Bailey Colloquium speakers at lunch in Chester’s, Rochester, Minnesota.
“Hundred Years of Baileyan trends - Wood Evolution, Function and Future” was the title of a full session of twelve talks discussing wood evolutionary research at the Botany 2018 Meeting in Rochester, Minnesota, from 21-25 July 2018. The session marked the centenary of Bailey & Tupper’s classical paper on evolutionary trends in xylem anatomy and covered topics ranging from biohistory, wood evolution as revealed by the fossil record, confronting anatomical diversity with molecular phylogenies, secondary woodiness, the role of auxins in vessel development, apoplastic lipids and their role in cavitation, three dimensional vessel networks, and last but not least a critique of the Baileyan “baggage” as well as a vision on the future of wood anatomy. Most impressive in my opinion was Ned Friedman’s opening paper on “Who was Irving Widmore Bailey” with new insights on the wide-ranging qualities of both the person, the scientist and administrator, rooted in formative years in the high mountains of Peru where his father was in charge of an Observatory. Abstracts of the colloquium can be found on the BSA website: http://www.botanyconference.org/engine/search/?func=program&program=519 Following the session, the speakers and conveners (Cindi Jones, Elisabeth Wheeler & Pieter Baas) enjoyed a lunch with lively discussions (photo). At a special book display booth IAWA attracted new members and sold a number of its classical publications.
Pieter Baas
