Category Archives: News

JSTOR expeditions

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Route of David Livingstone’s expedition (printed 1873)

Recently JSTOR has launched Livingstone’s Zambesi Expedition as an example of how the variety of information resources from JSTOR and other web-sites can be brought together and presented in a new way. This web-site presents maps, illustrations, books, pamphlets and letters from David Livingstone’s African expedition along the Zambezi and Shire Rivers during 1858-1864, combined with images of the plant collections.

Have a look and explore the timeline and the expedition map, on which different events, expedition records, publications and collections are plotted. If you want to know more about the project, read articles in the JSTOR Labs Blog. The aim of JSTOR Labs is to get new ideas off the ground; to seek out new concepts and opportunities, and refine and validate them through research and experimentation.

The State Herbarium of South Australia participates in JSTOR in two main ways:

Images of type specimens from the Herbarium are available through JSTOR Global Plants as part of the Global Plants Initiative (GPI) project
The Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens is available in the JSTOR publication repository, to which most Australian and international Universities and other institutions subscribe (it is also available free-of-charge from DEWNR).

The Herbarium at the Museum

Science & Art: 12 years of the Waterhouse Prize is currently on display at the South Australian Museum. The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize was launched in 2002. The exhibition features the overall winning works from the last 12 years, paired with material from the collections of the South Australian Museum, National Archives of Australia, the State Herbarium of South Australia and State Records of South Australia. The exhibition is on display until Sunday 19 July. The Museum is open 7 days, 10am – 5pm. Entry to the Museum and the exhibition is free.

Several specimens from the State Herbarium are on display along with the artwork to illustrate and explain the connection between science and art. Two examples are featured below.

Anatye by Margaret Loy Pula. Photo by Tim Gilchrist (SAM).

Above is Margaret Loy Pula’s artwork Anatye (Bush Potato), overall winner of the 2013 Waterhouse Prize, with a specimen of bush potato (Ipomoea costata) from the State Herbarium.

Nikki Main’s work Flood Stones (below) was the overall winner of the 2010 Waterhouse Prize and references flood as an important phase in the hydrologic cycle. It is paired with examples of ephemeral plants from the collection of the State Herbarium: Pink tongues (Rostellularia adscendens var. pogonanthera), curly flat-sedge (Cyperus rigidellus), downy cress (Phlegmatospermum cochlearinum), button grass (Dactyloctenium radulans), cup velleia (Velleia connata).

Flood stones by Nikki Main. Photo by Tim Gilchrist (SAM).

Cactus book launched

Bob Chinnock during the book launch

On Friday evening, 19 June 2015, Bob Chinnock‘s new book on weedy opuntioid cacti was launched by Michelle Waycott, State Herbarium of South Australia, and John Virtue, Manager NRM Biosecurity. Over 30 colleagues and friends of Bob gathered to celebrate this achievement.

Feral opuntioid cacti of Australia is published in two parts. The first part, covering the cylindrical stemmed genera Austrocylindropuntia, Cylindropuntia and Corynopuntia is now available. The book includes many colour photos, detailed line-drawings and descriptions of the cacti’s stems, fruit and flowers, as well as information on suitable controls and the occupational health and safety issues associated with dealing with them. The second part, containing the flat stemmed genus Opuntia (incl. Nopalea), is currently in preparation.

More information on the book and how to purchase it can be found on the following web-page: know.ourplants.org/cacti/.

Herbarium specimens of opuntioid cacti on display during the book launch, Cylindropuntia pallida in foreground (formerly C. rosea)

New fungi guide for the Hills

Last week, the Adelaide Mt Lofty Ranges NRM Board (AMLR NRM) released a Fungi of the Adelaide Hills identification chart (1.8MB PDF). It was published in collaboration with the Adelaide Fungi Study Group, which is lead by State Herbarium Hon. Research Associate Pam Catcheside (and associated with the Fields Naturalists Society of South Australia).

This is one of a number of fact sheets on local flora and fauna, published by AMLR NRM. The news was reported by the Adelaide Advertiser today (25 May 2015, p. 5) and also posted on the Advertiser’s web-site, as well as The Australian‘s web-site.

State Herbarium open days

On the weekend of 9 & 10 May 2015, the State Herbarium of South Australia was open to the public as part of the About Time: South Australia’s History Festival. This is the fourth year that the State Herbarium has participated in South Australia’s History Month events.

Over 60 people booked to come on four guided tours, held by Herbarium Manager Peter Canty and several staff members. Visitors learned about the history of the old trambarn building (1.1MB PDF brochure) and the Municipal Tramways Trust, and the history and work of the State Herbarium. The groups were also shown examples of specimens from the Herbarium, which did not only include pressed plants, but also algae, fungi, mosses and lichens, and saw some of the published outcomes of the Herbarium’s work.