaceae |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Family | Cuba | Española | Jamaica | Puerto Rico | Total |
| Haemodoraceae |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| Heliconiaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Hydrocharitaceae |
3 |
3 |
6 |
4 |
7 |
| Hypoxidaceae |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Iridaceae |
4 |
3 |
7 |
2 |
9 |
| Juncaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Lemnaceae |
4 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
| Liliaceae |
7 |
8 |
5 |
7 |
10 |
| Limnocharitaceae |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
| Marantaceae |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
| Mayacaceae |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Musaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Najadaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Orchidaceae |
74 |
58 |
64 |
23 |
90 |
| Pandanaceae |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Family | Cuba | Española | Jamaica | Puerto Rico | Total |
| Poaceae |
96 |
83 |
29 |
63 |
119 |
| Pontederiaceae |
4 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
| Potamogetonaceae |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Ruppiaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Smilacaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Typhaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Xyridaceae |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Zingiberaceae |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
| Cuba | Jamaica | Hispaniola | Puerto Rico | ||||
| 185 Families 1338 Genera |
178 Families 857 Genera |
190 Families 1346 Genera |
173 Families 928 Genera |
||||
| Important Families (15) | Important Families (8) | Important Families (15) | Important Families (7) | ||||
| Asteraceae |
96 |
Orchidaceae |
64 |
Leguminosae |
111 |
Leguminosae |
86 |
| Poaceae |
96 |
Leguminosae |
58 |
Asteraceae |
88 |
Poaceae |
63 |
| Leguminosae |
93 |
Asteraceae |
44 |
Poaceae |
83 |
Asteraceae |
60 |
| Rubiaceae |
74 |
Rubiaceae |
37 |
Orchidaceae |
58 |
Euphorbiaceae |
34 |
| Orchidaceae |
74 |
Poaceae |
29 |
Rubiaceae |
55 |
Rubiaceae |
31 |
| Euphorbiaceae |
41 |
Euphorbiaceae |
23 |
Euphorbiaceae |
51 |
Orchidaceae |
23 |
| Acanthaceae |
23 |
Scrophulariaceae |
21 |
Malvaceae |
24 |
Verbenaceae |
21 |
| Scrophulariaceae |
22 |
Verbenaceae |
19 |
Acanthaceae |
23 |
||
| Malvaceae |
21 |
Scrophulariaceae |
23 |
||||
| Myrtaceae |
21 |
Verbenaceae |
23 |
||||
| Verbenaceae |
21 |
Apocynaceae |
21 |
||||
| Apocynaceae |
19 |
Arecaceae |
21 |
||||
| Cactaceae |
19 |
Cucurbitaceae |
19 |
||||
| Melastomataceae |
19 |
Lamiaceae |
19 |
||||
| Solanaceae |
19 |
Melastomataceae |
19 |
||||
In a project of this projected scale, there are bound to be differences of opinion. The final product will surely not fit the exact specifications of any one person. We all have to be willing to endure these compromises if the project is to come to fruition. However, it may well be that a point of view not previously considered is the best one. Therefore, differences of opinion are encouraged, with the understanding that everyone has a right to an opinion of their choice. In the following section, various topics are presented. Under each is the general opinion of the Santo Domingo meeting, or if no consensus was reached, the various options explored. Eventually, all will need to be resolved, but if you have an opinion, please send it in and it will be included in subsequent newsletters. In addition to expressing the opinion, try and present the rationale behind it.
This is a difficult issue and is currently without a consensus. Should the flora be in English or Spanish? Should there be both English and Spanish editions? Should it be primarily in one language with at least keys in both languages? The argument in favor of Spanish is that it is the primary language of the Greater Antilles, and that local users are more likely to prefer it. On the other hand, the majority of users of the flora are most likely not Spanish-speaking, and would prefer English. It should be noted that although French is the official language of Haiti, it is unlikely that a French version will be available.
