Paleobotany, Paleoecology, and Evolution.

Abstract

Harlan P. Banks Probably the most intangible legacy accorded the botanical community is the influence Harlan Banks has had, not only on his own graduate * students, but on the thousands of undergraduate students who were first AN APPRECIATION-HARLAN P. BANKS ix introduced to the world of plants in his excellent general botany course. In this course the students were exposed to an extraordinary teacher who could take any topic and make it spring to life, become interesting, exciting, and truly relevant. Many of these young lives were changed and/or redirected because of Harlan Banks's talent as a teacher and storyteller. In some ways this is his most important contribution-one that has touched all of us who are priviliged to know him. For Harlan Banks is a TEACHER in the finest and best sense of the word. In all aspects of his career, in research, writing papers, and student interactions, Harlan Banks is teaching. He has the talent to hold an audience in the palm of his hand from the moment he begins, whether it is directed to a group of distinguished scholars or to a general botany class. No matter his message-"The Rhyniophytina, Zosterophyllophytina, and Trimerophvllophytina," "The worldwide distribution in the Devonian of toothy cuticles," or "Plants are fun"-he weaves a spell and transmits knowledge, enthu¬ siasm, and motivation. We wish him many more years of continued opportunity to weave such superb spells.

Paleoecology of a Miocene flora from the Shanwang formation, Shandong province, northern East China

“…Obviously, if possible in paleoecological study the use of both micro-and macro-fossils can complement each other to provide a better paleoenvironmental interpretation. Cronquist, 1981; the leaf fossil datum is from Institute of Geology andPalaeontology, Academia Sinica, 1978).…”

Arquitectura foliar de árboles chilenos. I. Subclase Magnoliidae

“…Las especies chilenas de la Subclase M agnoliidae, pertenecen a los O rdenes Magnoliales y L aurales (Cronquist, 1981). El O rden Magnoliales retiene muchas características primitivas, tanto en las estructuras vegetativas como en las reproductivas, pero, es muy difícil definir a una familia como la más primitiva o encontrar a alguna familia que reúna sólo características de este tipo, en todas ellas se encuentran tanto características prim itivas como avanzadas (Takhtajan, 1980).…”