Renewed Revisionary
Efforts After 1950
In addition to the floristic
efforts which began in the early 1950's considerable new revisionary
activity began as well with a number of new aroid researchers.
One of first of these was H. C. D. de Wit who worked exclusively
with the limited number of aquatic aroids that can be grown in
fish tanks. These plants have a good commerical value and have
spawned a number of research projects, most of them centered at
the University of Wageningen in Holland and in other places in
Europe. The most active research on these aquatic aroids began
with de Wit and Karel Rataj and progressed until the time that
Niels Jacobsen published several important papers on the genus
Cryptocoryne [see below]. New species continue to be discovered
in the genus.
De Wit published his
first papers, all dealing with Cryptocoryne in 1953 (de
Wit, 1953a-c). They were published in popular aquarium magazines
Fishkeeping and Waterlife and Het Aquarium. Other
species of Cryptocoryne were treated in papers published
in succeeding years (de Wit, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958a-g), and it
was not until 1958 that de Wit described his first new species
(de Wit, 1958b). He then published many short papers (de Wit,
1959a-i; 1960a-e, 1961a-e, 1963a-d, 1971a-c, 1975a, 1975b, 1976,
1979) in Het Aquarium a Dutch magazine popular with the
aquarium enthusiasts. Written in Dutch and of one to four pages
in length, each article deals with a single species of Cryptocoryne.
Each fascicle is illustrated with photographs or detailed drawings
and sometimes with colored paintings or photographs. One additional
species was described in Artedi (de Wit, 1975b). The first
widely useful paper by de Wit presented a key to all the known
species of Cryptocoryne along with detailed photographs
(de Wit, 1969).
De Wit's other publications
include a short article on pollination in Cryptocoryne
(de Wit, 1978a), chromosome numbers (de Wit & Jacobsen, 1982),
and a complete revision of another aguatic genus, Lagenandra
Dalzell (de Wit, 1978b). The publication is written in Dutch and
contains excellent illustrations and keys as well as details on
the biology. De Wit has summarized his work nicely in a series
of books, all well illustrated with detailed drawings and colored
plates. These books deal with numerous aquatics but the Araceae
constitute the largest share (de Wit, 1983). The first version
was printed in Dutch (de Wit, 1966), reprinted in 1982 (de Wit,
1982), and an essentially identical version was published in 1990
in German (de Wit, 1990).
Simultaneously, the Czech
botanist, Karel Rataj was doing revisionary work on Cryptocoryne.
His book on Cryptocoryne (Rataj, 1975) divided the genus
into 4 subgenera and 16 sections and described three of the subgenera
and all of the sections as new. Rataj recognized 52 species of
Cryptocoryne while describing seven new species and six
new varieties. Another paper described new cultivated species
of the genus (Rataj, 1974). Rataj also published a book Aquarium
Plants, which he co-authored with T. Horeman (Rataj &
Horeman, 1977) as well as a paper dealing with Typhonium flagelliforme
(Rataj, 1982).
In the 1950s, Haruyuki
Kamemoto, working at the University of Hawaii, carried out an
extensive breeding program with Anthurium in order to provide
new and beautiful stock for the Hawaiian cut flower industry.
Much of his original stock of wild collected material came from
a field trip to Panama with Yoneo Sagawa in the early 1960s. Kamemoto's
successes were many and most of his publications dealt with the
development of new cultivars (Kamemoto & Nakasone, 1955, 1963;
Kamemoto & Sheffer, 1978, 1982; Kamemoto et al., 1986,
1993). He also did genetic research with Araceae, especially the
inheritance of color in the spathe, in collaboration with R. Y.
Iwata, C. S. Tang, S. Wannakrairoj and M. Marutani (Iwata et
al., 1985; Marutani et al., 1987; Kamemoto et al.,
1988; Wannakrairoj & Kamemoto, 1990a, 1990b). Other technical
research done by Kamemoto and his students include the use of
gel electrophoresis for the identification of Anthurium
cultivars (Kobayashi et al., 1987) and an extensive use
of cytology, especially by R. Sheffer, S. Wannakrairoj, K. Kaneko
(Kaneko & Kamemoto, 1978), and M. Marutani (Marutani et
al., 1988, 1993) [see also Sheffer below].
Kamemoto's many years
of research with aroids are summarized in a book entitled Breeding
Anthurium in Hawaii (Kamemoto & Kuehnle, 1996), co-authored
by Adelheid R. Kuehnle [see Kuehnle below] who took Kamemoto's
position at the University of Hawaii upon his retirement.
A small group of researchers
in the Department of Horticulture at the University of Hawaii
continues the Anthurium studies begun by H. Kamemoto. Most
of the work, carried out with students under the supervision of
Adelheid R. Kuehnle or in collaboration with her colleagues, Tessie
Amore and Nellie Sugii (the latter two, who deal with classical
plant breeding and histology), histologist David Webb and biochemist
T. S. Tang, deals with aspects of plant cultivation (Kuehnle et
al., 1996), breeding, morphology, embryology (Kuehnle et
al., 1996), novel methods of regeneration (Kuehnle et al.,
1992; Kuehnle & Sugii, 1991a, 1991b) and gene transfer (Kuehnle
& Chen, 1994; Chen & Kuehnle, 1996; Kuehnle & Nan,
1991). Tracie K. Matsumoto, a student of Kuehnle, did her thesis
on the embryology of Anthurium (Matsumoto, 1994) and has
subsequently published other papers on the origin of somatic embryos
(Matsumoto et al., 1996) and on improvements of observing
plant structures with light microscopy (Matsumoto et al.,
1995), and on micropropagation of anthuriums (Matsumoto &
Kuehnle, 1966). Nuttha Kuanprasert, another student, has begun
a study of Anthurium fragrances (Kuanprasert & Kuehnle,
1995).
Monroe Birdsey, who did
his graduate work at the University of California then taught
at Miami-Dade Community College in Miami, was active in the Araceae
with research during the 1950s. His unpublished thesis, entitled
"The morphology and taxonomy of the genus Syngonium"
Schott (Birdsey, 1955a), was a thorough study with emphasis on
anatomy. Always interested in cultivated plants, he published
The Cultivated Aroids, one of the earliest popular books
of its kind devoted to Araceae (Birdsey, 1951). This work illustrated
and described 70 species of Araceae. Shorter works include articles
placing Pseudohomalomena pastoensis into synonymy with
Zantedeschia aethiopica (Birdsey, 1955b), taxonomic problems
with the confusing cultivar "golden pothos" (Epipremnum
pinnatum cv. aureum) (Birdsey, 1962b), and the reintroduction
of Homalomena roezlii (Birdsey, 1962a) into cultivation.
His collection of living plants at his estate in Miami was until
his death one of the finest of its kind in the world, possessing
many fully grown species of Araceae.
The late Donald G. Huttleston,
who revised Arisaema of North America, published a discussion
of three subspecies of Arisaema (Huttleston, 1949) even
before he completed his thesis. His thesis involved a taxonomic
study of the Araceae of North America (Huttleston, 1953). Other
papers dealt with the nomenclature of Lysichiton (Huttleston,
1955) and further reports on Arisaema (Huttleston, 1981,
1984).
B. Bergdolt (1955), working
at Freiburg University in Germany, worked with anatomical and
embryological research on leaf mottling and other leaf types.
Finally, in the late
1950s and early 1960s, the Dutch botanist, R. C. Bakhuizen v.d.
Brink, though never deemed to be a major player in Araceae, did
make significant contributions with his studies of the Araceae
of Java (Bakhuizen, 1957; Bakhuizen & Koster, 1963). He also
published a paper dealing with the differences in certain members
of the Monsteroideae (Bakhuizen, 1958).
Despite the scattered
and localized research mentioned earlier it was not until the
beginning of the 1960s that much serious research with Araceae
re-occurred since the time of Engler and Krause. The early 1960s
saw the active publication by taxonomists George S. Bunting, Graziela
Maciel Barroso, Dan Nicolson, Mitsuru Hotta, Cecil T. Prime, Harald
Riedl, and Hiroyoshi Ohashi. Though Bunting's publication career
was strongest during the 1960s, his first paper, a key to the
genera of Araceae in Venezuela written in Spanish, was published
in the mid-1950s (Bunting, 1956). Articles regarding cultivated
aroids came next (Bunting, 1955, 1956b, 1959, 1961b) followed
by the publication of his Ph.D. thesis, a revision of the genus
Spathiphyllum Schott (Bunting, 1960a) and a continued flurry
of publications throughout the 1960s, many of which dealt with
mostly Venezuelan genera (Bunting, 1960b; Bunting & Steyermark,
1969) or floristic regions in Venezuela such as Chimantá
(Bunting, 1963a) or Auyán-tepuí (Bunting, 1967)
and the Sierra de Lema (Bunting, 1963b), the description of new
species (Bunting, 1963c) or taxonomic problems with cultivated
plants including Spathiphyllum (Bunting, 1961a), Dieffenbachia
(Bunting, 1962a, 1963d, 1966a, 1988c), Alocasia (Bunting
& Nicolson, 1963), Anthurium (Bunting, 1963d), Monstera
(Bunting, 1962d, 1966a, 1966b), Syngonium (Bunting, 1966b),
and Philodendron (Bunting, 1966d, 1966e; Moore, 1974).
Other papers dealt with the differences between Schizocasia
and Alocasia (Bunting, 1962b), the delimitation of genera
of the Monsteroideae (Bunting, 1962c), and a discussion of Philodendron
hederaceum-scandens complex (Bunting, 1963f). Of his papers
treating species of areas other than Venezuela, the most useful
are his commentary on the Araceae of Mexico (Bunting, 1965) and
a discussion of the anatomy and taxonomy of the Philodendron
scandens complex (Bunting, 1968).
Part of Bunting's early
work was begun at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, then continued
at the Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University. From Cornell he
moved to Venezuela where his extensive field studies and collections
of Araceae formed the basis for a treatment of the Araceae for
the Flora of Venezuela. Toward this end he has published many
new species for Venezuela and adjacent countries (Bunting, 1975,
1986, 1987, 1988a, 1989a) and a new genus (Bunting, 1988b, 1989b)
for Venezuela and adjacent countries. Though the Araceae treatment
for the Flora of Venezuela has not been finished, a major synopsis
of the flora has been published (Bunting, 1979). It contains most
of the species and taxonomic keys but no descriptions or illustrations.
Bunting has also published a treatment of the Araceae for the
flora of the Cerro Aracamuni in Venezuela (Bunting, 1989c) and
the Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana (Bunting, 1995). Aside
from his work with the flora of Venezuela, his principal interest
for many years was a revision of the genus Philodendron.
One of his major contributions has been with cultivated plants,
a major emphasis in his earlier years. He contributed all the
Araceae for Hortus Third (Bunting, 1976) and the Philodendron
for the European Garden Flora (Bunting, 1984). Bunting
has also described the genus Jasarum as well as many other
species, 195 in all, mostly from Venezuela.
