Enhancing rare representations in ex situ collections, California, USA

  • Status of project

    Completed

  • Region

    North America

  • Country

    United States of America

  • Programme

    BGCI

  • Workstream

    Saving Plants

Enhancing rare California wild stone fruit (Prunus L.) representation in ex situ collections.

Project: Complete. March 2024
In collaboration with United States Botanic Garden (USBG) and BGCI-US
Project Partner: San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG)

 

The genus Prunus L. is a very diverse and economically important group of plants that includes crops such as almonds, apricots, cherries, peaches, and plums. In California alone, there are at least 18 native Prunus taxa. Several of these are poorly represented in botanic gardens and other ex situ repositories.

This project is part of the North American Fruit and Nut Tree (NAFANT) Crop Wild Relative (CWR) Conservation Partnerships a collaboration between BGCI-US and USBG.

Project Goals

To enhance ex situ collections of two underrepresented Prunus species native to Southern California. The species’ targeted are: California endemics Prunus eremophila Prigge (desert plum) of the Mojave Desert and Prunus fasciculata (Torr.) A. Gray var. punctata Jeps. (sand almond) of the central California coast.

Credit: San Diego Botanic Garden – Tim Sisneros

Key Achievements

San Diego Botanic Garden staff traveled to Mojave National Preserve to collect seeds, vouchers and leaf tissue samples from Prunus eremophila. Seeds were collected from 57 separate maternal lines and brought back to SDBG for propagation and accessioning into the SDBG seed bank. Due to permitting regulations SDBG is not allowed to share seeds or seedlings of this taxon beyond the garden.

SDBG staff visited three sites where Prunus fasciculata var. punctata is known to occur. Staff collected seeds, leaf samples, and herbarium vouchers from each site. Seeds were collected from 77 separate maternal lines and brought back to SDBG for propagation.

Approximately 40 seeds of Prunus eremphila from 10 individuals were deposited in SDBG’s long term seedbank, and 53 individual Prunus eremphila seedlings are growing in the SDBG nursery.

Prunus eremophila may be considered as a relatively well conserved ex situ (i.e. in two different botanic gardens, including California Botanic Garden), with individuals collected and conserved across its known range.

Prunus fasciculata var. punctata seedlings are growing in the SDBG nursery and will be planted in the garden in 2024. 

Prunus eremphila will be incorporated into the SDBG living collection and planted at several locations on site.

Prunus fasciculata var. punctata seedlings will be distributed to interested partners, including Arizona Sonora Desert Museum and the USDA Germplasm Repository at UC Davis.

Credit: San Diego Botanic Garden – Joe DeWolf