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We currently have majors in a variety of pathways, including

the traditional botany pathway, s well as enviroental biology, field biology,

applied plant sciences cell biology, agribusj55 and Preforestry. Most of

our undergrad5 come from Ohio and the surrounding states and about 45% of

them go on to gradua schools. We are also offering a more specialized program

in botany through the Honors Tutorial College. Since its inception in 1973,

this program has graduated ten students, all of whom have gone on to graduate

school, at least one with a pre-.-doctoral NSF fellowship.

Graduate students in the department number 24. They come from a variety

of Places, from universities all across the United States and from such foreign

countries as the People’s Republic of China, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Taiwan,

Zimbabwe, India, Indonesia, and Great Britain. Of the 16 PhD recipients Since

1975, all but two are currently employed in teaching or research at the

University level, a remarkable Percentage considering the Potential job market

during the past decade. •

Botany has jOiied with the Departments of Chemistry and Zoology and

Biomedical Sciences in establishing a new interdisciplinary doctoral program in

the area of cellular and molecular biology. This program facilitates student

access to the variety of courses and expertise in the three departments and

will promote research at the cellular and subcellular level and in the rapidly

expanding field of genetic engineering Enhancing the program are recent grants

to Dr. John Mitchell and his colleagues from both the National Science Foundation

and the 1804 fund. These grants have allowed for the purchase of a computer_

linked scanning for making accurate measurements on the amount

and location of cellular chemical constitutents Funds will also be used for

laboratory renovation essentially Providing “state of the art” facilities in

cell biology. Other new equipme added during the past few years include a

Zeiss Ultraphot Photomicroscope, only the second such instrument in Ohio, by

grants to Dr. Gar Rothwell and colleagues from the National Science Foundation

and the 1804 fund. This instrument provides the best Optics available anywhere

for PhOtomicrogrpy

The Department also acquired a Hitachi Scanning Electron Microscope in the

early 1970’s. This machine has seen a great deal of use, essentially visuali

Zing surface features of a variety of plant materials from fern Spores, to

fossiis, leaves and trichomes, and fungi. It is also available to other depart_

ments and has been used by zoologjs, geologist5 and engineer5 as an aid in

their research For those alumni who left many years ago, we are also blessed

with a new greenhoug complex, added in the late 1960’s. This facility is a

vast improvement over the old “overgro” ecosystem and includes a long glass

house with individual culture rooms, various faculty offices and labs which

currently house Drs, Smith, Cohn, Mitchell and Cavender. A new cell biology

laboratory is located in the basement. The greenhoug manager is Dr. Richard

Rypma He has established a small botanical garden adjacent to it, which in—

cludes rather extensive Plantings of the holly genus hex, a group in which he

specializes He also teaches horticulture courses and hydroponjg in the

departme,

The Bartley Herbarium administered by the Department of Botany, is t1e

fifth largest herbarium in the state and is unsurpassed in its representation

of the vegetatj0 of unglacia southeastern’ Ohio. Included in the herbarjum

is the extensive and historically signific personal collection of Floyd

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Bartley, the most active plant collector our region has ever known. The herbar_

ium is heavily used as a teaching resource but its Principal functjo is as a

data source for botanical researchers The herbarium is cooperating closely

with the Ohio Department of Naturaj Resources (Division of Natural Areas and

Preserves) in a major study of the state’s threatened and endanger plant

species and in a land survey project concerned with designating Sites as suit

able or unsuitable for surface mining. During the past two years the Bartley

Herbarium has undergo a systematj reorgafljzj0under the supervision of

Dr. Philip Cantino In addition to the 35,O mounted specimens in the herbar

ium, there are aPproximately 8000 unmounted specimens, Some of them as much as

50 years old. These are gradually being examined identified, mounted labeled,

and added to the collection In the process, a number of valuable Specimens of

rare species have been discovered The herbarium is truly a unique resource

that Ohio University has to offer the state of Ohio.

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NEWS OF FACULTY •.

After 40 years of service to the uniyer5iy Art has retired.