Graziela Maciel Barroso,
working on Brazilian Araceae, made the description of Philodendron
camposportoanum G. M. Barroso in her first publication (Barroso,
1956). This was followed by a series of papers describing other
new species (Barroso, 1957, 1959, 1965, 1970). All but one, Anthurium
wendlingeri G. M. Barroso from Costa Rica, represented Brazilian
species. Barroso published 15 species in all.
Dan H. Nicolson, working
at Cornell University, published extensively throughout the 1960s.
His first publications on Araceae were a review of the classification
of the Araceae (Nicolson, 1960a) and a paper describing the occurrence
of trichosclereids in the Monsteroideae (Nicolson, 1960b). Several
other papers, including one on Gorgonidium (Nicolson, 1963)
and
revisions of small groups,
e.g. Filarum (Nicolson, 1966); Xenophya (Nicolson,
1968a); Asian Spathiphyllum (Nicolson, 1968b, 1992a); and
Amydrium (Nicolson, 1968c) were published in part even
before his Ph.D. thesis, a revision of the genus Aglaonema
(Nicolson, 1967b, 1969). The work with Aglaonema involved
extensive fieldwork in the Asian tropics which led to a continued
interest in Asian floristic accounts including floristic accounts
of the Araceae of the Hassan District (Nicolson, 1976a) and the
Tamilnadu Carnatic regions (Sivadasan & Nicolson, 1983) of
India, as well as for Fiji (Nicolson, 1978, 1979), and Sri Lanka
(Ceylon) (Nicolson, 1988). Nicolson (1984f) also treated the Aglaonema
for the European Garden Flora. With C. R. Suresh and K.
S. Manilal in India he discussed H. A. van Rheede's Hortus
Indicus Malabaricus [SW India] (Nicolson et al., 1988).
His interest in fieldwork also resulted in papers on collecting
Araceae (Nicolson, 1965, 1976b).
Along with Josef Bogner,
Nicolson has been involved with studies and revisions of the suprageneric
system of classification (Bogner & Nicolson, 1991) resulting
in one of the competing systems of classification of the Araceae.
This was among the first to question the classification of Engler.
Early in his career Nicolson
became interested in the legal matters of nomenclature (Nicolson,
1963b, 1964, 1967a, 1968d, 1975a, 1975b, 1977, 1981b, 1984b-d,
1987a; Nicolson & Bogner, 1977, 1981; Nicolson & Mayo,
1984a, 1984b; Nicolson et al., 1984), an interest that
continues to this day. He has spent much of his career dealing
with nomenclature of Araceae and suprageneric systems of classifications
(Bogner & Nicolson, 1991). Other work includes a survey of
floral anatomy of Araceae carried out in conjunction with R. H.
Eyde and P. Sherwin (Eyde et al., 1967). In a collaborative
efforts he published papers on Alocasia (Bunting &
Nicolson, 1963), a revision of Gorgonidium (Bogner &
Nicolson, 1988), new species of Arisaema (Sivadasan &
Nicolson, 1983) and Theriophonum (Sivadasan & Nicolson,
1981), a revision of Typhonium with M. Sivadasan (Nicolson
& Sivadasan, 1981) as well as one on the taxonomy of Theriophonum
(Nicolson & Sivadasan, 1982). One of his major accomplishments
is his study of the complex publication history of Luis Sodiro
(Nicolson, 1984a), who had the practice of publishing each new
species several times. Until Nicolson's enlightening work, many
of the earliest valid publications were overlooked. He also alphabetized
and indexed Schott's Icones Aroideae and Reliquae (Nicolson,
1984e). Nicolson's translation of Engler's classification of the
Araceae including the key to genera made understanding and ultimate
revision of that system possible (Nicolson, 1982a). Nicolson is
a member of the editorial board for both Taxon and Aroideana
and has an interest in aroid literature (Nicolson, 1989, 1992b).
His understanding of classical languages as well as German, the
history of early aroid taxonomy (Nicolson, 1982a, 1987a), the
rules of nomenclature, and his role as Senior Curator at the Smithsonian
Institution where he has worked since he left Cornell make Nicolson
the person to whom many of us turn for advice. His contributions
to the Araceae are unique.
Harald Riedl, working
at the Naturhistorisches Museum in Schott's hometown of Vienna,
published his first paper on the Araceae in the Flora Iranica
(Riedl, 1963). He is also a specialist on the genus Eminium
(Riedl, 1969) and the flora of Middle Europe and the Middle East,
and has published on Arum (Riedl, 1967), and Stylochiton
(Riedl, 1990) [the latter from Africa] as well as having written
the Araceae treatment in Hegi's Illustrierte Flora von Mitteleuropa
(Riedl, 1979) and the Araceae treatment in the Flora of Iraq
(Riedl, 1985). Riedl is also an expert on the history of H. W.
Schott and has published several papers dealing with Schott's
work and collections (Riedl, 1965a-c, 1966, 1978; Riedl &
Riedl-Dorn, 1988). He published several papers in the earliest
issues of Aroideana, including a discussion of the aroids
described in Russel's Natural History of Alepo in 1794 (Riedl,
1980a), a partial treatment of Biarum Schott (Riedl, 1980b),
and a paper stressing the importance of ecology in defining genera
(Riedl, 1980c).
The earliest of these
was Mitsuru Hotta, working at the Kyoto University in Japan, who
began publishing papers on Araceae in 1963 (Hotta, 1963a, 1963b).
Some of his first papers dealt with Arisaema of Japan (Hotta,
1963a, 1963b, 1964, 1966a, 1970a-d) but he soon began working
in more tropical parts of Asia, including Borneo, where he studied
the Schismatoglottidinae (Hotta, 1965, 1966b, 1987) and made phytogeographic
and floristic surveys (Hotta, 1966c, 1967). His work in Borneo
resulted in the description of two new genera, Pedicellarum,
Phymatarum, and Heteroaridarum (Hotta, 1976). His
work in Sumatra has resulted in floristic surveys (Hotta, 1984),
another new genus, Furtadoa M. Hotta (Hotta, 1981), other
miscellaneous new species (Hotta, 1985, 1993), a survey of Homalomena
and Anadendrum of Sumatra (Hotta, 1986a, 1986b), and a
paper on taro uses (Hotta, 1962, 1983). Hotta (1982) also made
detailed comparisons of the Homalomeninae and the Schismatoglottidinae
in Malesia.
One of Hotta's major
accomplishments was a system of classification in which he proposed
major first-time changes in the suprageneric system of classification
of the Araceae (Hotta, 1970a). His system of classification is
discussed in detail and is compared with other major systems (Croat,
1990). Another major publication (Hotta, 1971) provided a detailed
discussion of the relationship of the Araceae to other families
and discusses the morphological, anatomical, and cytological characteristics
of different aroid subfamilies. In recent years, Hotta has been
involved (sometimes with Hiroshi Okada and Motomi Ito) in ecological
studies with Araceae in West Sumatra (Okada, 1986; Hotta et
al., 1985; Okada & Hotta, 1987). His skills in cytology,
broad ranging ecological interests and astute observations have
made Hotta's contributions to Southeast Asian studies of Araceae
diverse, unique, and important.
Hiroyoshi Ohashi, at
the University of Tokyo and Tohoku University, began publishing
on Japanese Arisaema in the early 1960s. Miscellaneous
notes on Arisaema (Ohashi, 1963, 1964) were followed by
a complete revision of the genus for Japan (Ohashi & J. Murata,
1980), and the Araceae treatment for the Wildflowers of Japan
(Ohashi, 1982). Continuing the work of Hara on the Flora of
Eastern Himalaya, Ohashi published a third report of that
work which included additional Arisaema (Ohashi, 1975).
Ohashi also compiled a list of types of Arisaema in Japanese
herbaria (Ohashi, 1981a, 1981b) and studied pollen morphology
of Japanese Arisaema (Ohashi et al., 1983). A recent
paper describes a new species of Piptospatha that regularly
produces adventitious bulbils along the midrib on the lower blade
surface (Ohashi et al., in press).
A European specialist
in Arum, Cecil T. Prime, was also active during the 1960s.
His major work on the biology of Arum maculatum, Lords
and Ladies (Prime, 1960), is one of the most detailed and
interesting books ever written on the biology of an aroid. Prime
also contributed the Arum section for the Flora Europaea
(Amaral Franco et al., 1980).
Although the taxonomists
noted above were the main players within Araceae research, several
post-Englerian non-specialists made significant or unique studies
in specific areas of aroid research. Three individuals working
with Zantedeschia are worthy of mention. Hamilton Traub
produced a single work on Zantedeschia that has been one
of the most useful ever done for that genus (Traub, 1949). The
second work, published in the same year was written by L. Mirzwick
(Mirzwick, 1949). Most recently, Cynthia Letty (1973) also published
a revision on Zantedeschia. Another work carried out by
non-specialists was a minor revision of Arisaema by Walter
Robyns and R. Tournay (Robyns & Tournay, 1955). This work
treated five species of Arisaema from tropical Africa.
Another useful work on Arisaema deals with the plants of
the Himalayas (Pradhan, 1986, 1990).
With the advent of Bunting
and Nicolson, interest in Araceae accelerated with several new
workers, including: Josef Bogner, Tom Croat, Dorothy Shaw, Jorge
Crisci, Mike Madison, Li Heng, Marija Bedalov, Richard Sheffer,
Simon Mayo, and Jin Murata beginning their publishing careers
with Araceae, in the late 1960s and 1970s.
Probably no one in the
history of work with the family has had a greater focus on research
with Araceae than Josef Bogner. His unprecedented interest in
the family is so universal that it is difficult to define. Beginning
with a paper dealing with Theriophonum (Bogner, 1968),
Bogner has been involved with the Araceae in nearly all parts
of the world, including a major study of the Araceae of Madagascar,
the Comoros Islands, and with the Arophyteae (Bogner, 1972a, 1972b,
1973a, 1973b, 1975), as well as the Seychelles with Protarum
(Bogner, 1973a, 1973e); and in Africa with Amorphophallus
(Barthlott & Bogner, 1981; Bogner & Hetterscheid, 1992);
Andromycia (Bogner, 1969b); Callopsis (Bogner, 1969a
[= Nephthytis hallaei (Bogner) Bogner, see Bogner, 1980b]);
Cercestis (Bogner & Knecht, 1994); Culcasia
(Bogner, 1980a); Gonatopus (Obermeyer & Bogner, 1979);
Nephthytis (Bogner, 1980b; de Namur & Bogner, 1994);
Pseudohydrosme (Bogner, 1981a); Stylochiton (Bogner,
1984f); in Asia with Amorphophallus (Bogner, 1976d, 1981a,
1981b, 1989a, 1995; Bogner et al., 1985; Bogner & Hetterscheid,
1992); Aridarum (Bogner, 1979, 1981c, 1983a); Cryptocoryne
(Bogner, 1974, 1984a-c, 1984i, 1985a, 1989c; Bogner & Jacobsen,
1985, 1986; Ehrenberg & Bogner, 1992); Pycnospatha
(Bogner, 1973b); Lagenandra (Bogner, 1974, 1978; Bogner
& Jacobsen, 1987); Homalomena (Bogner, 1976a); Thomsonia
(Bogner, 1976b); Bucephalandra (Bogner, 1980c, 1984g);
Plesmonium Schott (Bogner, 1980d), Hottarum (Bogner,
1983b, 1984g; Bogner & Hotta, 1983a); Schismatoglottis
(Bogner & Hotta, 1983b; Bogner, 1988); Hapaline and
Phymatarum (Bogner, 1984e); Scindapsus (Bogner &
Boyce, 1994); and Typhonium (Bogner, 1987a), as well as
in the Americas with Xanthosoma (Bogner, 1986a); Mangonia
(Bogner, 1973d, 2000); Scaphispatha (Bogner, 1980e); Jasarum
(Bogner, 1977, 1984d, 1985d), Dracontium (Bogner, 1981d),
Caladium (Bogner, 1980f, 1984h); Chlorospatha (Bogner,
1985b, 1985e);Gearum (1999); Homalomena (Bogner
& Moffler, 1985a, 1985b); Taccarum (1989b); Philodendron
(Bogner & Bunting, 1983); and Gorgonidium (Bogner &
Nicolson, 1988) and in Turkey with Biarum (Bogner &
Boyce, 1989). With James French he described the tribe Anadendreae
(Bogner & French, 1984). His most recent paper described species
from both the Old and New World [Spathantheum intermedium,
Asterostigma cryptostylum, Zomicarpella amazonica,
Ulearum sagittatum var. viridispadix and Nephthytis
afzelii var. graboensis]. He has described a total
of 54 new species.
