Applied pollen conservation research of endangered Hawaiian endemic Hibiscus and Pritchardia species

Storage of pollen allows for gene exchange between geographically isolated individuals, and for controlled pollination when flowering of staminate and pistillate flowers or individual plants is asynchronous. Desiccation of pollen is essential for the retention of high longevity, yet research into pollen storage behavior of wild species is infrequently performed. Hibiscus clayi and Pritchardia minor […]

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Seed viability Hawai‘i’s foundational-ʻōhi‘ trees linked environmental variables

Nina Rønsted, National Tropical Botanical Garden Climate can play a critical role in plant physiological processes at all life stages, but investigations into climate effects often focus on only adult life stages. However, climate can influence seed development and germination, which can in turn strongly affect community dynamics. Native Hawaiian Metrosideros spp. (Myrtaceae; ʻōhi‘a,; 13 […]

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