THE JOHN D. FREEMAN HERBARIUM (AUA): A HISTORY AND CATALOGUE OF VASCULAR PLANT TYPE SPECIMENS

11 Pages·2003·6.8 MB·English

by  Curtis J Hansen

THE JOHN FREEMAN HERBARIUM A HISTORY
(AUA):
D.
AND
CATALOGUE OF VASCULAR PLANT TYPE SPECIMENS
Hansen
Curtis
J.
John Freeman H(^rbarium
D.
Department
Biological Sciences
luilding
^"^A!^n^ve,
sity
Auburn, AL 36849
U.S.A.
\
ABSTRAC
T
ThejohriD. Freeman Her barium Auburn University can trace roots almost back to the founda-
at Its
fin 1856. By 1867 the campus t
botanical collections. Thi .nizedherba rium at Auburn University Such
notable brmer faculty ;F.S.Earle,L.M. Underwood ^'RH.MelbJr, surmounted early
as a,
1
it3mai
mtain herbarium By
challeng including a d< a collection.
;es,
1901, the :d over 40,000 specimens, inchidingimpori;ant collections from A.H. Curtiss,
G.W.Carver.A.B.Langlois;,andj. Darby Tragically the herbariumw:IS again destroyed by fire in 1920.
AUA
Despite again emerged from the ashes to df as an important state and re-
this, rei
1
AUA
gionalh,^rbarium.Growtl1 at from 1968-1995 was due to the ef forts of the late John D. Freeman,
number
the herbarium! rom obscurity to national rec(3gn,tionanc quintupled the of hold-
<
1
dur
ings .™......_a
m
nd most modern Alabama. The herbarium
largest a collections c
plamtypespeci
RESUME?
ElHerbarioJohnD.Freem an de la Universidad de Aubur•npuederast rear sus raices desde la fundacion
3,000 especies, incluyendo colecc
Tiportantes del estado y de la region. El crecimiento del herbario desde los afios 1968-1995, fue
ador John Freeman, quien tomo herbario desde sus penumbras
D. el
como
quintuplico numero de colecciones durante su periodo
:ido y el
John Freeman cuenta con mas de 60,000 ejemplares uno de
D. y es
The early history of the John D. Freeman Herbarium can be traced back ahnost
to the foundation of Auburn University and was directly affected by the
itself,
challenges of establishing an institution of higher education in the late 1850s.
Auburn University was originally chartered in 1856 as the East Alabama Male
College (EAMC), a Methodist college that officially opened doors to students
its
&
in 1859 (Yeager Stevenson 2000). Botany was the only science course of-
life
Ann
and was
fered at the college first taught by John Darby, A.M., the "Julia
Hamiter" Professor of Natural Science (Davis 1992). Darby was a botanist, chem-
and author of one of the earliest floristic works to focus on the southern
ist,
United States (Darby 1857). This work was intended as a botanical textbook for
college and high school students throughout the South and was surely used in
own
Darby's curriculum, along with other botanical texts by Gray and Chap-
man. While no evidence an herbarium
there that official collection existed
is
in 1859, Darby no doubt had a set of pressed and dried botanical specimens
which he used teaching botany and plant
for identification.
EAMC
when
Botany continued to be taught until 1861 was closed due to
many
the Civil War, in which of the faculty and students entered the Confed-
(Draughon The Old Main
erate service 1954). building, predecessor to current-
&
day Samford Hall, served as a Confederate hospital from 1864-1866 (Yeager
Stevenson 2000). In 1866, the college reopened and Darby was again elected to
m
teach botany (Minutes July 1866). Darby was given emeritus status 1869
9,
member
but continued to be listed as a faculty until 1871. In the 1867 catalogue
EAMC
"museum now
which
of the lists a being formed" as one of the assets
it is
museum
and student recruiting points of the college. This housed plants, min-
mammals, among
and Darby was
erals, fossils, insects, Indian relics, other items.
museum
involved with the college and most likely organized the herbarium
first
Auburn
collection at in the late 1860s.
