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International Palm Society

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International Palm Society
Formation1956; 68 years ago (1956)
Founded atDaytona Beach, Florida, US
TypeHorticultural society, 501 (c) (3) nonprofit
Location
Membership (2023)
2,000 (incl. 33 Benefactors)
President
Robert Blenker
34 (unpaid volunteers)
Affiliations32 local and regional palm societies
Endowment (2023)$939,715
Staff (2023)
1
Websitewww.palms.org

The International Palm Society (IPS), formerly the Palm Society, is a horticultural society dedicated to the study of palms, their culture, conservation, and natural history. It was founded in 1956, and has an international membership.[1][2][3] It is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. The IPS is known for its publications, grants supporting research, conservation, and education, its conservation initiatives, biennial meetings held in palm-rich localities, and its online interactive forum, PalmTalk.[4][5]

Founder and leadership

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The society was founded by Dent Smith, of Daytona Beach, Florida, who served as the society's first president and editor.[1][6][3] The society's first meeting was on Apr. 17, 1956, at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Smith spelled out his vision for the Palm Society in the first Palm Society Bulletin. He wrote:[7]

The objects of the Society, to be accomplished entirely by means of its publications, would be chiefly to disseminate information about the Palms, both scientific and horticultural, and about any matter or phase relating to them, e.g., their insect pests and diseases, their uses, their relative hardiness, their introduction, their availability as either small or large plants, &c.

The name of the organization changed from the Palm Society to the International Palm Society in 1984.[8]

Publications

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Journal

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In 1956, the society began publishing the journal, Principes, on a quarterly basis.[9] The journal was edited by Dent Smith, who by year's end recruited Dr. Harold E. Moore Jr. as the editor.[10] Moore was at that time an associate professor at the L.H. Bailey Hortorium of Cornell University. Moore edited the journal until his untimely death in 1980, after which time, the editorial reins were taken by Drs. Natalie Uhl and John Dransfield. The name of the journal changed from Principes to Palms in 1999 with the publication of volume 43. Uhl stepped down as co-editor in 2000, and the role was taken by Dr. Scott Zona.[11] Dransfield stepped down in 2024, and Dr. William J. Baker took on the role of co-editor. In its 67th volume as of 2023, the journal is full-color, peer-reviewed, and is issued quarterly.

The Society's journal, Principes and its successor, Palms, has been the place of publication for many genera and species of palms described as new to science. Genera described in the journal include Guihaia[12], Kerriodoxa[13], Leucothrinax[14], Satakentia[15] and Wodyetia[16]. Examples of noteworthy species published in the journal include Beccariophoenix alfredii[17], Marojejya darianii[18], and a palm with underground flowers,[19][20] Pinanga subterranea[21].

Books

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The IPS has published or co-published several reference books related to palms. The first was a partnership with the L.H. Bailey Hortorium to co-publish the first edition of Genera Palmarum, based on the work of H.E. Moore Jr., in 1987.[22][23]

The society published or co-published other works:

  • Chamaedorea Palms, the Species and their Cultivation (1992)[24] by Donald R. Hodel.[25]
  • The Palms of Madagascar (1995)[26] by J. Dransfield & Henk Beentje, co-published with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Genera Palmarum ed. 2 (2008) by J. Dransfield, N.W. Uhl, C.B. Asmussen, W.J. Baker, M.M. Harley & C.E. Lewis, published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew "in association with the IPS and the L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Cornell University."

Bulletin and Newsletter

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In 1956, the Palm Society, as the IPS was then known, published monthly Bulletins, which were sent to members. Only six Bulletins were published before they were superseded by the journal.[7] In late 2013, the IPS launched a monthly electronic Newsletter.[27]

Grants

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Since its inception in 1985, the IPS endowment has funded palm research all over the world via the IPS Endowment Awards.

Recently published research that was supported, in part, by grants from the IPS includes:

Additionally, the annual Sneed Award supports a project that best emulates the curious spirit of Phyllis and Melvin Sneed. The Sneeds were long-time IPS members who traveled the world in search of palms[33] and wrote about their adventures in the pages of Principes.

