Dr. Fred Stauffer, of the Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques de la Ville de Genève in Switzerland, studied the MBC palm collections this week. Fred is an expert in the anatomy and morphology of palm flowers, and Fred and his students have recently published new research on palm flowers that made use of MBC material.
While being hosted at Montgomery, Fred offered a lecture on the morphology and anatomy of palm flowers, placing this information in the context of recent evolutionary studies. During his lecture, Fred stressed two important points. Firstly, Dr. Stauffer emphasized the importance of mentoring the next generation of palm scientists – education is vital for botany. Fred also praised MBC and other gardens for working to keep plant collections for the research community. “It is great to have so many palm species available for study here, flowering at the same time,” stated Dr. Stauffer.
Due to the timing of his visit, Fred also had the distinction of being the first visiting researcher at Montgomery to work in the Chris Tyson Plant Conservation Building. This facility was recently completed, and will be dedicated in November. Fred was enthusiastic about the workspace, stating: “This building is a wonderful resource for a visiting botanist.”
The Geneva Conservatory and Botanic Garden houses two exceptional collections, each very important for botanists. First, the herbarium (CJB) houses 6 million plant specimens, and is particularly rich in type specimens. The libraryat Geneva is one of the premier botanical libraries in the world. The library and the herbarium are the legacy of De Candolle, the early Swiss botanist who was very influential in plant systematics and the study of evolution.