Abstract Detail

Systematics Section

Naczi, Robert F C [1].

Revising an Indispensable Reference, Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada.

The most recent Flora for northeastern North America is Gleason & Cronquist’s Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada (1991). Great advances in botany in the past two decades have made the time ripe for its revision. Particularly compelling justifications for revision are 1) improvements in understanding relationships among families and genera; 2) continued taxonomic discovery in the region at the specific and infraspecific level; and 3) field discoveries of non-native plants that have become established in the region, including invasive species. The goals of this new project are to produce a compact, one-volume Manual intended for field use, similar to Gleason & Cronquist, as well as to create an accompanying online Flora. The online Flora will expand on the contents of the Manual by including discussions, photographs, citation of literature, etc. The region of coverage for the new Manual is the same as for Gleason & Cronquist, a vast area of northeastern North America: the entirety or portions of 22 states of the U.S.A. (CT, DE, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, VT, WI, WV) and 5 provinces of Canada (NB, NS, ON, PE, QU). The total area covered is ca. 860,500 mi2, which is equivalent to 29% of the area of the 48 contiguous states of the U.S.A. The botanical scope of the new Manual is the same as its predecessors: all vascular plants growing spontaneously and established in the geographic area covered. Included will be a large amount of plant diversity. I estimate ca. 5000 species and 200 families of vascular plants (ca. 25 % of all North American species and ca. 65% of all North American families) will be covered in this new Manual.  Relative to Gleason & Cronquist, several innovations distinguish the new Manual, including collaboration by a team of taxonomic and floristic experts.

Broader Impacts:

1 - The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York, 10458, U. S. A.

Keywords:
Flora
Floristics
U.S.A.
Canada
Gleason & Cronquist Manual.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 17
Location: 551A/Convention Center
Date: Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Time: 1:45 PM
Number: 17002
Abstract ID:744