THE FRIENDS OF
TREBORTH BOTANIC
GARDEN
CYFEILLION GARDD
FOTANEG TREBORTH
NEWSLETTER
CYLCHLYTHYR
Number / Rhif 11
May / Mai 2001
EDITORIAL
Many thanks to all those members that took up the call in the last Newsletter
for voluntary help with work at Treborth. The response was good, but perhaps
not as good as I'd hoped. However, and this is the good bit, we have held
several 'volunteer days' in the gardens recently, and response to these has
been simply stunning. For the most recent of these, Dr David Shaw called for
help from students at the University, and we advertised the day very well on
notice boards in the University buildings. On the day, around ten Friends
gathered at Treborth, and we waited for Nigel to return with a few students
from the arranged pick-up-point. Imagine our amazement when thirty students
arrived, eager for work and activity in the gardens! After a short talk on our
aims for the garden and a quick tour of the site, we set them loose and they
threw themselves into the tasks at hand. It was really inspirational and uplifting
to witness their enthusiasm. We offered lifts back to Bangor at 5.30, but they
didn't want to stop and the last ones left at nearly 7.00pm, vowing to come
back as soon as they could!
What was so nice about this is that it will reconnect Treborth with the
University students; many of them would not otherwise get involved with their
own Botanic garden and all it can offer them. It was also extremely
encouraging for the Friends that had volunteered for the day, as the
enthusiasm of the students was totally infectious. This is therefore probably
the way forward for us at the moment - with us organising informal volunteer
events in which we invite you to help, either in general ways, or in specific
projects, and get as many people as we can to turn up on the day. Watch this
space for more information, and also note the dates of the Volunteer Sessions
in the diary.
Obviously, our goal is to renovate the gardens, make them a centre of
excellence for education and research, and to make them more accessible to
the public and the local community. Two concerns have been raised over the
proposed plans. Firstly, we have no intention of demoting the scientific and
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research role of Treborth. The principal aim of the gardens is, and always will
be, to serve the University and the needs of its students. Bringing the public
into the gardens will not threaten this role; indeed, they will work in parallel, as
both parties will benefit from the improvements that are planned. Secondly,
the volunteers that are helping at the moment are the first step towards
initiating development that will lead to the creation (we hope) of permanent
jobs at the gardens; we cannot employ anyone at the moment as no money is
available. However, even the biggest, wealthiest and most prestigious Botanic
Gardens have volunteers, and many Botanic Gardens would be utterly lost
without their valuable contribution. Once money is available, we hope to
create jobs at Treborth for local people (we are currently looking into
studentships at the gardens), and in the meantime our team of volunteers are
catching up on a huge backlog of work in the gardens that is so urgently
needed.
Thanks to all those that have contributed to this Newsletter. I am, however, in
urgent need of articles for the next edition. PLEASE put pen to paper (or
fingers to keyboard) and see if you can come up with a contribution. The next
edition of the Newsletter is due out in September 2001. As always, all articles
will be gratefully received (preferably on disk); please submit any contributions
to me by 1st August 2001.
Trevor Dines (Newsletter Editor)
Rhyd y Fuwch, Bethel, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 3PS.
e-mail: Trevor@rhydyfuwch.freeserve.co.uk
OOPP
NEW AUDIENCES FOR A NEW CENTURY
This was the title for a conference I attended at Oxford in April, a meeting
designed to highlight the potential for encouraging a wider use of botanic
gardens. It was organised by Plantnet (of which Treborth is a founder
member) and BGEN which between them help co-ordinate the activities of
gardens in UK and in the case of BGEN actively promote interpretation
schemes at all levels. Most of the relevant plant collections in the UK were
represented by a total of over 100 delegates.
We heard how other bodies such as the National Trust encourage families
and how to organise special interest events not always strictly botanical.
