L AS MIRADAS DE LA CONTIENDA 1 Analizar el corpus en su totalidad

Whereas traditionally one thinks only of botanic gardens and arboreta when considering conservation collections, private hobbyists and commercial nurseries also provide important situ collections of succulents. The combined activities of succulent plant growers and botanic gardens

with significant collections of succulents, in large part through the encouragement of the International Organization for Succulent Plant Study (IOS), are now resolving some of the impediments listed by Given namely inadequate documentation and conflicting aims.

Moreover, co-operative efforts among institutions and individuals, where they do occur, are making these plants available for research and re-introduction.

Several hobbyists, who are not professional botanists, have significant collections of certain groups of succulents. T h e s e c o l l e c t i o n s h a v e e x t e n s i v e documentation and have been used in several cases for major taxonomic studies. The has recognised the importance of these private collections, and has established a Section titled Generic Reserve Collections. For many years the collections at Zurich, Switzerland and Linz, Austria have been recognised as such, and in 1978 four other gardens received this recognition. The set up qualifications and objectives to be met by Generic Reserve Collections (Taylor and Hunt 1988): “a collection must contain material of substantial scientific importance, especially with regard to systematic research and/or conservation in their widest senses.” The objectives are (Taylor and Hunt 1988):

1) Emphasis on material of known wild origin; all accessions to be properly documented, with details of donor, field data, and recipients of propagations;

secure labelling of plants and regular updating of records is essential.

2) Preservation of voucher material (dried or liquid) for study by taxonomists working with the group concerned, and a photographic record of specimens prior to preservation, or as an alternative to preservation. If the Reserve Collection lacks its own herbarium facilities, preserved materials should be deposited in a well known and responsible institution and a record kept of what has been deposited.

3) Representation of as comprehensive a range of species as possible and willingness to assist specialists who are members of in their research by way of

access or loan/gifts of material as appropriate.

4) Active propagation and distribution of rare, scientifically valuable, and endangered species.

5) Willingness to co-operate in studies of floral biology and vegetative growth under artificial conditions towards the objective of making rare or endangered species available to a wider public and thereby relieving the pressure on wild populations.

The following private collections have been approved or are under consideration by the as Generic Reserve Collections (Taylor 1991a):

l Andrea Cattabriga, Bologna, Italy dwarf Mexican Cactaceae

l Keith Grantham, Luton, UK

l

Ben Groen, Wageningen, The Netherlands Conophytum,

Alan Hart, Cheshire, United Kingdom

Fred Kattermann, Sussex, New Jersey, USA Eriosyce, Copiapoa

Massimo Meregalli, Italy Copiapoa Roy Mottram, Thirsk, UK

David Parker, Birmingham, UK

Hans Till, Attersee, Austria Gymnocalycium Bernd Ullrich, Pohlheim, Germany

Richard and Franziska Wolf, Wienderwald, Austria Mammillaria

rred Kattermann and his collection of Eriosyce is an example of a dedicated hobbyist performing exhaustive field work, making detailed records, and writing a noteworthy monograph of the genus (Kattermann 1994).

Kattermann spent over 45 weeks in the field during 1977-94, legally collecting approximately 1500 plants from about 500 different populations. Living material was distributed to several institutions for propagation, and herbarium specimens were prepared and given to the Desert Botanical Garden and The New York Botanical Garden. In addition, he collected living plants of 20 other genera, most of which have been given to the Desert Botanical Garden. He has willingly provided material to researchers throughout the world.

in a cactus nursery, Kurashiki, Japan.

Other collections have been critical for taxonomic studies. The Meregalli collection was the basis for an extensive paper on (Meregalli and the collection of David Parker was used by Nigel Taylor to supplement his field work in his significant monograph of the genus (Taylor 1985).

Clearly, hobbyist collections are a significant source of germplasm of rare and endangered succulents. The programme established by the to insure the proper maintenance and documentation of these collections must be encouraged, as well as the implementation of an effective networking among researchers, institutions, and the hobbyists.

S o m e c o m m e r c i a l n u r s e r i e s in the propagation and sale of specific groups of succulents.

Many of their propagated plants are derived either from seed or cuttings, from field collected, or documented material. These stock plants, and succeeding generations, can provide a significant source of germplasm for rare and endangered succulents. However, while sometimes reducing demand on wild stock, nursery collections do not necessarily contribute to the genetic and demographic management of threatened plants. Nursery collections of propagules and their artificial propagation for commercial purposes must go hand in hand with providing safeguards, through botanic gardens and seed banks, for tracking and insuring that propagules will be available for research and long-term preservation, and thus contributing to situ conservation.

Several commercial nurseries have stocks of rare succulents with documentation. Mesa Garden in New Mexico provides an example of the roles that some of these commercial businesses have in both in situ and situ conservation. This nursery arose from Steven Brack’s strong interest in growing succulents from seeds, and was stimulated by his membership in the African Succulent Plant Society and its biennial seed distribution. In 1973 the nursery began using seeds collected from habitat primarily within the state and documenting their source for sales. Starting in 1975, he began to make extensive collections of seeds in Mexico. These collections form the core of Mesa Garden, and their first seed list of 1980 had approximately 1000 offerings.

In 1980 Brack joined with Steven Hammer, a specialist on Old World succulents, to collect seed, especially of the mesembs, in South Africa. They encountered the very rare Conophytum on one of their trips and were able to collect nine seeds. From those few propagules Mesa Garden has now produced several generations of the plant, with a production of several thousand seeds annually. This has significantly reduced the impact of collectors decimating the remaining in situ population of this species. Brack has also assisted the US Fish and

Guimar nursery, Tenerife, Canary Islands.

Wildlife Service in the propagation of a rare cactus Pediocactus for re-introduction back into its natural habitat.

From its very beginning, the Mesa Garden nursery has emphasised the propagation and sale of seedlings and seeds with habitat data. In several instances seed of the same species are offered from different localities, thus providing germplasm varia bility. Mesa Garde n now has a compreh ensive lecti on of mes as well as hundreds of cacti from both North and South America.

This nursery has provided research materials to numerous scientists throughout the world.

It should also be noted tha

activities of botanic gardens and nurseries have that several t species, now virtually

t the cooperative situ meant in the wild because of extensive habitat destruction, are widely represented in cultivation. Two examples are

asterias and Echinocactus

The author would like to acknowledge the following people who reviewed and contributed information to this section: Salvador Arias M., Steven Brack, Jane Cole, Dr Urs Eggli, Holly Forbes, Dr Craig Hilton-Taylor, Fred Kattermann, Mike Maunder, Peggy Liz Slausen, Jean-Marie Solichon, John N. Trager, Dr Peter S. Wyse Jackson.

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