Conservation initiatives

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In 2006, a photo of an unidentified, large, monocarpic, fan palm in Madagascar was posted on PalmTalk, the society's online forum.[34] This photo led botanists to the site and to the discovery and description of a monotypic genus new to science, Tahina, which was published in 2008.[35]

In 2020, the IPS launched its annual Save the Species campaign to raise awareness and funding for targeted palm conservation projects around the world. Save the Species target projects have included:[36]

In 2023, the IPS announced International Palm Day to be observed annually on April 17, the birthday of the "Father of Palms," Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius. The stated purpose of International Palm Day is "to achieve global recognition for not only palm species in jeopardy but also the fragility of palm habitats worldwide."[39]

Biennial meetings

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The first meeting of the membership of the Palm Society was held at Fairchild Tropical Garden in Miami, Florida, on April 17 & 18, 1958.[40] Over one hundred members were in attendance. In addition to electing officers and directors, the members were treated to an illustrated lecture "Palms through a Botanist's Eye" by President-elect Dr. Walter H. Hodge. The first biennial held outside of the USA was in June 1972, in Mexico City, Mexico.[41]

Forum

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PalmTalk is the popular interactive forum provided by the IPS on which users can post photos and discussions on palm-related topics. The forum has over 1 million posts and 19,645 members.[42]

Images

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  • Thap Lan National Park, Thailand. IPS Biennial 2012
    Thap Lan National Park, Thailand. IPS Biennial 2012
  • Gardens by the Bay, Singapore. IPS Biennial 2016
    Gardens by the Bay, Singapore. IPS Biennial 2016
  • Tochecito, Quindío, Colombia. IPS Biennial 2018
    Tochecito, Quindío, Colombia. IPS Biennial 2018
  • Valle de Cocora, Quindío, Colombia. IPS Biennial 2018.
    Valle de Cocora, Quindío, Colombia. IPS Biennial 2018.
  • Touring a palm nursery, Hawaii. IPS Biennial 2022
    Touring a palm nursery, Hawaii. IPS Biennial 2022
  • Touring a private garden, Hawaii. IPS Biennial 2022
    Touring a private garden, Hawaii. IPS Biennial 2022

