Seed Morphology & Anatomy in the MSB Project
John Dickie, Head of Information Section, Seed Conservation Department
With its goal of collecting and conserving seeds of over 24,000 species the Millennium Seed Bank
Project offers an unrivalled opportunity to document the seed morphology and anatomy of a large number of previously un-researched species. The primary reason for doing this work within the MSB
Project is the relation between seed structure and function and its potential for increasing understanding and predictivity in dealing with seed problems, such as delayed germination.
Before large scale analyses of traits and characters can be undertaken, we need to accumulate a substantial dataset based on the MSBP’s seed collections. With only one permanent staff member
(Seed Morphologist – Wolfgang Stuppy) devoted to this work, progress is steady but slow, and of necessity prioritised. Concentration is on species and groups of special interest to the MSBP and to
Kew, such as Rubiaceae, Malpighiales, and Monocots. At present Wolfgang has an assistant, Elly Vaes, funded to work for 5 months, particularly on Rubiaceae, by money administered by the Bentham-
Moxon Trust. Other priority groups worthy of study, given funding, would include Arecaceae.
The digital capture of the (standardised) seed morphological data involves the data-basing of a substantial number of traits and characters for each species, supported by sets of high quality, annotated images (standard sections/views). The data and images are now being delivered to a global audience via the internet, as a module in our Seed Information Database. Thus, as well as through published papers (Key Measures 2b and 3), this work also contributes to Kew’s Business Outcomes by increasing the usefulness of the website (KM 2a), and it allows a wide audience access to (a selection of) the
MSBP’s seed collections (KM1).
As well as contributing to specific seed conservation outputs, the work has wider perspectives:
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It helps to satisfy the general expectation in our users that the MSBP/SCD is a ‘centre of excellence’ or ‘one stop shop’ for knowledge about seeds, for example through identification of seeds and fruits and other enquiries – the activity now also includes curation of Kew’s large seed reference collection.
 It builds on and complements Kew’s core expertise in Plant Micromorphology; especially the vegetative and floral anatomy pursued in the Jodrell – Wolfgang is a member of the
Micromorphology Group. It will deliver useful characters for systematics – he is a member of the Malpighiales Science Team.
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Not only is training provided in-house to SCD staff, and also to members of MSBP Partner institutes, but also Wolfgang is in demand from other institutes (e.g. RBG Edinburgh, MSc course), to teach this scarce discipline.
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The data and images are not only of use to scientists, teachers, students. Images of seeds and fruits of many species are aesthetically pleasing in their own right and attract attention from artists. They are likely to be a source of revenue and PR for the MSB Project and for Kew.
Wolfgang is at present working with artist Rob Kesseler, one-time NESTA fellow at Kew, and
Papadakis Publishers on a book of seed images akin to the recently published ‘Pollen’.