Rosemary Margaret Smith Explained

Rosemary Margaret Smith
Birth Date:	1933
Birth Place:	Scotland
Death Date:	2004
Occupation:	Botanist
Years Active:	1963 – early 2000s
Known For:	Taxonomy of the ginger family; classification of many species of ginger

Rosemary Margaret Smith (1933–2004) was a Scottish botanist and illustrator^[1] who specialized in the taxonomy of the Zingiberaceae, or ginger family.^[2] Many of the species she classified and identified as being placed into improper genera were found in Asian countries, especially in the isolated island of Borneo.

Elettariopsis smithiae, a species of ginger native to Malaysia and Thailand, is named in honour of her.^[3] In 2001, a genus titled Smithatris was named after her, the two species in the genus being Smithatris supraneanae and Smithatris myanmarensis.^{[4] [5]}

Career

The Malay rose was first described by Henry Nicholas Ridley as Hornstedtia venusta, but Smith determined that it should be placed in the genus Etlingera, becoming Etlingera venusta.^{[6] [7]} The genus Paracautleya was among the earliest defined by Smith, though it was later determined by Skornickova and Sabu (2005) that there were not enough physically differentiating traits to consider the monophyletic species separate from the genus Curcuma.^[8] Alongside B. L. Burtt in 1986, Smith identified that many of the species that should have been included in the genus Etlingera had been mistakenly put into incorrect genera by researchers in the prior century.^[9] Together, they have classified several species unique to Asian countries, including shell ginger.^[10] In reviewing the genus Amomum exclusive to Borneo, Smith was responsible for subdividing the large number of species in the genus into five groups.^[11] Similarly, she separated the Plagiostachys species in Borneo into two separate groups based on their general physical structure.^[12] She was able to identify five species of Scaphochlamys that had been misidentified, with two having been mistakenly placed into the genus Haplochorema.^[13]

In 1982, Smith published her research^[14] on ginger species at Gunung Mulu National Park in Malaysia. From this investigation, she was able to identify special characteristics of the genus Boesenbergia.^[15] While continuing her research in Borneo, Smith's publications in 1987 classified the six key physiological distinctions between the genera Scaphochlamys, Distichochlamys and Boesenbergia.^[16] Complications over the division of the genus Alpinia into separate genera were solved as a first step by Smith in 1990 when she created the genus Pleuranthodium and included in it 22 newly renamed species.^[17]

From 1963 to 1979 her illustrations were published with the "Plant of the Week" column in The Scotsman with text by Alf Evans.^[18]

Selected publications

• Smith, R. M. . Burtt, B. L. . 2 . Tentative keys to the subfamilies, tribes and genera of Zingiberaceae . Edinb Roy Bot Gard Notes. 1972. 171–227.
• Smith, R. M. . 2 . A Review of Bornean Zingiberaceae I: (Alpinieae) . Edinb Roy Bot Gard Notes. 1985. 42. 261–314.
• Smith, R. M. . 2 . A Review of Bornean Zingiberaceae II: (Alpinieae, concluded) . Edinb Roy Bot Gard Notes. 1986. 43. 439–466.
• Smith, R. M. . 2 . A Review of Bornean Zingiberaceae: III (Hedychieae) . Edinb Roy Bot Gard Notes. 1987. 44. 203–232.
• Smith, R. M. . 2 . A Review of Bornean Zingiberaceae: IV (Globbeae) . Edinb Roy Bot Gard Notes. 1988. 45. 1–19.
• Smith, R. M. . 2 . A Review of Bornean Zingiberaceae V: (Zingibereae) . Edinb Roy Bot Gard Notes. 1989. 45. 409–423.
• Smith, R. M. . 2 . Pleuranthodium replaces the illegitimate Psychanthus (Zingiberaceae) . Edinb Roy Bot Gard Notes. 1991. 48. 63–68. 10.1017/S0960428600003620 .

Classifications

* Bolded names were discovered, named, or reclassified by Smith. Only a partial list is included.

