Vascular Plant Herbarium

Major Strengths of the ASU Vascular Plant Herbarium

1. General vascular plant collections from southwestern United States and northern Mexico


2. Especially important collections of cacti


3. Cytological voucher specimens of vascular plants


4. Extensive collections of certain genera of Asteraceae


5. A large collection of American Myrtaceae


6. General collections from temperate South America, especially Chile

1) General vascular plant collections from southwestern United States and northern Mexico

Most of the growth of the ASU Vascular Plant Herbarium has occurred in the last 25 years. Specimens have accumulated through the activities of Arizona State University staff, graduate students, and others associated with the herbarium. Our areas of most intense study, the Southwest and northern Mexico, are areas in which much botanical exploration is underway and still needed. This need is evidenced by the number of new state records and newly described taxa that have been based on our collections. With funds provided by a National Science Foundation grant to Noel Holmgren at the New York Botanical Garden, extensive collections (ca. 1400) were made throughout the southwestern United States during the years 1973 to 1975 by D. J. Pinkava, E. Lehto, and D. J. Keil. Aided by another National Science Foundation grant to W. L. Minckley, D. J. Pinkava also conducted a floristic study of the Cuatro Cienegas region of Coahuila, Mexico (Pinkava 1984).

The following graduate students of D. J. Pinkava and Les Landrum (as committee chair, co-chair, or member) have done floristic or related studies for master's degrees in various parts of Arizona and have added their collections to the herbarium (chronologically): E. Lehto (Lake Pleasant Regional Park, Maricopa Co.); D. J. Keil (White Tank Mountains Regional Park, Maricopa Co.); M. A. Lane (McDowell Mountain Regional Park, Maricopa Co.); E. G. Sundell (Sierra Estrella Regional Park, Maricopa Co.); S. Forbes, (Pinal Mountains, Gila Co.); M. Russo (Castle Dome Mountains, Yuma Co.); T. Reeves (Chiricahua National Monument, Cochise Co.); J. Leithliter (Chiricahua National Wilderness Area, Cochise Co.); G. Marrs-Smith (San Bernadino Ranch, Cochise Co.); W. Johnson (Pinaleno Mountains, Graham Co.); A. Pierce (Buckeye Hills Semi-Regional Park, Maricopa Co.); K. Rice (Superstition Wilderness Area); L. Wolden (Hassayampa River Reserve); G. Imdorf (Sierra Ancha Wilderness Area); J. Buegge (Santa Thersa Mountains, Graham Co.); D. Damrel (ASU Arboretum); S. Doan (Seven Springs Recreation Area, Maricopa Co.); E. Gilbert, (West Fork Oak Creek Canyon, Coconino Co.); E. Makings (San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, Cochise Co.).

Other important collections made by persons who deposited their specimens at the Arizona State University Herbarium but for non-degree studies are: B. Walden (Usery Mountain Park, Maricopa Co.); E. Lehto (Cabeza Prieta Game Range, Yuma, Co.); W. L. Minckley and L. A. McGill (upper reaches of Gila River); R. K. Gierisch, G. K. Brown and B. D. Parfitt (northwestern Arizona north of the Colorado, River, i.e., the Arizona Strip); M. Butterwick and T. Daniel (South Mountain Park, Maricopa Co.); M. Butterwick and B. D. Parfitt (Hualapai Mountains, Mohave Co.); H. Tate (Peña Blanca Lake area, Santa Cruz Co.); M. Butterwick et al. (Hualapai-Aquarius, Harcuvar, Vulture, and Skull Valley Planning Units); R. L. Burgess (Tonto National Monument, Gila Co.); M. Baker and T. Wright (Camp Wood, Williamson Valley, Yolo North, and Yolo South grazing allotments on the Chino Valley Ranger District, USFS); M. Baker and T. Wright (Apache Creek, Juniper Mesa, Sycamore Canyon, and Woodchute Wilderness areas of Prescott National Forest); J. R. Sutherland (Show Low Lake area); B. D. Parfitt and C. Christy (Coronado National Monument). Most, if not all, of the collections listed above are the most complete in existence for these particular areas. Through an active exchange program with other institutions in the Southwest and Mexico we have enriched our regional collection significantly.

2) Collections of Cactaceae

One of the centers of diversity of the Cactaceae is the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is logical then that our collection of ca. 5,000 specimens of this family be outstanding. Because cacti are not easily collected, there are few institutions that have good fertile collections. The ASU Herbarium Cactaceae collection is perhaps among the top five in the United States surpassed only by MEXU (Mexico City) outside the United States in the Western Hemisphere. In addition, ASU has the best collection of cytological voucher specimens of Cactaceae in the world. Many of the specimens are accompanied by photographs of the plants in their natural habitat, and close-ups of important structures. ASU's holdings of Cactaceae are enhanced by degree studies: on hybridization done on the following taxa: x Myrtgerocactus (L. A. McGill); Opuntia x kelvinensis (M. A. Baker); O. curvospina (B. D. Parfitt); and the O.whipplei complex (N. Trushell); fleshy-fruited prickly-pears Opuntia subgen. Opuntia in Arizona (M. G. McLeod); the O. polyacantha complex in western North America (B. Parfitt); the Echinocactus polycephalus complex (M. Chamberland); and Opuntia subgen. Cylindropuntia in Baja California (J. Rebman).