Journalists explained what they expect from botanic gardens and revealed
that on the whole we are not very adept at publicising ourselves. Sir John
Gummer gave an impassioned speech on the political and conservational
roles of botanic gardens which was well received though once again the
message was clear that as a body we need to speak with a much louder voice
and be more proactive in influencing international agenda. Other delegates
discussed the value of volunteers such as the Friends and the involvement of
ethnic and special interest groups.
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It was clear that each Garden has it’s strengths and weaknesses - Treborth is
chronically understaffed compared to similar Gardens but is lucky to have a
teaching laboratory, an underground laboratory, acres of semi-natural
woodland and grassland, seashore and an active Friends organisation.
This highly successful and enjoyable conference was hosted by the University
of Oxford Botanic Garden, the oldest botanic garden in UK established in
1621 and now cultivating over 8,000 species representing almost every plant
family within its four and a half acres. It is certainly one of the foremost
treasures of Oxford and well worth a visit.
Further details about the Conference, including information about all the other
participating Gardens, are available at Treborth.
Nigel Brown (Curator)
QQRR
COACH TRIP TO THE WEST OF ENGLAND
13th to 17th September 2001
Here are the details of the Friends trip to the West of England. We are
travelling on a luxury coach with Voel Holidays Ltd. Our main starting point will
be at 8.30 am in the car park at the Carreg Bran Country Hotel, Llanfair P. G.,
but there will be several pick-up points along the A55.
After lunch, the first stop will be the Bristol University Botanic Garden. The
Curator there, Nicholas Wray will welcome us and if possible will show us
round on a tour of the gardens. In the sheltered climate of Bristol, fine new
plantings of South African and New Zealand plants add to the collection of
superb trees, glasshouses, and a plantsmans garden, with Cistus, Hebe,
Sempervivums, Paeonies, Salvias and Aeoniums.
After a night at the Forte Post Hotel, we travel to the RHS Gardens
Rosemoor, at Great Torrington near Bideford, Devon. These gardens were
gifted to the RHS by Lady Anne Palmer, and in recent years have been
developed to offer a huge range of interesting areas, with model gardens, an
Old Kitchen Garden, Stone Garden and stunning woodland walks. In
September the Gardens are holding a Festival, while we are there; there will
be a NAFAS Flower Arranging exhibition in the Visitor Centre and a Garden
Craft Fair.
After an overnight stay at Tantons Hotel in Bideford, we travel over Bodmin
Moor to Cornwall, making an afternoon visit to The Lost Gardens of Heligan.
Formerly the beautifully managed estate of the Tremayne family, the gardens
had fallen into total neglect since the ravages of the two World Wars. Lack of
manpower had resulted in all the productive glasshouses, (where formerly
melons, pineapples and a huge variety of produce was sent up to the big
house), falling literally under a vast canopy of foliage. In 1989 Tim Smit, an
entrepreneur from the music industry, fell completely in love with the place
and persuaded the Trustees to allow him to set up a huge restoration project.
Well documented on TV and in books, we will explore the Italian Garden, the
Ravine, the Jungle and the completely restored Kitchen Gardens.
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That night, we will stay at the Cliff Head Hotel in Carlyon Bay, and the
following day we will visit the Eden Project. Also the dream of Tim Smit, this
£85m scheme has been set up in disused china clay pit in an area of
dereliction and low employment. A Millennium Project, its aim is to stress the
absolutely vital part that plants play in all our lives, and to gather together in
this one site of 125 acres, plants from all over the world, a "botanical ark".
Two enormous “biomes” have been constructed into the sides of the pit, using
a hexagonal steel module on the lines of Buckminster Fuller’s famous domes.
The covering is a three layer sandwich of plastic inflated to provide strength
and insulation, which is self cleaning. Inside, the humid tropical biome there
are already planted many edible species from the tropics including trees
growing to 40m tall, a mangrove swamp, teak forest and rain forest. A nearby
Nursery was purchased where seed and cuttings from botanic gardens
worldwide have been grown on. The terrain is steeply up and down, and I was
told it could be very exhausting in the heat!