• Acanthaceae (Acanthus family)
  • Linariantha^[19]
    • Linariantha bicolor^[19]
• Zingiberaceae (Ginger family)
  • Alpinia (Shell ginger genus)
    • Alpinia beamanii^[20]
    • Alpinia zerumbet (Shell ginger)^[21]
  • Amomum
    • Amomum borneense^[11]
    • Amomum epiphyticum^[11]
  • Elettaria
    • Elettaria surculosa^[20]
  • Etlingera (Torch ginger genus)
    • Etlingera brachychila^[15]
    • Etlingera elatior (Torch ginger)^[22]
    • Etlingera pauciflora^[20]
    • Etlingera pubescens^[23]
    • Etlingera sessilanthera^[24]
  • Hedychium
    • Hedychium griersonianum^[25]
  • Plagiostachys
    • Plagiostachys bracteolata^[20]
    • Plagiostachys crocydocalyx^[12]
  • Pleuranthodium^[17]
  • Scaphochlamys
    • Scaphochlamys argentea^[26]
    • Scaphochlamys petiolata^[13]
    • Scaphochlamys polyphylla^[27]
    • Scaphochlamys reticosa^[16]

Further reading

• Cantoria . Magdalena C. . 1986 . The Identification of Zingiber purpureum Rosc. . Transactions of the National Academy of Science and Technology . 8 . 139–150 . 7 January 2021 . vanc.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Index of Botanists . . 2021 . Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries . . 3 January 2021.
2. Burtt . B. L. . Smith . R. M. . Key species in the taxonomic history of Zingiberaceae. . Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh . 1972 . 31 . 2 . 177–227 .
3. Web site: Mazza . Giuseppe . Elettariopsis smithiae . Monaco Nature Encyclopedia . 22 October 2016.
4. Kress . John W. . Larsen . Kai . 1 April 2001 . Smithatris, a New Genus of Zingiberaceae from Southeast Asia . . 26 . 2 . 226–230 . 10.1043/0363-6445-26.2.226 . 31 January 2024 . 7 January 2021 . vanc.
5. Kress . John W. . Htun . Thet . 2003 . A Second Species of Smithatris (Zingiberaceae) from Myanmar . . 13 . 1 . 68–71 . 10.2307/3393567 . 3393567 . 7 January 2021 . vanc.
6. Web site: Etlingera venusta (Ridl.) R.M.Sm. . The Plant List . 28 February 2021 .
7. Web site: ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN EDINBURGH FLORILEGIUM: List of Plants . . 21 January 2019 . . 3 . 3 January 2021 . Malay Rose, first named by Dr. Rosemary Margaret Smith – was RBGE's Ginger expert in the 1980s has since passed away.
8. Skornickova . J. . Sabu . M. . 2005 . The Recircumscription of Curcuma L. to include the genus Paracautleya R.M.Sm. . Gardens' Bulletin Singapore . 57 . 37–46 . 7 January 2021 . vanc.
9. Yeats . Helen . 2013 . The History and Cultivation of Etlingera – The Torch Gingers – At The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh . . 11 . 71–85 . 10.24823/Sibbaldia.2013.52 . 3 January 2021 . vanc. free .
10. Teschke . Rolf . Xuan . Tran Dang . 31 January 2018 . Viewpoint: A Contributory Role of Shell Ginger (Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L. Burtt & R.M. Sm) for Human Longevity in Okinawa, Japan? . . 10 . 2 . 10.3390/nu10020166 . 29385084 . 5852742 . vanc. free .
11. Nagamasu . H . Sakai . S . 1996 . Amomum roseisquamosum (Zingiberaceae), a new epiphytic ginger from Borneo . . 53 . 1 . 39–42 . 10.1017/S0960428600002705 . 85714953 . vanc. free .
12. Julius . Avelinah . Suleiman . Monica . Takano . Atsuko . 2008 . Preliminary molecular phylogeny of Bornean Plagiostachys (Zingiberaceae) based on DNA sequence data of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) . Journal of Tropical Biology and Conservation . 4 . 1 . 67–80 . 3 January 2021 . vanc.