3) Cytological voucher specimens of vascular plants

Since D. J. Pinkava came to Arizona State University the ASU Herbarium has been a center for cytological and hybridization studies of Southwestern plants. In addition to Pinkava, several of his students have contributed to cytological studies at ASU, most notably R. C. Brown, D. J. Keil, M. A. Baker, B. D. Parfitt, T. Reeves, G. K. Brown, J. P. Rebman, and C. Christy. Over the years 35 publications on chromosome counts listing more than 1700 voucher specimens at ASU have been produced. In many cases we have been able to exchange with other institutions interested in cytological studies (e.g., NMS, OS, UC, TEX) and thus have many additional cytological vouchers in our collection.

4) Asteraceae

The Asteraceae at ASU are important because of revisionary or monographic studies on following genera conducted by staff and graduate students: Psilostrophe (R. C. Brown, 1977, 1978) and Baileya (R. C. Brown and Pinkava, 1974), Platyschkuhria (G. K. Brown, 1983) and Haplopappus of South America (G. K. Brown and Clark, 1982), Tragopogon of Arizona (R. K. Brown, 1974 unpublished thesis), Berlandiera (Pinkava,1967), Hazardia (Clark1979), and Hymenothrix (Keil and Pinkava, in prep.).

5) Myrtaceae

L. R. Landrum is a specialist in American Myrtaceae and receives numerous gifts for determination and collects Myrtaceae for his own studies [Myrtaceae of Chile (1988b), Myrteola (1988a), Chamguava (1991), Mosiera (1992), Myrtinae of Mesoamerica, Psidium and related genera (in prep.)], such that ASU now has a collection of ca. 6,500 American Myrtaceae. It is probably one of the larger university collections of Myrtaceae in the United States. A list of type specimen information and images of members of the subtribe Myrtinae within Myrtaceae has been compiled.

6) Collections from Temperate South America, especially Chile

L. R. Landrum is participating in the Flora of Chile project, providing treatments of the Berberidaceae and Myrtaceae, and has made numerous trips to Brazil, Chile and Argentina. Thousands of collections have been made and exchanges have been established with MBM, CTES, HUEFS, MO,and other herbaria in order to increase ASU's collection of temperate South American collections. Few herbaria outside of Chile have significant Chilean collections. Thus, we believe our collections are of importance. The ASU collection of Chilean Berberis is probably the best outside of Chile.

Geographic Representation

45% - ARIZONA

25% - REST OF UNITED STATES AND CANADA

25% - AMERICAS SOUTH OF THE UNITED STATES

5% - OLD WORLD AND CULTIVATED

References Cited

Brown, G.K. 1983. Chromosome numbers in Platyschkuhria Rydberg (Compositae) and their systematic significance. American Journal of Botany 70: 591-601.

Brown, G.K. and W.D. Clark. 1982. Taxonomy of Haplopappus section Gymnocoma (Compositae). Systematic Botany 7: 199-213.

Brown, R.C. 1978. Biosystematics of Psilostrophe DC. (Compositae). I. Chromosome variability. Rhodora 79: 169-189.

Brown, R.C. 1978. Biosystematics of Psilostrophe (Compositae: Helenieae). II. Artificial hybridization and systematic treatment. Madroño 25: 187-201.

Brown, R.C. and D.J. Pinkava. 1974. Distribution and meiotic behavior of supernumerary chromosomes in Baileya multiradiata (Compositae). Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 101: 177-181.

Clark, W.D. 1979. The taxonomy of Hazardia (Compositae: Asteraceae). Madroño 26: 105-127.

Kearney, T.H., R.H. Peebles and collaborators. 1942. Flowering Plants and Ferns of Arizona. U. S. Department of Agriculture Miscellaneous Publication No. 428, Washington, D. C.

Kearney, T.H., R.H. Peebles and collaborators. 1951. Arizona Flora. University of California Press: Berkeley.

Kearney, T.H., R.H. Peebles and collaborators. 1960. Arizona Flora. University of California Press: Berkeley. Ed. 2 with Supplement by J. T. Howell, E. McClintock and collaborators.

Landrum, L. R. 1988a. Systematics of Myrteola (Myrtaceae). Systematic Botany 13(1): 120-132.

Landrum, L. R. 1988b. The Myrtle Family (Myrtaceae) in Chile. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sciences 45(12): 277-317.

Landrum, L. R. 1991. Chamguava: a new genus of Myrtaceae (Myrtinae) from Mesoamerica. Systematic Botany 16(1): 21-29.

Landrum, L. R. 1992. Mosiera (Myrtaceae) in Mexico and Mesoamerica. Novon 2: 26-29. Landrum, L. R. (In review). Myrtinae (Myrtaceae) of Mesoamerica. 35 manuscript pages. Submitted to the Missouri Botanical Garden, Flora of Mesoamerica project.

Lehr, J.H. 1978. A catalogue of the flora of Arizona. Desert Botanical Garden: Phoenix.

Lehr, J. H. and D. J. Pinkava. 1980. A catalogue of the Flora of Arizona. Supplement I. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science 15: 17-32.

Lehr, J. H. and D. J. Pinkava. 1982. A catalogue of the Flora of Arizona. Supplement II. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science 17: 19-26.

Pinkava, D. J. 1967. Biosystematic study of Berlandiera (Compositae). Brittonia 19: 285-298.

Tidestrom, I. and T. Kittle. 1941. A Flora of Arizona and New Mexico. The Catholic University Press, Washington, D. C.