Dr. Buckle received his PhD from the University of Cincinnati in 1940 andjOined the department here shortly thereafter He is well kno and respected

for his knowledge of and teaching of the local flora, natural history and treesand shrubs He has been honored by being named Associate Professor Emeritus bythe university. Although he is seen occasionally around these halls he ismissed by everyo

Dr. Braselton recently Spent several months at Oxford,Engla Working with one of the largest transmissjo electron microscopes inthe world, to continue his work on synaptonemal complexes and chromosome struc

ture in fungi and plants. He has recently received support from the National

Science Foundation for his research This past year, Lee Gregg completed her

doctorate under Dr. Braseltonvs direction working on ultrastructural studiesof phloem development in the fern Marsilea

Dr. Cantino joined the Department in 1981 after receiving hisPhD degree from Harvard University His area of interest is in vascular Plantsystematj5 and morphology sPecializing in Studies on the Phylogeny and classi

fication of the mint family. With computerassjstd analysj5 of the data, hehopes to clarify the evolutionary relationships Within the Labiatae as Well as

between it and the related Verbenaceae The mint family is a large and

economically important family of worldwide distribution which includes many

culinary herbs (e.g., basil, the, rosemary sage, Peppermint) as well as

plants that produce chemical compounds of Possible medicinal value. Dr.

Cantino’s research is currently supported by a fourye grant from the

National Science Foundation.

Current graduate student research projec5 in Cantino’s laboratory include:(I) Comparative studies of leaf anatomy in the Labiatae (Nones AbuAsab);

(2) Investigj0n5of the Phenology, Pollination biology and seed germinat0of ididula, a Plant on the Ohio “threatefledv species

list, with the ultimate objecj of understanding why the species is rare andhow best to protect j (Virgin Moran). A third student Jora Young, recently

completed her MS in the Environmentai Studies Progr under Dr. Cantino’s

supervision and has been hired as Director of Science and Stewardship for the

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Ohio Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Her thesis research concerned the.origin, species composition, and community structure of native white pinestands in southeastern Ohio.

JAME CAVENDER: Dr. Cavender continues his studies on slime molds and fungi.He spent the summer of 1982 in India collecting materials for his research andmore recently has been studying the fungi ofthe Appalachians. He taught aworkshop on medicinal plants with Art Blickle in June and a course in mushroomsin the continuing education program this past fall. He has also developed aTier III course with Roy Flannagan in English on agriculture. He currently hasthree graduate students working with him on soil biology. Barbara Ballard isworking for her Ph.D. on the mycorrhizae of salt tolerant plants, in particularHordeurn jubatum; Chuck Hammer and Scott Mans are completing their mastersresearch on the use of dictyostelid slime molds as bio—indicators of the soilenvironment. Gary Kauffman, a new student, will be joining his lab this spring.

_RMAN COHN: Dr. Cohn is now working with the dpartment again full time afterretiring as Dean of the Graduate School and two years with the National ScienceFoundation. He has been quite active since returning, attending a workshop atBaylor University on molecular biology techniques, chairing a session at theHistochemical Society Meetings in Charleston, and in creating a new course inmolecular genetics. This past year he entertained Dr. Mels van der Ploeg fromLeiden University in the Netherlands, conferring on the cytophotometer, andthis coming quarter will have a student from mainland China interested in plantmolecular biology, with expertise in gene transfer with E. coli and an alga.His molecular biology class met at his house one evening until early in themorning, “It’s fun, but I was a wreck the next day.” he reports...

HERBERTGRAFFIUS: Dr. Graffius came to OU in 1962 and received his Ph.D. fromMichigan State University in 1963. He continues to devote most of his effortsto teaching. He currently coordinates the plant survey courses for both majorsand non—majors, and recently developed a Tier III course which he taught duringthe winter quarter. In recognition of his teaching efforts over the years, hewas one of six faculty members who received the Dean’s Outstanding Teacher Awardin the College of Arts and Sciences for the 1983—84 academic year.

LAURENCE LARSON: In the mid 1970’s Dr. Larson’s interests turned from“classical” plant studies to interdisciplinary work. Two grants from theNational Endowment for the Humanities funded through the OPH stimulated thisinterest. Consequently he taught a series of interdisciplinary courses underthe broad topic of Science and Society. He taught the first course in Bioethicsat Ohio University. Other courses developed were Science and Religion; MoralIssues in Technology and recently a course on Darwin and Whitman taught jointlywith a professor from the English Department. He will be in England duringthe spring term, 1984, will attend the Teilhard conference on evolution, theScience and Religion forum on artificial intelligence and consciousness andmeet with a group from the Bradford Trust who are actively exploring the rela—tionship between the methods of scientific investigation and artistic creation.

ROBERT LLOYD: Dr. Lloyd has returned to full time duties after brief encounterswith various ills. His research has focused recently on the population geneticsof two fern genera, Ceratopteris and Onoclea, using starch gel electrophoresis,supported generously by the National Science Foundation. He has two doctoralstudents, Tom Warne, currently at the University of California, Davis, completing

5

a postdoc on Azolla cultivation and nitrogen fixation, and Don Buckley, finishing

his research on mechanisms for production of genetic diversity in ferns and on

the population genetics of the local colonizing sensitive fern, Onoclea. This

past December, he received a contract from Columbia University Press with two

colleagues at the University of Massachusetts and Zurich University, to prepare

a text on the evolutionary biology of ferns. In 1980, he was honored by being

elected President of the American Fern Society.

