a palm issue - montgomery botanical
TRANSCRIPT
Seychelles & Madagascarpage 3
US Virgin Islandspage 4
Completing Our US Collectionpage 5
A Palm Issue
2â Montgomery Botanical News | Fall/Winter 2016
Dear Friends,
I am excited to send you this Palm Issue of our newsletter! As promised in our previous issue, here we focus on Montgomeryâs
work with palms, and how that work helps advance the field of botanical science.
At the center of our palm studies is Dr. Larry Noblick. Since 1994, Larryâs work for Montgomery has taken him around the globe, researching, collecting and conserving palms â over 2 decades of building our collections. Larryâs first expedition to Madagascar in 1995 brought seed which are now stately Bismarckia, Borassus and Hyphaene anchoring the landscape of our longest vistas. Thus, I am glad he shares his return to Madagascar, along with his work in the Seychelles, on the facing page. Larry also furthered his explorations in the Caribbean and in the US, and these stories are featured on pages 4 and 5.
I am also very honored to tell you that Montgomery was selected for a new NatIoNal scIeNce FouNdatIoN award (see page 6), to help protect and secure these plant collections. This level of federal support demonstrates how unique and valuable our living treasures are â such an award signifies high level recognition of how these plants help advance knowledge. We include some examples of those advances on page 6.
Montgomery has wonderful plans ahead for 2017 â further explorations, better improvements, and bigger science. We are gearing up for a major project to help advance how our plant collections can contribute to conservation efforts. I will tell you more about that in the coming months!
It has been a great year â thank you for everything you do to help move Montgomery forward. I look forward to seeing you here again soon â please call, write or visit.
F r o m t h eE x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r
Pictured:âDr.âGriffithâstates:ââWeâmustâincludeâatâleastâoneâcycadâinâthisâissue!âThisâisâourâFloridaânative,âZamia integrifolia,âinâtheâBigâBendâWildlifeâManagementâArea.ââFieldworkâthisâyearâdiscoveredâaâveryâsmallâpopulationâevenâfurtherâwestâthanâpreviouslyâknown.âIâamâgladâtoâhaveâtheseânewâcollectionsâatâMBC,âfromâaâconservationâprojectâfundedâbyâtheâAPGAâ(seeâpageâ7)âandâtheâUSâForestâService.â
Montgomery Botanical CenterEstablished 1959
Board of DirectorsDavid Manz, Esq., President
Charles P. Sacher, Esq., Vice PresidentKarl Smiley, M.D., Vice President
Walter D. Haynes, Esq., Sec./TreasurerCharles S. Sacher, Esq., Asst. Treasurer
Nicholas D. KellyL. Patrick KellyPeter A. Manz
Stephen D. Pearson, Esq.Juanita Popenoe, Ph.D.
Mark Smiley
Executive DirectorM. Patrick Griffith, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Research FellowsAngélica Cibriån Jaramillo, Ph.D.
John Dowe, Ph.D.William Hahn, Ph.D.Damon P. Little, Ph.D.
Cristina Lopez-Gallego, Ph.D.MĂłnica Moraes R., Ph.D.
Fred Stauffer, Ph.D.Alberto S. Taylor B., Ph.D.
Irene Terry, Ph.D.Barry Tomlinson, Ph.D.
To advance science, education &conservation of tropical plants, emphasizing palms and cycads,
Montgomery Botanical Center growsliving plants from around the world in
population-based, documented, scientific collections in a 120-acre
botanical garden exemplifying excellent landscape design.
Montgomery Botanical Center is a tax-exempt, nonprofit institution
established by Eleanor âNellâ Montgomery Jennings in memory of
her husband, Colonel Robert H. Montgomery, and his love of
palms and cycads.
Montgomery Botanical News is published twice a year by
Montgomery Botanical Center.
