Richard and Minnie Windler Awards
Each year the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society presents two awards in honor of Richard and Minnie Windler. The awards go to the best systematic botany paper and the best ecology paper published in Castanea during the previous year.
Award Recipients
Best Paper in Ecology
Dendrochronological Reconstruction of the Historical Invasion of Balsam Woolly Adlegid (Adelges pieceae) Feeding on Canaan Fir Abies balsamea ssp. pahnerolepis in the Central Appalachian Mountains.

Amy Hessl
Andrew Liebold, and Morgan Leef
Best Paper in Systematics
Clarifying Taxonomic Boundaries in Nuphar sagittifolia (Nymphaceae): Insights from Morphology and Population Genetic Diversity.

Katherine Culatta
Alexander Krings, Lilian P. Matallana-Ramirez, and Ross Whetten
Richard & Minnie Windler

Richard H. W. Windler (1907-1985) and Minnie Hanenberger (1913-1989) were born and raised on farms near the small town of New Minden, Washington County, Illinois. They were baptized, confirmed and married in St. Johns Lutheran Church in that town. In his late teens, Richard worked for the Caterpillar Tractor Company in Peoria, Illinois and later worked as a foreman in the construction of highways in Illinois. Minnie worked as a domestic in St. Louis, Missouri during the depression.
After they married in 1938, Richard opened a dealership for Gambles-Skogmo, a store that sold auto parts, appliances and an array of tools and hardware in Nashville, Illinois. The couple had five children: Donald in 1940, Janet in 1943, Audrey in 1946, Sharon in 1949, and Cindy in 1953.
Richard and Minnie were raised in an agricultural setting and after moving to Nashville continued an interest in plants, gardening every year until they were physically unable to do so.
Nominate a Paper
Each year the recipients of the award receive a certificate and a monetary prize. The monies are provided by an endowment managed by the society. The papers receiving the award are chosen by a committee comprised of former editors and other SABS members.
Richard and Minnie Windler Award Committee

