California Archives - Center for Plant Conservation

National Collection Spotlight: San Luis Obispo Mariposa Lily

Posted on June 29, 2022 (July 5, 2022) by Shannon Fowler

San Luis Obispo Mariposa Lily (Calochortus simulans)

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Welcome to CPC: New Participating Institutions

Posted on July 12, 2021 (December 23, 2021) by Center for Plant Conservation

Image of Warea amplexifolia. Image courtesy of Florida Native Plant Society.

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Seed Bulking of Three Rare Species of Atriplex (Chenopodiaceae)

Image of Billy Sale video on seed bulking of three rare species of Atriplex.

Billy Sale, California Botanic Garden California Botanic Garden (CalBG) is in the process of seed bulking three rare species of Atriplex from populations originating in southern California. Atriplex coronata var. notatior (G4T1), Atriplex parishii (G2G3) and Atriplex serenana var. davidsonii (G5T1). To better inform the project, propagation trials were performed prior to seed bulking in order to examine germination pretreatments. Gibberellic acid was identified as the most […]

Using Ex-Situ Living Collections to Inform In-Situ Conservation Actions

Heather Schneider, Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens There are times when drying and storing seeds is not an option for the conservation of a plant species. This might be because the seeds cannot survive the freezing process, or maybe because the species no longer produces seeds in the wild. Researchers at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden have […]

Ex-Situ Conservation of Endangered Succulent Plants Using Cryobiotechnology Tools: The Aloe and Agave Cases

Screenshot of Ex-Situ Conservation of Endangered Succulent Plants Using Cryobiotechnology Tools video

Josette Tin, Taylor La Val, Sean Lahmeyer, John Trager, Raquel Folgado*, The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, CA., United States, *Speaker Succulent plants are significant to the horticultural industry, and they are also sources for food, fibers, medicines, and cosmetics. The main threats for the wild population of these often emblematic […]

Conservation genomics of Dithyrea maritima (Brassicaceae) beach spectaclepod

Kristen Hasenstab-Lehman, C. Matt Guilliams, Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens Dithyrea maritima (Davidson), or beach spectaclepod, is a dune specialist endemic to coastal dunes from central California, United States, to northwestern Baja California, Mexico. Individuals of this perennial herb spread by rhizomes, forming a diffuse colony of ramets, each terminating in rosette of 1 to several fleshy leaves, […]

Conserving Genetic Diversity in Seed Collections

Joe Davitt, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global Maintaining a plant species’ genetic diversity can contribute to adaptive potential, prevent inbreeding effects, and potentially preserve traits such as drought tolerance and disease resistance, all of which are critical in a changing climate. Seed collections are often the best method of conserving the genetic diversity of rare plant populations ex-situ, […]

Ongoing investigations into population genetics of cycads

Christy Powell, Brian Dorsey, San Diego Zoo Global, Huntington Botanical Garden As the most endangered group of plants on the planet, cycads (Cycadales) face a number of threats to their continued existence. Efforts to preserve these iconic plants (in situ reserves and ex situ collections) could benefit greatly from a better understanding of population genetic […]

Applying genomic tools to aid the conservation of Torrey pines in the face of bark beetle threats

Dr. Stephanie Steele, San Diego Zoo Global The Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana) is a rare, iconic species that occurs naturally in only two locations in Southern California: in coastal San Diego County and on Santa Rosa Island. The species is of particular conservation concern due to prolonged drought which has increased susceptibility of trees to […]

Preserving evolutionary potential in the face of rapidly changing conditions: the role of genetic rescue

Jill Hamilton, North Dakota State University Species evolutionary potential is tightly linked to both the amount and distribution of genetic variation available through which natural selection may act. Rare species present particular challenges under rapidly changing conditions where the genetic consequences of rarity may limit species ability to adapt to ongoing change. Thus in a […]

Population genetics of the binationally distributed Mission Manzanita (Xylococcus bicolor)

Kyle L. Gunther, Sula Vanderplank, Jon P. Rebman, Andres Orduño Cruz, & Lluvia Flores-Rentería, San Diego State University, San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego Zoo Global, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste California and the Baja peninsula are home to high levels of floral abundance, diversity, and endemism. Much of this region is part of […]

The making of a Super Bloom: large-scale reintroduction of an endangered California annual

Vanessa Handley, University of California Botanical Garden University of California Botanical Garden (UCBG) has long been engaged in recovery efforts for State and Federally endangered large-flowered fiddleneck, Amsinckia grandiflora. Initially UCBG staff focused on creating a substantial seed bank for the species and, through nursery augmentation of wild-collections, generated a bank of over 100,000 seed […]

An introduction to conservation programs at UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and Botanic Garden

Martin F. Quigley, University of California-Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden Our mission is to connect people with plants. Our conservation work is dedicated to preservation of biodiversity, and enabling evolutionary processes to continue at the population level. Our primary focus is California, particularly the Central Coast ecosystems. We are developing a 60 acre California […]

Seed conservation of Abies bracteata at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden

Cheryl Birker, Seed Conservation Program Manager and Evan Meyer, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Abies bracteata(Bristlecone fir; Santa Lucia fir) is a 12-30 meter tall tree restricted to a small, wildfire prone range in the Santa Lucia Mountains on the central coast of California. While several botanical gardens maintain living specimens, it remains rare in […]

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