SFPS General Meeting – October 4, 2021
Dr. Joanna M. tucker Lima (Living Collections Manager, Montgomery Botanical Center)
“Investigating flower color change in Attalea palms”
Attalea palms are known for their creamy-yellow colored flowers displayed within unisexual inflorescences, or sometimes in mixed bisexual inflorescences. Attalea phalerata presents a curious exception to this pattern, with its flowers – both staminate and pistillate – changing from creamy-yellow to magenta to purple over the course of three to four days. While color change is not unusual in the plant kingdom, flower color change in A. phalerata sparks multiple questions: Why is this the only Attalea species to display flower color change? What triggers the color change? What is the significance of color change in A. phalerata? Does flower color change attract or repel pollinators? The more than 30 specimens of A. phalerata at Montgomery Botanical Center present an ideal opportunity to study reproductive ecology in this species. On-going research at Montgomery is currently striving to uncover the significance of flower color change in this species.
Dr. Tucker Lima is the Living Collections Manager at Montgomery Botanical Center since 2016. Originally from Toledo, Ohio, she graduated with a PhD in Ecology from University of Florida in Gainesville. Since 1993 she has been involved with research and fieldwork in the Brazilian Amazon, studying both forest regeneration and palm ecology. Her interests lie in the reproductive ecology of palms and forest conservation.
October 4th, 2021, @ 7:00 PM Speaker @ 7:30 PM
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
South Gate, Garden House
Masks mandatory as per Garden policy.
General meetings are held on the first Monday of February, April, June, August, and October, with guest speakers at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s Garden House, doors at 7:00 pm, business & speaker by 7:30 pm. Use the South Entrance and walk through the stone & iron gate.
SFPS meets on the first Monday of every even-numbered month.
Please sign up to our e-mail for updates and news.
The SFPS generally plans garden tours in the spring & fall. These events range from nurseries specializing in palms, to private residences, and other locations of interest to palm enthusiasts.
SFPS’s (5) bimonthly meetings are open to non-members. The SFPS holiday in December is free to members, and guests may attend for $10. The party has traditionally featured a pot luck dinner, live auction, and silent auction.
Palm shows / sales are also coordinated along with traditional aspects of the Society. Thanks for your support, you mail sign up for the SFPS e-mail list at the bottom of this page, or via this link.