In the Temperate biome are plants from the Mediterranean climatic zones
including California and South Africa. Olives, citrus and vines all flourish here,
and outside in the open gardens, terraced in to the steep sides of the former
Bodelva china clay pit, crops of coffee, rice, hemp, jute and other
commercially important crops will thrive in the mild climate of Cornwall. It is
envisaged that the entire life history of each crop from seed to commercial
uses will be demonstrated at Eden, with drying sheds, weaving etc. This is a
scientifically based scheme made accessible and enjoyable by modern
technology, and I for one can’t wait to visit, I feel sure it will inspire the
Friends to great thing for our own Treborth!
After a second night at the hotel, we leave for the long journey home. The
coach company have several stops planned to stretch our legs, and we should
be back in Anglesey in the late afternoon.
There still are places available on the trip. Please contact me on 01248
490896, if you have any worries or need more information. The cost is £235
per person, with a £15 supplement for single rooms. The final payment
should reach Ann Wood by the last week in July. Cheques payable to Friends
of Treborth Botanic Garden please.
Ann Wood (Secretary)
FRIENDS OF TREBORTH EVENTS
Workshop: House and Conservatory Plants
27th January 2001
Nearly twenty Friends gathered in the Laboratory of Treborth, which had been
well decorated with plants, for this event concentrating on house and
conservatory plants. The idea was to provide the audience with short (20
minute) talks on a variety of subjects, and then have a discussion and
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questions session in which advice could be offered on plants bought in by
members for examination.
The talks kicked off with Joan Bennington giving a wonderful talk on “House
Plants in the days of Rochfords famous Nursery”. This firm dominated the
supply of houseplants in Britain until the Dutch industry took off in the in
1970s. Joan's talk really took us down memory lane, with illustrations and
posters of plants that were available in those days. She also brought in many
of her own plants, some of which were a considerable age, and we were
treated to snippets of valuable advice that were learned from her own
experiences.
Pete Frost then took the stage with a great selection of cacti and succulents.
After describing the natural habitats of these plants and the best composts to
pot them in, he bravely demonstrated re-potting a large Ferrocactus with
fearsome spines. This was obviously a man used to dealing with such beasts,
and the task presented no problems whatsoever, quite a feat in front of a live
audience! Pete then went on to describe how the forest cacti (such as
Christmas and Easter cacti) needed different conditions, and also gave advice
on pests, diseases and feeding.
Then it was my turn, with a section on which orchids to grow indoors. Again,
drawing on my own experiences, I advised against growing several popular
types, such as Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchids) and Cymbidiums, and
recommended instead a variety of others, including Paphiopedilum (Slipper
Orchids), Odontoglossum types, and Ludisia discolor (Jewel Orchid).
Examples of all these were shown from the collections at Treborth. I also
advised on watering, feeding and potting.
Finally, David Toyne drew on his expertise, and on plants at Treborth, to
illustrate the main pests, diseases and physiological disorders that can inflict
plants indoors. A large range of these were shown, which is often the best
way with which to become familiar with them, and solutions to the problems
were offered. In the latter case, David did, wherever possible, give both
biological and chemical remedies. This whole area is a large one, and it was a
shame that David's enthusiasm and knowledge of the subject was limited to
just 20 minutes talking time!
After a welcome break and cup of tea, we held a question-and-answer
session, dealing with plants brought in by members and questions from the
audience. Questions ranged from "What plant is this" (an attractive plant that
David identified as Ardisia crispa), to "What's wrong with my Asplenium fern"
(which had a few fronds collapsing and dying - we couldn't quite agree on this
one, some thinking it was natural, others thinking it had been chilled or overwatered). The discussion was lively, light-hearted, informative and
entertaining, and has lead us to think that we should make more of this format.
The afternoon was judged a great success, with sound advice coming from
people who know their plants well, and just as much expertise coming from
the audience. A selection a plants was available for sale, and I think we
cleared practically every plant on the table!