Bogner, because of his
broad interests and deep understanding of all matters regarding
Araceae, has long been principally interested at the subfamilial
and tribal levels. He has been responsible for a rethinking of
the system of classification of the Araceae beginning with his
"critical list" of aroid genera (Bogner, 1978), the
reduction of genera (Bogner, 1985c), new name and combinations
(Bogner, 1986b), the placement of Jasarum (Bogner, 1980e),
and his revised classification of the family (Bogner & Nicolson,
1991). A recent paper (Mayo et al., in press) defining
the relationship of the Araceae to other closely related families
reflects his deep understanding of the family. He is a coauthor
of The Genera of Araceae (Mayo et al., 1997) that
describes and illustrates all the genera of Araceae. Another summary
paper by Bogner deals with the wide variation in morphology of
Araceae (Bogner, 1987b), and another is on new taxa of Araceae
(Bogner, 1997). Bogner is also one of the few aroid researchers
who has dealt with fossil Araceae (Bogner, 1976c; Gregor &
Bogner, 1984, 1989). He is a member of the team doing the Flora
Malesiana and is a coauthor of a checklist and bibliography of
the region (Hay et al., 1995a, 1995b) and has written about
a collecting trip to Sarawak (Bogner & Boyce, 1995).
Last but not least are
Bogner's capabilities as a grower, where few are his equal. His
collection of living aroid genera, housed at the Munich Botanical
Garden, is unparalleled. His many field trips to three continents
where he successfully sleuths yet another poorly known genus or
species are largely financed with his personal funds and his accumulated
vacation time. This largely unrewarded effort on the part of Josef
Bogner is one of the greatest contributions ever to the field
of aroid research.
One of the few South
American botanists who played a role in research with Araceae
is Jorge Crisci from the Museo de la Plata in La Plata, Argentina.
His first paper dealing with Araceae was a treatment of the Araceae
for the Flora of Buenos Aires Province (Crisci, 1968a). He then
described new additions to the flora (Crisci, 1968b; Crisci et
al., 1991) or new species (Crisci, 1970). Most of his work
involves floristic accounts of Argentina (Crisci, 1971; Crisci
& Katinas, 1999). Finally, he wrote a systematic and ethnobotanical
study of Philodendron bipinnatifidum (Schott) Schott (Crisci
& Gancedo, 1971).
Tom Croat, of the Missouri
Botanical Garden, became interested in the Araceae in 1967 when,
in conjunction with his work on the Flora of Barro Colorado Island
(Croat, 1978a), he found the family to be the most difficult in
the flora. Perplexed by the immense variation in species and the
confusion of juvenile, preadult, and adult forms, he collected
elsewhere in Panama where the wet forests were much richer and
replete with undescribed species. Plants were collected and grown
at Summit Gardens in the Canal Area, near where he lived, and
later were transported to the Missouri Botanical Garden in St.
Louis. His earliest paper on Araceae described a Dracontium
from Barro Colorado Island (Croat, 1975a), followed later that
year by a discussion of the Anthurium gracile (Rudge) Schott-A.
friedrichsthalii Schott complex of Central and South America
(Croat, 1975b).
Croat's earliest interest
was involved with the Araceae of Panama, the richest part of Central
America (Croat, 1985a), and this led to floristic work with Anthurium
in Central America sponsored by the National Geographic Society
(Croat, 1977). This was followed by descriptions of new species
of Anthurium (Croat, 1978c, 1979a, 1981a, 1983a), a concern
for the standardization of species descriptions of Anthurium
(Croat & Bunting, 1979), a revision of Central American Anthurium
sect. Polyphyllium Engl. (Croat & Baker, 1978), a treatment
of Anthurium for Costa Rica (Croat & Baker, 1979),
a revision of the Araceae of the La Selva Reserve in Costa Rica
(Croat & Grayum, in prep.), a study of the flowering behavior
of Anthurium (Croat, 1980), a study of the sectional classification
of Anthurium (Croat & Scheffer, 1983), and a review
and analysis of chromosome information for Anthurium (Sheffer
& Croat, 1983b). Additional publications during this time
were a revision of Syngonium (Croat, 1981b) and a review
of the distribution of Araceae worldwide (Croat, 1979b).
A National Science Foundation
supported revision of Anthurium of Central America began
in 1977 (Croat, 1983a, 1986a, 1986b) and was followed, between
1980 and 1986, by a revision of Anthurium sect. Pachyneurium
Schott for the neotropics (Croat, 1991a). The resulting field
work in South America brought other involvements including papers
on the Araceae of Venezuela (Croat & Lambert, 1987), a treatment
of the Araceae for the Flora de Paraguay (Croat & Mount,
1988), a checklist for the Flora of the Guianas (Croat, 1992c,
1997a), the treatment for the Flora of Central French Guiana
(Croat, 1997c) and for the flora of Nicaragua (Croat & Stiebel,
in press), the checklist for the flora of Peru (Croat, 1993),
and for Ecuador (Croat, in prep.) as well as more specific floristic
studies of Colombia and Ecuador. In Colombia, a National Geographic
grant sponsored study involved a comparative study of lowland
pluvial forest-wet forest transition at Bajo Calima (Valle) and
an upland premontane wet forest at La Planada (Nariño)
(Croat, 1992). This in turn has led to student involvement and
(as yet unpublished) treatments of the aroid floras of both areas,
for La Planada with Jeff Lake (Croat & Lake, in prep.) and
for Bajo Calima with Dorothy Bay (Croat & Bay, in prep.).
Similar floristic studies in Ecuador resulted in a comparison
of six biological reserves in Ecuador (Croat, 1995b) and a study
of Anthurium in the Reserva ENDESA (Croat & Rodríguez,
1995).
Other efforts dealing
with Araceae include review papers on the use of neotropical Araceae
as medicinal plants (Croat, 1994a), the locality of neotropical
aroid collections (Croat, 1988a), the ecology and life forms of
Araceae (Croat, 1988b, 1989), a comparative survey of three modern
systems of suprageneric systems of classification (Croat, 1990),
and a history and status of systematic aroid research (1998).
Smaller revisionary studies include the Anthurium bredemeyeri
Schott complex in Venezuela (Croat, 1985e), a treatment of the
Araceae entitled In Gardens of Hawaii (Croat, in press),
a treatment of Syngonium (Croat, 1984a) and Alocasia
for the European Garden Flora (Croat et al., 1984).
Miscellaneous papers
dealing with Araceae include historical briefs on aroid specialists
including Matuda (Croat, 1978b) and Engler (Croat, 1983c), as
well as reports on aroid conferences (Croat, 1985f, 1992b, 1994b;
Croat & Cosgriff, 2000), discussions of collecting and preparation
procedures for Araceae (Croat, 1985b, 1969), special drying facilities
needed for Araceae collections (Croat, 1979d), labeling living
collections (Croat, 1984d), germination of seeds (Croat, 1979c),
and propagation of cuttings (Croat, 1981c). Other miscellaneous
papers deal with a discussion of Anthurium andraeanum Linden
(Sheffer et al., 1980), A. leuconeurum Lem. (Croat,
1983d), the description of new South American species Croat (Croat,
1987; [Peru] in press), reports on living collections of Araceae
(Croat, 1979d, 1988c) or of field trips (Croat, 1982a, 1982b,
1991b), reports on rare (Croat, 1983b, 1984b, 1985c, 1995a) or
poorly known species (Croat, in prep.), new combinations (Croat
& Grayum, 1987, 1994), new records (Croat & Pérez-Farrera,
2000), and illustrative profiles of aroids, including Philodendron
rugosum Bogner & G. S. Bunting (Croat, 1984c), Taccarum
weddellianum Brongn. ex Schott (Croat, 1985d), and Syngonium
steyermarkii Croat (Croat & Bogner, 1987). With Kay Rossmann,
he produced an index for the first ten volumes of Aroideana
(Croat & Rossmann, 1991).
Other recent NSF sponsored
projects have been completed or are being carried out, including
a revision of Philodendron subg. Philodendron of
Central America (Croat, 1997b), a revision of Rhodospatha
(Croat, in prep.), and a revision of Dieffenbachia of Central
America (Croat, in prep.). In addition Anthurium sect.
Semaeophyllium is being revised with the help of R. L.
Mansell at the University of South Florida (Croat & Mansell,
in prep.) and Anthurium sect. Calomystrium ser.
Rupicola ser. nov. is being revised with the assistance
of Jane Whitehill (Croat & Whitehill, in prep). These five
as yet unpublished revisions will result in a total of 96, 67,
30, 22 and 8 species respectively with a total of 139 taxa (65,
52, 22, 6 and 3 species respectively) new to science. Additional
new, as yet unpublished taxa have resulted from floristic studies.
For example, 20 of the 50 species for Reserva La Planada in Colombia
are believed to be new; 84 of 150 for the Flora of La Planada
(Nariño); and 11 of the 31 taxa at the Reserva ENDESA in
Ecuador. To this date, Croat has published 352 taxa. The resources
which have been built up for aroid research at the Missouri Botanical
Garden include one of the largest living collections of aroids
and the largest collection of herbarium specimens of neotropical
aroids. The living and dried collections include a large percentage
of Croat's more than 80,000 personal collections.
