Synoptic Overview of Exotic Acacia, Senegalia and Vachellia (Caesalpinioideae, Mimosoid Clade, Fabaceae) in Egypt

For the first time, an updated checklist of Acacia, Senegalia and Vachellia species in Egypt is provided, focusing on the exotic species. Taking into consideration the retypification of genus Acacia ratified at the Melbourne International Botanical Congress (IBC, 2011), a process of reclassification has taken place worldwide in recent years. The review of Acacia and its segregates in Egypt became necessary in light of the available information cited in classical works during the last century. In Egypt, various taxa formerly placed in Acacia s.l., have been transferred to Acacia s.s., Acaciella, Senegalia, Parasenegalia and Vachellia. The present study is a contribution towards clarifying the nomenclatural status of all recorded species of Acacia and its segregate genera. This study recorded 144 taxa (125 species and 19 infraspecific taxa). Only 14 taxa (four species and 10 infraspecific taxa) are indigenous to Egypt (included now under Senegalia and Vachellia). The other 130 taxa had been introduced to Egypt during the last century. Out of the 130 taxa, 79 taxa have been recorded in literature. The focus of this study is the remaining 51 exotic taxa that have been traced as living species in Egyptian gardens or as herbarium specimens in Egyptian herbaria. The studied exotic taxa are accommodated under Acacia s.s. (24 taxa), Senegalia (14 taxa) and Vachellia (13 taxa). Identification keys for the studied genera, generic groups and species have been provided using different taxonomic criteria. For each taxon, the validated name with the first citation followed by relevant Egyptian citations, typification, synonyms, distinctive features, origin, ecology (when available), utilisation and selected specimens are provided. The study revealed the presence of 22 newly recorded taxa in Egypt. Additionally, a list of excluded, unvalidated and unresolved names is given.

Special issue of Bryophyte Diversity & Evolution: 50th anniversary of IAB

In 1969, an international group of bryologists established an association welcoming everyone seeking to further our knowledge on the biology of bryophytes. Fifty years later, the International Association of Bryologists (IAB) has slightly over 350 active members worldwide. Over the past decades, IAB has promoted bryology by establishing bryonet, a forum for discussions and questions, managed by Dr. Janice Glime, by publishing a regular newsletter, The Bryological Times sharing information about various developments in bryology, by publishing major reviews on specific subjects through the Advances in Bryology, by disseminating contributions to the diversification of bryophytes through Bryophyte Diversity and Evolution, by organizing biennial meetings, including in association with the sexennial International Botanical Congress, and by honoring colleagues for their achievements and stimulating research through grants. All these are made possible through the exemplary commitment by colleagues serving on the council, the editorial boards and the various ad hoc adjudication committees. To all, my and the members’ sincere gratitude.

50 years of the International Association of Bryologists

The International Association of Bryologists (IAB) has been close to my heart during half of a century. Following the establishment of the IAB at the International Botanical Congress in Seattle in 1969, I served as its first secretary-treasurer for eighteen years and helped setting it up. Now, a half-century later, it is a joy and great satisfaction to see a vigorous and healthy IAB continuing on the path of promoting communication and collaboration among the world’s bryologists. It is a pleasure therefore to write a few lines on the history of the organization for this special Golden Jubilee issue of Bryophyte Diversity and Evolution. In doing so, I lean heavily on my account of the early history of the Association (https://bryology.org/history-of-iab/) and my talk on the history of international collaboration at the IAB congress in Madrid (Gradstein 2000).

XIX International Botanical Congress, Shenzhen: report of the Nomenclature Section, 17th to 21st July 2017

 

The World Flora Online – Research Infrastructure for Plant Conservation

The World Flora Online (WFO) project was initiated in 2012 in response to Target 1 of the Congress on Biological Diversity's Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) – "To create an online flora of all known plants by 2020". Target 1 is intended to enable and support the additional 15 targets of the GSPC because plant conservation requires a stable foundation of taxonomic and descriptive information. A WFO Consortium has been formed of 42 international partners and growing. The World Flora Online Public Portal (www.worldfloraonline.org) was launched at the International Botanical Congress in Shenzhen, China in July, 2017. The baseline Public Portal was initially populated with a taxonomic backbone of plant names and taxonomic data gathered from The Plant List, later augmented by newer taxonomic sources like Solanaceae Source. All names in the backbone are assigned globally unique WFOIDs that facilitate ingestion and update of both taxonomic and descriptive data. The next phase of the World Flora Online involves more enhancement of the taxonomic backbone by new plant Taxonomic Expert Networks (TENs) and acceleration of ingestion of descriptive data from digital floras and monographs, as well as threat status data from other sources like International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Descriptive data can include text descriptions, images, geographic distributions, identification keys, phylogenetic trees, as well as atomized trait data like threat status, lifeform or habitat. Initial digital descriptive datasets have been incorporated from Flora of Brazil, Flora of South Africa, Flora of China, Flora of North Africa, Flora of Australia, and many others. Hard work continues to match the names associated with the newly submitted descriptions to the names in the WFO taxonomic backbone and then ingest the descriptive data elements into the WFO database. Numerous data tools have been added to the WFO infrastructure to accomplish the data cleaning, standardization and transformation required before descriptive data can be integrated. This presentation will review the history of WFO, the design of the WFO infrastructure and plans for its use, and future directions.

Some outcomes of the Nomenclature Section of the XIXth International Botanical Congress

Background: A Nomenclature Section meeting to amend the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants is held every six years, a week before the International Botanical Congress.Objectives: To report on some of the outcomes of the Nomenclature Section of the XIXth International Botanical Congress that was held in Shenzhen, China, in July 2017.Method: Outcomes that are especially relevant to South African botanists and mycologists are summarised from published Nomenclature and General Committee reports, as well as the published report of congress action.Results: This short note summarises and highlights some of the decisions taken at the Nomenclature Section in China, especially those that are important for South African botanists and mycologists.