In Memoriam: Scott Sundberg, Oregon Flora Project Director, 1954-2004

Scott Sundberg, Oregon Flora Project Director, 1954-2004. Photo by: Dennis Wolverton

     Scott Sundberg, director of the Oregon Flora Project, died December 30, 2004 of cancer. He had struggled for many years, most of them privately, with the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Yet it was cancer, only diagnosed in September 2004, which led to his passing.

     Scott Donald Sundberg was born on February 10, 1954 in Eugene, Oregon. Scott began his botanical career as an undergraduate at the University of Oregon. Among Scott’s early scientific mentors were Prof. George Carroll and his wife, Fannie. Scott was involved in studies at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, where he collected the type specimen of a rare lichen, Nephroma occultum. Scott became fascinated with plant taxonomy, and soon was conducting independent study projects in the University of Oregon Herbarium. Scott benefited from working with two herbarium curators: recently-retired Georgia Mason, and newly-hired David Wagner. Scott graduated from the University of Oregon in 1978 with a B.Sc.(Honors) in Biology. From 1978 to 1980, Scott was employed as a botanist for the Bureau of Land Management, Coos Bay District. During that period, he gained considerable experience with the flora of southwestern Oregon. He made numerous noteworthy collections, and discovered new localities for many rare plant species.

     In 1981, Scott moved to Austin, Texas, to begin graduate studies at the University of Texas. He worked under the supervision of Prof. Billie Turner, and, like almost of all of Turner’s students, Scott turned his attention to the composite family. Scott’s taxonomic research in the Asteraceae continued throughout his career. Scott received his Ph.D. in Botany in 1986. His dissertation was entitled “The Systematics of Aster Subg. Oxytripolium (Compositae) and Historically Allied Species.”

     Scott met his wife, Linda Hardison, in Austin. They married in Jakarta, Indonesia on August 13, 1986. In 1986, Scott began a one-year post-doctoral position at Ohio State University, working with Prof. Tod Steussy. The following year, Scott returned to the Pacific Northwest as Linda began her Ph.D. studies at the University of Washington. Over the next several years, Scott taught courses and conducted plant systematics research in the Department of Botany. From 1991-1994, Scott was a Botanical Consultant for Ebasco Environmental, Inc. in Bellevue, Washington. During that time he conducted rare plant surveys throughout Oregon and Washington.

     Scott moved to Corvallis, Oregon in early 1994, and Linda joined him in 1996 after completing her dissertation. Scott was hired to oversee the integration of the University of Oregon and Oregon State University Herbaria. Soon after, Scott initiated the Oregon Flora Project. In 1999, Scott was promoted to a Research Assistant Professor. The same year, Scott and Linda’s son Matthew was born.

     Scott’s 29 scientific publications include taxonomic papers (descriptions of new species, nomenclatural changes, and new classifications), laboratory-based investigations in plant systematics, and treatments for checklists, field guides, and floras. The majority of his publications concern the composite family. In addition, Scott has contributed numerous articles to the Oregon Flora Newsletter.

     Scott devoted the last decade of his life to the Oregon Flora Project. As Coordinator, he directed over 230 volunteers and supervised over 60 student and several professional employees. He established the Oregon Flora Newsletter, the Oregon Vascular Plant Checklist, and the Oregon Plant Atlas. It is tragic that Scott did not live to see the completion of his dream, a comprehensive Flora for the approximately 4,500 Oregon plant species. However, his activities created an extremely strong foundation for the continued growth of the Oregon Flora Project. The Flora will serve as an enduring legacy to Scott’s commitment to botanical education, and the documentation and conservation of Oregon’s unique and diverse flora.

     A memorial service celebrating Scott's life was held January 16, 2005 in Corvallis, OR. Memorial gifts in his honor can be made to NPSO--Oregon Flora Project, and mailed to P.O. Box 402, Corvallis, OR 97339.

- Aaron Liston, Oregon State University Herbarium Director

Scott Sundberg’s scientific publications

Sundberg, S. 1984. Archibaccharis jacksonii (Compositae, Astereae): a new species from Costa Rica. Syst. Bot. 9: 295‑296.

Nesom, G. & S. Sundberg. 1985. New combinations in Erigeron (Asteraceae). Sida. 11:249‑250.

Sundberg, S. 1985. Micromorphological characters as generic markers in the Astereae. Taxon 34: 31‑37.

Henrickson, J. & S. Sundberg. 1986. On the submersion of Dicraurus Hook. f. into Iresine L. (Amaranthaceae). El Aliso 11:355‑364.

Sundberg, S., C.P. Cowan, & B.L. Turner. 1986. Chromosome counts of Latin American Compositae. Amer. J. Bot. 73:33‑38.