GENE MAPES: Gene Mapes joined the Department in 1978, coming in the past from

the University of Iowa where she received her PhD working in paleobotany. She

is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor and Associate Curator of the

Paleobotanical Herbarium. Her research is devoted to Paleozoic gymnosperms and

ferns from non—coal forming environments, most specifically the earliest conifers

such as Lebachia.

CHARLES MILLER: Dr. Miller has retired as Chairman of the Department and is

now back in his lab, continuing his studies in mycology. This past fall quarter

he was a visiting professor at Ohio State University in the laboratory of Tom

Taylor , working with fungi and fossil fungi.

JOHN MITCHELL: Dr. Mitchell’s current primary interest is in putting together

the cytophotometer for which funding was received last year. When functional

the instrument will be used to study cellular changes associated with differ—

entiation and morphogenesis. This will generate histochemical data to be

correlated with biochemical analyses currently being pursued with Dr. Cohn.

CAR ROTHWELL: Paleobotany is alive and well at Ohio University. The paleo—

botanical lab continues to flourish. Dr. Rothwell continues his well funded

studies on the systematics and evolution of vascular plants emphasizing growth

and development and the reproductive biology of Paleozoic plants. He has just

received a $140,000, 3—year grant from the National Science Foundation to con—

tinue his work. His recent escapades include a cover story in the English

scientific journal Nature on the earliest seed plants of West Virginia. He has

two masters students currently completing their degrees, Jon Hamer, working on

primitive seed plants of the Upper Pennsylvanian of eastern Ohio, and Mary

Louise Trivett, reconstructing a conifer—like plant from the same area. This

spring, Diane Erwin will join his group as a graduate student, after completing

her BS degree here in Botany.

RICHARD RYPMA: Joined the department in 1979, coming from private industry

where he operated a greenhouse, nursery and landscape business. Dr. Rypma’s

primary interests are in the distribution and relationships of theçjuifo1iaceae, propagation techniques and growing plants. He is currently an

Adjunct Associate Professor and Curator of the greenhouses and garden and teaches

the horticultural subjects. He is a past—president and trustee of the Great

Lakes Chapter of The Holly Society of America and was recently elected tomembership in The International Society of Plant Propagators.

IVAN SMITh: This year, Dr. Smith is on faculty leave in England at theRothamsted Experimental Station, continuing his studies in sulphur metabolismin plants. He will return later this summer to a completely re—plumbed housein Athens, the victim of this past December’s cold spell.

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IRWIN UNGAR: Dr. Ungar was appointed chairman of the Department in 1983,

replacingDr. Miller, who had served for the past 13 years. Dr. Ungar received

his PhD from the University of Kansas in 1961 and joined the Department in 1966.

His research is in the area of ecology and has focused on the effects of

salinity on seed germinatj and growth, in halophytes In recent times, he andhis students have been studying the response of populations of salt tolerant

plants to seasonal changes in edaphic conditions, He has added several newpieces of equipment to his lab to facilitate his work, including a pressurebomb, diffusive resistance porometer, and spectrophotometer

‘lARRENWISTENDAHL: Dr. Wistendahl has achieved the status as senior member ofthe department with the retirement of Art Blickle. His research continues inthe area of plant ecology and he also functions as Director of the DysartWoods Laboratory in Belmont County. He is currently directing three MS degree

students, working in forest ecology at Waterloo Wildlife Experiment Station.

They are studying clones of the largetooth aspen, the distribution ecology ofhickories, and the association of tree seedlings with individual canopy trees.Dennis Hardin recently completed his doctorate with Dr. Wistendahl and his

dissertation was based on a study of cottonwood Populations of the Hocking

River floodplain He specifically invites all former students to visit the55 acre tract of virgin Dysart Woods when they are in the area.

UNDERGRADUATE NEWS

The Botany Club has reemerged at Ohio University following a hiatus ofmany years. The club is run for, by, and tuned to the needs of the undergrau

with major goals of increasing interactions among undergrads, graduate students,

and faculty; introducing undergrads to each other; showing the common roots ofthe various disciplines within the department; and increasing professionalismwith real hands—.on experiences The group plans field trips, camping trips,slide shows, etc.