Dorothy Shaw has published
a series of mostly technical, experimental or ecological papers
concerning the Araceae of Australia and Papua New Guinea. These
include observations on the behavior of Colocasia esculenta
(Shaw, 1975, 1982; Shaw et al., 1979), pollination in Alocasia
macrorrhizos (L.) G. Don [A. brisbanensis] (Shaw et
al., 1982; Shaw & Cantrell, 1983a, 1983b), fruit dispersal
in Alocasia macrorrhizos (Shaw et al., 1985), plant
damage and fruit ingestion of seeds of Alocasia brisbanensis
by birds (Shaw, 1998a) and lizards (Sha2, 2998b), stomata of Monstera
deliciosa Liebm. (Shaw, 1992c), aroids of botanical gardens
in Brisbane (Shaw, 1987), germination of Typhonodorum seeds
in cultivation (Shaw, 1990), the occurrence of the fungus Puccinia
on Monstera (Shaw, 1991, 1992a, 1992b, 1993a, 1994, 1995a,
1995b), habitat of Gymnostachys anceps (Shaw et al.,
1997) and of fruit dispersal (Shaw et al., 1997), and postage
stamps that exhibit plants of the family (Shaw, 1993, 1999). With
R. Greber she reported on the dasheen mosaic virus in Queensland
(Greber & Shaw, 1986).
S. Serizawa published
on Japanese Arisaema during the late 1970s and mid-1980s
(Serizawa, 1975, 1980a, 1980b, 1981a, 1981b, 1982a, 1982b, 1986).
These works, published only in Japanese, meant that he was not
widely recognized internationally.
A brief research effort
was made by Richard Baker at the Field Museum in Chicago. His
efforts, before embarking on a new career in the early 1980's,
were entirely in Costa Rica. With W. C. Burger, in charge of the
Flora Costaricensis project at the Field Museum, Baker
revised Spathiphyllum for Costa Rica (Baker & Burger,
1976). A few years later he collaborated with Tom Croat in the
revision of Anthurium for Costa Rica (Croat & Baker,
1979).
Mike Madison played an
important role in the late 1970s and early 1980s before changing
careers. He began with a flourish, publishing five papers the
first year; two (Madison, 1976b, 1976c), dealing with new species
(Rhodospatha and Asterostigma respectively), another
comparing Alloschemone and Scindapsus (Madison,
1976a), and another comparing Caladium and Xanthosoma
(Madison, 1976d), and finally a paper dealing with the seeds of
Monstereae (Madison & Tiffney, 1976). His Ph.D. thesis, a
revision of Monstera, was published the following year
(Madison, 1977a). Though Madison did make an expedition to Brazil
(Madison, 1979a), his principal fieldwork was in Ecuador where
he collected widely, describing species in Caladium (Madison,
1981a), Philodendron (Madison, 1977b), Stenospermation
(Madison, 1977c) and Xanthosoma (Madison, 1978e). In addition,
he described a plant from Brazil as a new Ulearum (Madison,
1980). This later proved to be the new genus Bognera. Aside
from his revision of Monstera, other major papers included
a revision of the palmately-lobed Anthurium species (Madison,
1978g), a major paper discussing the ecology of the genera of
Araceae of the northern Andes (Madison, 1978f), and a partial
revision of the Caladieae (Madison, 1981a).
Madison published many
miscellaneous short papers, especially while he was editor of
Aroideana. These include reports on nomenclature (Madison,
1978a, 1978d), plant culture (Madison, 1978h), the living collections
at Selby (Madison, 1978i), packing and shipping aroids (Madison,
1981b), Monstera seeds and the fossil record (Madison &
Tiffney, 1976), the rediscovery of Philodendron frits-wentii
(Madison, 1978b), and a synopsis of Caladiopsis (Madison,
1978j). Another includes the protection of developing seeds in
Araceae (Madison, 1979b). He also wrote illustrative profiles
of Monstera deliciosa (Madison, 1978c), Xenophya
[= Alocasia] lauterbachiana (Madison, 1979c), Anthurium
lilacinum (Madison, 1979d), A. punctatum (Madison,
1979f), and A. superbum (Madison, 1979e).
One of Madison's major
accomplishments was the founding of the journal Aroideana
with the International Aroid Society [see discussion below] in
1977. Madison began publishing the journal and was its editor
for several years when he changed careers. Many of his earlier
papers were written specifically for the journal. Madison was
also responsible for organizing the first International Aroid
Conference at Selby Gardens in Sarasota, Florida on March 28-29,
1980. These conferences have been continued, albeit, irregularly,
and they have contributed greatly to the dissemination of knowledge
about aroids. With the completion of the conference in St. Louis,
Missouri in August 1999, seven such conferences have been held,
three of them in conjunction with the International Botanical
Congresses. Aroid research was dealt a severe blow with Madison's
retirement. This brilliant Harvard-trained researcher left a significant
mark in his five short years of work with Araceae.
Wim Crusio, one of H.
C. D. de Wit's students, completed a revision of the genus Anubias,
and this excellent work was published twice, once in English (Crusio,
1979a) and once in German (Crusio, 1987). Another description
of the genus and a discussion of its taxonomy also appeared in
German (Crusio, 1980). Crusio has also published short papers
on Cryptocoryne (Crusio, 1979b, 1979c). Along with Arie
de Graaf he describes a new species of Lagenandra, L.
dewitii (Crusio & de Graaf, 1986) and in another redescribes
L. ovata Thwaites (Crusio & de Graaf, 1987).
Taking up where de Wit
left off, Niels Jacobsen, from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural
University in Denmark, did additional work on Cryptocoryne,
including extensive fieldwork in Southeast Asia. In a series of
general papers he described the biology and ecology of Cryptocoryne.
His first paper dealing with Araceae is about the ecology of Cryptocoryne
(Jacobsen, 1976) while others deal with its pollination (Jacobsen,
1977a), chromosomes (Jacobsen, 1977b, 1977c; Arends et al.,
1982), and flowering behavior (Jacobsen, 1980a), vegetative morphology
(Jacobsen et al., 1989a-c) as well as with the description
of new species (Jacobsen, 1977d, 1979a, 1980b, 1980e, 1981a, 1982,
1985a), a discussion of C. undulata (Jacobsen, 1981b),
C. ferruginea (Jacobsen, 1980d), and a revision of the
Cryptocoryne albida complex (Jacobsen, 1980c). A 1991 paper
(Jacobsen, 1991) treated the small-leaved Cryptocoryne
species. A paper co-authored with Marian Ørgaard involved
a SEM study of surface features in the spathes of Cryptocoryne
and Lagenandra (Ørgaard & Jacobsen, 1998). In
a series of papers with Josef Bogner, he revised the Cryptocoryne
of the Malay Peninsula (Jacobsen & Bogner, 1986, 1987a-c)
then published a complete revision for Borneo (Jacobsen, 1982,
1984, 1985b) and later for Ceylon (Jacobsen, 1988), and Tasek
Bera (Jacobsen, 1986). These publications were precursors to his
full revision of the genus. The complete revision of Cryptocoryne
was published in two versions, one in Danish (Jacobsen, 1979b)
and one in German (Jacobsen, 1979c). He will contribute Cryptocoryne
for the Flora Malesiana and is a coauthor of a checklist and bibliography
for the region (Hay et al., 1995a, 1995b). Finally, Jacobsen
published the treatment of the Arales in R. M. J. Dahlgren, H.
J. Clifford & P. F. Yeo's, The Families of Monocotyledons:
Structure, Evolution and Taxonomy (Jacobsen, 1985c).
Li Heng, working for
the Chinese Academy of Sciences at the Kunming Institute of Botany
and doing research on Chinese Araceae even before China's opening
to the West, has become the authority on the family in China.
Her earliest publication deals with the medicinal value of certain
Arisaema (Li, 1976) and another, (Li et al., 1977)
"Claves diagnosticae et taxa nova Aracearum Sinicarum",
provides a key to the genera of Araceae of China and describes
30 new taxa. Her principle interest is in Arisaema, including
its phytogeography (Li, 1980a, 1980b, 1981) and taxonomy, describing
many new species (Li, 1985, 1988a, 1992a; Li et al., 1999)
as well as Amorphophallus (Li, 1988b-d; Li et al.,
1989, 1990; Li & Long, 1989; Long et al., 1989), Typhonium
(Li & Zgeb-quian, 1983), Remusatia Schott (Li, 1987a,
1991, 1992b; Li & Hay, 1992b; Long et al., 1989b),
Rhaphidophora (Li, 1992b), Gonatanthus [later reduced
to Remusatia] (Li, 1987b; Li & Hay, 1992b), and Colocasia
(Li & Wei, 1993). Her papers frequently deal with cytological
details of the species described (Gu et al., 1992; Li et
al., 1989). Still others deal with floristics such as that
of the Dulongjian Region (Li, 1993b), Xizang area (Li, 1987c),
the Gaoligong Mountains (Li et al., 1999), or plants of
medicinal value (Li, 1988). A paper dealing with the phytogeography
of the Araceae (Li, 1986), divides the family into 12 distribution
patterns and 29 subpatterns; another deals with the origin and
phylogeny of Araceae (Li, 1983). Li presented a paper at the XVI
International Botanical Congress in Yokohama dealing with the
species diversity of Chinese Araceae (Li, 1993a). Perhaps her
major accomplishment is the treatment of the Araceae of China
written with C. Y. Wu (Li, 1979a, 1979b) that deals with 34 genera
and 191 native species. The largest aroid genus in China, Arisaema,
is reported with 82 species. Li Heng is also chiefly responsible
for the treatment of the Araceae in the "Iconographia cormophytorum
sinicorum (Anonymous, 1976) published by an editorial committee
of that publication. This work treats 26 genera and 51 species,
all illustrated with line drawings. Li is currently working on
the English version of the Flora of China and presented information
about that project at the VI and VIII International Aroid Conferences
(Li & Long, 1998a). Another recent paper (in Chinese) (Li
& Long, 1998b) deals with the taxonomy of Amorphophallus
and includes a key to the Chinese species.
Also in China in the
same year, Kao Pao-Chung [Gao Baochum], working with the Academica
Sinica in Chengdu, Sichuan, did a revision of the Araceae for
the Flora Sichuanica (Kao, 1989a) and described new species of
Araceae (Kao, 1989b). That flora, not as tropical as Yunnan, treated
13 native genera and 62 native species.
In southwestern China,
Liu Pei-Ying at the Research Center of Konjac at the Southwest
Agricultural University in Chonqing, has been working on Amorphophallus
breeding. She presented a paper at the VI International Aroid
Conference in Kunming entitled "Research and Utilization
of Amorphophallus (Liu, Zhang & Zhang, 1998).
Simon Mayo of the Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew is today one of the foremost aroid researchers.
