Charlotte Sweeney and I in the old Kew Herbarium
Had a great time there and met with some really enthausiastic staff including:
Charlotte Sweeney, Head, Office of the Science Directorate
Rhian J. Smith, Senior Science Officer (Education and Communication)
We were given a tour of the tropical greenhouses by Ruth Bone and I was excited to meet Carlos Magdalena, who was responsible for reviving the Nymphaea thermarum lily from almost certain extinction. He is a whirlwind of enthusiastic energy and formidable knowledge and possibly most importantly, an ability to observe the world with a highly acute eye and an open mind.
Cafe Marron
He showed us lots of plants from the Mascarene Islands which exhibit heterophylly (different leaves on juvenile and adult plants) including the Cafe Marron. The plants come from lots of families but showed convergent evolution, all having juvenile leaves that look very unappealing to tortoises. Once the plant gets to a height that a tortoise can longer reach the leaves change shape and colour. So for budding scientists out there, how does this happen?
All in all a wonderfull afternoon and a delight to meet such inspiring and dedicated science colleagues who are trying to transform this great institution into a thriving hub of botanical science, horticulture and communication fit for the 21st Century.
Ester Gaya and I, Tropical Nursery, Kew
