From aceska@cue.bc.caFri Mar 17 12:34:44 1995 Date: Fri, 17 Mar 1995 06:57:01 -0800 From: Adolf Ceska To: ben@cue.bc.ca Subject: BEN # 95 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. 95 March 16, 1995 aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca Victoria, B.C. ----------------------------------------------------------- Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2 ----------------------------------------------------------- SLIDES OF INTERIOR BRITISH COLUMBIA PLANTS NEEDED From: Dennis Lloyd We are looking for colour slides of the following plants for the Plants of the interior British Columbia: Apocynum cannabinum hemp dogbane Arnica parryi Parry's arnica Hackelia micrantha blue stickseed Kobresia myosuroides Bellard's kobresia Lactuca serriola prickly letuce Luzula piperi Piper's woodrush Myriophyllum verticillatum whorled water-milfoil Saxifraga cernua nodding saxifrage Senecio indecorus rayless mountain butterweed Senecio pseudaureus streambank butterweed Vulpia octoflora six-weeks fescue Should you have any of these, please give me a call at (604) 828-4129 or FAX at (604) 828-4154. Many thanks. REVOLUTIONARY GREENHOUSE DESIGN FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC A group of scientists associated with the Botanical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Trebon, Czech Republic, designed a unique roof solar collector. The key element of the collector is a glass linear Fresnel lens that concentrates the direct part of solar radiation to a narrow strip. This strips lies in the focal plane of the lens, at a distance approximately 40 cm. Concentrated sun radiation is converted to heat energy in absorbers, situated in the focal plane. The heat is taken away with the flowing water to a hot water storage tank. The heat collector is also an ideal skylight. The direct part of radiation is used for heating the water. The space under the collector, on the other hand, is not overheated and is evenly lighted by diffused sun light because the optical system separates and absorbs the direct part of sun radiation. The most basic function of this type of collector is hot water preparation, but the system is also ideal for the construction of winter gardens and greenhouses. The standard panel is 4.2 m wide and 2.36 m high and consists of six linear Fresnel lenses (0.75 x 2.0 m). The system was developed and is distributed by SOLARGLAS s.r.o nam. Ceskeho povstani 228 161 00 Praha 6 - Czech Republic tel./fax: 02/316 32 34 COLLECTIONS OF LUZULA CAMPESTRIS, MULTIFLORA ETC. WANTED ! From: Adolf Ceska When I wrote the treatment of Luzula (Woodrush) for the Vascular Plants of British Columbia IV (Douglas, et. al., 1994 - see BEN # 75), I was unable to solve taxonomic problems in the Luzula campestris-multiflora complex and I treated it as one single species. I was aware of the complicated situation and need for more serious taxonomic studies. I contacted my Czech colleague Dr. Jan Kirschner, a specialist in this group, and we would like to have a closer look at the Pacific Northwest plants of this species complex. I have been collecting Woodrush and have amassed a good collection from coastal British Columbia, but we would like to have material from wider area of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. I wonder, if BEN readers could help us to get more well collected specimens of Luzula, especially those belonging to the Luzula campestris-multiflora complex. Collecting instructions (after Kirschner 1982): Collect plants with underground parts and pay attention to the formation and length of rhizomes. Specimens that are in full bloom are best for identification (with exception of some taxa such as European L. sudetica). More experience is required for identification of plants with ripe fruits. It is extremely difficult to identify plants that are past flowering, but whose fruits are not yet fully developed. When you collect plants with ripe seeds, shake out some seeds from capsules directly to small envelopes or paper packets: herbarium specimens are often con- taminated with seeds from other sheets and mix-up of seeds is often the cause of misidentification. Habitat data are also important and should be recorded. Specimens should be dried, but the drying temperature should not be set too high. Seeds of this species complex remain viable for a relatively long time (up to nine years) and we would like to get some chromosome counts. If you get any material for us, please, send it to me - my address is: Adolf Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C., Canada V8W 3S2 Ref.: Kirschner, J. 1982. Notes on the determination of the members of the Luzula campestris-multiflora complex (L. campestris agg.) in Czechoslovakia. - Zpravy Cesko- slovenske Botanicke Spolecnosti, Praha 17: 25-37. [Czech] GENE BANKING PROJECT FOR PLANT CONSERVATION - LAKE BAIKAL AREA From: Dr. Victor Kuzevanov About 130 of over 1800 higher plants were recognized as rare and endangered species for the area of famous Baikal Lake. The project for the conservation of genetic fond of the unique and fragile flora around Lake Baikal was started in 1993 at the Botanic Garden of the Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk. The Botanic Garden of the Irkutsk State University created in 1941 today occupies 27 hectares, including pine forest, within Irkutsk city (70 kilometers west of the Lake Baikal). The primary objectives