Dr. Mónica Moraes R., of the Herbario Nacional de Bolivia at the Institute of Ecology, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia, is using Montgomery Botanical Center’s greenhouses for a series of germination experiments on select Bolivian palm species, with an emphasis on Parajubaea. It has been observed that certain species of adult palms are thriving in the wild in Bolivia. However, very few young palms have been observed in the understory. Determining their early life history is essential for the long term survival of the species.
On December 8, 2006, Dr. Moraes presented a public lecture in Montgomery Botanical Center’s Nixon Smiley Meeting Room: Palms of Bolivia in a Neotropical Context.
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. Generous funding from the Kelly Foundation supports The Montgomery Botanical Fellows Program.