[Taxacom] Who knows the Plants?

[Phil Jenkins]

I work in a medium sized Herbarium (half a million all totaled), and I am
the only one here who can identify plants. There are other people in Tucson
who could do  the job, but the University would not ever hire them. I got my
degree in Systematics, but in doing that, I also made a florula of the area
where my group grew. How I am a Curator and spend 80% of my time identifying
plants for people. This is a Land Grant Institution, so public service is
part of our mission. But everyone is busy with plants they know first, or if
they don't, they come to me and ask for IDs.  
We live in an area of incredible diversity and a wonderful Natural History
surrounds us, but the Grant getters have to spend their time doing that
chore, and I identify the plants they use. I get lots of "thank yous"  and
such, but the missing thing in this picture is that Botanists don't ever get
a chance to learn the plants. It is frustrating sometimes, when people who
earn more than I, have better reputations than I, come and ask what some
relatively common plant is. It makes it hard to believe that Molecular
Systematics is really headed down the right path. Would anyone say that
identifying plants  via molecular methods is near? Doesn't seem like it.
Phil Jenkins (ARIZ)