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Chinquapin Archives

The quarterly newsletter of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society from 1993 - present

Castanea Archives

The complete archives of Castanea from 1936 to 2021.

Occasional Papers in Eastern Botany Archives

An occasional collection of papers published by the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society.

Articles from our Current Issue

Herbarium specimen digitization and transcription initiatives have led to revitalized use of plant collections making them more accessible than ever. Most digitization is done by producing 2D images of herbarium sheets; however, herbaria also include 3D collections such as fungi, mosses, and dry fruits, among others. Here we present a 3D digitization protocol developed at the Marshall University Herbarium (MUHW) using free photogrammetry software. We tested four freely available software applications, Meshroom, 3DF Zephyr Free, ColMap, and Regard3D on five types of 3D specimens, fungi, a moss, a lichen, a pinecone, and a compound fruit. Using 40–50 images and equipment already available in our herbarium such as a camera and light box, we produced 3D images in less than one hour per specimen. From the four applications tested, 3DF Zephyr Free gave the best results across the different specimens. Specimens that are bilaterally symmetrical or asymmetrical, such as fungi and compound fruit yielded detailed 3D images. Radially symmetrical specimens or specimens with repetitive patterns, such as the pinecone, moss, and lichen, resulted in poor or incomplete 3D images, which indicates that this workflow may be best suited for objects with differentiation in surfaces. Our workflow provides an effective, low-cost method of producing 3D images of 3D herbarium specimens that can be easily implemented in other herbaria.

Ptelea trifoliata L. (Rutaceae), in the sense of Bailey (1962) and Skornia et al. (2016), is a woody, understory species native to the southeastern and midwestern regions of the United States, as well as Mexico. It is one of two species initially described in Ptelea L. by Linnaeus (1753), the other being Ptelea viscosa L. [Dodonaea viscosa (L.) Jacq., Flora of China Editorial Committee 2007]. The circumscription of Ptelea in North America has been controversial, with authors variously recognizing a single species (Linnaeus 1753), three species (Bailey 1962), or 59 species (Greene 1906). Those adopting broader species circumscriptions, and thus fewer species, have variously recognized a number of subspecies and varieties within P. trifoliata (e.g., Bailey 1962: 5 ssp./10 var.; Skornia et al. 2016: 5 ssp./7 var.). Differences in taxonomic concepts are primarily the result of morphological heterogeneity and lack of understanding of genetic relationships in the group. Without a deeper understanding of the latter, circumscriptions are likely to continue to flux and remain unresolved. Typification of published names is critical to any effort to resolve taxonomic issues. We seek here to contribute to filling this gap, by addressing the typification of a name proposed by Reverend M.A. Curtis: Ptelea mollis M.A. Curtis (1849).

Chevreulia acuminata is reported for the first time in North Carolina. The species appears to have been in the state since at least 2021.