General Comments

Jq.

THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF SCIENCE

DEPARTHENT OF BOTANY

ANNUAL REPORT 1973

:J.. · I f · I/

79/1974

Staffing continues to be a cause for concern. Following the resignation of a staff member the establishment of the Department was reduced by one as from the end of the year.

Courses

In Botany AO! continuous assessment was made a larger component in student evaluaticn and this innovation, with some further adjustments, is now favoured by students and staff.

Enrolments and Examination Results

The need for reconsidering the units offered by the Department because of enrolment fluctuation was heightened by a resignation, especially since the staffing policy of the University will not permit . a replacement. The reduction of semester units by one was approved to take effect in 1974. The introduction of a course in llicrobiology in conjunction with the Department of Biochemistry has resulted in a recasting of the syllabus in Plant Systemati~s. Enrolments were at the same level as in previous years except for an increas~ in Botany AOl.

The examination performance in all units was generally similar to that in other recent years except that there were fewer failure~ and better overall results . in Botany AO!. This was attributed partly to the assessment method which appeared to stimulate favourably student performance. The situation will be kept _under scrutiny to see if this · is a continuing_ trend.

Student Participa~ion

This has been . adequate and has remained on an informal basis.

Graduate Students

.Armstrong, Wardhaugh, Howlett and Lush completed their courses successfully. New projects were commenced in the study of the development of structure in aleurone and sub-aleurone cells in barley (Pyliotis) ; the · nature of incompatibility barriers in Poplar and other plants (Hamilton); Cyto-evolutionary examination of the grasshopper genus Attractomorpha (Peters) ; host density effects on the ecology of. parasites (Burdon) ; isozyme variants in the sheep blowfly (Berman) and auxin transport inhibitors (Geissler).

Staff

Professor

Reader

Senior Lecturers

Lecturers

Senior . Demonstrators

2 -•I .1'

79/1974

L.D. Pryor, DSc Adel., DipFor Canb.

D. H. Paton, BSc PhD Tas.

E.G. Brittain, BSc PhD Melb. ·o.R. Byrne, BSc PhD Ade-r:--J .A. Carnahan, liSc PhD N.Z. R.B.' Knox, BSc Edin. PhD Birm.

H.J. Aston, MScAgr Syd., PhD Calif. G.A. Chilvers, BScAgr Syd., PhD ANU 11. I. Whitecross, HSc PhD ~·

Helen J. Hewson, BSc PhD Syd. R.J. Seviour, BSc PhD ~

Temporary Senior Demonstrator D. Porter, BSc ;Melb.

Post Doctoral Fellow Anne i:;. Allaway, BA Cantab., PhD Leeds .

' ' r'

Visitor .

' Hiss I. von Te~chman spent a few weeks in the Department at · the end of the .year working with Dr Allaway on root initiation in cuttings.

Staff Movements

Dr R.B • . Knox · wa~ ot). study lea~e· for th~: first half of the year. During this time he was appointed to a Chair of Botany_ in .Melbourne University. He left the Department at the end of the year to take up this appointment. Mr D. Porter was appointed Temporary S~nior Demonstrator (Genetics) at the end of the first semester. Dr C.R. Geard completed his appointment as Senior Demonstrator at the beginning of the year. Dr E.G. Brittain had a short period of study leave in North_ America to continue modelling work initiated during his previous study­leave in association ~ith the Tundra Biome Investigations by a group under the auspices of the International Biological Programme.

Research

Genetics, Ecology and Systematics . - Byrne, Carnahan, Hewson, Porter and Pryor.

The work in hand during the previous year was expanded. Considerable progress was made in the assessment· of affinity between eucalypt groups by interbreeding behavio~r. ·Isozyme · studies in various organisms were given a good deal of attention and the ' Australian vegetation in map was refined.

- 3 - 79/1974

Hicrobiology - Chilvers and Seviour.

The relationship of host density to parasite ecology is being explored to amplify one aspect of the maintenance of ecological balance in mixed stands.

Physiology - Allaway, Aston, Brittain, Knox, Paton and Whi tecross.

Satisfactory progress was made in studies of compatibility and incompatibility mechanisms in several genera and species. These studies involved techniques ranging from ultra structure and biochemistry of pollen and stigma surfaces to impirical innovations that have resulted in the production of hitherto unknown hybrids.

The physiological aspects of the i nhibitor in adult leaves of Eucalyptus was further investigated in one species. Renewal of chemical studies on the inhibitor will provide valuable information on the possible role of the inhibitor in the water economy of this · xeromorphic genus.

