Plant Evolutionary Biology

There are still heroes in science. They are recognized because the issues and problems they chose to study became the issues and problems of a major field of research. They are also recognized because their insights and solutions are the ones that are tested and evaluated when new ideas and technologies become available. In the field of plant evolutionary biology, the hero is George Ledyard Stebbins. His first scientific publi­ cation appeared in 1929 and has been followed by nearly 60 magnificent years of seminal ideas, proofs, and proposals that defined much of what was worth doing in plant biosystematics, evolution and biological conser­ vation. His energy, enthusiasm and good humor (widely shared at many congresses and symposia in the 'Singalongs with Stebbins') made him a wonderful teacher for both undergraduates and graduate students. He is the mentor of several generations of botanists, plant geneticists and evo­ lutionists. A brief biography and publication list were included in Topics in Plant Population Biology, edited by Otto T. Solbrig, Subodh Jain, George Johnson and Peter Raven (Columbia University Press, 1979) which resulted from a symposium held on the occasion of Ledyard Stebbins' 70th birthday. In this volume, population biology and physio­ logical ecology received major attention particularly in relation to plant form and function.