11901 Old Cutler RoadCoral Gables, Florida 33156
Phone 305.667.3800 Fax 305.661.5984
Edited by Tracy Magellan
Printed on recycled paper
Fall/Winter 2016 | Montgomery Botanical Newsâ 3
Theâworldâsâlargestâseed,âtheâdoubleâcoconutâorâCocoâdeâMer,âLodoicea maldivica,âwasâreportedâbyâFerdi-
nandâMagellanâfiveâcenturiesâago.âYet,âitsâsourceâremainedâaâmysteryâuntilâFrenchâsailorsâlandedâinâ1768âonâPraslinâIslandâââpreviouslyâcalledâIsle de Palmesâââtheâancientâgraniticâremainsâofâaâsubmergedâmini-continent.
Today,âPraslinâisâpartâofâtheâSeychellesâinâtheâIndianâOceanâandâhomeâofânotâonlyâtheâdoubleâcoconut,âbutâfourâotherâendemicâpalms,âeachâinâitsâownâgenus.âInâ2015,âIâwasâableâtoâcollectâallâfourâofâthese.ââIâamâveryâexcitedâaboutâgrowingâDeckenia nobilis,âaâbeautifulâcrown-shaftedâpalmâwithâspinyâclam-likeâbracts,âVerschaffeltia splendida,âaâpalmâwithâmagnificentâpropârootsâandâgolfâball-sizedâfruits,âPhoenicophorium borsigianumâwithâbeautifulânearlyâentireâleaves,âandâNephrosperma van-houteanumâwithâitsâbrightâred,âcherry-sizedâfruits.âAllâfourâofâtheseâpalmsâareânewâspeciesâatâMontgomeryâBotanicalâCenter!
Next,âweâexploredâRanamafanaâNationalâParkâinâMada-gascarâwithâitsâphotogenicâlemursâandâvisitedâtheâsacredâtabooâVatavavyâforest.âToâvisitâVatavavy,âweâhadâtoârespect-fullyârequestâpermissionâofâtheâlocalâchiefâbyâpurchasingâtwoâbottlesâofâtheâlocalârum:âOneâasâaâgiftâforâtheâchief,âandâotherâtoâleaveâatâtheâgraveâsiteâofâtheâancestorsâatâtheâbaseâofâtheâmountain.âOnlyâafterâaâbriefâceremonyâthereâwereâweâallowedâtoâexploreâtheâmountain,âhomeâofâmanyârareâandâbeautifulâpalms.â
IâthenâflewâtoâIlseâSt.âMarieâforâaâmeetingâofâtheâInterna-tionalâPalmâSocietyâandâexploredâtheâadjacentâeastâcoastâbyâraftâandâonâfootâwithâtheâotherâdirectors.âAfterâtheâmeeting,âIâsetâoutâonâshortâtripsâwithâmyâguideâtoâexploreâAndasibe,âMantadia,âandâMitsingoâforestsâinâtheâeasternâmountainsâwhereâweâencounteredâmoreâlemursâandâmanyâinterestingâpalms.âFinallyâweâdroveâtoâtheâlastâremainingâforestâonâtheâcentralâhighâplateauâcalledâAmbohitantelyâNationalâpark,âwhereâweâencounteredâhugeâspecimensâofâDypsis decipiensâ(frontâcover).ââIâamâgratefulâforâtheâgenerousâsupportâofâJillâMenzel,âwhoâfundedâthisâveryâfruitfulâexpedition.â
Four new palms from the Indian Ocean
Dr. Larry Noblick, MBC Palm [email protected]