A
War
economy
depressed, post-Civil led to serious financial difficulties
much
that plagued the college during the Reconstruction Period. In 1872, after
and
debate considerable objection, the Board of Directors (later Board of Trust-
EAMC
and Alabama
ees) transferred the property buildings to the state of to
establish a land grant college under the provisions of the Morrill Land Grant
Act passed by Congress in 1862 (Draughon 1954; Yeager 61 Stevenson 2000). This
War
act, extended to former Confederate States after the Civil and ratified by
Alabama
the Legislature in 1867, provided 30,000 acres of public land for each
senator and representative of a state as an endowment to establish a college
with promote and
the goal "to the liberal practical education of the industrial
and (Draughon
classes in the several pursuits professions of 1954). In 1872,
life"
the college was officially named the Agricultural and Mechanical College of
& M
Alabama (A College) and the herbarium became an integral part of Agri-
Experiment
cultural Station work.
came
Along with change from changes
the church-college to state-college
in administration and some faculty members. In this turbulent time, Read
J.B.
was which
selected as the Professor of Natural Sciences, included the re-
first
when
was
sponsibility of teaching botany. However, his tenure cut short, after
only eight months the Board of Directors reduced the number of faculty from
eight to six, presumably for financial reasons. For the next three years the pro-
was William How-
fessorship of Natural Sciences given to C. Stubbs, a chemist.
who
ever Stubbs, already taught chemistry mmeralogy and geology probably
did not take on the added responsibility of teaching botany There are indica-
and
tions that in 1876 botany classes were taught by Professor of Agriculture
& M
A
young Tichenor (botany were
President of the College, Isaac classes
T.
required by the School of Agriculture course of study according to the early
&
and mid-1870s course catalogues [Yeager Stevenson 2000]). In 1877, the Board
of Trustees hired E.Q. Thornton as Professor of Natural Sciences, but his tenure
lasted less than one year due to his unexpected death (Yeager Stevenson 2000).
6a:
Finally in 1878 the Trustees hired the talented Patrick H. Mell, to be Pro-
Jr.
Under and
fessor of Natural Science (Yeager Stevenson 2000). Mell's direction
63:
museum
holdmgs were expanded through
leadership the college greatly ac-
quisition of specimens via purchases, exchanges with other institutions, and
we
donations from private collectors and citizens. During Mell's tenure find the
documentation of the actual size of the herbarium. Reporting for the 1881-
first
museum
had
1882 school year, Mell stated that the increased in botanical col-
lections from 266 to 1577 (Mell 1882). The following year he reported an in-
crease of 442 botanical specimens for a grand total of 2019 (Mell 1883).
herbarium was when Old Main caught
destroyed
Tragically, in 1887, the
number known,
and burned. While the of collections destroyed the
fire isn't
He
herbarium was indeed important and growing under Mell's direction. de-
work and herbarium
scribed his the condition of the prior to the fire as follows:
plants collected from Alabama by Prof. Darby, Prof. Thornton, Prof. Stubbs and myselP (An-
Despite the destruction of the herbarium, Mell published a of cultivated
list
grasses in Alabama which included the first attempt to list all the grasses that
began compiling and
occurred in state (Mell 1889). Prior to the fire, Mell writ-
ing the flora of Alabama, to be issued in sections as they were completed
first
(Mell 1896). He was finally able to publish one section of his flora but, unfortu-
nately no other sections were ever completed (Mell 1896). Incidentally Charles
who
was
Mohr, concurrently
T.
w
an
upstart in the business of
by (Davenport
his efforts 1979).
Mell's talents were not limited to teaching botany and d
collections. Along with these responsibilities, he also served
:
tor of the Alabama Weather Service from 1884-1893, an agency that he created,
fie developed a system of flag signals used to relay weather conditions and fore-
casts around the a system that was soon adopted by the National Weathei
state,
&
name
Service (Yeager Stevenson 2000). Later, Mell declined to have his sub-
mitted to President Grover Cleveland to become Chief of the U.S. Weather Bu-
reau Mell Scrapbooks 1891-1906, Auburn Univ he was
(see Archives). In 1891,
Alabama
also appointed Director of the Experiment Station where he served
&
until 1902 (Yeager Stevenson 2000). In 1896, Mell was elected Chairman of
Botany and American
the Section of Horticulture of the Association of Agri-
and Experiment (Anonymous
cultural Colleges Stations After turning
1899).
down
other prestigious offers, including the presidency of Mercer University,
Mell finally resigned from Auburn in 1902 to accept the presidency of Clem-
son College in South Carolina (Kerr
1985).