During this past Summer a few members grew plants that were sold at BakerCenter in the fall quarter The group currently numbers about 20 and is growing,

and is quite enthusiastic about the future of the club.

The Department will be sPonsoring a number of awards this coming springquarter and will hold an award ceremony in May in this regard. These awardsinclude the Wolfe Awards for outstanding juniors and seniors in the area ofconservation, the Stocker Award, given by the Departe to an outstanding

Freshman or Sophomore, and one or more awards to Outstanding Botany graduating

seniors The awards ceremony will include a luncheon and introduction of therecipien,

During the past year the department has been revising its major require..ments, with the end goal of making it easier for Students to complete the programin three or four years. In some Pathways there have been major reductions inthe number of required courses. This year, similar changes are also beingmade in requiree5 for graduate degrees.

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NEWS OF ALUNNI

You will note initially that there isn’t much to report here. It has been

difficult to keep up with our alumni, especially our undergraduate majors. We

would especially appreciate it if all of you would let us hear from you and let

us know of your current addresses , events in your lives , news of any associated

alumni you know, and any other items you might wish to pass on in future issues

of the newsletter.

Dr. Arthur W. Engeihard, who received his BS degree in 1950 from the Botany

Department of Ohio University, was a recipient of the National Alumni Association’s

highest award, the Medal of Merit. Dr. Engeihard was honored by the Ohio

University Alumni Association for his distinguished achievements in the field

of plant pathology. He is currently a Research Professor at the University of

Florida. Dr. Engeihard is the author of moréthan 200 articles in his’specialty

and holds two patents dealing with chemicals which can be used for the control . •.

of plant pests. •

In recent years a number of alumni have been invited to participate in the

Department ‘ S seminar program. Among these have been Bob Goldberg (UCLA) , Fred

Gildow (Penn State) , Sara Stubblefield (Ohio State) , Chris Hopka (Wisconsin),

Julianne Sliwinski (Univeristy of Dayton) and Dick Squiers (Taylor U.).

IT’S YOUR TURN!

On the last sheet attached to this newsletter is a form which you may use to

let us know whats been going on. We would greatly appreciate hearing about

current events, anything you might wish to share with other Botany graduates.,

and any comments you might have which will aid us in improving our program so

that it will meet the needs of current and future students. PLEASE let us hear

from you.

RECENT FACULTY AND STUDENT PUBLICATIONS

JAMES P. BRASELTON

“Karyotypic analysis of Plasrnodiophora brassicae based on serial thin

sections of pachytene nuclei.” Canadian Journal ofBotany, 60: 403—408

(1982) .

PHILIP D. CANTINO .

“A Monograph of the Genus Physostegia (Labiatae).” Contributions fromthe Gray Herbamum, 211: 1-105 (1982). .

“Affinities of the ‘Lamiales: a Cladistic Analysis.” SystematicBotany, 7: 237—248 (1982).

JAMES C. CAVENDER

“Cellular slime molds of the Rocky Mountains.” Mycologia, 75: 897—903

(1983).

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NORMAN S. COHN

“Nuclear and Nucleolar Protein during the Cell Cycle in Differentiating

Pisum sativwn Vascular Tissue.” Histochemistry, 79: 1—12 (1983). With

J.P. Mitchell and K. van den Broek.

“Nuclear and Nucleolar Protein Changes Associated with the Cell Cycle

and Cellular Differentiation in Stems of Pisum sativwn L.” Paper presented,

Royal Microscopical Society meetings, London, England, July 1982. Abstract

: in Proceedings of he RoyaZ Microscopica Z Society , 1 7 (4) •45 • ( 19 82). . . With

J.P. Mitchell,

ROBERT M. LLOYD . .

“Inbreeding and homozygosity in the fern, Ceratopteris pteridôides(Hooker) Hieronymus (Parkeriaceae) . “ Botantcai Journal of the L-tnneanSociety, 83: 1—13 (1981). With T.R. Warne. . .

. “The perispore in Polypodiwn and related genera (Polypodiaceae)”.. Canadian Journal of Botany, 59: 175-189 (1981).

GENE K. • NAPES

“Removal of Gypsum from microfossiliferous shales.” Mieropaleontology,28(2): 218—219 (1982). With R.H. Mapes.

CHARLES E. MILLER

“Systematic and Host Range Studies of Woronina pythii and host,

Pythiwn species from axenic culture.” Mycologia, 75(3): 412—422 (1983).

with D.P. Dylewski.

“Zoosporic Plant Pathogens (Zoosporic Plant Pathogens of Lower Plants).”

Academic Press Inc., London (1983). With D.P. Dylewski.

