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Capturing Genes from Herbaria. III. The Samples.

Having chosen Inga umbellifera as the study organism for our NBAF-funded project to test the use of hybrid baits for recovery of DNA sequences from herbarium material, we…

A hive of activity

In recent weeks we’ve seen fantastic progress being made on rebuilding the Botanic Cottage. The final slates are going onto the roof this week, and the pan-tiles are…

Capturing Genes from Herbaria. II. Inga.

About 300 species of Inga (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae: Ingeae) grow in lowland and montane rain forest throughout the humid tropical zone, from Mexico to Uruguay. Most species diversity is…

Capturing Genes from Herbaria. I. What it’s all about.

In February this year, Dr Catherine Kidner, Dr Michelle Hart, Dr James Nicholls and I were awarded an NBAF pilot grant by NERC to explore the use of…

A shrubby rosaceous success

Stephanandra tanakae a deciduous shrub with long arching growth. Native to Honshu Japan where it was seen growing on steep NE facing rocky cliffs at 920m. Here only…

CakeFest

On 21 June crowds flocked to the Garden to take a look at quite a spectacle being contstructed. Over 50 baking teams had been planning, baking and icing…

Digitising microscope slides – barcode placement

As part of the digitisation of the collections held at RBGE we are starting to barcode our microscope slide collections. As part of this we have been investigating…

A giant of the genus

The fashion to breed tighter more compact plants for modern gardens by passed this species from Japan. Hemerocallis exaltata is a vigorous herbaceous plant, the flower spikes reaching…

Botanics Sparrowhawks – Keeping Track

Since the last post I have kindly been provided with further pictures from the ringing when Will Hinchliffe took the photo he posted on Twitter. Peter Wilson, also…

Biology, genomics and evolution of the complex thalloids

Twenty-five participants from 13 countries have just attended a symposium on complex thalloid liverworts in Edinburgh #Marchantia2015. The meeting also included two teleconferences (from Australia, John Bowman, Monash…

Giant hogweed – know the danger

A recent case of severe skin burns in a 10 year old caused by exposure to the sap of giant hogweed is a reminder that plants can be…

Two bright Geraniums, one true one false.

Geranium dalmaticum a close growing, mat forming, species from south east Europe. An easily propagated plant by inserting the semi-woody stems into a pot of compost. Growing on…

Really Wild Veg – or is it just feral veg?

One of the difficulties with studying the wild ancestors of domesticated food plants is knowing if plants are truely wild? Domesticated plants will generally inter-breed quite happily with…

Honeycomb

The Chusan Palm (Trachycarpus fortune) is names after the plant collector Robert Fortune, who observed the plant on Chusan Island, off the coast of central China in the…

Botanics Sparrowhawks – Welcome to the World

It’s been very exciting the last couple of weeks with the long awaited Titan Arum flowering in the Glasshouses. However for myself it has also been an exciting…

June 2015 Garden Wildlife Report

June continued to be rather chilly at the start although there was a brief warmer spell mid-month and again towards the end, when a heat wave was being…

Wool Carder Bee – back in the Botanics for a fifth season

Wool Carder Bees (Anthidium manicatum) have been present in RBGE since 2011. This year the first bees of what will be their fifth season in the Botanics were…

New records by the back door!

On the morning of 29 June I arrived at the back door of the herbarium to start my day’s work and spotted two insects on the door. One…

A warm temperate success

Styrax officinalis; a deciduous shrub with the most attractive white flowers. These are produced on the current season’s shoots. Initially a spherical creamy bud that on opening reveals…

New Reekie – power plant

New Reekie is still drawing a crowd even though it is now begining to look past its best. Today (30th June 2015) the skirt-like spathe that wraps around…