His first paper dealing with Araceae was a report on his early
fieldwork in Brazil (Mayo, 1978a), making it one of the first
contributions in the new journal Aroideana. His next two
papers (Mayo, 1978b; Mayo & Barroso, 1979) dealt with Brazilian
species, and his interest in Brazilian Araceae continues to this
day (Mayo, 1983a, 1986e, 1987c, 1988b, 1989b, 1995; Mayo &
Barbosa, 1996; Mayo & Féliz, 2000; Mayo & Fevereiro,
1982; Mayo & Zappi, 1993; Fevereiro & Mayo, 1982; Mayo
et al., 1995; Sampaio et al., 1996). Mayo has in
recent years lived and worked in Brazil where he has taught and
organized the research of several Brazilian students who were
interested in Araceae (Mayo & Nadruz, 1992; Ramalho, 1995;
Sakuragui, 1994; Nadruz, 1995; Andrade, 1996; Soares, 1996; Sakuragui
& Mayo, 1997). Together with Brazilian colleagues, he has
prepared a checklist for all of Brazil (Mayo et al., in
prep.) and has been especially interested in the Atlantic coastal
regions (Mayo, 1990b). He has published papers on the phytogeography
(Mayo, 1984b) and taxonomy of Bahía (Harley & Mayo,
1980; Mayo, 1984b) and has recently prepared a revision of the
Araceae of Bahía (Mayo, manuscript). On a broader topic
Mayo discussed aroid phytogeography in Africa and South America
(Mayo, 1993). Other Mayo papers dealing with New World aroid species
are those describing a new Caladium (Mayo & Bogner,
1988) and rediscovering Gearum N. E. Br. (Mayo et al.,
1994).
Among Mayo's earliest
efforts were his work with the flora of Trinidad (Mayo, 1981,
1986a) and with taxonomic problems in the West Indies, such as
a resolution of the poorly understood Anthurium acaule
and its relationship to the A. sect. Pachyneurium
(Mayo, 1982a). Mayo has also been heavily involved with African
Araceae, and he has produced the treatment of the Araceae for
the Flora of the Mascarene Islands (Mayo, 1983b, 1984c)
and the Flora of Tropical East Africa (Mayo, 1985a). This
in turn has led to considerable involvement with the taxonomy
of African Amorphophallus (Mayo et al., 1982; Bogner
et al., 1985), Araceae in the Flora of Cyprus 2
(Mayo & Meikle, 1985), and Arisaema (Mayo, 1982b, 1984a,
1985b, 1986b, 1987a, 1987b; Mayo & Gilbert, 1986). A short
paper deals with Biarum (Mayo, 1980a) while others focus
on aroids at Kew (Mayo, 1979) and an aroid symposium at Selby
Gardens (Mayo, 1980b). Still another paper discusses the presence
of anthocyanins and flavonoids in the Araceae (Williams et
al., 1981). Mayo's participation in a special volume of Curtis's
Botanical Magazine resulted in articles dealing with the "Genera
of Araceae" project (Mayo et al., 1995a, 1995b, 1995e),
and Roberto Burle Marx (Mayo, 1978c, 1982c, 1982d; Mayo et
al., 1995c). He has also reviewed various books on Araceae
(Mayo, 1980d, 1982d, 1983c, 1986c, 1991b).
For his Ph.D. work Mayo
chose to do a revision of Philodendron subg. Meconostigma
(Schott) Engl. (Mayo, 1986d) but his work went well beyond Meconostigma,
leading him to conduct research in various aspects of the whole
Philodendroideae. In a series of papers he discusses the evolution
(Mayo, 1988a), the gynoecial structure (Mayo, 1989a) and the taxonomy
of P. subg. Meconostigma (Mayo, 1991a), and the
history and infrageneric nomenclature of Philodendron (Mayo,
1990). He was the first to formally recognize tribe Pteromischum
as a subgenus. Mayo has subsequently put all of his information
on this group and other genera together in a massive computer-driven
cladistic study to reappraise the suprageneric classification
of the Araceae. This system is presented in The Genera of the
Araceae (Mayo et al., 1997). Using the same cladistic
information, the authors (including J. Bogner & P. Boyce)
present the case for the inclusion of the Lemnaceae into the Araceae
as a subclade of a monophyletic Araceae (Mayo et al., 1995).
They have also completed a treatment of the Araceae in K. Kubitzki's
The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants (Mayo et
al., in press), and done an article on the acolytes of the
Araceae (Mayo et al., 1995d).
Simon Mayo's decision
in 1973 to leave the Horticulture Department at Kew Gardens and
to become involved with the taxonomy of the Araceae was an important
event for research with the Araceae. His research, especially
his broad general studies in the evolution of the Philodendroideae
and his cladistic studies which have reclassified the genera of
Araceae, are on the cutting edge.
Richard Sheffer did important
breeding studies and cytological work with Anthurium during
his Ph.D. dissertation (Sheffer, 1974, 1977) at the University
of Hawaii and later at Indiana University Northwest. The work
was carried out in part with his major professor, cytologist and
Anthurium breeder H. Kamemoto (Sheffer & Kamemoto,
1976a, 1978; Sheffer et al., 1980). Sheffer published a
review of chromosome numbers for Anthurium (Sheffer &
Kamemoto, 1976b; Sheffer & Croat, 1983), and he conducted
a cytotaxonomic study of the Anthurium scandens complex
(Sheffer et al., 1980). Another major accomplishment was
breeding studies carried out with Anthurium sect. Pachyneurium
(Croat, 1991a) [see also Kamemoto above]. Sheffer has a new greenhouse
facility filled with Araceae which he uses in his cytological
research.
Another important plant
breeder dealing primarily with Araceae is R. J. (Jake) Henny from
the Central Florida Research and Education Center, University
of Florida in Apopka. His work has been largely experimental involving
culture techniques of Aglaonema, Anthurium, Dieffenbachia,
and Spathiphyllum (Henny, 1980a, 1989a, 1989b; Henny &
Fooshee, 1990a, 1990b; Henny et al. 1980a, 1994, 1995),
the use of growth regulators to induce flowering (Henny, 1980b,
1981, 1983a, 1983c, 1988c, 1989b, 1991, 1992; Henny & Fooshee,
1983, 1989b, 1990b, 1990c, 1991; Henny & Rasmussen, 1980b),
breeding (Henny, 1982a-c, 1983b, 1984, 1988a, 1989a; Henny &
Rasmussen, 1980a, 1980c, 1980d), and aroid introductions (Henny,
1988b, 1995a, 1995b; Henny et al., 1987a, 1987b). Ann Chase,
also from the C.F.R.E.C.-Apopka, works on aroid research and has
published results on various cultural aspects (Chase, 1989; Chase
& Henny, 1990; Chase & Poole, 1991) as have C.A. Conover
(Conover & Henny, 1995), R.W. Henley (Henley, 1992), and D.
Norman (Norman, 1996).
Marija Bedalov, working
at the University of Zagreb in Croatia, has worked many Araceae
of the Balkan region. Her Ph.D. thesis, written in Croatian dealt
with the cytotaxonomy of the Araceae of Yugoslovia (Bedalov, 1973a,
1976b). Since then she has worked with several genera including
Arisarum (Bedalov & Broni?, 1999), Biarum (Bedalov,
1969b), Calla (Bedalov, 1983b, 1994), and Dracunculus
(Bedalov, 1972, 1976b, 1994; Bedalov & Hesse, 1999), but most
of her work has been with Arum, especially dealing with
aspects of cytology, phytogeography and palynology (Bedalov,1975a-c,
1976a, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981a, 1981b, 1982, 1983a, 1984, 1985,
1999; Bedalov & Guttermann, 1982; Bedalov & Bronic, 1989;
Bedalov & Hesse, 1989; Bedalov et al., 1991; Bedalov
et al., 1993a, 1993b, 1999a, 1999b; Bianco et al.,
1994; Bedalov & Fischer, 1995; Bedalov & Drenkovski, 1997;
Bedalov & Bronic (1998a, 1998b; Bedalov et al., 1998). She
also has been very active publishing chromosome reports (Bedalov,
1973; Favarger & Bedalov, 1998) and especially in IOPB Chromosome
Data 10 [see list of literature]. With M. Hesse she has studied
pollen types within Dracunculus (Bedalov & Hesse, in
prep). Other papers in preparation include a cytotaxonomical study
of Arisarum vulgare (Bedalov & Bronic, in prep.), a
paper on the artificial hybridization in Arum (Bedalov
et al., in prep), on observations in meiosis in Arum (Bedalov
et al., in prep), and on studies with Arum in Denmark
(Bedalov et al., in prep).
Bedalov has also dealt
with the cytology and phytogeography of Calla and Acorus
(Bedalov, 1983b). Her work has largely been concentrated in the
Balkan region, especially in the former Yugoslavia. A participant
in the first International Aroid Conference as well as third,
fourth and sixth, she is an active and productive researcher.
In addition to her work in Zagreb, she carries out independent
investigations with a colleague in Switzerland.
Jin Murata, an expert
on Asian Arisaema, published his first paper on Arisaema
late in the decade (J. Murata, 1978). Several other papers describing
new species followed (J. Murata, 1956, 1983a, 1985a; J. Murata
& Ohashi, 1980; J. Murata & Ohno, 1989; J. Murata et
al., 1994), one on a new combination in Typhonium (J.
Murata & Mayo, 1991) and another describing the first leaves
of a species (J. Murata, 1986a). In a recent paper in Aroideana,
Murata provides keys, photos and a discussion of the Japanese
species of Arisaema (J. Murata, 1990a). Other papers include
information on chromosomes of Arisaema (J. Murata, 1983b,
1990b; J. Murata & Iijima, 1983), a study of the stem morphology
(J. Murata, 1988), a study of shoot organization recognizing four
types of stems (J. Murata, 1990c), a study of developmental pattern
of pedate leaves (J. Murata, 1990d) and allozyme differentiation
in Arisaema (J. Murata & Kawahara, 1994a-c). Two papers
deal with attempts of infrageneric classification (J. Murata,
1984, 1990f) and others deal with revisions of minor groups or
species complexes of Arisaema (J. Murata, 1962, 1985b,
1986b, 1986c, 1990d, 1990g, 1991, 1995; J. Murata & Ohno,
1991). Murata also wrote a memoriam for Hiroshi Hara (J. Murata,
1987).
Among Murata's major
publications are a complete revision of Arisaema in Japan
(Ohashi & J. Murata, 1980), complete with keys and illustrations
[see Ohashi above] and a proposed infrageneric classification
of Arisaema (J. Murata, 1984). Murata also participated
in the research of his student, Duangchai Sriboonma in a molecular
study of the genus Typhonium (Sriboonma et al.,
1993) and a revision of the genus (Sriboonma et al., 1994).
Murata has recently published an extensive review of the cytology
of Arisaema with the help of senior author Kuniaki Watanabe
and Tomiki Kobayashi (K. Watanabe et al., 1998).
Murata is a member of
the team of taxonomists working on the Araceae treatment for the
Flora Malesiana and is a coauthor of a checklist and bibliography
for this region (Hay et al., 1995, 1995a). He organized
the VI International Aroid Conference as a part of the XI International
Botanical Congress in Yokohama in 1993.
Another Japanese botanist,
sometimes publishing with Hotta, is H. Okada. His work has been
largely experimental and behavioral, including cytotaxonomical
studies of populations of Araceae in West Sumatra (Okada, 1984,
1986), studies of population dynamics of Schismatoglottis
in Sumatra (Okada, 1989; Okada & Hotta, 1987; Okada &
Mori, in press) as well as on chromosome behavior in Colocasia
(Okada & Hambali, 1989) and Schismatoglottis (Okada,
1992a). Two other papers discuss cytotaxonomic studies of rheophytic
aroids (Okada, 1992b, 1993).