13. Sam YY, Takano A, Ibrahim H, Zaveska E, Aziz F . 29 November 2016 . Borneocola (Zingiberaceae), a new genus from Borneo . . 75. 31–55 . 10.3897/phytokeys.75.9837 . 28127243 . 5234536 . 8485173 . 3 January 2021. free .
14. Smith . R.M. . 1982 . Systematic notes on and new species of Zingiberaceae of the Gunung Mulu National Park . . 85 . 36–73 . vanc.
15. Aimi Syazana, S., Meekiong, K., Rohaiza, D., Syauqina, M.Y. & Miraadila, M.I. 2017. Comparison Study on Diversity of Gingers (Zingiberaceae) from Two Limestone Hills in the North Western of Sarawak. In: Forest Department Sarawak & Faculty of Resource Science and Technology (UNIMAS). [Meekiong, K., Azahari, O., Pungga, R.S.,Wasli, M.E., Freddy, Y.K.S. & Marconi, S.J., (eds.)]. Proceedings of Colloquium on the Dered Krian National Park – Scientific Expedition 2016. Kuching, Sarawak. 121–127.
16. Poulsen . A.D. . Searle . R.J. . 2005 . Scaphochlamys calcicola (Zingiberaceae): a New and Unusual Species from Borneo . Gardens' Bulletin Singapore . 57 . 29–35 . 3 January 2021 . vanc.
17. Kress WJ, Liu AZ, Newman M, Li QJ . January 2005 . The Molecular Phylogeny of Alpinia (Zingiberaceae): A Complex and Polyphyletic Genus of Gingers . . 92 . 1 . 167–178 . 10.3732/ajb.92.1.167 . 4123962 . 21652395 . free .
18. Web site: Edinburgh . Royal Botanic Garden . Contemporary Illustrations Collection . www.rbge.org.uk . en.
19. Neo L, Wong KM, Tan H . 29 September 2020 . A synopsis of the endemic plant genera of Borneo . . 38 . 9 . 17 . 10.1111/njb.02871 . 225179530 . 4 January 2021.
20. Trimanto . May 2017 . Ginger species in Besiq Bermai forest, East Borneo: Inventory and collection . . 1844 . 1 . 050002 . 10.1063/1.4983440 . 2017AIPC.1844e0002T . free .
21. Web site: Classification for Kingdom Plantae Down to Species Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L. Burtt & R.M. Sm. . . 2020 . . . 3 January 2021.
22. Web site: Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M. Sm. . . 2021 . . 3 January 2021.
23. Daniel-Jambun D, Ong KS, Lim YY, Tan JB, Lee WL, Muhamad A, Yap SW, Lee SM . October 2018 . Antioxidant properties of Etlingera pubescens, an edible ginger plant endemic to Borneo . . 25 . 44–51 . 10.1016/j.fbio.2018.07.007 . 92310772 . 3 January 2021.
24. Jambun D, Dwiyanto J, Lim YY, Tan JB, Muhamad A, Yap SW, Lee SM . July 2017 . Investigation on the antimicrobial activities of gingers (Etlingera coccinea (Blume) S.Sakai & Nagam and Etlingera sessilanthera R.M.Sm.) endemic to Borneo . . 123 . 4 . 810–818 . 10.1111/jam.13536 . 28708293 . 22303355 . 3 January 2021.
25. Ashokan . Ajith . Gowda . Vinita . 6 February 2019 . Hedychium ziroense (Zingiberaceae), a new species of ginger lily from Northeast India . . 117. 73–84 . 10.3897/phytokeys.117.24951 . 30783381 . 6374353 . 67749719 . vanc. free .
26. Ooi IH, Wong SY . March 2020 . Floral biology of Scaphochlamys (Zingiberaceae) focusing on Bornean taxa . Feddes Repertorium – Journal of Botanical Taxonomy and Geobotany . 131 . 1 . 9–45 . 10.1002/fedr.201900008 . 208557828 . 3 January 2021.
27. Ooi . Im Hin . Wong . Sin Yeng . August 2014 . Scaphochlamys stenophylla (Zingiberaceae): a new species from Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo . . 44 . 2 . 241–245 . 10.3372/wi.44.44205 . 24750954 . 86547679 . vanc. free .