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Trevor Dines (Chairman)
Woodland Work Party
25th February 2001
For a lucky change we had a dry day and fifteen Treborth Botanic Garden
enthusiasts turned out to do some much needed work on the woodland. Nigel
started by taking us on a tour of the various areas he had in mind for us to
work. First it was to a short trail between the sports field and path to the
woodland. The purpose of this trail is to highlight the obvious outcrop of
limestone and some of the plants associated with it. Foremost amongst these
is Herb Paris (Paris quadrifolia), a rare plant in North Wales which is confined
to limestone woods. Also to be seen in Spring are Wood Anemones
(Anemone nemorosa), Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and the Early
and Common Dog Violet (Viola reichenbachiana and V. riviniana).
Next we walked along the edge of the woods next to the cultivated area where
remnants of the original field boundary, until about 150 years ago, can be
seen. The shrubby growth on top of the wall Nigel suggested could do with
some tidying. Then we continued in the same direction to an area where the
diminutive Adder's-tongue Fern (Ophioglossum vulgatum) grows. The fern
was becoming smothered with some unwanted growth and weeding and
cutting back were needed. Finally into the woods proper where some of the
group tackled the invasive Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus). Altogether an
enjoyable and satisfactory day's start to the vast amount of clearing work to
be undertaken.
In addition to this work party we had two Sunday afternoon sessions with large
numbers of students. Apart from further work on the Laurel a group did a good
job of Rhododendron ponticum clearance in the bog garden area. One of
Paxton's ditches is now clearly visible from the path and future development of
this boggy area will make a very worthwhile addition to the botanic garden.
Useful work on the cultivated garden was also carried out. It is greatly to be
hoped that more such working parties can be organised to deal with the still
considerable amount of clearing work to be done in cultivated and woodland
parts of Treborth before the hoped for developments can be accomplished.
Pauline Perry (Committee Member)
Early Spring Walk at Treborth
27th March 2001
An enthusiastic group of Friends met at Treborth where mercifully the rain had
stopped and a watery sun was setting behind the trees.
Nigel Brown started the walk by explaining what was planned for the rock
garden; Nigel had purchased several conifers in 1977 when the newly
constructed rock garden needed some planting to fill the emptiness, and a
third one of these, a huge Juniper, has now been felled. He also explained
that volunteers had helped to weed out the Alchemilla mollis and several
overgrown clumps of Rosmarinus and Helichrysum. This leaves a marvellous
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opportunity for a collection of native ferns, including Adiantum and
Polystichum species, and six or seven species of dwarf alpine willows, which
are being grown from seed collected in Scotland.
A muddy area next to the Rhizotron is the site of a new venture for Treborth.
Charles Bishop, whose speciality is the physiology of birds with particular
reference to flight, is setting up a pigeon loft, where the birds will be housed.
The birds will be given differing conditions, of food and day length for
example, and will be released at specified times. As they return, their
condition and weight will be automatically monitored to assess what factors
govern their flight [see the article below for more on this - Ed].
On the lower edge of the rockery a clump of daffodils, probably Narcissus
pseudonarcissus subsp. obvallaris, the Tenby Daffodil, were glowing in the
evening light under a large Salix hastata 'Wehrhahnii' just beginning to show
its’ silver catkins.
We then admired the large clumps of bamboo, including Phyllostachys
viridiglaucescens and Sasa koreana. Nigel had feared for their hardiness
when they were completely bowed down by the weight of snow after
Christmas, but they had survived, indicating that they are probably much less
tender than we had thought. They make most of their growth in mid-summer,
and we can cut out the older canes now for use in the gardens.
We then moved on to the edge of the grass area, congratulating Nigel on
having the lawns mowed in time for the walk. Trevor pointed out healthy plants
of the Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula) with spotted leaves which will
produce its flower spike in May and become senescent by midsummer. Also
in this area were flowering hellebores in several colours, looking good in the
short grass.
