BEN # 142

[Adolf Ceska]

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No. 142                              August 30, 1996

aceska at freenet.victoria.bc.ca        Victoria, B.C.
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 Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
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DR. DOUGLASS M. HENDERSON (1938 - 1996)
From: The Idaho Statesman, July 27, 1996, Page 4B [abbrev.]

Douglass  M. Henderson, 58, a professor of Botany at the Univer-
sity of Idaho, died Wednesday, July 24,  1996,  at  his  Moscow,
Idaho, home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

He  was  born  July 9, 1938, at Long Beach, Calif., to Allen and
Dolores Smith Henderson. He was reared in  Bakersfield,  Calif.,
and graduated from high school there in 1956.

He  enlisted  with  the  U.S. Air Force, and spent four years at
various bases around the country between 1956 and 1960.  He  was
in  the U.S. Air Force Reserve from 1960 to 1962. While with the
Air Force, he attended tech school in Denver.

He attended Bakersfield College from 1960 to 1963 and  graduated
magna  cum  laude  from  Fresno  State  College  in  1965 with a
bachelor's degree in botany.

He married Margaret Sherman on Dec.  26,  1970,  at  Sacramento,
Calif.

He  received  his  doctorate  in  botany  from the University of
Washington at Seattle in 1972. He was a teaching assistant, then
instructor of botany at UW after graduation. He was an assistant
professor of botany at the University  of  Idaho  from  1972  to
1978, and become an associate professor in 1978.

He was director of the University of Idaho herbarium, the manag-
ing  editor  for the Systematic Botany (1983-1985), and regional
coordinator for Flora of North America (1984-1987). In  1975  he
was appointed by the Governor to be in charge of issuing permits
for the collection of endangered and threatened plants in Idaho.

He  had written numerous scholarly publications, won UI teaching
excellence awards and was a member of several botanical associa-
tions (ASPT, IAPT, BSA). He was an avid photographer and enjoyed
hiking and canoeing.

He is survived by his wife,  a  son,  two  daughters  and  three
grandchildren.  The  family  suggests  memorials  may be made to
University of Idaho Vandal Boosters, or  to  the  University  of
Washington  Botany  Department,  c/o  University  of Washington,
Seattle, WA 99195.

Several publications of D. M. Henderson [selected by AC]:

Henderson,  D.  M.  1976.  A  biosystematic  study  of   Pacific
   northwestern  blue-eyed  grasses  (Sisyrinchium,  Iridaceae).
   Brittonia 28: 149-176.
Henderson, D. M., R. K. Moseley, & A. F. Cholewa.  1990.  A  new
   Agoseris  (Asteraceae)  from  Idaho  and  Montana. Systematic
   Botany 15(3): 462-465. [A. lackschewitzii - see BEN # 24 &  #
   36]
Cholewa,  A.  F.  & D. M. Henderson. 1994. Iridaceae Iris Family
   Part  One  Sisyrinchium  L.  Journal  of  the  Arizona-Nevada
   Academy of Science 27(2): 215-218.
Urbanczyk,  S.  M.  &  D. M. Henderson. 1994. Classification and
   ordination of alpine plant communities, Sheep Mountain, Lemhi
   Country, Idaho. Madrono 41(3): 205-223.
Bursik, R. J. & D.M. Henderson. 1995. Valley peatland  flora  of
   Idaho. Madrono 42(3): 366-395


DISCOVERY AND DESTRUCTION OF SUPERB FOSSIL SITE NEAR NANAIMO
From: Thor Henrich c/o <shenrich at direct.ca>

On  Friday,  August  9,  1996,  bulldozer  operator  John  Bell,
employed by the Paramount Blasting  and  Drilling  Company,  was
working on the new Duke Point Road extension, which will connect
the  Island  Highway south of Nanaimo to a new ferry terminal to
the mainland. The workers had finished blasting a large  section
of  sandstone  and  coal-bearing  shale, and were removing large
blocks of stone, to crush into roadfill for the  new  extension.
Mr. Bell recognized a large fossil of some sort on the undersur-
face  of  a large boulder. He excavated the stone and allowed it
to turn over. This action exposed a  surface  covered  with  the
leaves of an ancient palm tree, Phoenicites (in older literature
Geonomites)  imperialis,  as  well as many other smaller leaves.
Mr. Bell was able with his huge machine, to scoop up  the  boul-
der, and move it to the top roadcut, adjacent to the parking lot
of the Cranberry Arms Hotel.

The Victoria Palaeontology Society became aware of the discovery
from  Elizabeth  Hargreaves  of  the  Nanaimo Times, and after a
quick reconnaissance trip recognized the  scientific  importance
of  the  fossil site. Salvage palaeontology of the site revealed
exquisitely preserved specimens of the Upper  Cretaceous  Period
(about  72 million years old), such as dawn redwood (Metasequoia
cuneata), several fern species, many angiosperms, and the  enig-
matic  cycadoid Nilssonia. The end of the Mesozoic Era is one of
the most important periods  in  the  history  of  life  on  this
planet.  We  see  not only the extinction of dinosaurs, but also
the rapid evolution of the angiosperms, the dominant plant group
today.