Working in Hungary on
Arum, A. Terpo has made studies on the distribution and
taxonomy of Arum species (Terpo, 1971, 1973) in Pannonian
territories (now mostly Hungary and Yugoslavia).
Toward the end of the
1970s, P. Blanc in France carried out important studies on the
growth behavior of the Araceae. These studies (Blanc, 1977a, 1977b,
1978, 1980) were a precurser to the more extensive growth behavior
studies carried out by Tom Ray (see below).
As mentioned earlier,
the late 1970s also saw the creation of the International Aroid
Society, known initially as the American Aroid Society. This organization,
founded in Miami, Florida on June 18, 1977, was started through
the inspiration of Bette Waterbury, Allen Fernández, John
Faust, Shirley Crete, Marilyn Turner, Peggy Fischer (all constituting
the first officers with Waterbury as president), Tom Fennell,
Monroe Birdsey, Ron Weeks, De Hull, Gary Antosh, Joan Hackler,
and others. In the words of Michael Madison, in the leading article
of Aroideana, the International Aroid Society was intended
to "promote the study of the aroid family in all of its aspects."
Madison started publishing the society's journal, naming it Aroideana
at the suggestion of Dan Nicolson. The society and certainly the
journal have had their share of difficulties, mostly the result
of a volunteer-driven and sometimes inadequately prepared staff,
but also because of editors who gave up, and even one (Mark Moffler)
who died suddenly, along with the many difficulties in finding
the right publisher. The journal has by all accounts been immensely
valuable in dealing with Araceae. Many of the papers published
throughout the years simply would not have been written at all
had it not been for the need to "feed the presses."
Major contributors in the first few years were Madison himself,
Simon Mayo, Josef Bogner, Tom Croat, and Harald Riedl. Other aroid
researchers who contributed were George Bunting, Niels Jacobsen,
Tom Ray, Dan Nicolson, Alistair Hay, Peter Boyce, M. Sivadasan,
Richard Sheffer, Dorothy Shaw, Mike Grayum, Richard Henny, H.
Kamemoto, Marianne Knecht, Farah Ghani, Larry Klotz, and Mark
Moffler.
From the onset, the journal
has encouraged and received articles from horticulturists and
plant collectors since the aroid society is primarily supported
by plant lovers of all kinds. Many of them have contributed greatly,
such as Bette Waterbury, John Banta, Frank Brown, an expert on
the genus Aglaonema (Brown, 1980, 1982, 1984), Fred Dortort,
Amy Donovan, Lawrence Garner, dealing with hybridizing Alocasia
(Garner, 1983), James Watson, Luis Bueno, Julius Boos, David Leedy,
Linda Theus, David Prudhomme, John Johnston, Joe Wright, Mike
Bush, William Drysdale, Marcel Lecoufle, Stu Cramer, and Arnold
Melim. Naturalist Julius Boos, a recent contributer, is particularly
knowledgeable about the aroids of Trinidad and some members of
the Lasioideae (Boos, 1997), especially Urospatha (Boos,
1993; Boos & Boos, 1993). Fanny Phillips made an important
contribution to the understanding of Amorphophallus (Phillips,
1988). Libbe Besse wrote a paper on the native south Florida aroids
(Besse, 1980). She has also played an important role in the development
of Selby Gardens and has sponsored and participated in several
important expeditions to Ecuador with Mike Madison and others
at Selby Gardens. These expeditions were among the most productive,
ever, in the procurement of living Araceae and her assistance
is to be commended. David Burnett made a major contribution where
he contributed an unpublished table of contents to earlier Aroideana
volumes that was useful in preparing the published indices (Croat
& Rossman, 1991; Donovan & Malesevich, 1994), and he published
an illustrated introduction to the cultivated Alocasia
(Burnett, 1984). Since there is no modern revision of this genus,
the work by Burnett has been immensely useful. Another paper discusses
a proposal for hybrid and cultivar names (Burnett, 1982).
In addressing the success
of the journal and the International Aroid Society itself, both
of which have been instrumental in promoting activity with Araceae,
a major tribute must go to a small band of enthusiasts in Miami
who have provided the impetus to keep things running. The faces
have changed over the years although many devoted members are
worthy of mention, only a few can be mentioned here. Foremost
is the late Bette Waterbury, founder and first president (who
also served subsequent terms) and president emeritus, who did
so much to keep the society alive. Other productive members such
as Linda Theus, Allen Fernandez, and Maree Winter are no longer
with us. Special thanks must go to people like Amy Donovan, present
editor of the journal and one of the most dedicated society members;
Dewey Fisk who served as board member, President, Corresponding
Secretary, journal editor, plant sale promotor and auctioneer;
David Burnett, who served as a board member, recruited many Australian
members and ran Australian membership affairs; David Leedy who
served as newsletter editor; Bruce McManus who served as newsletter
editor, membership chairman and especially as Show Chairman for
the annual meeting and show; Denis Rotalante, Ron Weeks and others
who could always be counted on to bring big plants for the Annual
Show and Sale; Tricia Frank, Susan Staiger, Jerry Bengis, Donna
Rich, and many others who have served as officers or who were
heavily involved in the work of putting together the Annual Meeting
and Show are all to be commended for their efforts. Petra Schmidt
Malesevich, who has been my faithful assistant for many years,
first as aroid greenhouse manager and later as research assistant,
is one of the unsung heroes of the aroid community. She has served
as a board member, membership chairperson, assistant editor, book
sales and compiler of membership lists and Aroideana indices
in addition to carrying out the multitude of tasks necessary in
my own research program. Finally, the many others who were there
making the society work; they are the ones who sold the plants,
the T-shirts and books to make the profits which kept the journal
in publication during the lean years. Certainly all of us owe
them a debt of gratitude.
The 1980s were, in many
respects, some of the most important years for aroid research.
This period saw the greatest increase of knowledge since the time
of Engler, Krause and Sodiro, around the turn of the century.
Most researchers who had begun their work in the 1960-1970 period
were still active. It was also a time of real ferment with a number
of excellent, new, well-trained researchers beginning their careers
with Araceae. Peter Boyce at Kew began work with Mediterranean
Araceae. The focus of research on Araceae also became increasingly
diverse; no longer mostly systematic, but instead focus widened
to a number of behavioral and experimental approaches. Hegnauer
reviewed the chemical attributes of the Araceae (Hegnauer, 1963,
1986, 1987). Tom Ray began working with a wide variety of aspects
of growth behavior (See, Ray below). H. J. Tillich reported on
seedling development (1985). Jim French conducted an extensive
and comprehensive review of technical aspects of the Araceae,
including a wide spectrum of anatomical features and a broad molecular
survey before embarking on studies with pollination biology of
the Araceae (See French below). Mike Grayum startled the aroid
world with his astounding new suprageneric classification that
followed his thorough SEM review of pollen and a review of virtually
all character states in the Araceae (Grayum, 1984). Marianne Knecht
published her biosystematic study of the Araceae of the Ivory
Coast. Denis Barabé began studies of floral anatomy. William
Carvell followed with studies on the Pothoideae and Monsteroideae
(Carvell, 1989a; 1989b). Robin Scribailo at Purdue North Central
in Westville, Indiana, is now doing similar studies on floral
anatomy. He published work on the developmental anatomy of Peltandra
(Scribailo & Lloyd, 1993) and on shoot and floral development
in Calla (Scribailo & Tomlinson, 1992). Gitte Petersen
began her work with the cytology of the Araceae (see "Miscellaneous
Disciplines" below). Helen Young (currently at Barnard College
in New York), working at La Selva in Costa Rica, observed Philodendron
rothschuhianum (Engl. & K. Krause) Croat & Grayum
(Young, 1987), and often with the assistance of George Schatz
(Missouri Botanical Garden) studied reproductive biology of Dieffenbachia
(Young, 1986, 1988a, 1988b) thereby discovering many interesting
features that gave insight into all other beetle pollinated genera.
Lloyd Goldwasser (University of California) worked on similar
pollination projects. Long Chun-lin, working with Li Heng at the
Kunming Institute of Botany, began working with Chinese Araceae.
Finally, this decade saw one of the first and certainly the best
book devoted to Araceae written for the general public, Aroids,
written by Deni Bown, an amateur aroider and a highly regarded
professional writer. Her book has gone a long way toward introducing
Araceae to the general public. It is not only highly informative,
but it is easy reading and is filled with excellent pictures (Bown,
1988). She also contributed papers for Aroideana on naturalized
English aroids (Bown, 1985) and on the history of Acorus calamus
L. (Bown, 1987) to Aroideana.
The published aroid research
of James C. French, first at the University of Mississippi and
later at Rutgers, began in the early 1980s. Perhaps no aroid worker
was ever as prolific over a single decade. His first paper (French,
1977) dealt with growth relationships of leaves and internodes
in vining angiosperms with different modes of attachment. His
first paper dealing exclusively with Araceae was a collaborative
survey of the vascular system in Araceae (French & Tomlinson,
1980). A series of papers followed which revealed the vascular
anatomy of all the subfamilies: Pothoideae (French & Tomlinson,
1981a), Philodendroideae (French & Tomlinson, 1981b, 1984),
Calloideae and Lasioideae (French & Tomlinson, 1981c), Monsteroideae
(French & Tomlinson, 1981d), and Colocasioideae, Aroideae
and Pistoideae (French & Tomlinson, 1983). Another work dealt
with a much larger survey of Philodendron, a genus of especially
variable vascular anatomy (French & Tomlinson, 1981b) while
still another dealt with stems in general (French, 1983). French
also embarked on an independent survey of a variety of anatomical
features with the hope of understanding their taxonomic significance.
These included meristems (Fisher & French, 1976, 1978), endothecial
thickenings in stamens (French, 1985a, 1985b, 1986c), ovular vasculature
(French, 1986a), sclerotic hypodermis in roots (French, 1987a),
anastomosing laticifers (French, 1988), and patterns of staminal
vasculature (French, 1986b). With M. G. Fox he studied the systematic
occurrence of sterols in the latex of Colocasioideae (Fox &
French, 1988). These broad surveys contributed greatly to a better
understanding of the evolution of the Araceae and the attempt,
so intense at that time, to resolve the differences in competing
systems of classification (Grayum, 1984; Bogner & Nicolson,
1991).
In a thorough survey
of the chloroplast DNA of Araceae (French et al., 1995),
French and his colleagues contributed greatly to the most recent
revision of the suprageneric classification of the Araceae (Mayo
et al., 1997). Other molecular studies dealt with Acorus
and Gymnostachys (French & Kessler, 1989) and the Colocasioideae
(Kessler & French, 1989). Jim French has covered a variety
of distinct research topics in Araceae and has done them all well.
His latest approach is with pollination biology which he is conducting
during his sabbatical while living with his family in Costa Rica.
