It all started with some dirt.....

Our MSFI Seedbank project all began with 24 soil sites at 6 trays per site which gave the greenhouse a whopping 144 trays of native soil to care for. Turns out, just a little bit of water and it seemed things couldn't grow fast enough!

10.Nov.2012

20.Nov.2012

28.Nov.2012

16.Jan.2013

15.March.2013

28.March.2013

1.April.2013

It's now dwindled down to a remaining two species to be ID'd and they are taking their sweet time.

 In the mean time, let's reminisce.....

Though the Sonoran desert is known for it's outstanding biodiversity, it was still surprising to see a little bit of everything! We had...

Mushrooms

Cylindropuntia sp.  likely buckhorn cholla

Fungi

Liverworts

Perennial shrubs like this Lycium sp. or Wolfberry

Itty bitty annuals like Crassula  connata (pygmy weed) and Draba cunefolia

Moss

Slime molds

Mimulus guttatus -Monkey flowers

Blue plants ( Plagiobothrys arizonicus- Arizona popcorn flower)

Hairy plants ( Pseudognaphalium sp.)

Plants to big for their pots (Encelia farinosa- Brittle bush)

A Rush!

( Juncus bufonius- toad rush)

And of course grasses galore! (Schismus ssp.)

I know, I know, that's not why you all tune in, its about the flowers! And we scored on those too!

Sisymbrium irio 

Arizona fiesta flower- Pholistoma auritum var. arizonicum

Monolepis nuttalliana- Poverty weed

Lasthenia californica- Goldfields

Amsinkia menziesii- Fiddleneck

Platago patagonica- Plantain

Daucus pusillus- American carrot

Erigeron deivergens- Fleabane

Nictiana obtusifolia- Desert Tobacco

Calliandra cilliata- Fringed red maids

Sadly, this just about wraps it up for the seedbank study. New plants for the preserve species list  have been mounted for herbarium record and shrubs that can be transplanted are growing out in bigger containers to be brought back to preserve to continue stocking the seedbank with their bounty!
The purpose of our study was to find species that we knew to exist in the preserve (or hoped for) that were not appearing due to our poor rainfall during the flora investigation. In the desert most plant species have adapted their seeds to allow them to lay dormant in the soil for sometimes years waiting for adequate rainfall. Conditions in the greenhouse allowed us to find 6 new species for our flora list that includes Daucus pusillus, Juncus bufonius, Lactuca serriola, Monolepis nuttalliana, Draba conefolia and Sonchus olraceus. As fate would have it, we got decent rain this winter and were able to find 5 of 6 new species growing wild in the preserve.
All in all we found nearly 45 species that we were able to ID and probably another dozen that unfortunately did not get big enough to ID including a cylindrical cacti.
Some interesting things noted during observations was the abundance of crassula connata in nearly all trays, this is a low growing plant once very common throughout the preserve but has in since years been replaced by the abundant combur, infact, SEINET had it listed as a sensitive plant and would not disclose locations of collections. On a related note and equally interesting was the lack of Pectocarya plants, a very abundant annual species throughout the preserve.

The final ID's on our last species will come at the plants pace and until then, I can only hope you all have enjoyed this sonoran seedbank journey as much as I have. Thanks again to everyone who helped along the way!

Sincerely your flora intern,

Chelsey Lauren H.

A Monumental Monday

The day has come to retire the soils that are no longer producing. Our last germination was over a month ago and it is safe to say the soil is out of viable seed. There are still quiet a few plants to be identified and some healthy trays of moss I can't bring myself to toss but we have gone from two tables of trays to under half a table... It'd be a sad day if I was tossing anything but trays and trays of BROME!!!! Here's how it went.

Once there was a forest of sonoran annuals...

..but one weedy grass setting seed put a stop to all the fun.
Thats right, a tray of nothing but brome... and to no ones surprise it is from Browns Ranch!

That's right Sisymbrium, you must go as well.

Don't feel too bad though, most of the plants like these are at the end of their life anyhow.

And this beautiful hairy burstwort impressed me so much I am pressing it to live on forever in the SCC hebarium.

No guilt here, we got nothing but yuck from the soil.

Another Sisymbrium too big for her pot

Red maids, one of my favorite of the annuals however this one never seems to have open flowers when I am around, perhaps she is camera shy.

And of course, the abundant schismus must also leave the greenhouse.

Here is what we are left with. 

And for anyone worried about the perennials we sprouted...

...don't worry! They have been given ample room to grow and I will find them all happy new homes...  thats 11 shrubs, mix of bursage and brittle bush.



The End for a few but its not over yet!

finally a Pressing Post!

Three species have already been pressed from our seed bank and two more were ready today with their fruit developing and flowers still present. For those of you who haven't had a chance to press a plant yet for an herbarium or personal collection , here's the scoop!

Required: plant specimens, notebook&pen, plant press.
If you are lucky you have a nice one as above that Steve was kind enough to loan me with sturdy straps, blotter paper,  herbarium paper, cardboard and a wood frame! It doesn't have to be elaborate to work though, I have seen presses of cardboard, newspaper, and bungee cords!

For small plants,  a light tug at the roots will sometimes break them loose, if you feel resistance.... break out the tools and dig gently to obtain all the roots. 

growing plants in trays gives a great advantage for this part,  looks like it was getting too big for its pot already!

Add notes about any part of the plant that may change or be hard to see after its been dryed and include its name if you know it. (Daucus pusillus)

Layout the plant on the paper you will keep it in the press in, numbered to correspond with your notes. When pressing for an herbarium or reference pressings it is best to spread plant apart nicely to show both sides of leaves, flower, fruit if present and any other key features. 

This is Silene antirrhina (sleepy catchfly) and it is much smaller than the previously seen wild carrot. For plants like this, taking a couple is appropriate to ensure you fill your plant page.

Just gently pull apart.

Layout so no plants overlap and are spaced evenly for even drying.

Lastly just pull tight and place somewhere dry! Small plants are done in a few days, cacti can take weeks! 

And when they are ready here is how they look!
The paper in the corner is  a seed packet, often included for plants with loose seeds and spare parts.
These will be sent to Steve next to be cataloged and mounted (glued down) for herbarium use.