At present the boulder containing  the  palm  fossils  has  been
moved  to  the campus of Malaspina University College, under the
supervision  of  K.  Maggie  McColl  (Geology   Department   co-
ordinator),  until  a  final decision can be made concerning its
final disposition. Members of the Victoria Palaeontology Society
also collected many smaller pieces of  fossil-bearing  rock  for
future scientific investigations.

The  high  diversity  and richness of the flora on this site, as
well as its excellent preservation, mark it as a  most  valuable
site. Unfortunately, most of the fossil containing rock has been
excavated,  crushed,  and used as a road fill for the Duke Point
Road extension.

It is a tragedy, if a society which purports to be advanced  and
civilized,  allows  the  destruction  of  some  of its more sig-
nificant records of its ancient history.

The Victoria  Palaeontology  Society  will  hold  the  Society's
Annual Open House at the Swan Lake Nature Centre, 3873 Swan Lake
Rd.,  Victoria, B.C. on Saturday, September 21, 1996, from 10:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is by donation. All are  invited  to
attend.


AMENDMENTS TO CITES LISTINGS: TAXUS BREVIFOLIA & LEWISIA TWEEDYI
From: From the Federal Register Online
      via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

This  notice invites comments and information from the public on
species  that  have  been  suggested  as  candidates  for   U.S.
proposals to amend Appendix I or II.

Dates:  The  Service  will consider all comments received by Oc-
tober 11, 1996, on species proposals described in this notice. 

Addresses: Please send correspondence concerning this notice  to
Chief, Office of Scientific Authority; 4401 North Fairfax Drive,
Room  750;  Arlington,  Virginia 22203. Fax number 703-358-2276.
Comments and other information received will  be  available  for
public  inspection  by appointment, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday
through Friday, at the above address.

For further information contact: Dr. Marshall A. Howe, Office of
Scientific Authority, at the above address,  telephone  703-358-
1708.

16. Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia)

The  Oregon  Natural  Resources Council has recommended that the
United States propose the Pacific yew for inclusion in  Appendix
II.  This  slow-growing species occurs in a limited range in the
western United  States  and  Canada.  An  effective  anti-cancer
compound  (paclitaxel  or taxol) is obtained especially from its
bark, as well as to an increasing but unknown extent from  other
species  of  Taxus.  Some  companies  are  working on methods of
obtaining paclitaxel from  Taxus  needles  and  branches  (which
could avoid loss of the whole plant). Laboratory substitutes for
the  natural  compound are either not available or not available
in  adequate  commercial  quantity,  but  there  is  some  semi-
synthetic  production.  The species is not grown commercially in
large quantity for medicinal use, but there is  some  ornamental
cultivation.  There  is  some  export of Pacific yew biomass for
manufacture of paclitaxel in other countries. The Himalayan  yew
(Taxus wallichiana) was listed in Appendix II at COP9, excluding
the  finished  pharmaceutical  products  (i.e.,  the end-product
medicine).

The Service seeks information regarding: (1) The  intensity  and
purposes  of  removal  of the several parts of this species from
the wild in various areas, the characteristics  of  the  popula-
tions  impacted  by  these  extractions, and the trends in those
populations; (2) the location, characteristics,  and  safety  of
populations  that  will not be available for extraction; (3) the
extent to which biomass from the  wild  (i.e.,  materials  other
than  the  end-point  medicine) is exported from either country;
and (4) the degree to which the medicinal trade  involves  other
wild  species,  and/or  non-wild  sources of the compound (e.g.,
from cultivated Pacific yew or other species, or from laboratory
synthesis).

19. Tweedy's Bitterroot (Lewisia tweedyi or Cistanthe tweedyi)

The recommendation to remove this species from Appendix  II  was
initiated  by the CITES Plants Committee, as part of the ongoing
process of reviewing listed  taxa  at  10-year  intervals.  This
herbaceous mountain species is native in the State of Washington
and nearby in the Province of British Columbia (Canada). Because
it  was  found  to be sufficiently secure within its range, this
species was removed from consideration for the  U.S.  Endangered
Species  Act  in a 1985 Federal Register notice on many taxa (50
FR 39526). Moreover, this species is believed to be sufficiently
easy to propagate and available in cultivation to  supply  rock-
garden enthusiasts.

Since  the  biological  status of the species is considered less
vulnerable than when it was listed in 1983, and since there have
been no applications to export it from  the  wild  in  the  last
decade (and almost none to export it from cultivation as artifi-
cially propagated specimens), removal of the species from Appen-
dix II seems appropriate. Information is sought on the status of
the species in the wild, and the likelihood and extent of inter-
national trade in wild specimens of this species.


ROYAL BRITISH COLUMBIA MUSEUM HAS A NEW MAILING ADDRESS !!!
From: Tara Steigenberger <tsteigenberg at rbml01.rbcm.gov.bc.ca>

BCMail  Plus has informed us that our mail will be delayed if we
don't have the new address on it. The new address is:

   Royal British Columbia Museum
   PO Box 9815 Stn Prov Govt
   Victoria, BC
   Canada V8W 9W2

PS: did I tell you that I'm getting married??

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