Some Notable Women Botanists in the VAS: Their Roles in Supporting the Development of the Modern \u3ci\u3eFlora of Virginia\u3c/i\u3e

Abstract

With the publishing of the 2012 Flora of Virginia by the Foundation of the Flora of Virginia Project, the dream of modern flora for Virginia was realized. This was a goal of the Virginia Flora Committee of the Virginia Academy of Science as well as other groups such as the Virginia Botanical Associates and the Virginia Native Plant Society. The Flora of Virginia and the 2017 Flora of Virginia App were realized with the work, support, and encouragement of many individuals and organizations. This paper focuses on the lives, contributions, and work of six women botanists in the Academy who played important roles in developing the Flora of Virginia as well as continuing its future evolution: Miss Lena Clemmons Artz, Dr. Martha Kotila Roane, Dr. Dorothy Cranford Bliss, Dr. Donna M.E. Ware, Dr. Andrea Weeks, and Ms. Marion Blois Lobstein