Seed Identification project- notes

[fleurbleue]

Wonderful website Maggi and very useful  Thank you !

[white dove]

Hello everybody.
I saw this site for the first time And I want to tell that there is a digital seedatlas of the Netherlands.It is made by people of the university in Groningen
Mij english is not so very good, sorry.
I'll give you the link.
http://gas.ub.rug.nl/gas04.php
It costs 148 euro and has more than 4000 pictures
You pay and you get a password to log in
If you click on             pdf-bestand dowloaden met de Inhoudsopgave, Introductie, 3 pagina's met foto's, de begrippenlijst en de indices      you can see the list with plantseeds they have made a picture from(hm, bad english I think)
I hope to have been of some help

[Maggi Young]

Hello White Dove, a useful link, thank  you.  I see that the download aslo has text in English.

This may also be of interest: "Purchase of the atlas gives you the right to access the website (www.seedatlas.nl).
Please contact the publisher (info@barkhuis.nl).
On the website you can see all the photographs on a larger scale and in more detail. The website offers search functions
based on the system used and on the characteristics of the seed. Private individuals get access to the website by means
of a user name and password, institutions through IP address authentication. "

[Tim Ingram]

Maggi - your idea of accumulating photos of seed is such a good one. I have often thought about this, but also extended it to photos of the seed capsules of different plants. But it is a huge project! Ideally it would be good to relate the seed taxonomically as well as simply by name. It would also be useful, but possibly not financially viable, to publish it in book format in time, but this would be a long way down the line. There is a very fine book published by Timber Press on the 'Seeds of Woody Plants of North America' which gives such detailed information and advice on sowing requirements, but these are generally plants of more commercial value. But a book like this on alpines and hardy perennials would be fantastic!

What possibility might there be that this could be a combined project across the different specialist societies, notably the alpine and rock garden societies and the Hardy Plant Society?

[Maggi Young]

The idea came from the possibility of cooperation with SRGC and NARGS initially, Tim. We hoped that the AGS would also take part. Sadly, apart from our efforts here, I have heard no more from our Seed Team, who were the ones in closest contact with the other Seed Exes.
I intend to continue our work here, and indeed this very day some more photos have arrived from a great grower who can be relied upon to produce accurate pictures. My idea is that if someone is doing something, it is surely better than the alternative!

[jandals]

There is also 'Seeds of New Zealand Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons' by Colin J Webb and Margaret JA Simpson . Manuka Press 2001 . It's a great book and illustrates Raoulia seed really well . I bought another copy in May last year because our possum ate the cover on my original copy . If the SRGC has a library I can track down another copy and would happily exchange it with the club for some chocolate . Them big white chocolate things Angie had sound interesting ...

[Maggi Young]

This one, Steve? http://www.mwpress.co.nz/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=283
Looks good...... but not sure what the SRGC Treasurer's views are on chocolate transactions.....

[jandals]

This one, Steve? http://www.mwpress.co.nz/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=283

Yes , that's the one Maggi . I will see what I can do                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Steve I just sent you a PM but not sure if it went through. Let me know if you didn't get it. In any case, I even forgot to put my name at the end of it. Not entirely with it at present.

Got your email and you cleverly put your name on at the start , so that worked out well . Will PM soon . Cheers

[Lesley Cox]

Edit by maggi..... moved this and some other posts to this new thread.


I think this thread is just for the pictures themselves and not for comments about them, in which case could you maybe start a new thread Maggi named "Notes on Seed Identification" or something appropriate and maybe a link to it. Now I can't think what it was I wanted to say.

Oh yes, How COULD they - change Mertensia pterocarpa to Steenhammera pterocarpa? Does this change apply to any other Mertensia species?

[Maggi Young]

The Kew PlantList says:" Mertensia pterocarpa (Turcz.) Tatew. & Ohwi is an unresolved name

This name is unresolved, but some data suggest that it is synonymous with Steenhammera pterocarpa Turcz.."