The New York Botanical Garden has agreed in principle to publish the projected flora. The Garden has produced and published more North American floras than any other institution, and has the expertise both in production and marketing that will be needed. However, the Organizing Committee should explore other options if it so chooses.
The question also arose as to the method of publication. It was generally agreed, after long discussion. that it would be best if the flora was published in a series of rather large volumes. The option of numerous fascicles was discussed, but this method would result in an overall higher cost for the entire flora. It would, however, mean that when a treatment is ready that it could be published rather expediently. The reasons the larger size was considered best were the lower cost and more usefulness of a few volumes over numerous fascicles.
The problem of tardy authors was discussed in this context, if, for example, families 37-92 were to appear in a single volume, and all but one or two treatments were in hand, how would this be handled? It was unanimously agreed that when a potential contributor offered to prepare a treatment, he/she must agree to try and meet the deadline established by the Organizing Committee. If this deadline was not met, the author would agree, before beginning the treatment, that the specimens would be returned to their respective institutions so that someone else would he able to do the treatment. This needs to be understood from the beginning in order to minimize the awkwardness and hard feelings that could be generated.
It was generally decided that relatively concise descriptions would be used rather than complete, monographic descriptions. The primary reason was to Conserve space. With a rough estimate, there are about 10,000 vascular plants, 3500 lichens, 1500 bryophytes , and an unknown number of algae and fungi within the flora range. Unless the descriptions are relatively short, the flora would be enormous.
It was also thought that it would be best to write the descriptions using as little specialized jargon as possible. Many of the potential users of the flora are not professional botanists and unless this concept is followed, the flora will fail much of its anticipated audience. Care must be taken, though, that this is not carried to extremes so that botanists are not left confused.
The number of illustrations was also discussed. In a perfect world. we would all like every species illustrated, but not only would this be very expensive to do, the final product would be very expensive as well. Therefore, some compromise needs to be reached. The current idea in use by the Missouri Botanical Garden for their Flora of North America project is that every genus receives an illustration, and in larger genera, one in three species is illustrated. We should consider, but not be bound by this model.
Expression of plant distribution was discussed at length. No one wanted distribution to be listed only by island, e.g., known from Cuba and Puerto Rico. Since this is a specialized flora, it should reflect the distribution of plants within the islands, however, no specific idea appealed to everyone. In conjunction with distribution, it was left undecided whether individual specimens should be cited, and if so, how many. It is possible that this information could be stored in a data base rather than in the published flora. On this general subject, Tom Duncan questioned the group whether we should be producing a data base from which a flora will be extracted, or the reverse. He preferred the former. By Duncan's suggestion, much information would be gathered, and available via computer, that would not be published.
The desirability of distribution maps was also discussed. However, because the size of the maps necessary to actually see anything would be so great, that not more than four maps would fit on a page. This was considered inefficient . However, the possibility was discussed of a separate atlas of distributions. Similarly, it was considered desirable to publish a type register of West Indian plants. Not only would such a register be useful to the project at hand, but to a much wider geographical area because West Indian plants were among the earliest described from the neotropics.
It was universally agreed that there would be financial needs that could not be expected from individual contributors. These funding needs include the following (not in order of importance). [l] translator (since treatments will be submitted in both English and Spanish). [2] fieldwork (although the Greater Antilles are generally well known floristically, there is not a single island that does not have areas that are unexplored and potentially interesting), [3] committee meetings (to bring coordinators together). [4] training West Indian students (who would work with contributors in a collaboratory way), [5] lecturers at West Indian universities (without courses in systematic botany offered in regional universities, it is impossible to expect a new generation of botanists to become interested). Of course there would be more needs, but these were the immediate ones that came to mind. It is possible that the West Indian coordinator at NY could be responsible, at least in part, for finding grant support for the project.
Below is a list of the participants at the two meetings held so far. The mailing of this
news letter is not confined to these individuals. Rather it will be sent to anyone interested in West Indian floristics.