Underwood came Auburn
Lucien M. and
In late 1895, to as a biologist be-
gan working immediately on the "fungous flora of Alabama, since compara-
known
and
tively little IS of the extent character of the rich cryptogamic flora
of Alabama" (Annual Report 1896). Underwood departed after only one year
but not before collecting a great deal and publishing a treatise on edible fungi
(Underwood
1896).
Frank succeeded Underwood and and
Earle served as biologist horticul-
S.
Eade on Underwood's
turist. finished the final preparations "fungous flora of
m
Alabama" and Alabama Underwood
1897 published with
their of fungi
list
&
(Underwood
as lead author Earle 1897). This enumerated over 1100 spe-
list
known
Alabama
cies of fungi to occur in at the time. Also noted was the fact
m
Auburn
was
that the college at the only institution the state that maintained
They some
a course in botany. also described of the collectors and collections
&
in the herbarium at that time (Underwood Earle 1897). Earle later provided
T Mohr who
this of fungi to Charles included in the fungi section of his
list
it
monumental work on Alabama (Mohr and
the flora of 1901). Earle also studied
collected vascular plants from the unique habitats on and surrounding the meta-
morphic Alabama
or granite outcrop regions of eastern (Earle 1902),
Earle provided excellent documentation of the growth and composition of
the herbarium collections from 1896 to 1900. Indications are that Mell's admin-
istrative duties kept him away from the herbarium and that by the turn of the
20^^^ century Earle was essentially managing the herbarium. On January
1901,
1,
numbers and
Earle reported the following composition of the herbarium (An-
nual Report
1901):
Flowering 20,606
Plants,
etc.
Fungi
16,950
Lichens
1,006
Algae y«4
TOTAL
40,134
Considering that the herbarium burned in 1887 that was an impressive accu-
mulation specimens
of in 13 years.
Earle Auburn in 1901 and was replaced by Edwin M. Wilcox, Professor
left
and and (Annual
of Botany, -described "Vegetable Physiologist Pathologist"
self
Report 1901). Wilcox was the department head and taught botany classes from
1902-1908. After he Wilcox immediately began preparing what
arrived,
amounted Alabama. He began
to the first plant atlas for the state of a card in-
map
dex of all the plants, including a county of the state pinpointing each col-
lection location (Annual Report 1902). doubtful the project was ever com-
It is
pleted because during his six-year tenure Wilcox only referred to the herbarium
twice in his annual reports. Other than beginning the plant indexing project,
Wilcox's only other reference to the herbarium was a request to get modern
cases to hold and preserve the collections (Annual Report 1904). While Wilcox
made some maintaining herbarium, no document-
strides in the further reports
ing the size and growth of the herbarium exist after 1901. Most of Wilcox's time
was spent working as a plant pathologist, not herbarium curator
Francis E. Lloyd replaced Wilcox in 1908 as Professor of Botany. The her-
barium was apparently poorly maintained and had fallen into disuse during
Wilcox's tenure. In Lloyd's first report to the president he stated that, "Steps have
been taken toward...the rehabilitation of the herbarium" which, he continues,
"is of paramount importance for Experiment Station work as a source of infor-
m
mation matters pertaining to the flora of this section of the country" (An-
nual Report 1908). Despite Lloyd's emphasis on the importance and necessity
much
was The
of the herbarium, not accomplished during his year next
first
year, Lloyd again stressed the need to put the herbarium "into shape for use"
modern
(Annual Report Furthermore, Wilcox's 1904 request her-
1909). for
barium cases must have gone unfulfilled because in 1909 Lloyd stated that the
greatest need for the herbarium proper housing in the form of tightly con-
"is
structed cases, since without these we cannot control the insect pests which
bothersome (Annual Report
are peculiarly here" 1909).
documentation found herbarium.
