Skip to main content

Tour for friends, and potting grass seeds for classroom work

My husband T... joined me for the drive to the greenhouse this morning. There, we met up with his friend from work-days, D.., for a tour of the greenhouse. The tour began with an introductions to the staff. I brought them first to the farthest end of the greenhouse, room C4, where the desert plants are housed. In particular, I highlighted the Welwitschia mirabilis from Namibia, and then pointed out the differences and similarities between euphorbias and cacti. I also showed them plants intermediate between those with leaves, and those with only needles. The intermediate plants have both needles and leaves. We talked about convergent evolution where euphorbias from Africa and cacti from South America followed similar adaptations (intermediate forms with both needles and leaves) although their genetic groups are completely different.
Vanilla vine in room C2


We then toured the Temperate forest room, C3. This room houses examples of many of the plants and trees with which we are familiar. I highlighted the carnivorous plants in the water tanks. We also talked about the cycad plants and their history.

Next, we toured the Rainforest collection in room C2. T and D were very impressed with the range of plant forms and the beautiful blossoms on many of the plants. I highlighted some of the air plants (Tillandsia) orchids and the vanilla plants.

In Room C1 we toured the Antarctic Forest plants, highlighted by the Brighamia plant from Hawaii.
 Finally, we toured the Display rooms D4 through D1. I pointed out the stone plants (lithops and pseudolithos) in D4, the eucalyptus in D3, the tropical plants in D2, and some of the plants in D1 from which I scrubbed sooty mold.

After T and D left to find coffee at the Student Union, A had a project for me. She asked me to prepare seedling trays for a student lab. The lab was working on plant genetics, they needed roots which were used to provide cells and genetic material. Each tray has 120 cells, which I filled partially with a 50:50 mix of perlite and vermiculite. Then, into each cell I placed one or two seeds of wheat (Triticum). Each of the 3 species of Triticum has different ploidy:  Triticum aestivum (ploidy=6x), T. dicoccum (ploidy=4x), T. monococcum (ploidy=2x). It was important to prevent mixing seeds on different trays, each tray was to have only one species of wheat. I worked with only one open bag of seeds at a time so there could be no chance of cross contamination.

I carefully labeled each tray as directed by a document given to me by A, it exhibited in pictures the proper format for plant labels.

After placing the seeds, I completely filled the tray cells with a final layer of perlite/vermiculite mix. Finally, A showed me her method for watering and storing the trays for plant growth. She brought me into room C4. She placed the trays on the floor underneath a bench near a hose. watered the trays using a gentle shower spay so as not to disturb the soil mix. We left the trays on the floor to begin the germination process.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Sensitive Plant and Common Weed

Mimosa pudica, also commonly called the sensitive plant  was a popular houseplant when I was growing up in the 1970s. It was popular for its ability to quicky change shape by folding up its leaves to protect them from herbivore predators. At the slightest touch the plant is able to expell water from special cells in the leaves, changing the shape from frond-like to a stick-form. The plant creeps along the ground, never for than a foot or so in height. In tropical parts of the world this plant is considered and invasive weed. Today, as I was treating plants to remove pests I happened to touch the leaves of a Mimosa pudica , one with a pretty puff-like flower. Sure enough, the leaves all folded up to almost nothing. Mimosa pudica , the sensitive plant Other more routine chores during my four-hour shift at the U of M Conservatory included cleaning three plants of Hibiscus clayi, native to Hawaii. These three plants in particular have suffered repeated infestations with a variety of in...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Thames River Walk Through Time: Repurposing Tow Paths

I love it when old technologies are repurposed to solve entirely different problems. A perfect example is the extensive system of canals and tow paths throughout England. Before the Industrial Revolution and the advent of railways, these canals were built to transport goods between cities and towns. Narrow boats pulled by horses or mules along tow paths were a common sight. Today, however, these tow paths have found a new purpose: recreational walking. They offer picturesque routes through the English countryside, allowing people to explore the beauty of the canals and rivers. The commerce that once flowed along these waterways may have shifted to railways, but the paths themselves continue to serve a valuable function. This year, I had the privilege of joining three other hikers on a journey along the River Thames tow path, from the city of Oxford to its source, a distance of about 50 miles. Farther upstream, the river gradually narrowed, eventually transforming into a swollen creek b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Plantulary: Botanical Dance

The title of the dance performance was Plantulary. The theme, botanical. On a whim, my partner suggested we attend a performance of a new dance work by a small immersive arts collaborative, Aniccha Arts. Through the arc of a single year—from growth through to dormancy—the dancers describe the story of plant life using percussive dance rhythms, music, literary, and various vegetable props. For me, this dance performance was a challenge to appreciate; it was no Swan Lake. I didn’t fully understand the connection between many of the sound and dance elements. But, curiously, the memory of it has stuck with me for the past few days. To set the scene, the stage consisted of a simple dark room lit by spotlights and early evening sunlight coming in through large windows. Along the baseboard of the stage were narrow trays of green seedlings lit by fluorescent grow-lights, forming the outer limit of the performance space. To further imbue the stage with plant life, several moss balls (kokedama-l...
Post a Comment
Read more