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2013 SESSION

13104458D
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 385
Offered January 30, 2013
Commending those involved in the development and publication of Flora of Virginia.
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Patron-- Watkins
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WHEREAS, in 1762, a manual on the flora of Virginia titled Flora Virginica was published in Leiden, Netherlands; and

WHEREAS, in 2012, 250 years later, a new treatise was published that contains information on 3,164 plant species native to or naturalized in Virginia in a 1,554-page manual of the plants of the Commonwealth titled Flora of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, Flora of Virginia is written and illustrated in a manner that demystifies botanical terminology and makes the work accessible to the beginner and professional alike, inspires the reader to get out and explore Virginia, and will serve for years to come as a resource for botanical and ecological exploration, research, education, and conservation; and

WHEREAS, the co-authors of this botanical compendium, Alan S. Weakley, J. Christopher Ludwig, and John F. Townsend, and the editor, Bland Crowder, have been immersed in this project and dedicated to its success since the founding of the Flora of Virginia Project in 2001; and

WHEREAS, the Foundation of the Flora of Virginia Project, Inc. board of directors provided valuable insight and worked tirelessly to acquire the resources needed to realize this work; and

WHEREAS, Flora of Virginia was made possible through the generosity of more than 675 donors to the Flora of Virginia Project; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Conservation and Recreation and its Division of Natural Heritage were central to the success of this endeavor and provided nurturing assistance; and

WHEREAS, the illustrators of Flora of Virginia, Lara Call Gastinger, Michael A. Terry, and Roy Fuller are to be recognized for the thousands of hours of work that went into the technical renderings; and

WHEREAS, Flora of Virginia benefitted from the efforts of Gary Fleming, Nancy Hugo, and Donna Ware as contributing writers; and

WHEREAS, Rosalind Rowe helped develop over 2,000 taxonomic descriptions and Tom Wieboldt and Ron Lance skillfully addressed some of the tougher taxonomic groups; and

WHEREAS, specimens from herbariums across Virginia, and a team of over 40 botanists and artists were assembled to provide project information and support; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly commend those involved in the development and publication of Flora of Virginia, a historic treatise on Virginia’s plants; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare copies of this resolution for presentation to the authors and editor of Flora of Virginia as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for their commitment to this landmark project that will serve as a culmination of not just decades of research, but of centuries of hope and hard work by those who came before and inspiration for those who follow in their footsteps.