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This is a short
instruction file for authors of FNA vol. 29.
The latest “Contributors’
Guide” for FNA is here. Substitute hepatic
terminology for the references to vascular plants. See also recent
treatments online at the BFNA Web site.
Authors should determine
the modern correct names, and put all names that have been recognized as
correct in American literature (not European) in synonymy or “excluded
names.” Helpful files are the accepted names
and hepatics chart by Marshall Crosby.
You are requested to
arrange the characters in your descriptions following the order in the Character List for Hepatics and Anthocerotes.
Authorities should follow
Brummitt and Powell,
except that the last names should be spelled out. For problematic names,
see the entries in Tropicos. Bob
Magill, nomenclatural editor, can advise if there are discrepancies.
You are also requested to
make sure that all traits listed in the keys are also found, exactly the
same, in the descriptions. And that any traits used for one species in a
genus are also described for each of all other species of the genus (i.e.,
all traits are parallel). The same parallelism is needed for descriptions
of all subgenera and genera in a family, and tribes and subfamilies, and to
a somewhat lesser degree to family descriptions. The best way to do
this is to make a spreadsheet of traits of the genera and make sure there
are no empty spaces. This has been a major hold-up in getting Vol. 28
edited by technical staff.
In descriptions, for
traits not in the FNA flora region for a particular taxon, put them in
[ ] square brackets. E.g., Leaves oblong [lanceolate], etc.
Given that nearly half
the genera and half the species have been submitted at the time of this
writing (June 10, 2014), supraspecific classification matches already
fairly well the classification suggested about 10 years ago, following the
system of K. S. Renzaglia and K. C. Vaughn for hornworts, and of B.
Crandall-Stotler and R. E. Stotler for liverworts in A. J. Shaw & B.
Goffinet. 2000. Bryophyte Biology. Cambridge University Press. Those who wish
to change to a more recently published supraspecific classification should
reference B.
Crandall-Stotler et al. 2009. Phylogeny and classification of the
Marchantiophyta. Edinb. J. Bot. 66: 155–198. Any classification changes
from that the classifications of Shaw and Goffinet (2000) should be
negotiated with any other affected authors (R. Zander will mediate in case
of disagreement). The FNA is mostly an identification manual, not a
taxonomic monograph.
As of June 14, 2014, the
classification of FNA Volume 29 and assignment of authorship is summarized
at (click here). If you want to change your
status or classification, let me (richard.zander@mobot.org
) know.
Alan Whittemore has
provided a spreadsheet of
rather up to date nomenclature for genera and families, which should prove
helpful. He also has compiled a handy checklist of the
species in the FNA region.
The area of the flora is
North America north of Mexico and including Greenland. This is the order of
citation in the distribution paragraph:
Greenland;
St. Pierre and Miquelon; Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labrador,
N.W.T., N.S., Nunavut, Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon; Ala., Alaska,
Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Idaho, Ill.,
Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo.,
Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla.,
Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va.,
Wis., Wyo.; Mexico; West Indies; Bermuda; Central America (Guatemala,
Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama); South
America; Arctic; Eurasia, or Europe; Asia (including Indonesia); Africa
(including Madagascar); Atlantic Islands; Indian Ocean Islands; Pacific
Islands (including New Zealand); Australia; Antarctic.
Note:
Alphabetize all abbreviations by the fully spelled out form of the name.
"Nunavut"
is the new Canadian province composed of the eastern half of N.W.T.
including most of the Canadian Arctic archipelago.
If
you want to mention particular countries, use form like "Europe
(Belgium, France, Germany)". If you want to emphasize particular
portions of an area outside the flora area (not in it), add "e, w, n,
s, c" before the unit, as example in "sw Asia" or "c
and sw Europe".
Of ultimate value is the expertise
of the authors of liverwort and hornwort treatments. Nothing will serve to
complete Vol. 29 but the perseverance and dedication of the contributors.
Illustrations
Illustrations are
important. They will be new drawings from material the authors provide.
Each genus will be illustrated. We can illustrate one species for each
genus, unless there are more than 6 species in the genus, then 1 for each 6
species.
Little-known or
little-understood taxa are first choices for illustrations but if identification
requires fresh material or sexual plants, or material with oil-bodies, then
common species will be illustrated.
If material can be easily
rehydrated and drawn, authors can simply send habit material and slides of
anatomical features needed for illustration. For species that are particularly
transparent, drawing is difficult unless the material is stained. A very
light staining with Toluidine Blue or similar is effective. Add the
material to a drop of very dilute stain, and remove it before it gets too
stained. Then make the slide with rinsed material.
If fresh material is
needed, this can be sent separately with a note on the package that these
are living plants and to not sterilize when they arrive at the Missouri
Botanical Garden. If fresh material
must be sent across a national border, a very few plant that can be used
for habit and oil-body illustration can be put in saran wrap in a regular
letter-sized envelope, one species per envelope, and it should get here.
Senders must WARN me to watch for any fresh material that is sent: richard.zander@mobot.org
Authors are requested to
send a habit plant (or two or three), plus slides of anatomical traits that
should be illustrated to help key the species. The plate size is small when
published, so restrict the traits that should be illustrated to only those
important to identify the species. Slides should preferably be made with
polyvinyl alcohol-glycerin mounting medium (see Zander 2014). The polyvinyl
alcohol-glycerin medium is best for not collapsing cell walls and may keep
oil bodies intact for some time (experiment). I now use a 70% clear Elmer’s
glue and 30% glycerin mixture rather than the 50/50 mixture suggested in
the paper as this makes harder mounts. Stained material should be added to
the clear mounting medium; do not put stain into the mounting medium
because it is difficult to see the material.
Comments and concerns may
be addressed to the Lead Editor, Richard Zander, richard.zander@mobot.org
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