Alistair Hay began his
career in New Guinea and published a treatment of the Araceae
of Papua New Guinea (Hay, 1981). For his D.Phil. dissertation
he revised Cyrtosperma (Hay, 1986, 1988a). With D. J. Mabberley
he published a paper (Hay & Mabberley, 1991) on a controversial
theory of evolution in Araceae and discussed its implication for
the evolution of other angiosperms. Hay, now working at the Royal
Botanic Gardens, Sydney in Australia, had a major interest in
Australasia and published a treatment of Alocasia for Australasia
with R. Wise (Hay & Wise, 1991), discussed collecting Alocasia
in New Guinea (Hay, 1990a), did a revision of Typhonium
(Hay, 1993a), and Amorphophallus (Hay, 1988b) for Australasia,
described the new genus, Lazarum, discovered in Australia
(Hay, 1992a), published the Araceae of New South Wales (Hay, 1993b),
and new taxa of Alocasia (Hay, 1989, 1994; Hay et al.,
1997 in press), Colocasia (Hay, 1996b), Nephthytis
in Borneo (Hay et al., 1994), Rhaphidophora (Hay,
1993c), and aroids of Papua New Guinea (Hay, 1990b). Recently
he completed a revision of the genus Pothos for New Guinea,
Solomon Islands, and Australia (Hay, 1995), introduced a new species
of Typhonium (Hay & Taylor, 1996), and a revision of
Schismatoglottis for Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore
(Hay, 1996a). He is also publishing a revision of Homalomena
in New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and Solomon Islands (Hay,
1997a), an article on Alocasia melo (Hay et al.,
1997), and on new species of Typhonium (Hay, 1997b). Hay
has recently revised Alocasia in the Philippines (Hay,
in press), reviewed Schismatoglottis in the Philippines
(Hay, in press) and is working on a treatment of the Flora of
Australia (Hay, in prep.), a revision of Alocasia in West
Malaysia (Hay, in prep.), and a popular account of the Araceae
of Sabah and Sarawak (Hay, in prep.). Other recently completed
papers involve studies with shoot architecture in Pothos
(Hay, in press) and a discussion of the value of living collections
for taxonomic studies and for conservation (Hay, in press).
Hay's interest has continued
with the subfamily Lasieae worldwide. He described the neotropical
genus Anaphyllopsis A. Hay (Hay, 1988c) and discussed the
tribal and subtribal distribution and circumscription of the Lasieae
(Hay, 1992b) as well as the proper circumscription of Lasia
concinna Alderw. (Hay, 1988d). Currently Hay is the coordinator
of the Araceae treatment for the Flora Malesiana (Hay, 1994b),
a project involving contributions from about a half dozen aroid
taxonomists from all over the world, including, in addition to
Hay, Josef Bogner, Peter Boyce, Wilbert Hetterscheid, Niels Jacobsen,
Jin Murata, and Elizabeth Widjaja. A recent joint effort by several
of these contributors has resulted in a checklist (Hay et al.,
1995a) and a bibliography (Hay et al., 1955b). As the prime
mover on the Flora Malesiana project and a member of the Flora
Malesiana Foundation Board, his contribution to aroid research
is certain to continue to be profitable.
Tom Ray, carried out
studies on growth and heterophylly on Syngonium for his
Ph.D. thesis at Harvard (Ray, 1981). While working at the University
of Delaware, he played an important role in understanding growth
of Araceae and his first paper in Araceae dealt with skototropism
(Strong & Ray, 1975). Other early papers describe the physical
aspects and variability of growth behavior in general terms (Ray,
1979) and use of specific cases to demonstrate growth behavior
(Ray, 1983a, 1983b; Oberbauer et al., 1980). In another
paper (Ray, 1986) he began to define terms and discuss the universality
of the stem segment regardless of its age. In another he discusses
cyclic heterophylly of plants displaced from trees (Ray, 1987a).
In a paper entitled "Leaf types in the Araceae" (Ray,
1987b) he begins to define the complex terminology that will become
a part of his work. In the next two papers (Ray, 1987c, 1988)
the system is further defined and a schematic formulation is provided
for each type of shoot organization. Ray also describes metamorphosis,
i.e. the abrupt change from one growth form to another, and discusses
how this varies in different genera (Ray, 1990, 1992a). Another
paper discusses a novel method to measure and record leaf shape
using Syngonium podophyllum Schott as a test case (Ray,
1992b). Though not a systematist, Ray did describe a new species
of Syngonium (Ray, 1980). Ray's comparative surveys of
most genera proved very useful in helping to sort out the generic
relationships. With the assistance of Susanne Renner (Ray &
Renner, 1990) he translated Part 2 of Engler's (1877) "Comparative
Studies on the Morphology of the Araceae." This information
was yet another important element in the body of knowledge accumulated
during this productive period of Araceae research. Unfortunately
for aroid research, Ray has embarked on another field of learning.
His high intellect and imagination will be sorely missed in Araceae
research.
Hiromichi Yoshino from
Kyoto University in Japan explored the Himalayas of Nepal and
Bhutan (and wrote two general interest books on the subject) before
he began his work with Araceae at the Kihara Institute for Biological
Research in 1975, continuing his studies after he moved to Okayama
University, publishing molecular studies on Colocasia and
Alocasia in Japan and China (Yoshino, 1975, 1994). Another
paper describes the morphological characteristics of the wild
species of Colocasia (Yoshino, 1984). His Ph.D. dissertation
dealt with a phylogenetic differentiation in taro, Colocasia
esculenta (Yoshino, 1995). A recent paper deals with phosphate
and nitrate absorption ability of wild species of taro (Yoshino,
1995).
Michael H. Grayum, while
still a student at the University of Massachusetts, spent a summer
in Costa Rica working at La Selva. His first paper dealing with
Araceae described the characteristics of that flora (Grayum, 1982).
His Ph.D. thesis, written at the University of Massachusetts,
involved an SEM study of pollen, but in characteristic thoroughness,
he studied every other known character state as well, and on this
basis he developed a new system of classification of the genera
of Araceae (Grayum, 1984). The system, quite at odds with that
of Engler, has for the most part proven over time to better fit
our modern state of knowledge of the family. Other papers dealing
directly with the information assembled for his thesis include:
one on the evolution and ecological significance of starch in
pollen of Araceae (Grayum, 1985), the phylogenetic implications
of pollen nuclear number in the Araceae (Grayum, 1986a, 1986b),
correlation between pollination biology and pollen morphology
with some implications for angiosperm evolution (Grayum, 1986b),
and the systematic embryology of the Araceae (Grayum, 1991). The
bulk of his thesis was published under the titles "Evolution
and Phylogeny of the Araceae" (Grayum, 1990) and "Comparative
External Pollen Ultrastructure of the Araceae and Putatively Related
Taxa" (Grayum, 1992a). Another major contribution was his
investigations supporting the removal of Acorus from the
Araceae, listing 13 unique characteristics of Acorus not
shared with other Araceae (Grayum, 1987a).
Grayum's principal work
with Araceae, since his thesis, has involved Costa Rica where
he lived for seven years (Grayum, in press), and with a revision
of Philodendron subg. Pteromischum (Grayum, 1996).
Some new species of P. subg. Pteromischum have been
published (Grayum, 1992b, 1996) as well as a new Anthurium
(Grayum, 1993). He has also had an interest in Caladium
and Chlorospatha (Grayum, 1987b, 1991b). Grayum now serves
as Editor of the Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden and co-investigator
of the Costa Rican Manual project. His latest efforts in this
project involved a revision of the Araceae of Costa Rica. This
has resulted in his current paper (Grayum, in press).
Marianne Knecht, from
Switzerland, did a biosytematic study of the Araceae of Côte
d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) in tropical West Africa. This was a thorough
study of every aspect of each species occurring there from morphology
to phytogeography, cytology, anatomy, palynology and flowering
behavior. The results are published in a book in French (Knecht,
1983). Another paper deals with African traditional medicine (Knecht,
1980).
M. Sivadasan (Das), from
the University of Calicut in Kerala, India, has worked with the
Araceae extensively since the mid-1970s. His unpublished doctoral
thesis was a taxonomic study of the Araceae of South India (Sivadasan,
1982). His first published paper described a new species of Typhonium
(Sivadasan & Nicolson, 1981), and his first major production
was a revision of Theriophonum (Sivadasan & Nicolson,
1982). Other publications include popular articles published on
rare Indian aquatic plants, including Cryptocoryne (Sivadasan,
1985a, 1989b) and Lagenandra (Sivadasan, 1990; Sivadasan
& Babu, 1995; Sivadasan & Bogner, 1986), and he co-produced
the Araceae for the flora of Tamilnadu Carnatic (Sivadasan &
Nicolson, 1983). Sivadasan (1983) also wrote on threatened species
of Indian aroids as well as the description of new species or
new names of Arisaema (Sivadasan, 1985b; Sivadasan &
Kumar, 1987; Sivadasan & Nicolson, 1981, 1983a), Lasia
(Sivadasan & Sajeev, 1996), Amorphophallus (Sivadasan,
1986a, 1986b, 1989a), Pothos (Sivadasan et al.,
1989; 1994), and Theriophonum (Sivadasan & Wilson,
1997, in press). Another paper discusses the pollination biology
of Amorphophallus (Sivadasan & Sabu, 1989). In collaboration
with C. R. Suresh and K. S. Manilal, he discussed the taxonomy
of aroid species in H. A. van Rheede tot Draakestein's Hortus
Indicus Malabaricus. A recent addition to the study of the
Indian flora is his study of the Araceae of the Silent Valley
area (Sivadasan, 1999). This treats 9 genera and 21 species with
17 color figures.
Peter Boyce's interest
in Araceae began about 1980. He was involved in the cultivation
of aroids and exploration, made a collecting trip to Crete as
early as 1986 (Boyce, 1986). In his official capacity at the Royal
Botanic Gardens at Kew, he began his work with Araceae as Simon
Mayo's assistant. He properly chose to work in a different part
of the world than Mayo, initially doing revisionary work with
the Mediterranean genera, especially Arum, about which
he has published a book (Boyce, 1993a). This work, complete with
color paintings, covers all aspects of the taxonomy and biology
of the genus. A similar book, this one dealing with Biarum,
is to be published. Other publications on Mediterranean plants
deal with Arisarum (Boyce, 1989, 1990), Biarum (Boyce,
1987b, 1995h, 1999; Boyce & Athanasiou, 1991), Arum
(Boyce, 1987a, 1988, 1989, 1994a, 1995j), and include descriptions
of new species. Boyce has also published a treatment of both Dracunculus
and Helicodiceros (Boyce, 1994b).
As noted above, Boyce
is a member of the team working on the Araceae for the Flora Malesiana
and has co-authored a checklist and bibliography of the region
(Hay et al., 1995, 1995a) and written about collecting
in Peninsular Malaysia (Boyce, 1994). He is responsible for Epipremnum
(Boyce, 1998), Pothos (Boyce, 2000), Rhaphidophora
(Boyce, 1999), and Scindapsus. He is also doing the Araceae
for the Flora of Brunei (Boyce, 1994c, 1997). In addition, he
is coordinator of the Araceae project for the Flora of Thailand,
contributing the accounts for the Pothoideae and Monsteroideae.