After 1909, httle relating to the
is It is
well known, however, that by 1910 the Botany Department (and herbarium),
many had moved new
along with other science departments, to a building
life
on campus. According "A handsome and commodious
to the 1910 bulletin,
building has been erected for the departments of agriculture, (2) horticul-
(1)
ture, (3) botany, (4) entomology, and (5) animal husbandry" (Davis 1992). Fur-
named Comer was
thermore, this building, Hall, "thought to be superior or equal
&
to any building in the south" (Yeager Stevenson 2000). By 1918, the Botany
Department
occupied the western half of the third floor of Coiner Hall. Incred-
when
the herbarium was again completely destroyed by flames en-
ibly, a fire
gulfed and gutted Comer Hall in October 1920! The total number of specimens
lost in this fire is unknown, but by extrapolating from Earle's 1901 report of
40,134 total specimens, an estimate of greater than 50,000 specimens destroyed
would
be
conservative.
The composition of the herbarium before the Comer Hall fire is fairly well
documented, through The some
at least the year 1900. following a of of
is list
known
the valuable collections to have existed in the herbarium prior to the
Beyond simple documentation, only sharpen
of 1920. this serves to the
fire list
and
tragedy of the First foremost, the losses included important historical
loss.
and scientific collections by G.E Atkinson, C.F Baker, G.W. Carver, Darby,
J.F
J.
Duggar, FS. Earle, A.B. Langlois, P.H. Mell, W.C. Stubbs, E.Q. Thornton, L.M.
Jr.,
Underwood, and an documenting work on
entire set of collections A.H. Curtiss'
Alabama an ample
the flora of Florida. Additionally, a large collection of grasses,
and 500 exchange specimens from England were
seed collection, Liverpool, also
consumed documentation work on
in the blaze. Finally, the loss of for Mell's the
many
Flora of Alabama, as well as other research projects, was especially dis-
appointing (Davis 1992). Other departments that were partially or completely
Agronomy,
destroyed included Plant Breeding, Plant Pathology, Horticul-
Soils,
ture, Animal Husbandry, Entomology, and the administrative offices (Annual
The Comer was monumental
Report 1921). Hall fire a loss in the history of the
herbarium and Auburn However, unlike Comer which was
University. Hall,
many
rebuilt in two years, took decades to rebuild the herbarium.
it
While the herbarium was indeed reestablished, there information
is little
regarding growth during the years following the In the 1950s, the heirs
its fire.
of Elizabeth E Andrews, a botanist and author, donated her personal collection
of about 2500 plants to the herbarium which included collections by A.W. Chap-
man. This donation formed the nucleus further rebuilding Donald
lor efforts. E.
came Auburn
and
Davis, Professor of Botany, to in the late 1940s served as her-
barium taxonomy and weed
curator for a time. Davis' students in plant science
many
were required to submit specimens and thereby added collections to the
herbarium from 1947-1968 (Davis 1992). Other taxonomists in the botany de-
T
partment during the 1950s and 1960s included Edward Browne, and Al-
Jr
fred C. Koelling (Don Davis, pers. comm.). Browne came to Auburn in 1956 and
was herbarium curator until about 1960. The herbarium grew very dur-
little
herbarium do was an exchange
ing his short tenure, but records indicate there
agreement with the University of Georgia. Browne himself only added about
two dozen of his personal collections to the herbarium. Later, Koelling served
herbarmm
as herbarium curator from 1964-1967. In efforts to mcrease holdings,
KoelUng number exchanges with and added
initiated a of other institutions also
over 750 of his own collections. Herbarium growth from 1922 to 1968 was mod-
but by 1968 the herbarium contained a total of 11,300 sheets (Davis 1992).
est,
Herbarium growth from 1968-1995 was due John
to the efforts of the late
who
D. Freeman, emphasized the importance of fieldwork and collecting, and
He
that the herbarium was an essential and valuable botanical research
tool.
many
exchange programs with and was loaning
initiated institutions active in
Freeman
specimens out to various researchers. directed several graduate stu-
dent research studies that helped document the flora and assess plant distribu-
tions in critical areas throughout the state. These types of studies led to active
added herbarium Under-
collecting efforts and, in turn, greatly to the holdings.
