Friends of plants and
conservation,
Research including
documentation and publication of the results is central in botanical science
and can be especially significant in providing a basis for conservation
efforts. With this in mind, heres a
brief report on my major activities for the first part of 2010.
2010 so far has been an extremely
interesting and productive time. My
work has centered mostly on the taxonomy of Fraxinus (ash trees,
Oleaceae) and of Verbena and Glandularia (Verbenaceae). These genera have proved to be full of
unexpected complexities and unresolved problems my studies bring significant
changes to all of them. Perhaps most
remarkably, 5 species of ash trees in the USA (trees!) are being recognized
that previously have been relegated completely or almost completely to
synonymy; patterns of distribution, infraspecific variation, and nomenclature
have been clarified for more common ash species. Six species of Verbena new to science have been described
from the USA and northern Mexico and two others have been raised to specific
rank from previous status as inconsistently treated varieties.
In January of this year, I began on
online journal, Phytoneuron (www.phytoneuron.net), initially with only
the thought of publishing some of my own studies, but a wider interest in the
digital venue developed quickly and as of 17 August, 36 manuscripts, with 17
authors, have been published there.
Publications are posted at no cost to the authors. Paper copies of the articles are distributed
to a set of 10 major botanical libraries in order to satisfy ICBN requirements
for effective publication of nomenclatural novelties.
The account of non-native species
naturalized in Texas has been moved to its own website (www.texasnonnatives.org)
and the information now is available as an Excel spreadsheet. Geographic information is being added,
hopefully to be finished and available online by the end of the year. The database is updated as new information
becomes available.
So far in 2010, my research results
have been reported in 22 publications.
Three manuscripts are in press and FNA treatments including 55 genera
are submitted, several of these probably to be published in 2010. Other manuscripts and treatments are in
various stages of progress. In
connection with these projects, I have studied at museum collections (on site)
and in the field in Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, New
Mexico, New York, and Texas.
My full-time employment involves
contributions toward developing volumes of the Flora of North America,
and my publications eventually will be more fully reflected in this as volumes
continue to appear in print. In 2010 I
have worked on FNA treatments of Oleaceae, Verbenaceae, Cucurbitaceae,
Melastomataceae, and Fabaceae.
On my Web site is a complete listing
of publications, with numerous examples (mostly in PDF format) of
representative scientific publications and other research
and writing. Publications for 2010 are
listed below.
My FNA research is supported through
contract with the Flora of North America Association. On a contractual basis, I also do
non-botanical technical and scientific writing/editing. I am a Research Affiliate of the
University of Texas (Austin) Plant Resources Center.
Sincerely,
Guy
Nesom
17
August 2010
2925
Hartwood Drive
Fort
Worth, Texas 76109
2010
PUBLICATIONS
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Nesom, G.L. 2010. Taxonomic revision of Verbena series Tricesimae (Verbenaceae). Phytoneuron 2010-35: 138.
Nesom, G.L. 2010. Notes on Erigeron vicinus (Asteraceae: Astereae), a rare species in Texas. Phytoneuron 2010-36: 16.
Nesom,
G.L. 2010. Notes on Fraxinus profunda (Oleaceae). Phytoneuron 2010-32: 16.
Nesom,
G.L. 2010. Observations on Fraxinus albicans Buckley (Oleaceae), the
correct botanical name for Fraxinus texensis. Phytoneuron 2010-33: 112.
Nesom,
G.L. 2010. Taxonomic notes on Fraxinus berlandieriana and F.
velutina (Oleaceae). Phytoneuron
2010-34: 18.
Nesom, G.L. 2010. Taxonomy of the Verbena californica (Verbenaceae) group. Phytoneuron 2010-25: 13.
Nesom, G.L. 2010. Is Verbena abramsii distinct from V. lasiostachys (Verbenaceae)? Phytoneuron 2010-26: 17.
Nesom, G.L. 2010. Validation of series names in Verbena (Verbenaceae). Phytoneuron 2010-27: 12.
Nesom, G.L. 2010. A new species of Erigeron (Asteraceae: Astereae) from northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico. Phytoneuron 2010-28: 16.
Nesom, G.L. 2010. Distribution of Erigeron pumilus and E. concinnus (Asteraceae: Astereae) in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Phytoneuron 2010-23: 13.
Nesom, G.L. 2010. Infrageneric classification of Verbena (Verbenaceae). Phytoneuron 2010-11: 115.
Nesom, G.L. 2010. Taxonomic notes on Verbena bonariensis (Verbenaceae) and related species in the USA. Phytoneuron 2010-12: 116.
Nesom, G.L. 2010. A new species of Verbena (Verbenaceae) from northeastern Mexico and an overview of the V. officinalis group. Phytoneuron 2010-13: 113.
Nesom, G.L. 2010. Taxonomy of Verbena urticifolia (Verbenaceae) and its close relatives. Phytoneuron 2010-14: 112.
Nesom, G.L. 2010. Neotypification of Verbena carnea (Verbenaceae). Phytoneuron 2010-15: 13.
Nesom, G.L. 2010. Typification of Verbena spuria L. (Verbenaceae). Phytoneuron 2010-16: 13.
Nesom,
G.L. 2010. Geography of
unifoliolate taxa of Fraxinus (Oleaceae). Phytoneuron
2010-17: 16.
Nesom, G.L. 2010. Sectional name for the group including Erigeron radicatus (Asteraceae: Astereae). Phytoneuron 2010-18: 12.
Nesom,
G.L. 2010. Notes on Leucojum and Narcissus (Amaryllidaceae)
naturalized in Texas. Phytoneuron
2010-9: 16.
Nesom,
G.L. 2010.
First report of Euonymus fortunei (Celastraceae)
naturalized in Texas. Phytoneuron 2010-1: 1-4.
Nesom, G.L. 2010. Pyracantha species (Rosaceae) naturalized in Texas and the southeastern United States. Phytoneuron 2010-2: 16.
Nesom,
G.L. and T.R. VanDevender. 2010. Verbena moctezumae (Verbenaceae), a
new species from Sonora, Mexico.
Phytoneuron 2010-20: 14.