Botany Research
1. Determination
of plants in the botanical garden
As can be seen on our plant
list there are some families with species determined only
up to family or genus level.
1.1. Orchid species
Except for two terrestrial Orchidaceae species, all orchids
in the botanical garden are at least known by genus. There are
significant gaps in our knowledge of the subtribe Pleurothallidinae
and in Maxillaria sensu lato.
Objectives
• Determine as many orchid species as possible down to
species level.
• Species that cannot be named further than to genus level
should be listed up. The aim is to do a complete inventory,
so the student should hunt for every orchid species growing
on the seven hectares of the botanical garden. Many species
flower just a few times or even once a year. In many of these
cases we can support you with photos that have already been
taken of these plants. Orchid research can be done simultaneously
with another research project (or independent travel), to allow
more time in between flowering epochs of orchids.
• Take photos of all the plants you find. These photos
should show the diagnostic features of the species. If possible,
the diagnostic feature of very similar species should be arranged
on one comparative photo, either in vivo or digitally.
• Create a digital photo archive of the Orchids in the
botanical garden.
• Write an inventory list in Excel.
Requirements
• Digital camera with strong Macro function,
• 20x hand lens,
• Experience with Orchids and with plant determination
in particular, strong familiarity with literature written in
English and Spanish containing plant descriptions and dichotomous
keys, good knowledge in plant morphology.
• We have some literature on that subject in our library(link), as Luer, C. : Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vols. I-XV;
Dodson, Luer, Romero: Orchids of Ecuador; Garay, L. : Flora
of Ecuador, Vol.9, Orchidaceae, BUT you will need copies of
Icones Pleurothallidinarum of Vol. XVI onwards . For an overview
of the taxonomic changes in this group it is advisable to bring
copies of the relevant chapters of Pridgeon, Cribb, Chase, Rasmussen:
Genera Orchidacearum, Vol. 4, Epidendroideae and to check recent
systematic work on that group. For Maxillariinae try www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herbarium/max/phylogenetics/tribe.htm.
1.2.
Families excluding Orchidaceae
Determine species in families that are not Orchidaceae. Select
about 20 families with species inside undetermined genera or
genera with undetermined species from our plant list.
Once again, a big part of this work is literature research in
your home country. The search for literature should be complete
before (!) you come to Ecuador. Try to get copies of Harling,
G.: Flora of Ecuador of the relevant families. This series of
volumes is not complete. If you deal with a family not yet covered
by this series, try to find a copy of the Flora of Colombia
or Flora of Peru. But ask first in the Herbario Nacional or
the library of the Universidad Catolica in Quito about available
volumes of Flora of Ecuador (we can help you with your search
for literature in Ecuador)
Because most plants in the botanical garden are not in flower
or in fruit at one moment, it is difficult to determine all
species, therefore, students should select about 20 families
from our plant list. This may seem too many, but often there
are just a few species of the relevant families growing in the
botanical garden. We have an excellent photographic documentation
of our plants growing in the garden, so it will be easy to recognize
the plants that you are looking for.
Requirements
Besides the literature, students should bring a
• 10x Hand lens,
• Digital Camera with Macro for taking photos of the features
relevant for determining the particular plant species
• You should have good knowledge of plant morphology and
be able to deal with dichotomous keys and plant descriptions
in English and in Spanish
.JPG)
2.
Ferns and allies
There are at least 69 species of ferns growing in the botanical
garden. As can be seen on our fern
list, many are yet to be determined down to species level.
We already have a photographic documentation of the fern species,
so it will not be difficult to find the plants you are looking
for.
Objectives
• To determine as many Ferns as possible down to species
level.
• To make a photographic documentation of the features
critical for determination of each species.
• Make a herbarium of the Ferns of the botanical garden.
Requirements
• Bring copies of relevant literature from your home country.
There are some volumes of dealing with ferns in Harling, G.:
Flora of Ecuador, but you will need additional literature on
neotropical Ferns.
• A digital camera with strong Macro function.
• A 20x hand lens.
• You should know which materials and which knowledge
is required for herbarizing plants specimens.
We are in the process of gathering the money for a microscope.
Please ask if there will or will not be a microscope during
your stage, as it might be a crucial point in determination
work in some groups.
3. Mosses
We have a basic documentation of the mosses occurring in the
botanical garden. Download.
Objectives
• Find every moss growing in the garden and take photos.
• Take notes on ecology, determine the moss as far as
possible, built up a photographic database, and compile a species
list including your ecological evaluation.
• Make a moss herbarium.
Requirements
• We have no literature on Bryology in the botanical garden.
You have to do your own literature research and bring copies
with you. Perhaps Churchill, P.: The mosses of Amazonian Ecuador
can be of some help.
• A digital camera with a strong Macro function (please
check link in Project 4 on mushroom photography).
. A 20x hand lens.
• The knowledge of how to prepare a moss herbarium.
• Check Project 2 for comments on a microscope.
4.
Mycology
We have a photographic documentation of the most important mushrooms
growing in the garden. But there are still large gaps in the
knowledge about these mushrooms, as you see in the mushroom
list (dowload)
of the botanical garden.
Objectives
•Try to find every mushroom growing in the garden, take
photos, take notes on ecology and determine the mushroom as
far as possible.
• Complete the existing photographic documentation and
mushroom list.
Requirements
• Digital camera with very strong Macro function and tripod.
Please check the link on mushroom photography on www.mushroomexpert.com
and keep in mind that they are experts. You can take shots of
satisfying quality with less equipment. But the tips on the
use of a standard-built-in-flash are valuable.
• We have no mycological literature in our library. Part
of the project is an extensive search for books on neotropical
mushrooms.
• A 20x hand lens.