who
graduate students took Freeman's systematic botany courses can
testify
to the emphasis he placed on collecting. His students were required to turn in
— —
150-200 and
large collections of plants pressed, identified labeled at the
conclusion of the course. That amount of collecting kept exchange programs
and herbarium Freeman sum-
bolstered greatly enlarged the holdings. In 1974,
marized growth im during Auburn
th of the herbarii his first fiv as
le
eema
n
follows (Fr 1974):
moun
Specimens
and
shelved
Year
1969
3,357
1970
3,737
1971 3,640
1972 2,100
1973 1,420
14,254
Total
Cumu
through 1968
11,300
lativc
I
thokdmgs
Presen 25,554
Over his career, Freeman took the herbarium from relative obscurity to
Advisory Committee Systematic Resources
national recognition. In 1974, the for
Auburn Herbarium
in Botany (1974) selected the University as a National Re-
source Collection, a collection considered vital for continued science support
and research. This designation was given to only 105 (out of a total of 1127)
nationwide. Freeman's personal research likewise garnered
institutions interests
He
national attention as he focused on the genus JYiWium. collected JrxWium
and naming new
from across the United States Japan, seven species includ-
all
endemic
ing the federally listed southeastern Trillium reliquum.
Freeman
Prior to his death, helped negotiate the acquisition of the her-
barium collection at Bernard College (SB) in Cullman County Alabama. This
St.
5000 was herbarium
invaluable, historic collection of about sheets the personal
20*
Wolfgang and
of Wolf, a prolific botanist in the early century lay brother
Alabama
of the Order of Saint Benedict. This collection contains not only plants
many
but also collections from around the eastern United States and Europe.
This acquisition added greatly to the holdings of the Freeman Herbarium and
pushed number Freeman
the of total collections to over 60,000. Ultimately, in-
number mounted
creased the of specimens five-fold in 27 years. In January 1998,
enormous
Board
the of Trustees, in recognition of his botanical contributions,
unanimously naming Auburn
passed a resolution officially the University
Herbarium honor John Freeman.
in of Dr. D.
With no permanent Freeman
curator in place after 1995, activity at the
Herbarium dropped dramatically. For the next three years Jerome Ward,
a vis-
iting assistant professor, supervised herbarium activity on a part-time basis and,
with the help of students, began the long process of organizing and incorporat-
Bernard
ing the collection.
St.
From 1998 to 2002, Cynthia M. Morton held the post of plant taxonomist
and director of the Freeman Herbarium, and in 1999 the author was hired as
curator Under Morton's direction the Freeman Herbarium was brought back
many
to full activity with the resumption of exchange agreements and in-
creased loan activity. The collections were refoldered using archival quality
Many
genus covers, updated taxonomically, and organized geographically. mis-
filed collections were found and duplicate collections removed, which greatly
relieved limited cabinet space. Another major emphasis during this time was
to have the label information from each specimen entered into a computer da-
tabase. With the help of students and support from the State Lands Division of
Alabama
the Natural Heritage Program, was completed 2002.
this project in
The database maintained as new specimens are accessioned and added the
is to
Web
and World Wide http://www.auburn.edu/
collection available via the
is at
The
herbarium. effort to database the herbarium collection has led to the pub-
Alabama
compiled from combined
lication of a checklist of plants the
infor-
mation Freeman Herbarium and Alabama Herbarium
of the University of
(UNA)
(Morton
2002).
etal.
The Freeman Herbarium now Alabama
one
of the largest collections in
is
and Auburn
a vital resource for various natural science departments Uni-
is at
versity including the Agricultural Experiment Station, Biological Sciences, En-
&
tomology
Plant Pathology, Forestry Horticulture, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medi-
and The Freeman Herbarium
cine, Wildliic. used throughout the region by
is
herbarium (Alabama Code The
serves as the state §1-2-12). collection houses
many
including by E.F Andrews,
collections dating the 1840s.
to ^
portant collections to the Freeman Herbarium mclude V.E. Crouch, A.R. Dia-
mond, Freeman, S.C. Gunn, R. Krai, H.D. Moore, D.W. Rutland, A.H. Sessler
J.D.
and W. Short. While richest in specimens from Alabama and the southern
it is
J.