Exploring the Seychelles and Madagascar
Deckenia nobilis from the Seychelles
Verschaffeltia splendida with prop roots Yousouf and Larry with Dypsis pilulifera Mitsingo Forest, Madagascar
4â Montgomery Botanical News | Fall/Winter 2016
OfâallâofâtheâpalmsâonâtheâUSâVirginâislands,âonlyâaâfewâareânative:âCoccothrinax alta,
Roystonea borinquena, andâmaybe Sabal causiarum. St.âCroix,âtheâlargestâofâtheâislands,âisâridingâonâtheânorthernâedgeâofâtheâCaribbeanâtectonicâplate.ââSt.âCroixâsârichâsoilsâcomeâfromâMioceneâsediments,âwhereasâSt.âThomasâandâSt.âJohnâhaveârugged,âvolca-nicâterrain.âAlthoughâonlyâ40âmilesâseparateâSt.âCroixâfromâSt.âThomasâandâSt.âJohn,âtheyâareâseparatedâbyâaâ14,000âfootâunderwaterâabyssâwhereâtheâNorthâAmericanâandâCaribbeanâplatesâslideâpastâeachâother.â
TheâislandsâofâSt.âCroixâandâSt.âThomasâsufferedâaâlongâdroughtâwhichâmadeâseedâcollectingâdifficult.âWhileâthoroughlyâexploringâaâdryâstreamâbedâonâSt.âCroixâinâAdventureâGut,âConradâFleming,âaâlocalâplantâenthusiast,âandâRudyâOâReillyâofâtheâUSDAâhelpedâmeâfindâandâcollectâseedâofâRoystonea borin-quena.âThisâmagnificentâRoyalâPalmâhasâsomeâofâtheâlargestâtrunkâdiametersâinâtheâgenus.ââ
IâwasâfortunateâtoâstayâonâSt.âCroixâatâtheâformerâhomeâofâMargaretâHayes,âaâfamousâislandâbotanist,âwhoâaccumulatedâaâmagnificentâpalmâcollection,âincludingâlargeânumbersâofânativeâCoccothrinax alta.ââNativeâC. altaâareâquiteârareâonâSt.âCroixâwithâonlyâaâfewâpersistingâinâtheâwild.âThisâcontrastsâwithâlargeâpopulationsâonâSt.âThomasâwhereâhundredsâwereâseenâwithâDuncanâBass,âaâlocalâplantsman,ânearâMandahl.âAlthoughâIâcollectedâherbariumâspecimensâofâC. altaâonâSt.âCroixâandâSt.âThomas,âunfortunately,âIâdidânotâfindâanyâinâfruit.âFutureâfieldworkâonâtheseâislandsâmayâyieldâthisâuniqueâCoccothrinaxâforâMontgomery.â
Dr. Larry Noblick, MBC Palm [email protected]
Coccothrinax alta on St. Thomas
Preparing a specimen of Coccothrinax
Caribbean Palm CollectionsDrought and persistence
Fall/Winter 2016 | Montgomery Botanical Newsâ 5
Dr. Larry Noblick, MBC Palm [email protected]
MontgomeryâseeksâtoârepresentâeveryâpalmâspeciesânativeâtoâtheâUnitedâStates.âThus,âIâ
recentlyâvisitedâtheâdesertâSouthwestâwithâmyâdaughterâtoâcollectâtheâwell-knownâdesertâfanâpalm,âWashingtonia filiferaâandâcloseâanâimportantâgapâinâourâcollection.