The group then moved on to a newly cleared path in limestone woodland,
where volunteers had renewed a flight of steps with timber edging and cleared
the brambles to reveal an interesting assemblage of native plants, Herb Paris
(Paris quadrifolia) among them, but not visible yet. The Gladwyn Iris (Iris
foetidissima) and Stinking Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus) grow here too.
Trevor explained that the Yellow Variegated Archangel (Lamiastrum
galeobdolon subsp. argenteum) had previously been quite rare but is now
threatening native plants in the ancient woodland SSSI because of its vigour.
Pat has cleared a patch by physically tearing up the long runners, but its
spread may lead us to use a chemical spray. The plant thrives by being winter
green and probably makes its growth before the leaf canopy develops in the
Summer. While in the woodland, Nigel confessed to being irritated by the
constant “teacher teacher” call of the Great Tit drowning out the lesser calls of
blackbirds and thrushes.
Moving a short way down the path we could see large piles of Prunus
laurocerasus and Rhododendron ponticum which had been cleared by student
volunteers to reveal the site of our Bog Garden; nearby was a species
Rhododendron, with huge white flowers. A Japanese Walking Stick Bamboo
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(Chimonobambusa tumidissinosa) has made a good clump and we plan to
have Acers here too. A large ditch here is undoubtedly the work of Joseph
Paxton. On our left was an old limestone wall colonised by mosses, liverworts
and polypody ferns. This wall enclosed the old Donkey Field of 5 acres, where
since the 1950s Birch and Pine have grown up to create woodland.
Back into the gardens we admired a large Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
underplanted with Narcissi showing promise, and Adders Tongue-ferns
(Ophioglossum vulgatum) hiding in the grass. At the edge of the border by the
pond we admired the enormous catkins of Alnus maximowiczii, Nigel
explained that each catkin is composed of scores of fused bracts, while the
female flowers, on adjacent twigs were pale green with tiny red stigmas
visible. The Choisya was looking battered by the Easterly gales and a Cytisus
“Porlock” is coming to the end of its short life. The pond had good strands of
toad spawn, in spite of the pair of Mallard duck who have taken up residence.
Nearby the Rhododendron auriculatum which had 90 flower heads last
August, looks in fine condition.
The handsome bench donated by Professor Phillips family has now been put
out after winter. The area beyond the pond was overgrown with several
Lonicera, including L. nitida and L. pileata which have been cut hard back
leaving a good sheltered planting area for tender shrubs. The Sorbus
megalocarpa was in full flower, huge spherical heads of cream, which appear
before its large leaves, red in Spring green in Summer and colouring again in
the Autumn. A large Betula pendula youngii is almost hidden amongst the
Alders here, and we plan to thin the group to allow the birch to develop its
distinctive weeping shape.
The next border has been the scene of determined work by volunteers to
remove more brambles, Lonicera pileata, Brachyglottis 'Sunshine' and self
sown cotoneasters to reveal a beautiful Acer griseum with copper flaking bark,
a rare unnamed Cotoneaster, and several magnolias. This border was planted
20 years ago, and needed some drastic thinning. In the waning light we heard
the noisy flight of Jackdaws returning to roost in the woodland, Nigel told us
that Chiffchaffs had returned to Treborth on March 15th, having wintered in
North Africa or the Mediterranean. We admired Betula cactibiricus, which had
been planted in 1984 by John Cooper who was working in the Gardens. John
was tragically killed in a road accident soon after, and his family support the
work of Treborth in his memory. This tree has spreading branches at ground
level, forming a beautiful goblet shape.
It was quite chilly by now so we returned to the laboratory where Nigel showed
us the previous day’s moth catch, some exquisite in detail under the
microscope. The walk was filmed by a BBC Wales television crew from Cwmni
Da who had spent the day with Trevor. The programme The Plant Detective is
to be shown on BBC 1 Wales on May 23rd, as part of the series Life Matters.
We all felt that we understood Treborth and its many delights, thanks to Nigel
and Trevor’s knowledge and enthusiasm and declared the evening a great
success.
