Dr. Surrey W. L. Jacobs

Dr. Surrey W. L. Jacobs, noted Australian botanist, died November 26 at the age of 63. Surrey was employed by the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, for 38 years and last year was promoted to the level of Senior Principal Research Scientist. Over the years he has worked extensively on grasses, weeds, and water plants. He has published numerous journal articles dealing with Australian grasses and various aquatic plant genera of Australia including, Aponogeton, Vallisneria, and Nymphaea. He has co-authored "The Water Plants of New South Wales", "Waterplants in Australia" and the treatment of the Nymphaeaceae in the "Flora of Australia".

His extensive work on the waterlilies of Australia has led to a much greater understanding of a taxonomically difficult group. Surrey traveled extensively throughout the tropics conducting field studies and subsequent taxonomic studies of the family Nymphaeaceae. When Surrey started working on the Nymphaea of Australia, five native species in three subgenera were known. Today as the result of extensive studies over the past 17 years there have been seven new species described. Surrey also divided the subgenus Anecphya with the addition of the subgenus Confluentes. Shortly before his death, Surrey and Barre Hellquist completed a new manuscript naming five new genera of waterlilies in Australia, which upon publication, will bring the number of native waterlilies in Australia to 17. His expertise, wit, and friendship will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Written by C. Barre Hellquist