Project Number: 1230-21000-050-02
Project Type: General Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 10, 2008
End Date: Aug 03, 2010

Objective:
Investigate the taxonomy and characteristics of plant species grown as ornamentals in southern Arizona, and provide herbarium resources for the National Arboretum, University of Arizona, and cooperating institutions to support and enhance future scientific study of the cultivated ornamental plants of this area.

Approach:
The University of Arizona will provide a collector to prepare herbarium specimens from as many species as possible that are grown as ornamental plants in the region around Tucson, Arizona. Sampling will begin with the University of Arizona campus, and may also include other sites in the Tucson area, including but not limited to the USDA Desert Legume Project and the Tucson Botanical Garden. For each species encountered in appropriate condition for herbarium collecting, one herbarium specimen will be collected for the National Arboretum herbarium, one specimen for the University of Arizona herbarium, and (when possible) up to four additional specimens to be used for exchange with the herbaria of other cooperating institutions. Data collected will include the location of the plant, the provenance of the germplasm (when known), significant characters that may not be permanently preserved with the specimen (such as growth form, odor, color of flowers and fruit). Brief notes may also be made of any evidence noted of spontaneous reproduction in the vicinity of the planting, of heavy damage that might be caused by disease, insects, or abiotic factors, and any other available data that may provide insight into the biology or ornamental value of the plants in the site. The University of Arizona PI will identify an appropriate student or students to carry out the collecting. The student(s) will be trained in techniques for collecting herbarium specimens and supervised by the University of Arizona PI. Unmounted herbarium specimens with the data recorded on appropriate, archival-quality labels will be supplied to the herbaria: one complete set to the University of Arizona Herbarium, and one complete set plus all exchange sets to the herbarium of the U.S. National Arboretum.