Sundberg, S. & A.G. Jones. 1986. Two new taxa of Aster (Asteraceae) from Mexico. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club. 113:173‑177.

Turner, B.L. & S. Sundberg. 1986. Systematic study of Osbertia (Asteraceae‑Astereae). Plant Syst. Evol. 151: 229‑239.

El‑Sayed, N.H., A. Lenherr, S. Sundberg, and T. J. Mabry. 1987. Flavonoids of Aster subulatus. Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 15:549‑550.

Sundberg, S. & A.G. Jones. 1987. Loudon's Hortus Britannicus (1830): an early source of sectional names, necessitating nomenclatural changes for many genera‑‑‑Aster: a case in point. Taxon 36:97‑98.

Grenz, M., F. Bohlmann & S. Sundberg. 1988. Syringen derivatives and other constituents from Aster intricatus. Revista Latinoamer. Quim. 19:145‑146.

Sundberg, S., M.F. Denton & S.A. Rehner. 1990. Structural map of Sedum oreganum (Crassulaceae) chloroplast DNA. Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 18:409‑411.

Sundberg, S.D. & G.L. Nesom. 1990. A new species of Erigeron (Asteraceae: Astereae) from Chihuahua, Mexico. Phytologia 69:278‑281.

Sundberg, S. & T.F. Stuessy. 1990. A new species of Trigonospermum (Compositae, Heliantheae) from Nicaragua. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 77:418‑420.

Sundberg, S. & T.F. Stuessy. 1990. Isolating mechanisms and implications for modes of speciation in Heliantheae (Compositae). Pl. Syst. Evol. Suppl. 4:77‑97.

Nesom, G.L., Y. Suh, D.R. Morgan, S.D. Sundberg and B.B. Simpson. 1991. Chloracantha, a new genus of North American Astereae (Asteraceae). Phytologia 70:371-381.

Sundberg, S. 1991. Infraspecific classification of Chloracantha spinosa (Benth.) Nesom (Asteraceae: Astereae). Phytologia 70:382-391.

Sundberg, S. 1993. Baccharis. In The Jepson Manual -- higher plants of California. (J. C. Hickman, Ed.), University of California Press, Berkeley.

Sundberg, S. 1997. The Oregon Flora Project: steps toward a new flora of Oregon. In Conservation and management of native plants and fungi. (T.N. Kaye, A. Liston, R.M. Love, D.L. Luoma, R.J. Meinke, M.V. Wilson, eds.). Native Plant Society of Oregon, Corvallis.

Sundberg, S. 1997. [author of misc. species treatments, member of Editorial Board]. In A field guide to the common wetland plants of western Washington and northwestern Oregon. (S.S. Cooke, Ed.), Seattle Audubon Society, Seattle.

Chambers, K.L. and S. Sundberg. 1998. Oregon Vascular Plant Checklist: Asteraceae. Oregon Flora Project, Oregon State University, Corvallis.

Stapanian, M.A., S.D. Sundberg, G.A. Baumgardner & A. Liston. 1998. Exotic plants species composition and associations with anthropogenic disturbance in North American forests. Plant Ecology 139:49-62.

Stevens, J.F., E. Wollenweber, M. Ivancic, V.L. Hsu, S. Sundberg & M.L. Deinzer. 1999. Leaf surface flavonoids of Chrysothamnus. Phytochemistry 51:771-780.

Felger, D., J. Semple & S. Sundberg. 2000. Symphyotrichum. In Flora of the Gran Desierto and Río Colorado of Northwestern Mexico. (R. Felger, ed.). University of Arizona Press, Tucson.

Sundberg, S. & T.F. Stuessy. 2000. Acanthospermum, Baltimora, Clibadium, Ichthyothere, Lagascea, Melampodium, Otopappus, Polymnia, and Trigonospermum. In Flora de Nicaragua. (P. Stevens, ed.). Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis.

Simpson, C., J. Koenig, J. Lippert, R. Love, B. Newhouse, N. Otting, S. Sundberg, D. Wagner & P. Warner. 2002. Vascular plants of Lane County, Oregon. Native Plant Society of Oregon.

Hardison, L.K. & S. Sundberg. 2004. The Oregon Flora Project.  In Proceedings from the Second Conference on Klamath Siskiyou Ecology. Siskiyou Field Institute.

Brouillet, L., J.C. Semple, G. Allen & S. Sundberg. In press. Symphyotrichum. In Flora of North America (FNA Editorial Committee). Oxford University Press, New York.

Sundberg, S. & D. Bogler. In press. Baccharis. In Flora of North America (FNA Editorial Committee). Oxford University Press, New York.

Sundberg, S.D. In press. New combinations in North American Symphyotrichum subgenus Astropolium (Asteraceae, Astereae). Sida.