Use of the radiation frost room and ancillary equipment revealed that Eucalyptus responds relatively rapi dly to changes in growing temperatures. In one species maximum hardening and dehardening .occurred within two to three days.

Publications

Ashford, Anne and ricCully, Ifargaret E.1 'Hstochemical localization of 8-Glucosidase activity in the meristems of lateral roots' Protoplasma 77 : 411-25; 1973.

Aston , 1-1.J. and Paton, D. t1. 'Frost room design for radiation frost studies in Eucalyptus ' Australian Journal of Botany 21, 2:1-7, 1973.

Brittain, E.G. and Cameron, R.J •2 'Photosynthesis of leaves. of some Eucalyptus species ' New Zealand Journal of Botany 11: 153--62, 1973.

Brock, R.D., Peacock~ W.J.1,Geard, C.R.2, Kossoff, cfand Robinson, D.E.1

'Ultrasound and chromosome aberrations' tiedical Journai of Austr~lia 2:533-6, 1973.

Carnahan, J.A. 1 Vegetation mapping in Australia; past, pr.esent and future' Geobotanical Mapping 64-9, 1972. ·

Chilvers, G.A. ·· 'Host range of some eucalypt mycorrhizal fungi' Australian Joutnal of Botany 21:103-11, 1973.

Chilvers·, G.A. ~ B~itta;ln,_ E.G. and Burdon, J ,J. ' Pest and p·arasite · control in natural ecosystems' Chiasma 73-7, 1973.

1 Not a member of this University

2 Former member

- 4 - 79/1974

Geard, C.R. 2 , 'Chromatid distribution at mitosis in cultured WatZabia bicotor cells' Chromosoma (in press).

Geard, c.rr. 2 'Comparison of sister chromatid exchanges from three successive cell cycles in Wattabia bicotor chromosomes' Mutation Research (in press),

Heslop-Harrison, Barbara2 fractions Annals of

J. 1 , Heslop-Harrison, Y. 1 , Knox, R.B. 'Pollen-wall proteins: 'Ganetophytic" in the pollen wall.a of the malvaceae 1

Botany 37:403-12, 1973.

and. Howlett, and "Sporophytic" Extract from

Hewson, Helen, J. 'Sexual dimorphism in Haptomitriwn intermediwn' Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 98(1): 29-34. 1973.

2 l . Howlett, Barbara , Knox, R.B. and Heslop-Harrison, J. 1 Pollen-wall

proteins: ·release of the allergen Antigen E from intipe and exine sites in pollen grains of ragweed and Cosmos' Journal of Cell Science 13:603-19, 1973.

Jacobsen, J.v. 1 and Knox, R.B. 'Cytochemical localization and antigeni­city of a-amylase in barley aleurone tissue' Planta 112:213-24, 1973.

Knox, R.B. 'Pollen-wall proteins~ pollen-stigma interactions in ragweed and Cosmos (Compositae)' Journal of Cell Science 12:421-43, · 1973.

Knox, R. B. · 'Immunofluorescence localization of proteins in plant ·cells' Zeiss Information, Oberkochen 20:52-4, 1973 (Published in English and Germ.an) • ""

1 Knox, R.B. and Heslop-Harrison, J. 'Pollen-wall proteins: electron-microscopic localization ·of acid phosphatase in the intine of Crocus vernus' Journal of Cell Science 8:727-33, 1973.

1 Hartin, Jon and Porter, D.L. 'The salivary gland chromosomes of Gtyptotendipes bwbipes (Staeger) (Dip.tera, Chironomidae): Description of inversions and comparison of nearctic and palearctic karyotypes' Studies in Natural Sciences, Eastern New Mexico University 1, 7:1-24, 1973.

Paton, D.M. and Willing, R.R. 'Inhibition transport and ontogenetic age in Eucatyptus grandis 1 Plant Growth Substances ·Tokyo Proceedings 1973.

Pryor, L.D. 1The cultivation of eucalypts in Brazil' IPEF 2/3:53-9, 1971 [Forestry., Abstract 34(2) p. 79, 197'3].

Renbuss, Maija A., Chilvers, G.A. and Pryor, L.D. 'Microbiology of an ashbed' Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 97, 4:302-10, 1973.

1 Not a member of this University

2 Former member

- 5 - 79/1974

Seviour, R.J. and Codner, R.c.l'Effect of light on carotenoid and · rib_oflavin production by the fungus Cephalosporium diospyri Journal of General Hicrobiology 77:403-15, 1973.

Seviour, R.J., Willing, R.R. and Chilvers, G.A. 'Basidiocarps associated with ericoid mycorrhizas' New Phytologi;.st 381...:~, 1973.