References

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  1. ^ a b Wait, Lucita H. (April 1958). "The Palm Society". Lasca Leaves. VIII (2). Arcadia, California: California Arboretum Foundation: 45–46. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  2. ^ Raver, Anne (23 January 2003). "Nature: With Fronds Like These, Who Needs Anemones?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b Goldstein, Leonard (Fall 2014). Zapata, Nannette M. (ed.). "International Palm Society" (PDF). The Tropical Garden. Vol. 69, no. 4. Coral Gables, Florida: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. p. 53. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  4. ^ Mead, Andy (2 March 1976). “Palm Society” Boca Raton [Florida] News. Retrieved 16 Feb 2024.
  5. ^ "The Irrepressible Palm Tree Tourists Who Travel the World to See Fronds". Atlas Obscura. 31 May 2016.
  6. ^ "The Papers of Dent Smith 1897-1985". Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.
  7. ^ a b Geiger, Len (July 9, 2018). "The Bulletin of the Palm Society (January–July 1956)". International Palm Society.
  8. ^ Principes 28(1):2
  9. ^ "Principes | WorldCat.org".
  10. ^ Smith, D. 1957. News officers of the society. Principes 1(3): 72–77.
  11. ^ Dransfield, J. & S. Zona. 2000. Changes to PALMS. Palms 44(1): 4.
  12. ^ "Guihaia | International Plant Names Index". www.ipni.org.
  13. ^ "Kerriodoxa | International Plant Names Index". www.ipni.org.
  14. ^ "Leucothrinax | International Plant Names Index". www.ipni.org.
  15. ^ "Satakentia | International Plant Names Index". www.ipni.org.
  16. ^ "Wodyetia | International Plant Names Index". www.ipni.org.
  17. ^ "Beccariophoenix alfredii | International Plant Names Index". www.ipni.org.
  18. ^ "Marojejya darianii | International Plant Names Index". www.ipni.org.
  19. ^ Green, Graeme (26 June 2023). "'Mind-boggling' palm that flowers and fruits underground thrills scientists". The Guardian.
  20. ^ "New rare palm species found to flower underground". The Independent. 26 June 2023.
  21. ^ "Pinanga subterranea | International Plant Names Index". www.ipni.org.
  22. ^ "Genera Palmarum : a classification of palms based on the work of Harold E. Moore, Jr. | WorldCat.org".
  23. ^ Vorster, P. 1988. Book Reviews: Genera Palmarum. A classification of palms based on the work of Harold E. Moore, Jr. South African Journal of Botany 54: 511. 512.
  24. ^ "Chamaedorea palms : the species and their cultivation | WorldCat.org".
  25. ^ "Donald R. Hodel". University of California Cooperative Extension Los Angeles County.
  26. ^ Dransfield, John; Beentje, Henk (October 17, 1995). The palms of Madagascar. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the International Palm Society. ISBN 9780947643829 – via willow.nybg.org Library Catalog.
  27. ^ "Newsletters Archives". International Palm Society. August 17, 2023.
  28. ^ Bacon, Christine D.; Michonneau, François; Henderson, Andrew J.; McKenna, Miles J.; Milroy, Arwen M.; Simmons, Mark P. (July 2013). "Geographic and taxonomic disparities in species diversity: dispersal and diversification rates across Wallace's line". Evolution. 67 (7): 2058–2071. doi:10.1111/evo.12084. PMID 23815659. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  29. ^ Petoe, P. C.D. Heatubun & W.J. Baker. 2018. A monograph of Hydriastele (Areceae, Arecaceae) in New Guinea and Australia. Phytotaxa 370: 1–92.
  30. ^ Cano, Ángela; Bacon, Christine D.; Stauffer, Fred W.; Antonelli, Alexandre; Serrano-Serrano, Martha L.; Perret, Mathieu (June 2018). "The roles of dispersal and mass extinction in shaping palm diversity across the Caribbean". Journal of Biogeography. 45 (6): 1432–1443. Bibcode:2018JBiog..45.1432C. doi:10.1111/jbi.13225. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  31. ^ Adorador, Jiro T.; Fernando, Edwino S. (8 June 2020). "Two new species of rattans (Calamus, Arecaceae) from forests over limestone in the Philippines". Phytotaxa. 447 (2): 88–102. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.447.2.2.
  32. ^ Escobar, Sebastián; Helmstetter, Andrew J.; Montúfar, Rommel; Couvreur, Thomas L.P.; Balslev, Henrik (January 2022). "Phylogenomic relationships and historical biogeography in the South American vegetable ivory palms (Phytelepheae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 166: 107314. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107314. PMID 34592464. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  33. ^ Obituary: Mrs Phyllis P Sneed. Hannibal Courier-Post, Saturday, March 9, 2002.
  34. ^ Dransfield, J. et al. 2008. Tahina—a new palm genus from Madagascar. Palms 51(1): 31–39
  35. ^ Dransfield et al. 2008. A new Coryphoid palm genus from Madagascar. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 156:79–91.
  36. ^ "IPS Newsletter Volume 10.11· Nov. 2022" (PDF).
  37. ^ "SalvaMontes". SalvaMontes. June 5, 2023.
  38. ^ "Photo Gallery: Into the World of One of Hawaiʻi's Rarest Palms". National Tropical Botanical Garden. May 22, 2024.
  39. ^ "IPS Newsletter Volume 11.9· Sep. 2023" (PDF).
  40. ^ "1958 Biennial - Miami, Florida". International Palm Society.
  41. ^ "Past Meetings and Biennials". International Palm Society.
  42. ^ "PalmTalk". PalmTalk. June 18, 2023.
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