OurâfirstâstopâwasâtheâMoapaâValleyâNationalâWild-lifeâRefuge,âinâNevada.âTheârefugeâwasâestablishedâtoâprotectâtheâMoapaâDace,âaâsmallârareâfishâthatâthrivesâinâwarmâspringsâthatâemergeâfromâtheâdesert.âAlsoâfoundâthereâisâtheânorthernmostâpopulationâofâdesertâfanâpalm.ââOnâthatâearlyâNovemberâday,âtheâtemperatureâwasâinâtheâmidâ50sâandâweâsuccessfullyâmadeâourâcollec-tion.âWeâwereâcomfortablyâpreparedâforâtheâtemperature,âbutânotâforâtheârain,âwhichâleftâusâsoakedâandâshiveringâbyâtheâendâofâtheâday.â
OurânextâstopâwasâThousandâPalms,âCalifornia.âThere,âwaterâwellsâupâthroughâtheâSanâAndreasâfaultâlineâandânourishesâhealthyâgrovesâofâdesertâfanâpalms.âMagnificentâpalmsâdisplayâbeauti-fulâfullâskirtsâinâtheâfamousâThousandâPalmsâOasis,âlocatedâinâtheâCoachellaâValley.âWeâeasilyâcollectedâourâlimitâfromâtheâpalmsâinâfullâfruitâwithâtheâhelpâofâGinnyâShort,âPreserveâManager,âandâDeborahâRogers,âtheâPreserveâDirector.â
Finally,âweâexploredâaâlittle-knownârelictâpopulationâofâdesertâfanâpalmâinâSouthwestâArizona.âInâaâsteep,ânarrowâarroyoâinâtheâwesternâendâofâtheâKofaâMountains,âdirectâsunlightâonlyâshinesâbetweenâtheâcanyonâwallsâforâaâfewâhoursâeachâday,âandâwaterâdrainingâoffâtheâmountainâplateauâsustainsâaâsmallâpalmâpopulation.â
AlthoughâidentifiedâasâWashingtonia filifera,âtheseâpalmsâwereâmuchâsmaller,âhadâthinnerâstemsâandâsmallerâandâfewerâleaves.âFire-charredâtrunksâonâmanyâexplainedâtheâlackâofâskirts.âDiscoveredâinâ1923,âO.âF.âCook,âaâUSDAâbotanist,âproposedâtheânewâname,âWashingtonia arizonica,âwhichâwasâneverâaccepted.âWhileâdistinctâfromâspecimensâinâNevadaâandâCali-fornia,âitâisâunknownâifâtheseâdifferencesâareâgeneticâorâenvironmental.âPerhapsâfurtherâinvestigationâofâcollec-tionsâcanâhelpâanswerâtheseâquestions.â
IâamâveryâgratefulâtoâtheâlateâLillianâFessendenâforâsupportingâthisâprojectâtoâhelpâcompleteâourâcollectionâofânativeâpalms,âandâforâallâofâtheâmanyâexpeditionsâsheâsupportedâatâMontgomeryâoverâtheâyears.â
Orange safety vests were required on this first day of hunting season.
A Palm OasisHelps complete our collection
Washingtonia arizonica is an old name for the palms in this canyon.
National Science Foundation Invests in Montgomeryâs Plants
MontgomeryâsâplantâcollectionsâareârecognizedâbyâtheâNationalâScienceâ
Foundationâ(NSF)!âToâadvanceâscience,âtheâNSFâsupportsâaâ
limitedânumberâofâimportantâlivingâcollec-tionsâwhichâareâheavilyâusedâbyâresearchers.âThisâyear,âMontgomeryâreceivedâanâawardâfromâtheâNSFâCollectionsâinâSupportâofâBiologicalâResearchâprogram,âtoâensureâtheâsecurityâofâtheseâvaluableâcollections.
