During his visit to Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC), Montgomery Botanical Research Fellow, Dr. John Dowe of the Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research, collaborated with MBC executive director, Dr. Patrick Griffith, MBC palm biologist, Dr. Larry Noblick, and MBC collections manager and botanist, Chad Husby, on his study of Oraniopsis appendiculata populations. Dr. Dowe is gathering data on the morphological variations of the upland and lowland populations of Oraniopsis appendiculata in preparation for his paper on the implications for evolutionary processes.

While at MBC, Dr. Dowe presented two public lectures: The Palms of New Guinea and South Pacific Palms: Diversity, Distribution and Extinction Processes on Island Habitats. He also presented The Palms of New Guinea at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

The Montgomery Botanical Fellows Program encourages scientific and educational study of MBC’s palm and cycad collections, linking distinguished scientists and their work with other scientists, educators, our next generation of scientists — the students, and the community. The Montgomery Botanical Fellows Program is supported by generous funding from the Kelly Foundation.