Sibbaldia - the Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture (Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Journals)
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The Effects of Short-Term Storage on Germination in Meconopsis Vig. (Papaveraceae)
Get PDFThe viability and germination rate of seed of five species and four cultivars of Meconopsis was tested. The seed was stored in both refrigerated (c.4°C) conditions and at ambient temperature (8–17°C) to reflect typical conditions for seed storage in the smaller botanical garden and amateur enthusiast’s collection. Seed that had been stored in each of these conditions was sown sequentially 2, 3, 4 and 5 months after harvest. Seed batches were also treated with 0.25mg/l gibberellic acid (GA) or left untreated. Each of the four combination treatments was associated with an overall reduction in viability and germination rate as time after harvest increased (to a minimum of 66.7% viability and 33.7% germination, except for two species with high viability but no germination in the study period). These reductions were not significantly different between treatments, and use of GA did not significantly increase germination rate. We studied the role of underlying genetic relations on germination by relating our results to the most recent comprehensive phylogeny of the genus, and we suggest that ecology plays a more important role than phylogeny in germination
Data Capture Project at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Get PDFBotanic gardens, with their large holdings of living plants collected from around the world, are important guardians of plant biodiversity, but acquiring and curating these genetic resources is enormously expensive. For these reasons it is crucial that botanic gardens document and curate their collections in order to gain the greatest benefit from the plants in their care. Great priority is given to making detailed field notes and the process of documentation is often continued during the plants formative years when being propagated. However, for the large majority of plants this process often stops once the material is planted in its final garden location. The Data Capture Project at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is an attempt to document specific aspects of the plant collections so that the information captured can be of use to the research community even after the plants have died
A Correlation and Regression Approach to Phenology
Get PDFIn this paper the developmental stages leading up to flowering are reviewed. It is then shown how correlation and regression methods of analysis can be used to identify the influence of air temperature at different developmental stages, using snowdrop and clover as case studies. Hypotheses are proposed to account for the findings, and it is suggested how such hypotheses could be tested. The implications for the construction of a functional phenological classification of plants are discussed
Cultivation of the genus Pelargonium under glass
Get PDFThis paper describes the cultivation under glass of the genus Pelargonium. The difference between Pelargonium and the other four genera in the family Geraniaceae is noted and a list of species grown at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is provided. The use of the genus in the display glasshouses at this botanic garden is described followed by notes on cultivation including watering, nutrition, pruning, pest control, and propagation. The use of pelargoniums in the commercial and medicinal industries follows
The Oman Botanic Garden (2): Collections Policy, Nursery Construction, Expanded Plant Production and Initial Tree Translocation
Get PDFThe first paper in this series outlined the vision for the oman botanic garden and detailed the early plant collections and propagation. this paper focuses on the oman botanic garden collections policy, construction of a new nursery on the site, subsequent expanded production and initial attempts at mature tree translocation
De Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam :: Developing Themes in an Established Collection
Get PDFTo thrive and stay relevant to the needs of society, botanic gardens need to be able to adapt and change. This is especially the case now that there is such an urgent need to explain the changing world to visitors. There is also a need to accept that their collections and gardens are difficult to change due to their inherent limitations and historical context. This paper seeks to address this issue by providing an overview of one of Europe’s oldest botanic gardens, de Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam, as one which has developed a collection policy to provide greater flexibility to shape the organisation while retaining the spirit of place or genius loci. The paper provides a framework to help reconsider the context and content of collection themes and to provide a sustainable basis that best meets the needs of the current organisation. This framework also provides a flexible approach to planning collections in the future
Are We Naïve to Think We Can Save Rare Plants from Extinction?
Get PDFIn places such as the Hawaiian Islands, where over half the native flora may be at risk of extinction in coming decades, the criticism is sometimes raised that the situation is so hopeless that the talents, energy and money of botanical gardens and other plant conservation organizations is largely wasted in trying to save these plants. Although stories of failure abound, it is important to recognize that considerable progress is being made. Organizations such as the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) have led the way in this eleventh-hour effort, not by naïvely pursuing failed strategies, nor by pulling back and only pursuing very limited goals, but by approaching the huge challenges with an energetic pioneering spirit. By taking an innovative comprehensive approach, dealing with the crisis at the level of ecosystems and plant communities rather than merely individual species, NTBG and other organizations are making progress on a broad front that integrates a range of scales and techniques and adapts to the shifting circumstances through careful monitoring and a spirit of optimism that is coupled with scientific scepticism
