Special considerations in the seed collections of two NC rare plant species

Recently updated Best Plant Conservation Practices to Support Species Survival in the Wild detail guidelines for seed collection of rare plants. These include multiple aspects to consider in making seed collections regarding target species characteristics, collection timing, seed collection amount, population genetics and maintaining site quality. Here we outline seed collections for two species for which exceptional situations required special considerations for project success. We explore the use of the Best Practices for seed collections of 1) Phemeranthus piedmontanus (Piedmont fameflower), a species with a small population, identification challenges, and the need for multiple visits to sensitive habitat and 2) Macbridea caroliniana (Carolina birds-in-a-nest)¸ where sequential seed set, distance to the field site and a hurricane presented collection challenges.

Michael Kunz, North Carolina Botanical Garden