SouthâFloridaâisâknownâforâfrequentâlight-ningâandâhighâwinds,âwhichâleadâtoâpowerâoutages.âYoungâseedlingsâinâtheânurseryâandâstoredâpollenâdependâonâconsistentâpowerâforâenvironmentalâcontrol,âwhichâensuresâtheirâsurvival.âThus,âtheâNSFâwillâprovideâautomaticâgeneratorâsystemsâforâtheâChrisâTysonâPlantâConservationâBuildingâandâtheâLoydâG.âKellyâConservationâNursery,âtoâhelpâsecureâtheseâscientificâresourcesâforâfutureâresearch.âQuotingâfromâtheâNSFâwebsite:
[MBC]âprovidesâtheâmostâdiverseâandâthoroughlyâdocumentedâcollectionsâofâpalmsâandâcycadsâinâtheâUS,âthroughâitsâhistoricâandâongoingâplantâexplorationâfieldwork,âasâwellâasâitsâlocationâinâfrost-free,âsubtropicalâSouthâFlorida.âInâaddition,âtoâtheirâuseâinâresearchâandâeducationâmaintain-ingâtheseâcollectionsâreducesâtheâneedâforâfieldâcollecting,âpreventingâtheâextirpationâofâspeciesâfromâtheirânaturalâhabitats.MostâlivingâresearchâcollectionsâsupportedâbyâNSFâareâmicrobesâââbacteria,â
yeastâandâalgae.ââSearchingâtheâNSFâarchives,âitâappearsâthatâMBCâisâtheâfirstâbotanicâgardenâplantâcollectionâawardedâthisâsupportâââfurtherâdemonstrationâthatâMontgomeryâisâaâleaderâinâthisâimportantâareaâofâplantâscience.â
FurtherâvalidatingâthatâNSFâaward,âsomeâbrilliantânewâscienceâmadeâgreatâuseâofâourâplantâcollections.âKeepingâwithâthisâissueâsâpalmâtheme:
Palm BiogeographyTwoâimportantâstudiesâillustrateâhowâpalmsâdiversified.âFirst,âaâpaperâledâbyâJasonâComerâofâtheâUniversityâofâ
GeorgiaâshowsâhowâandâwhenâaâmajorâsubfamilyâofâpalmsâoriginatedâinâtheâWesternâHemisphere.âAâsecondâpaperâledâbyâCintiaâFreitas,âwhoâvisitedâMBCâfromâBrazilâlastâyear,âdetailsâhowâandâwhereâAttaleaâoriginatedâinâBrazilâsâAtlanticâForest.âMBCâsâLarryâNoblickâandâUSDAâsâAlanâMeerowâwereâcoauthorsâonâtheâAttaleaâresearch.â
Palm Anatomy AnâimportantâstudyâofâflowerâdevelopmentâinâChamaedoreaâandâHyophorbeâusedâMBCâsâcollections.âLedâbyâ
FelipeâCastaño,âtheâpaperâwasâcoauthoredâbyâFredâStaufferâfromâtheâConservatoireâetâJardinâBotaniquesâdeâlaâVilleâdeâGenĂšve.âFredâisâalsoâaâKellyâResearchâFellowâatâMBC.ââ
Palm FossilsLedâbyâPaleobotanistâStevenâManchesterâofâUFâ(Gainesville),âcarefulâcomparisonâofâfossilsâfromâIndiaâwithâ
MBCâsâpalmâcollectionâfoundâthatâdispersalâofâSouthâAmericanâpalmsâoccurredâearlierâthanâthoughtâââperhapsâupâtoâ64âmillionâyearsâago.âThisâimportantâfindingâisâconsistentâwithâtheânewâstudiesâmentionedâaboveâââandâshowsâhowâMBCâcollectionsâcultivateâdiscoveriesâinâmanyâways!
For complete details, please see www.montgomerybotanical.org
Cultivating palm discoveries
Pollen is stored at minus 80 degrees centigrade at Montgomery.
6â Montgomery Botanical News | Fall/Winter 2016
Fall/Winter 2016 | Montgomery Botanical Newsâ 7
Montgomeryâwasâhonoredâtoâco-hostâtheâlargestâgardenâeventâinâ2016:âtheâAmericanâPublicâGardensâAssociationâConference.âTheâeventâbroughtâtogetherâoverâ750âbotanicâgardenâexpertsâfromâaroundâtheâworldâtoâseeâtheâveryâbestâ
horticultureâandâplantâcollectionsâofâMiamiâââandâembraceâtheâthemeââChanging Perspectives: Planting for the Future.ââMontgomeryâworkedâwithâ12âotherâgardensâtoâhostâtheâgathering:âBlockâBotanicalâGardens,âKonaâKaiâBotanicalâGarden,â
TheâPrestonâB.âBirdâ&âMaryâHeinleinâFruitâ&âSpiceâPark,âTheâJohnâC.âGiffordâArboretum,âMiamiâBeachâBotanicalâGarden,âMountsâBotanicalâGarden,âNaplesâBotanicalâGarden,âTheâKampongâofâtheâNationalâTropicalâBotanicalâGarden,âPinecrestâGardens,âUSDA-ARS,âVizcayaâMuseumâ&âGardens,âandâWertheimâConservatoryâofâFIU.âThisâlevelâofâlocalâgardenâcooperationâisâunprecedentedâââandâhasâforgedâaâlastingâlocalânetworkâthatâcontinuesâintoâtheâfuture.ââ
PatrickâGriffith,âMichaelâCalonje,âandâTracyâMagellanâfromâMontgomeryâattendedâtheâconferenceâandâgaveâsixâpresentations,âonâtopicsâfromâcollectionsâmanagement,âtoâleadership,âtoâcopingâwithâhurricanes!âWithâtheâdedicatedâworkâofâourâlocalâgardens,âourâvolunteers,âourâspeakersâandâourâguests,âandâthroughâaâlocalâcollaborationânever before seen,âweâraisedâtheâbarâforâhorticultureâinâMiami!â
We are grateful for our very generous sponsors who made this event possible: USDA, FIU, Berends Hendricks Stuit, and Tom Kenan â thank you!
