Many of you will remember Ben Hall’s talk at our convention.  It dealt with the taxonomy — the classification of the genus rhododendron.  Ted Irving and Richard Hebda, at the same conference, gave us some insight into the geophysical and climatic conditions giving rise to the creation of new species of rhododendron and magnolia. This was a follow-up to the paper given at our 1989 conference on the origin and distribution of rhododendrons.

Science always tries to sort what is found in nature into an orderly arrangement. Living things are notoriously difficult to fit into neat and tidy slots. Neat and tidy slots imply that matters are static. Living things are not static; they are changing and evolving. Consequently the ‘system’ that the classifying scientists come up with is not perfect and can almost always be improved.  The analysis of DNA is a new and powerful improving tool for describing how one organism differs from another and by how much. It helps to fine tune earlier classifications.

About 25 years ago I attended an international conference on the classification of rhododendrons in Kent, Washington.  It was attended by about 300 people most of whom were professionally involved in trying to put rhododendrons into some logical order of kinship.  DNA analysis was unknown at the time of this conference.  Most systematizers were using the classical technique of minutely examining a plant’s morphology — the number and shapes of the flowers, leaves, seed, etc. i.e. the physically visible characteristics. The cutting-edge scientists at that time were using analyses of the chemistry of the plants.

I was told that this was the first international conference on rhododendrons that the Chinese had attended.  Inasmuch as a large percentage of the genus rhododendron is native to China, what they had to say was of very real consequence if there was to be international agreement on a classification.  The Chinese had carried out meticulous measurements on the spacing, shape and size of scales on the leaves, flowers and twigs among other things.  The results of the more esoteric analyses did not always quite agree with the more classically derived results.  The Orientals and the Occidentals got onto a fairly steamy argument.  I recall the chairman calling for order and saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, please remember that this is a serious subject but not important.”  Things quieted down.