“Nuclear EliminatiOn during Cyst Formation in Woronina pythii.”Mycologia, 75(2) : 271—279 (1983) . With D.P . Dylewski.

JOHN P. MITCHELL .

“Relative DNA content of individual chromosomes , karyotype and ploidyin crown gall tumor cells of Crepi$ capillams.” Jap. J. Genet. , 57:163—169 (1982). With A. Kodama.

“A comparative karyological and cytophotometric study of normal andwounded stem tissue of the pea (Piswn sati’um L . ) . “ Cytologia , 47 : 409—418.

“Nuclear changes accompanying cell differentiation in stems of Pisumsativum L.” Histochemistry, 75: 327—340 (1982). With M. van der Ploeg.

“Quantitative changes in the degree of chromatin condensation during

the cell cycle in differentiating Pisum sativwn vascular tissue.”Histochemistj , 78 : 1.01—109 ( 1983) . With N . S . Cohn and M. van • der Ploeg.

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CAR W. ROTHWELL

“Alethopteris from the Upper Pennsylvanian of Ohio and Illinois.” J.PaleontoZ., 36: 392—402 (1982). With J.E. Mickle.

“Studies of seed fern pollen: Development of the exine in Monoletes(Medullosales).” Amer. J. Bot., 69: 570—578 (1982). With T.N. Taylor.

. “What is the vascular architecture of complex medullosan pollen

organs?” Amer. J. Bat., 69: 641—643 (1982). With D.A. Eggert.

“A new Stephanospermum from the Appalachian Basin of North America.”

Rev. Paleobot. Palynol., 36: 231—240 (1982). With C.W. Good and T.N. Taylor.

“New interpretations of the earliest conifers.” Rev. Faleobot.Palynol., 37: 7—28 (1982).

“Early seed plant wind pollination studies: A commentary.” Taxon,31: 308—309 (1982). With T.N. Taylor.

“Coprolites within marattiaceous fern stems (Psaronius magnificus)from the Upper Pennsylvanian of the Appalachian Basin.” Paleogeogrctphy,PaZaeoglimatology, Paleoecology, 41: 227—232 (1983). With A.C. Scott.

“Reconstructing the growth habit and growth patterns in a primitivefossil ‘quill wort’.” American Journal ofBotany, 70: 963—974 (1983).With J.R. Jennings and E.E. Karrfalt.

RI CHARD B . RYPMA

“Growth in polyethylene bags.” Flower News, Feb. (1981).

“Polyethylene bags for hollies.” Holly Society Journal, 1 (1983).

“A report on the holly collection, Ohio University Botanical Garden.”Holly Society Journal, 2 (1984). .

IVAN K. SMITH

“Partial purification and characterization of cystine lyase fromcabbage.” Plant Physiol. , 72 : 654—658 (1983) . With D.I . Hall.

IRWIN A. UNGAR

“Growth and ion accumulation in SalicOrnia europaea under saline fieldconditions . “ Qecologia , 54 : 193—199 (1982) . With T .E . Riehi.

“Water relations in some halophytes from an inland salt marsh.”Paper presented, Ohio State University, Columbus, April 1982. Abstract inOhio J. Science, 82: 12—13 (1982). With S.H. Karimi.

“The effect of nitrogen fertilization on the production of halophytesin an inland salt marsh.” American Midland Naturalist, 109: 346—354 (1983).With D.G. Loveland.

1(1’

IRWIN A. UNGAR (Continued)

“Growth, water potential, and ion accumulation in the inland halophyte

Atriplex tr-tangularis under saline field conditions.” Acta Oecc’logia,Qecologia Plantczrwn , 4 : 27-39 ( 1983) . With T . E . Riehi.

WARREN A. WISTENDAHL

“The effects of floodplain trees on herbaceous vegetation patterns

microtopography and litter.” Bull. Torr. Bot. Clith, 110: 28—30 (1983).

With E.D. Hardin.

“Demography and persistence of SiZphium laciniatwn at the O.E. Andersoncompass plant prairie.” Proc. 8 N.A. Prairie Conference, 8: 30—32 (1983).

With T. Auffenorde.

NEWS FOR THE BOTANY DEPARTMENT ALUMNI NEWSLETTER

Name - — - - — - - Degree and Year____

Address:

Occupation:

Items for the next newsletter:

Comments for the Department on programs, etc.:

PLEASE RETURN TO: Dr. Robert N. LloydDepartment of BotanyOhio UniversityAthens, Ohio 45701—2979

PLEASE DROP IN FOR A VISIT, ANYTIME YOU’RE IN TOWN!