United the Freeman Herbarium also contains collections from around
States,
many
the country and from continents in the world. Growth and diversifica-
tion of the Freeman Herbarium are continuing through open gift and exchange
programs and
work.
field
TYPE
S
Freeman Herbarium
Currently the contains over 60,000
r
which 26 documented through
plants, of are as types either citation in original
literature or as annotated by a later researcher This list includes 2 holotypes,
23 isotypes, isoneotype and arranged alphabetically by family, then by ge-
1 is
nus. The majority of type specimens are found in Trilliaceae (8) and Asteraceae
The and
reference citation, location (restricted to country, state county, or
(7).
AUA
number, number, and
equivalent), date, collector, collector accession the
holotype known, documented each specimen.
location, for
if is
CATALOGUE OF TYPE SPECIMENS
ARISTOLOCHIACEAE
USA
&
Hexastylis shuttleworthii (Britten Baker) nea 66:183. 2001. Alabama. Bibb Co.: 19
AUA
Aug
Small var. harperi Gaddy, isotype. Sida 2:54. 2000, Allison /2503. 6 1459. (holotype:
1
May
1987.USA.Georgia.MadisonCo.:9 1986, GH).
Silphium perplexum A Castanea
lisonjsoTYPE.
J.
Aug
88.2001 .USA. Alabama. Dallas 8
66:1 Co.:
ASTERACEAE 1
1999,^///5on?2/53.AUA61458.(HOLOTYPE:GH).
Hogg
Coreopsis grandiflora ex Sweet
var.
BORAGINACEAE
indinata Castanea
Allison, isotype. 66:1 62.
J.
Muh
Erigeron strigosus
CYPERACEAE
Carex cumberlandensis Naczi, & Bryson,
Krai,
Sida 9:994. 2001 USA. Alabama. Win-
ISOTYPE.
1
.
AUA
May
ston Co.: 4 99 Nacz, 2868. 62540.
1 1 ,
AUA
and
993,Allison Stevens 7804. 61463.
Jul
1
Fimbristylis argillicola Sida 4:128.
Krai, isotype.
USA
nea 66:180. 2001. Alabama. Bibb Co.: 20
Aug
971 MEXICO. MiCHOACAN. 8 965, Krai
1 1 1
.
Aug AUA
994,^///son 8559. 61 462. (holotype:
1
FABACEAE
DaleacahabaJ.AIIison.isoTYPE. Castanea
*66^°7n00rUSA^ALllTMT'Z'c?iTj!il 66:1 66.
30 Mar 1967, Freeman 535 with Murrel
AUA16713,(holotype:GH).
//lara.
Freeman,
Trillium gracileJ.D. isoTYPE.Sida 3:2
RANUNCULACEAE
USA. Apr
959, Texas. Sabine Co.: 9i
1 1 1
Clematis morefieldii Annals Mis-
Krai, isotype. Samejima 1039 with Freeman & Chann
souri Bot. Gard. 74:665. 987. USA. Alabama. aUA
1 56878. (holotype: GH).
AUA
Madison Co.: 17 Jun 1983, Krai 70176.
Trillium kurabayashii Freennan,
J.D. isot^
45730. MO).
(holotype:
Brittonia 27:56. 975. USA. California. Del Nc
1
SCROPHULARIACEAE Co.: 8 May 967, Freeman 594 with Freem,
1
AUA
56822. GH).
(holotype:
Castilleja kraliana Allison, isotype. Castanea
J.
66:159. 2001. USA. Alabama. Bibb Co.: 15 /
AUA
1998,/l///son /0466. 61 467.(holotype:N
TRILLIACEAE
W
27:48. 1975. USA. Oregon. Josephine Co.:9
Freem
I.Fukuda,J.D.
AUA
y^^. Krai 363/0. illl9. (holotype: US).
27:34. 975. USA.North Carolina. Buncombe Co.:
1
1
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
am
Don memories Freeman Herbarium
grateful to Davis for sharing early of the
I
and Botany Department Auburn and
at University, to the staff of the Special
&
Auburn
Collections Archives Department at the University Library for their
many
helpful assistance in hours spent researching records. thank Terry Rod-
1
Communications Alabama
riguez of the Office of at the Agricultural Experi-
ment down some
Station for tracking original copies of very old extension bul-
letins and then sharing in the excitement of discovery Roland Dute provided
comments
helpful on an earlier draft of this manuscript. Critical reviews by
Larry Davenport and Robert Krai improved this paper. thank Glenda Gil for
I
her Spanish translation of the abstract.