Shawn Krosnick
Term:
2019 - 2021

Chris Randle
Term:
2018 - 2020

Tom Diggs
Term:
2019 - 2021
Richard and Minnie Windler Award Recipients
Best Paper in Systematics
2019 — Max S Lanning, Katherine G. Matthews —
Taxonomy, Distribution, and Lectotypification of Two Rare, Southern Appalachian Saxifrages, Micranthes careyana and M. caroliniana
2018 – P.W. Schafran, E.A. Zimmer, W.C. Taylor, L.J. Musselman –
A whole chloroplast genome phylogeny of diploid species of Isoetes (Isoetaceae, Lycopodiophyta) in the southeastern United States. Castanea 83(2): 224-235.
2017 – John H. Wiersema, Piero G. Delprete, Joseph H. Kirkbride Jr. and Alan R. Franck –
A new weed in Florida, Spermacoce latifolia, and the distinction between S. alata and S. latifolia (Spermacoceae, Rubiaceae). Castanea 82(2): 114–131.
2016 – Jonathan P. Evans, Callie A. Oldfield, Mary P. Priestley, Yolande M. Gottfried, L. Dwayne Estes, Alfire Sidik, and George S. Ramseur –
The Vascular Flora of the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee. Castanea 81(3): 206-236.
2015 – Jessica L. Allen and James C. Lendemer –
Japewiella dollypartoniana, a new crustose lichen widespread in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern North America. Castanea 80(1): 59-65
2014 – Sabrina Y. S. Sewell and Wendy B. Zomlefer –
Floristics of piedmont Gabbro Upland depression forests in Jasper County, Georgia. Castanea 79(3): 195-220.
2013 – Lisa E. Wallace and Chrsitopher H. Doffitt –
Genetic Structure of the mesic forest-adapted herbs Trillium cueatum and Trillium stamineum (Melanthiaceae) in the south-central United States. Castanea 78(2): 154-162.
2012 – Joey Shaw, J. Hill Craddock and Meagan A. Binkley –
Phylogeny and Phylogeography of North American Castanea Mill. (Fagaceae) using cpDNA Suggests Gene Sharing in the Southern Appalachians (Castanea Mill., Fagaceae). Castanea 77(2): 186-211.
2011 – James Schrader and William R. Graves –
Taxonomy of Leitneria (Simaroubaceae) resolved by ISSR, ITS and morphometric characterization. Castanea 76(3): 313-338.
2010 – Dwyane Estes –
Viburnum bracteatum (Adoxaceae) expanded to include Viburnum ozarkense. Castanea 75(2): 277-293.
2009 – Jimmie D. Thompson,William R. Norris and Deborah Q. Lewis –
The Vascular Flora of Ledges State Park (Boone County, Iowa) Revisited: Revelations and Recommendations. Castanea 74(4): 390-423.
2008 – Michael Woods –
The genera Desmodium and Hylodesmum (Fabaceae) in Alabama. Castanea 73(1): 46-69.
2007 – Aaron H. Kennedy and Gary L. Walker –
The population genetics structures of the Showy Lady’s-Slipper Orchid (Cypripedium reginae Walter) in its glaciated and unglaciated ranges. Castanea 72(4): 248-261.
2006 – Matthew Sewell and Michael Vincent –
Biosystematics of Phacelia ranunculacea Complex (Hydrophyllaceae). Castanea 71(3): 192-209.
2005 – Kerry D. Heafner and Rebecca D. Bray –
Taxonomic reassessment of North American Granite Outcrop Isoetes species with emphasis on vegetative morphology and I. piedmontana (Pfeiffer) Reed sensu lato. Castanea 70: 204-221.
2004 – Lawrence S. Barden and James F. Matthews –
Andre Michaux’s Sumac – Rhus michauxii Sargent: Why did Sargent rename it and where did Michaux find it? Castanea 69: 109-115.
2003 – Robert G. Downer and Philip E. Hyatt –
Recommendations Concerning the Identification of Carex retroflexa and Carex texensis (Cyperaceae; Section Phaestoglochin Dumort). Castanea 68: 245-253
2002 – James A. Schrader and William R. Graves –
Infraspecific Systematics of Alnus maritima (Betulaceae) from Three Widely Disjunct Provinces. Castanea 67: 380-401.
2001 – James R. Allison and Timothy E. Stevens –
Vascular Flora of Ketona Dolomite Outcrops in Bibb County, Alabama. Castanea 66:154-205.
2000 – Deborah Q. Lewis –
A Revision of the New World Species of Lindernia (Scrophulariaceae). Castanea 65: 93-122.
1999 – Richard K. Clements, Jerry Baskin and Carol Baskin –
The Comparative Biology of the Two Closely-related Species Penstemon tenuiflorus Pennell and P. hirsutus (L.) Willd. (Scrophulariaceae, Section Graciles) II: Reproductive Biology. Castanea 64: 299-309.
1998 – Mark P. Widrlechner –
The genus Rubus L. in Iowa. Castanea 63: 415-465.
1997 – Bruce A. Sorrie, Brian VanEerden and Mary Jo Russo –
Noteworthy Plants from Fort Bragg and Camp MacKall, North Carolina. Castanea 62: 239-259.
1996 – Daniel F. Brunton, Donald M. Britton and Thomas F. Wieboldt –
Taxonomy, Identity, and Status of Isoetes virginica (Isoetaceae). Castanea 61: 145-150.
1995 – Paul R. Cabe –
The Trillium pusillum Michaux (Liliaceae) Complex in Virginia. I. Morphological Investigations. Castanea 60: 1-14.
1994 – Patricia B. Cox and Lowell E. Urbatsch –
A Taxonomic Revision of Rudbeckia subg. Macrocline (Asteraceae: Heliantheae: Rudbeckiinae). Castanea 59: 300-318.
1993 – Gwynn W. Ramsey, Charles H. Leys, Robert A. S. Wright, Douglas A. Coleman, Aubrey O. Neas and Charles E. Stevens –
Vascular Flora of the James River Gorge Watersheds in the Central Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Castanea 58: 260-300.
1992 – Warren Frank Lamboy –
The Taxonomic Status and Probable Origin of Aster chlorolepis, a Southern Appalachian Endemic. Castanea 57: 52-65.
1991 – Douglas W. Ogle –
Spirea virginiana Britton: I. Delineation and Distribution. Castanea 56: 287-296.
1990 – Martha Carolina Easley and Walter S. Judd –
Vascular Flora of the Southern Upland Property of Paynes Prairie State Preserve, Alachua County, Florida. Castanea 55: 142-186.
Best Paper in Ecology
2019 — Ryan Huish, Amy E. Faivre, Melissa Manow, Conley K. McMullen —
Investigations Into the Reproductive Biology of the Southern Appalachian
Endemic Piratebush (Buckleya distichophylla): Pollination Biology, Fruit Development, and Seed Germination
2018 – T.M. Shearman, G.G. Wang, R.K. Peet, T.R. Wentworth, M.P. Schafale, A.S. Weakley –
A community analysis for forest ecosystems with natural growth of Persea spp. in the southeastern United States. Castanea 83(1):3-27.
2017 – Shannon N. Grover, Jesse E. D. Miller and Ellen I. Damschen –
Indirect effects of landscape spatial structure and plant species richness on pollinator diversity in Ozark Glades. Castanea 82(1):24-31.
2016 – Varma-Rose J. Williams and Heather F. Sahli –
A comparison of herbivore damage on three invasive plants and their native congeners: implications for the enemy release hypothesis. Castanea 81(2): 128-137
2015 – Lauren F. Howard –
A quarter-century of change without fire: the high-elevation pitch pine community on Panther Knob, Pendleton County, West Virginia. Castanea 80(3): 193-210.
2014 – Katherine E. Culatta and Jonathan L. Horton –
Physiological response of southern Appalachian high-elevation rock outcrop herbs to reduced cloud immersion. Castanea 79(3): 182-194.