On this Thanksgiving Day as I ponder all the things I am thankful for, one that comes to the forefront is how fortunate I am to work at the Denver Botanic Gardens. With a mission of connecting people with plants, along with my team of talented horticulturists, I have the unique opportunity to reach the lives of others through plants.
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Sporting a lovely blue flower in the research greenhouse last week was the exotic species tropical waterlily, Nymphaea capensis. The plant was grown from seed and presented to the Gardens by Curator of Native Plants, Dan Johnson. Dan and C. McMaster collected the seed in the wild (Feb. 2006) in South Africa, locality of Swellendam, from waterlilies flowering in a large pond at the base of Swartberg Pass. We will be monitoring this special waterlily and anticipate displaying N. capensis in the outside pools in 2009.
During my current visit to Madagascar, I had the enviable opportunity to visit the unique spiny desert ecosystem, located in the south and southwestern part of the country. What amazing diversity! Hot though it may have been, I am sure glad I made the time to visit this unique forest, which is home to many of Madagascar’s endemic species.
The landscape is dominated by plants belonging to the family Didieraceae. Noteworthy are the Alluaudia that stand as tall sentinels of the forest. They remind me of the Saguaro cactus of the Sonoran Desert. Of the six species of Alluaudia in Madagascar, I was able to see four. Other interesting plants that I encountered were
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The brilliant yellow tropical waterlily Nymphaea ‘St. Louis Gold’ is lighting up the propagation greenhouse at Denver Botanic Gardens. Possibly the brightest yellow waterlily of all, ‘St. Louis Gold’ was hybridized by the legendary Dr. George H. Pring. With ample light and water temperatures above 70 degrees, tropical waterlilies can flower even during the winter months, adding fragrance and excitement to your home or greenhouse.
A. thaliana, the quintessential research plant
Every gardener visiting a nursery knows what they’re looking for based on a basic distinction: annuals or perennials. What if the categories weren’t so clear? Scientists have discovered that it is just two genes that determine whether a plant is annual or perennial.
The distinction between annuals and perennials is based on reproductive strategy. Generally, annuals tend to germinate, grow, and flower quickly to produce seeds that will be the carriers of DNA into the next generation – DNA is what it’s all about! Perennials, on the other hand, have a variety of life strategies. They usually survive from year to year, harboring their DNA all the while, often able to set seed and survive to bloom again.
Scientists at VIB- a non-profit scientific research organization, have discovered that
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Coffee belonging to the genus Coffea has 103 described species, of which 58 are native to Madagascar. Of these 58 species, many of them are endangered and my research focus is on looking at the genetic diversity of four different species and making recommendations for conservation management. Though these wild coffee species are not cultivated for commercial purposes, it is crucial to conserve the genetic diversity within this genus, with many implications for future breeding.
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My much anticipated second trip to the island country of Madagascar has finally arrived. In Madagascar for my doctoral research, the exciting part is the exploration of the flora and fauna unique to this region. Madagascar is home to more than 10,000 species of plants, 80% of which are found nowhere else in the world.
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