Looking at the list of names it seems that many Mertensia have confused  backgrounds, to say the least!
For example......
Mertensia aculeata (Sw.) Schult. is a synonym of Celtis iguanaea (Jacq.) Sarg. as is Mertensia commutata (Roem. & Schult.) Hemsl.

Mertensia alpina (Torr.) G. Don is a synonym of Cerinthodes alpinum Kuntze

Mertensia angusta Klotzsch ex Sturm is a synonym of Sticherus pruinosus (Mart.) Ching

Mertensia bancroftii (Hook.) Kunze is a synonym of Diplopterygium bancroftii (Hook.) A.R. Sm.

Mertensia brasiliana Desv. is a synonym of Gleichenella pectinata (Willd.) Ching

Mertensia coeruleoglauca Poir. is a synonym of Gleichenia polypodioides (L.) Sm.

Mertensia dichotoma (Thunb.) Willd. is a synonym of Dicranopteris linearis (Burm. f.) Underw.


Goodness knows what else is going on.... who would be a Seed Exchange Seed checker? 

[Lesley Cox]

This book seems a good one for those interested in seeds......
Atlas of Seeds and Fruits of Central and East-European Flora: The Carpathian Mountains Region (Hardcover)
by Vít Bojnanský (Author), Agáta Fargaová (Author)

Over one thousand pages, glossary, pictorial glossary, drawings, descriptions....   


http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1402053614/sr=1-1/qid=1324133197/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1324133197&sr=1-1&seller=#reader_1402053614

Springer, 2007 - Science - 1046 pages
The Atlas of Seeds and Fruits of Central and East-European Flora presents nearly 4,800 seed illustrations, supplemented with detailed seed descriptions, brief plant descriptions, and information on the locality and the native source of plants. The Carpathian flora covered in this atlas occurs not only in the Carpathian Mountains, but also in large lowlands extending towards the south, north and east and involves introduced and invading flora of more than 7,500 species. Since the morphological characteristics of the seeds are usually constant they are very important for determination of systematic units. This publication is unique on two counts. Its scope extends to an unprecedented number of different plant seeds from a wide-ranging region. Moreover, it presents descriptions in unusual detail.

Botany & Plant Sciences
ISBN 13: 9781402053610 ISBN 10: 1402053614

Strictly for the botanist/taxonomist I think and VERY pricey.

[Hoy]

Maggi, when you finish Chapter one in your book of plants from seed to seeding, (Chapter one is the one regarding form and colour of all known seeds) do you continue with seedlings and cotyledons? It is still some plants I can't recognize as seedlings

[Maggi Young]

Well, I don't know what the plan might be for future projects! It will be hard enough to get all the seed photos we want for "alpine plant" seeds 
 Thank goodness for those few folks who are producing their photos for the Seeds to Scale lists.
I don't even know what is happening in the other societies to contribute their photos. I was asked if Forumists could help and so that's how we got started but  it was the impression of others in the SRGC Seed team that nothing was happening!
We have around 530 pictures in the Forum listing now. A drop in the seed ocean but  I think it s hows willing!

I understand what you mean... there are some real problems with seedling recognition.... but some of the existing seed websites do have seedling pix already. 
Perhaps someone would like to follow on that theme?  We will have to see what, for instance, is contained in Kristl Walek's book......

[Hoy]

Perhaps someone would like to follow on that theme?  We will have to see what, for instance, is contained in Kristl Walek's book......

When I retire . . . . . and don't know what to fill my days with Or sooner if I get a kick

[Maggi Young]

Perhaps someone would like to follow on that theme?  We will have to see what, for instance, is contained in Kristl Walek's book......

When I retire . . . . . and don't know what to fill my days with Or sooner if I get a kick

You know, for any project like the seeds to scale, or the seedling idea, all it takes is for folks with cameras to take a little time to take pictures as they sow the seeds, as Magnar has been doing in the last few days, or as the  seedlings emerge and grow.....


 Wondering if I shouldn't move these posts to the Seed area?
Edit:moved to the seed area!