It is hoped that within 8 years or so another meeting can be held, perhaps in Puerto Rico, that would be the official
beginning of the Coordinating Committee, and at that time solicitations for participation would be extended.
| Pedro Acevedo Department of Botany. NHB-166 Smithsonian Institution Washington. DC 20560 202-786-2692 |
James B. Ackerman Department of Biology University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras. PR 00931 |
| Alberto Alverez Herbario, Jardín Botánico Nacional Universidad de la Habana Carretera del Rocío km 3 1/2 Calabazar, Habana Cuba |
Alberto Areces Museo Nacional de Historia Natural Capitolio Nacional La Habana 1022 Cuba |
| Brian M. Boom New York Botanical Garden Bronx, NY 10458-5126 212-220-8628 |
Attila Borhidi Janus Pannonius University, Pecs Department of Botany and Botanical Garden H-7604 Pecs, Ifjusag u. 6 Hungary |
| William R. Buck New York Botanical Garden Bronx, NY 10458-5126 212-220-8624 |
Geraldino Caminero Departamento de Biología Universidad de Puerto Rico Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez Mayagüez. PR 00708 |
| Thomas Duncan University Herbarium University of California 6701 San Pablo Avenue Oakland, CA 9460S |
Ricardo G. García Jardín Botánico Nacional de Santo Domingo Apartado 21-9 Santo Domingo República Dominicana 809-567-6211 (6212, 6213) |
| Richard C. Harris New York Botanical Garden Bronx, NY 10458-5126 212-220-8624 |
Rhema Kerr Hope Zoo Ministry of Agriculture Hope Gardens Kingston 6 Jamaica |
| Duane A. Kolterman Departamento de Biología, RUM Mayagüez, PR 00709-5000 809-265-3837 |
Angela Leiva Herbario, Jardín Botánico Nacional Universidad de la Habana Carretera del Rocío km 3 1/2 Calabazar, Habana Cuba |
| Alain Liogier Herbario, Jardín Botánico Administración Central Universidad de Puerto Rico G.P.O. Box 4984-G San Juan, PR 00936 |
Ramona Oviedo Herbario, Academia de Ciencias de Cuba Instituto de Botanica Calzada del Cerro 1257 Habana 6 Cuba |
| George R. Proctor Department of National Resources P.O. Box 5887, Puerta de Tierra San Juan, PR 00906 |
Sue Thompson Section of Botany Carnegie Museum of Natural History 4400 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213 |
| Carlos Sanchez Herbario, Jardín Botánico Nacional Universidad de la Habana Carretera del Rocío km 3 1/2 Calabazar, Habana Cuba |
Peter Vogel Department of Zoology University of the West Indies Kingston 7 Jamaica |
| Thomas A. Zanoni Jardín Botánico Nacional Apartado 21-9 Santo Domingo República Dominicana 809-565-2860 809-567-6211 (6212, 6213) |
The New York Botanical Garden is pleased to announce
As a result of a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The New York Botanical Garden now offers Competitive opportunities for researchers to come to NY to work on treatments for the Flora of the Greater Antilles. Visits are foreseen to be either for one or two months. Although no salaries are available, round-trip air fare to New York, housing accommodations and a food allowance are provided, as well as working space at NY. Because of the rich historical Greater Antillean collections, as well as extensive modern holdings in the herbarium, and the excellent library. these fellowships provide an unparalleled opportunity for researchers to work on treatments for the Flora. All systematic botanists are eligible, but West Indians in particular are encouraged to apply.
The fellowships are available immediately and will only be available for the next two years. Interested applicants should write a letter indicating the taxonomic group (s) on which they intend to work and the month(s) they would like to be in NY, and a curriculum vitae.
Address all Correspondence to:
Dr. William R. Buck
Coordinator of the West Indies Program,
New York Botanical Garden Bronx,
NY 10458-5126
