Stephen F. Austin State University

There are more than 600 species of poisonous plants in the United States, and an expert botanist will be in Nacogdoches to explain how to avoid them at the 24th annual J.H. Burr Jr. Distinguished Lecture in Biology at 7 p.m. Monday, April 10, in the University Center Twilight Ballroom. A reception will begin at 6 p.m.

In his speech titled "Murderous Plants: Poisonous Herbs in Our World," Barney Lipscomb will lead a journey through the cultural, historical and mythological aspects of poisonous plants, including past and present uses of classical “herbs” in murders, suicides and executions, as well as agents of bioterrorism. Guests will learn what to do in case of suspected poisoning and will discover the most important factor in poisoning prevention.

Lipscomb is the Dorothea L. Leonhardt Chair of Texas Botany at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas in Fort Worth. He is head of the institute's scientific press and is editor and chief of the journal "Sida, Botanical Miscellany," a series he co-founded in 1987 in which each issue is devoted entirely to a comprehensive study of one topic.

Lipscomb earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Cameron University in Lawton, Okla., and a Master of Science degree in botany from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He is the co-author of the “Shinners & Mahler’s Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas," a 1,640-page, fully illustrated guide to a large portion of the diverse plant life of Texas. He has authored more than 30 scientific publications and serves as a member of the board of consultants of the North Texas Poison Center. He has provided expertise and assistance in several criminal cases.

For more information, call (936) 468-3601.