Arantza Strader,âDatabaseâSupervisor,âretiredâthisâsummerâforâaâwell-deservedârestâafterâ14âyearsâofâexcellentâwork.âClaudia Calonje wasâpromotedâtoâDatabaseâSupervisor,âwhereâherâveryâspecificâskillsâwithâcomputers,âplants,âandârecordâkeepingâwillâbeâputâtoâgreatâuse.âJessica Sparks,âourâ2015-2016âConservationâHorticultureâFellow,âwasâhiredâlong-termâasâourânewâSeedbankâCoordinator,âandâisâmovingâtheâprogramâforwardâwithâgreatâenthusiasm!âOurâotherârecentâFellow,âMarco Perez-Alvarez,âhasâalsoâbeenâpromotedâintoâaâlong-termâhorticultureâpositionâââandâbringsâaâcarefulâhandâandâdiligentâworkâethicâtoâtheâteam.âOurâ2016-2017âConservationâHorticultureâFellows,âDaniella FernandezâandâGlenn Gonzalez,âjoinâusâfromâMiamiâDadeâCollegeâandâPinecrestâGardens,âbringingâgardenâexperience,âgreatâspirits,âandâeagernessâtoâlearnâplantâwork.âDr. Joanna Tucker Lima,âourânewâLivingâCollectionsâManager,âbeganâworkâatâMBCâthisâsummer.âJoannaâbringsâimportantâexperienceâwithâpalms,âfieldwork,âplantâresearch,âdatabases,âandâmappingâtoâMBCâfromâtheâUniversityâofâFloridaâinâGainesville,âwhereâsheârecentlyâcompletedâaâpostdoctoralâfellowship.âJoannaâsârecordâofâplanning,âstarting,âfollowingâthrough,âandâfinishingâgreatâworkâmakeâherâaâwonderfulâadditionâtoâtheâMBCâteam!ââ
Team News
Gather in MiamiBotanic Garden Experts
One highlight of the conference was a study tour for plant collections at Montgomery.
Arantza Strader
Joanna Tucker LimaGlenn GonzalezMarco
Perez-AlvarezClaudia Calonje Jessica Sparks Daniella Fernandez
RobeRt and nell MontgoMeRy enjoy CoConuts, Ca. 1936.
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Robert and Nell enjoyed harvesting the fruits of
their collection, and numerous photographs in the Montgomery Archive highlight the great variety of tropical fruits they enjoyed. Here, Robert and Nell predate the modern coconut water trend by about 80 years, with the freshest available source.
The coconut, Cocos nucifera, is considered one of the worldâs most useful plants, and is certainly the most widely grown and utilized palm species. Inspired by Robert and Nell, the MBC Team harvested, chilled and served coconuts and lychees from its plant collection for guests of our recent garden conference (see page 7) â a novel treat for many of our guests who traveled from much further north.