Wardhaugh, K.G. ,·The development of eggs of the Australian plague locust Chortoiaetes terminifera .in relation to temperature and moisture' ,Proceedings of the International Study Conference on the current and future ·problems of Acridology' Ed. Hemming,C.F. and Taylor, T.H.C., London, pp 261-72, 1972.

Wood, G.B. 2 and Brittain, E.G. 'Photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration of radi.ata pine' New Zealand Jou'i':nal of Forestry Science 3:181-190, 1973.

, ·._ ..

l

Subject or unit

AOl

101

E02

- 6 -

79/1974

THE AUSTR.o\LIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF BOTAl'lY Al'ALYSIS OF STUDENT PERFOIU'IANCE

Percentage of Number of J,nro:led Percep.tage of Number Sitting

3

Enrolled Sitting as at

30 .4.73

103 (100) 98 (95) No . % ~

17 (100) 16 (94) No. % No. %

13 (100) 13(100) No. % No. %

4

Wastage

5 (5) No. %

1 (6) No. %

5

Failure

6 (6) No.%

Lill No. %

6 8 9 10 . 11 12

Sitting High Distinctio'"l Credit · Pass Pass Fail Distinction with

llerit

98(100) 4 (4) 10 (10) 53 (54) 25 (26) .Lill ~ ~ ~ No . . % No. % I No. ·%

, . =======================================~=:===============================

16(100) No. %

13 (JOO) No. %

3 (23) ~

9 (56) No.%

-5 (38) No:""T

7 (44) No.,%

4 cni 1 ea> No. % No.%

:z====•=•====n=========i:xa:s::z==============-=========:::;==== ==:;;=-a:::===:======================>===-· ====:============================

•

1

Subject or unit

!!03

E04

Enrolled as at

30.4.73 Ho. 10

32 ( l OG) ~

Percentage

Sitting No.

9

30 ( 94) NO:--r

- 7 -

THE KJSTRALIA!! NAllONAL UNIVERSITY

DEPARTI!ENT OF JOTAl:1Y ANALYSIS OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE

of Number

4

llas tage No .

l

2 (6) No . %

Enrolled

5

Failure No .

1

.L.fil No. %

Sitting Eo.

9

30 (100) Ho.--%-

High Distinction

No .

1

2 (7) NO:--r

Percentage of

8

Dis tinction No .

5 (17) ~

79 /1974

Number Sit ting

9 10 11

Credit Pass Pass No . with No.

Merit

7 (23) No . %

13 (43) NO:-%

•

12

Fail No .

l

3 (10) No. %

===1: ======================================~===============~=~=========== No . No.

COl 6 ==1:::1=====2•11=====....:=========================:i:::=====-==

C02

C03

C04

No.

1.Ll.!2Ql No. %

15 (100) ~

No.

6

.ll..J.2.il No. %

14 ( 93) No. %

No.

1

.L..1§_) No. %

.L.lJ!.) No . %

1 (7) 1 (7) No. % No. %

I o.

6

1'!o.

6

11 (100) !!c:--%"

11.. (100) w.-.--%-

No. No.

!lo.

1

No .

1

No.

3

l (9) No . %

8 (57) No . %

No .

3

llo.

9 ( 82) No. %

4 (29) ~

1 (9) No . %

.!__ill No . %

1

Subject or unit

cos

- 8 -

THE AUSTRAL!Nl NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY ANALYSIS OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Percentage of Number Enrolled Percentage of Number Sitting

. 2 I 3 4 ~ 8 9 10

Enrolled Sitting Wastage FailuLe Sitting High Distinction Credit Pass as at Dis tine tion with

30 .4.73 Merit

ll...ilQQ.} !.LlW ..L.ill .!.._ill 12 (100) (8) 3 (25) 2 (17) No. % No % No. :>; Nl!lo.% ~ No. % No. % Ntl. 7.

79/1974

ll 12

Pass Fail

5 (42) 1 (8) N07T ilO:-T

c::;========'===:i:::==-====z=====================~ = ===============================-=====,,,.,..======================••====:u::z=• =c==

CO&

C07

21 (100) 21 (l'JO) ~ Nc).-y-

No.

4

No .

3

No .

1

Enrolled

No.

l

(as at 30 April 1973)"

Final Honours 4

<l (100) l'o:-%

No.

Full Time Par'.: Time (staff)

I1asters Qualifying

r.i'.as ters Degree

Ph.D. 6

2

4

col---'(""5,_) s ( 24) No. % ~

No. No .

l 1

15 (71) NO:T

No .

•