Most of his recent publications deal with the biogeography (Boyce,
1996c), and architecture and growth patterns of Pothos
(Boyce & Poulsen, 1994) and P. grandis (Boyce &
Nguyen, 1995, 1996), and miscellaneous papers as well as other
genera from southeast Asia including Amydrium (Boyce, 1995a),
Bucephalandra (Boyce, 1995b; Boyce et al., 1995a),
Eminium (Lobin & Boyce, 1991), Hapaline (Boyce,
1996), Homalomena (Boyce, 1994b), Pinellia Ten.
(Boyce, 1988), Rhapidophora (Boyce, 1996b), Schismatoglottis
and Pycnospatha (Boyce, 1993b), Scindapsus (Boyce,
1993c), and Steudnera (Boyce, 1995b). Besides working with
Asian genera his studies have also included African genera, namely
Culcasia (1995g) and the American genera Anthurium
(Boyce, 1995e) and Ulearum (Boyce, 1995f). Boyce was largely
responsible for compiling a special issue of Curtis's Botanical
Magazine that was devoted entirely to Araceae and included
genera from Asia, Africa, and America (Boyce, 1995d-i). Many of
his individual contributions to this are cited above but he also
wrote for this work an introduction to the family Araceae (Boyce,
1995d), Araceae at the herbarium of Kew (Boyce, 1996b), and an
article on aroid conservation (Boyce, 1995i) for the special issue.
Boyce co-authored an article on aroid cultivation with P. Brewster
and R. Wilford (Boyce et al., 1995) and along with Mayo
and Bogner he contributed an article on the history of Araceae
research (Mayo et al., 1995). Boyce (1996d) also contributed
Arisarum, Arum, Biarum, and Pothos
to The World of Plants series. Finally, Boyce is a member
of a team (including Mayo and Bogner) who are working on a new
understanding of the family at both the supra-family level (Mayo
et al., 1995b) and at the suprageneric level (Mayo et
al., in press). His intimate knowledge of the Asian Araceae
is critical to that effort. Along with Mayo and Bogner, he is
an author of The Genera of Araceae (Mayo et al.,
1997) and he lectured on this subject at the VI International
Aroid Conference in Kunming, China (Mayo et al., 1998).
Miklos Treiber, working
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, did his Ph.D.
thesis on a biosystematic study of the Arisaema triphyllum
complex (Treiber, 1980).
Collette Ntépé-Nyame
of the University of Cameroun has described a new species of Rhektophyllum
(R. camerunense Ntépé-Nyame [now Cercestis]
(Ntépé, 1981). She also wrote a paper, with R. Letouzey
in Paris, on the nomenclatural and taxonomic problems with Culcasia
scandens (Letouzey & Ntépé, 1981). Her most
recent contribution is the treatment of the Araceae for the Flore
du Cameroun (Ntépé-Nyame, 1988). The treatment,
written in French, has 56 plates each with one or more detailed
line drawings.
Sue Thompson of the Carnegie
Museum published her first paper on the distribution and ecology
of Cyrtosperma chamissonis Merr. (Thompson, 1982). She
has begun a revision of Xanthosoma (Thompson, 1984, 1985,
1989) and did her Ph.D. thesis on the systematics and biology
of Araceae and Acoraceae of temperate North America (Thompson,
1990). She contributed the treatment of the Araceae for the Flora
of North America (Thompson, 2000) and another paper detailing
the biology of North American Araceae (Thompson, in prep). Thompson
is a member of the Honorary Board of Directors for the International
Aroid Society and has also been editor of the I. A. S. Newsletter.
Chinese botanists, Wen-yen
Lien and Ru-zhi Feng, published a survey of Arisaema and
Pinellia in China (Lien & Feng, 1982). Z. Xie et
al. (1996) reported on morphological variation within P.
ternata populations, and Z.-L. Wang introduced a new species
of Sauromatum from Gaoligong Mountains (Z.-L. Wang &
H. Li, 1999).
Denis Barabé,
at the Montreal Botanical Garden and working with different collaborators,
made extensive studies of the floral anatomy (Barabé, 1982;
Barabé & Chrétien, 1985, 1986; Barabé
& Forget, 1988a-b, 1992; Barabé & Labrecque, 1983,
1984, 1985; Barabé et al., 1984, 1985, 1986a, 1987a)
and development (Barabé, 1993, 1994, 1995; Barabé
& Bertrand, 1996; Barabé & Jean, 1996; Boubes &
Barabé, 1996, 1997; Barabé et al., 1986b,
1987b, 1996). These studies include a discussion of neotany in
the Araceae (Barabé, 1987) and a cladistic analysis of
the Calloideae (Barabé & Forget, 1987a).
The late Mark Moffler,
former editor of Aroideana and student of Homalomena,
was working on a revision of the genus Homalomena at the
time of his death. His published papers deal with the anatomy
of Homalomena (Moffler, 1983), a description of a new species
with Josef Bogner (Moffler & Bogner, 1984), the cold tolerance
of Araceae (Moffler, 1980), and on Anthurium araliifolium
(Moffler, 1981). His partially finished thesis on the genus is
being revised by Richard Wunderlin, Tom Croat, and Richard Mansell;
they are making final revisions on the manuscript before publishing
it (Moffler et al., in prep.).
Farah D. Ghani from Malaysia
published a paper on useful Araceae of Peninsular Asia (Ghani,
1983) and one on edible aroids (Ghani, 1984a) that includes keys
for the identification of cultivars of Colocasia esculenta
in Malaysia (Ghani, 1984b).
George R. Haager, currently
Director of the Prague Botanical Garden in the Czech Republic
has had a long interest in Araceae, collecting in Mexico, Venezuela
and Ecuador. He was responsible for collecting Anthurium sarukhanianum
in Mexico (Croat, 1991a). He has also described other new species
from Ecuador (Haager & Jenik, 1984) and Mexico (Haager, 1991).
W. Greuter (Greuter,
1984) produced a revision of Arum for the island of Crete
in the Mediterranean.
Arie de Graaf, sometimes
with J. C. Arends and J. D. Bastmeijer, has published papers on
Cryptocoryne. Graaf & Arends published on the occurrence
of Cryptocoryne and Lagenandra in Sri Lanka (Graaf,
1987a, 1987b, 1988, 1991; Graaf & Arends, 1986). J. D. Bastmeijer
published a series of short papers, each featuring a species of
Cryptocoryne (Bastmeijer, 1982, 1984, 1986a, 1989, 1991,
1992, 1993; Bastmeijer & Leenen, 1983; Bastmeijer & Kettner,
1991; Bastmeijer et al., 1984) and along with Arends published
on the chromosomes of Lagenandra (Arends & Bastmeijer,
1978). He published biographic notes about de Wit and Jacobsen
(Bastmeijer, 1986b). Finally Arends and F. M. van der Laan published
a paper on the chromosomes of Lagenandra (Arends &
van der Laan, 1978).
Richard Keating from
Southern Illinois University has spent part of the past 15 years
working on the vegetative anatomy of the Araceae for Metcalfe
& Chalk's Anatomy of Monotocotyledons (Keating, in
prep.). He has presented papers at major meetings that dealt with
the anatomical distinction between the Pothoideae and Monsteroideae
(Keating, 1980) and with other relationships within the family
(Keating, 1982). Other general papers entitled "Techniques
for studying aroid anatomy", "Vegetative anatomical
features in the Araceae," and "Structural trends in
lamina histology in the Araceae" are expected to be published
in upcoming issues of Aroideana.
William N. Carvel has
completed an as yet unpublished thesis dealing with the floral
anatomy of the Pothoideae and Monsteroideae (Carvell, 1989a, 1989b).
Another work worthy of mention is a completed revision of Stenospermation
for Central America by Alcira Pérez de Gómez (1983),
a Venezuelan student from Barquisimeto, working under the direction
of Tom Croat.
Kerim Alpinar, at the
Department of Pharmacy of the University of Istanbul in Turkey
and has published a key (with illustrations) to the Turkish species
and recognized new taxa as well as reported on the starch and
protein content of the Turkish species (Alpinar, 1985). In addition,
he has published chromosome information on Arum in Turkey
(Alpinar, 1987) as well as phytochemistry of Dracunculus vulgaris
Schott (Alpinar & Meridi, 1987).
Surawit Wannakrairoj
at the Department of Horticulture at Kasetsart University in Bangkok,
Thailand, a former student of H. Kamemoto at the University of
Hawaii, works on a breeding program with Aglaonema. His
thesis involved studies of Anthurium spathes and the inheritance
of color, a feature so important to the cut flower industry (Marutani
et al., 1988; Wannakrairoj & Kamemoto, 1990a, 1990b).
Long Chun-lin from the
Kunming Institute of Botany in China published his first papers
on Amorphophallus in China in collaboration with Li Heng
(Li & Long, 1989a, 1989b). Working with Li Heng, Gu Zhijian
and Liu Xianzhang, he produced a cytogeographic study of Remusatia
(Long et al., 1989) and a study of the karyotypes of Amorphophallus
from China. A recent paper dealt with ethnobotanical uses of Amorphophallus
(Long, 1992, 1998). He presented a paper on Amorphophallus
of China at the VII International Aroid Conference (Long et
al., in press). He has been involved with many papers with
Li Heng, including the recent study of aroids of the Gaoligong
Mountains (Li et al., 1999) and a new species of Amorphophallus
(Long & Li, 2000). See also papers discussed under Li Heng.
Greg Ruckert, founder
of the Australian Area collection and the journal Area
which features information about tuberous aroids, especially Arisaema,
has published articles on Arisaema and recently participated
in the work on the Gaoligong Mountains (Li et al., 1999;
Li & Ruckert, 1998).
Z. Y. Zhu (1985) redescribed
Alocasia cucullata (Lour.) G. Don in Sichuan, China as
the "new" genus Panzhuyuia with a single species,
P. omeiensis.
P. J. Matthews published
several papers on taro, including their cultivation (Matthews,
1987), the origins, dispersal and domestication (Matthews, 1990,
1995; Matthews et al., 1992), and on ribosomal and mitochondria
DNA variation (Matthews et al., 1992). S. Chandra (1984)
published a work on the taro and other edible aroids.
Yashica Singh, from the
National Botanic Institute in Durban, South Africa in collaboration
with A. E. van Wyk and H. Baijnath, has published a guide to identifying
members of Zantedeschia (Singh et al., 1995). They
have also worked on the floral biology of Z. aethiopica
(Singh et al., 1996a) and on taxonomic notes of the genus
(Singh et al., 1996b). These publications form part of
an M.Sc. study on the systematics of Zantedeschia (Singh,
1996) undertaken by Singh at the University of Pretoria.
Jenn-Che Wang from Taiwan
Normal University in Taipei, Taiwan has completed a systematic
revision of Taiwanese Arisaema (Wang, 1996). The work contains
detailed drawings, photographs of spathe and spadix, and pollen
micrographs.