SFPS General Meeting, Feb 3 at 7:00 pm, Fairchild Garden
MBC Palm Expedition to Acre, Brazil presented by Dr. Joanna Tucker Lima, Living Collections Manager and Botanist, Montgomery Botanical Center
In the southwestern corner of the Amazon, palms thrive in the dense tropical forest landscape. The Brazilian state of Acre is a hotspot of palm diversity with 78 palm species reported, many of which remain largely understudied. Partnering with our colleagues from the local university, a team of botanists from Montgomery travelled nearly 400 miles across the State of Acre to learn more about its flora, collect seed for MBC’s living collections, and expand UFAC’s herbarium palm collections. We wandered through roadside forests and stomped through pastures, where palms stand as lonely reminders of a forest long gone. The highest palm diversity remains inside the thick rainforests that covered hills and valleys of Western Acre. By the conclusion of our weeklong field expedition, we had collected seed from 17 different palm species and seen many more.
About our speaker:
Dr. Joanna Tucker Lima is Living Collections Manager and Botanist at Montgomery Botanical Center. She earned a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Florida in 2010 and specializes in tropical ecology research, with an emphasis in palms, reproductive biology, and the conservation and sustainable use of plants. Joanna developed a passion for palms during her first visit to the Amazon in 1994, and ever since, she has continuously returned to research questions that investigate the remarkable and unique biology of the palm family.
Other Information:
An auction of donated plants will follow the presentation. We appreciate all donations. This event will not be potluck. In keeping with this special event on Brazil, SFPS will provide various Brazilian dishes before the presentation.
Selected Photographs from Presentation
Regular SFPS Activities
There are typically two garden tours each year, one in the spring and the other in the fall for SFPS members. The spring garden tour was on May 11, 2024 and fall tour was on October 12.
Meetings are held on the first Monday of the even-numbered months- February, April, June, August and October in the Corbin building at Fairchild Gardens. Meetings are open to non-members.
The December meeting is the Holiday Party and annual auction. It is open to members only. SFPS member have an opportunity to outbid each other and compete for a prized palm (not necessarily a palm).
You may join the Society by clicking on the link below.
SFPS is always looking for new ways to increase awareness and knowledge of palms in the landscape, botanical gardens and in the wild. We have supported efforts by the Kiem Foundation, Morningside park palmetum and MetroZoo collection of palms.
Any problems or incorrect information on this website, please contact the Webmaster at:
webmaster@southfloridapalmsociety.org