of the project: 1. to preserve plant genetic fond and biodiversity near the Lake Baikal - World Heritage Site; 2. to involve the people of Baikal area in rational use of plant genetic resources; 3. to expand international collaboration/cooperation between scientists, non-governmental organizations and all levels of government. Project includes: 1. expeditions around Lake Baikal for seed collecting in July- September on foot, car, and boat; 2. seed banking; 3. living field collections of rare and endangered Siberian plants; 4. propagation, repatriation and introduction of plants; 5. computerized database of plant genetic resources of the Baikal Lake area with texts accompanied by scanned pictures and maps to be included in USENET services (bilingual, both Russian and English); 6. reference herbarium; 7. collection of educational videos and slides; 8. educational programs for school children, students, the general public, and administration; and 9. free of charge international seed exchange. In 1994, the project was partly sponsored by the Chicago Botanic Garden, Betchart Expedition,Inc. of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, REAP International, Fanny and Leo Charitable Trust, E.F.F. Shumacher Society, as well as by USIA and American Association of Museums. The project has a limited support from the Irkutsk Oblast Governor Administration, the Irkutsk Environmental Protection Agency, and the Irkutsk State University. In 1994, scientists from the Botanic Garden, the Irkutsk State University, and several research institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences has prepared a special report "Concept of Organization of Plant Gene Banking of Irkutsk Oblast" for regional Environmental Protection Agency. Seeds of 42 rare plant species have been included in the seed bank and over 40 living plant specimens were planted at the display bed for propagation and educational purposes. The list of Latin and Russian names of rare and endemic plants is available on request. Scientists at the Botanic Garden of the University would like to discuss with interested foreign colleagues an opportunity to arrange it as the long-term International Plant Conservation Project for the Baikal Lake Area. Relative institutions, en- vironmental organizations, volunteers, and individual profes- sionals are kindly invited to take part. Any help or sponsorship would be greatly appreciated. Dr. Victor Kuzevanov, Director BOTANIC GARDEN of Irkutsk State University, P.O.Box 1457, 93 Koltsov Street, Irkutsk, 664039, RUSSIA Phone: +7(3952)435836 - Fax: +7(3952)332238 BOTANICAL FOREST PRODUCTS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: AN OVERVIEW In 1993, 34,544 kg of western yew bark (dry weight) was har- vested in British Columbia for taxol production. In the same year the mushroom pickers harvested 125,290 kg of pine mushrooms and received $3,800,000 for them. These and other "Botanical forest products" ["non-timber products" would be more precise!] are covered in the B.C. Minis- try of Forests report written by Nelly de Geus and released in January 1995. The report provides an overview of more than 200 botanical forest products harvested in British Columbia. The report summarizes resource issues associated with the botanical products industry (and also looks at the similar problems in neighbouring Washington State and the Pacific Northwest), and makes recommendations on how the Ministry of Forests should proceed with the management of these products. de Geus, P.M.J. 1995. Botanical forest products in British Columbia: An overview. - Integrated Resources Policy Branch, B.C. Ministry of Forests, Victoria. 51 p. ISBN 0- 7726-2328-7 [softcover] The report is available from: British Columbia Ministry of Forests Integrated Resource Policy Branch 1450 Government Street, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8Y 3E7 General inquiries: (604) 356-5384 - FAX: (604) 387-6751 CHANGES TO REVEAL ALERTING SERVICE (CARL-UNCOVER) [BEN # 75] From: reveal@carl.org (Reveal Pricing Correspondence) Brenda K. Bailey, Marketing and Client Liaison A new enhancement to the UnCover Reveal service will be released on April 3. This feature will enable users to store search strategies (e.g. searches by topic or by author name) which will be run weekly against new articles added to the UnCover database. The results of these searches will be sent to the Internet e-mail address stored in your UnCover Profile. The UnCover Company will begin charging for the Reveal service, which has been free to individuals for the past year. The charge is $20 per year for each individual profile. This fee will permit users to select up to 50 titles from which to receive tables of contents, and to store up to 25 search strategies. The $20 annual fee may be paid online by credit card or UnCover Deposit or Billing account. You may also call the UnCover office at 800-787-7979 (outside the US at 303-758-3030). Reveal Service, The UnCover Company 3801 E. Florida Avenue, Suite 200 Denver, CO 80210 - FAX: 303-758-5946 If you have any questions about the new Reveal services or the fee, please reply to this message, or send e-mail to reveal@carl.org or phone our office at 800-787-7979 (outside the US at 303-758-3030). [To access the database, telnet to: 192.54.81.76 and follow the menus. - Note: your terminal is most probably VT100. For more on Carl's UnCover and Reveal see BEN # 75.]