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Ann Wood (Secretary)
QQRR
WEATHER AND WILDLIFE
December 2000 to April 2001
Neither Christmas Day nor New Year’s Day saw snow yet the week in
between will be remembered for one of the snowiest spells to affect the region
for some years. It began with heavy falls from 22.00 hrs. on 27 December,
and it was clear by midnight that evening that this was no ordinary snowfall.
Here in the Garden trees and shrubs were quickly laden down by the shear
weight of snow and the whole family rushed around brushing the excess away
for fear of branches and shoots being broken. Worst affected were the
bamboos which bent over to ground level whilst conifers became splayed in all
directions and eucalyptus branches arched down to snow level. Seemingly
unconcerned by our nocturnal activity a fox hunted at the eastern end of the
Garden meticulously quartering the uncut meadow plots and from time to time
leaping into the air, feet together and plunging head first into the deepening
snow in search of prey.
By morning 4 inches of snow had transformed Treborth into a picture postcard
scene and with freezing overnight temperatures for the next few nights the
snow persisted and indeed formed an icy envelope over many specimens of
plants. Fieldfares flocked to the Garden in search of easier forage and Long
Tailed Tits joined more familiar titmice on the peanut feeders. Three Whooper
Swans from Iceland flew N.E. overhead on 29 .
Despite my worst fears of irreparable damage most plant specimens quickly
assumed their normal habit once a rapid thaw set in on New Year’s Eve. It
had been an eventful end to a month the general mildness of which had
encouraged Red Admiral butterflies to visit Viburnum x bodnantense blossom
on 20 and 22 .
It also marked the end of a year which saw record rainfall, the final total of
59.8 inches contrasting starkly with the driest year of late - 34.9 inches in
1991. October and November had been the two wettest months since our
records began in 1988.
Rainfall 2000
Month
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
th
th
th
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nd
October
November
December
Total
January 2001 proved drier than normal, much to everyone’s relief, with 10
days of cold sunny weather in the middle of the month (coinciding with 10
consecutive nights of freezing air temperatures, reaching minus 4.5 degrees
centigrade on the 17 and 18th). Bird life in the Garden was enhanced by the
continued and more frequent appearance of at least two pheasant and the
excitement of ravens displaying mutual admiration for each other’s flying skills
above their nest site by the Strait. The most outstanding avian event occurred
in the curator’s absence however when three Waxwing stopped briefly in the
shrub borders on 26 . This was reported to me by M.Sc. Ecologist Ailsa Reid
who is familiar with this spectacular species from her time in Aberdeenshire
where they are much more regular winter visitors coming as they do from
Scandinavia. Ailsa was visiting the Garden early every morning at this time to
record robin song as part of a study to determine whether well fed robins sing
more robustly than less well fed robins - and it seems like they do! Ailsa also
spotted a fox trotting nonchalantly towards her down Treborth’s main drive as
she cycled in to the Garden at dawn on 18 . By the end of the month the dawn
chorus included at least 6 species - 3 tits, dunnock, song thrush and robin
whilst throughout the long January nights tawny owls had been very vocal.
A total eclipse of the moon clearly visible on 9 January probably encouraged
a sizeable group of enthusiasts to come along for a winter star watch at
Treborth on 13 . We had excellent views of Venus, Jupiter and Saturn
(including the famous rings) as well as many fine constellations - Orion,
Perseus, Cassiopaea, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Auriga, Gemini, Taurus,
Pleiades, Pegasus and later, Leo. Most people eventually detected the Great
Spiral Galaxy in Andromeda - at a distance of over 13 million million million
miles the furthest object visible to the naked eye - its faint fuzzy light hitting
our retinas and creating an image after a journey through space which began
over 2 million years ago. Also awe inspiring was the star factory in Orion - the
so called Great Nebula - where stars are born from interstellar dust which
fluoresces in the light of nearby older stars.
February was generally cold but with more rain than January. This did not
prevent blackbird contributing strongly to the dawn chorus from 12 onwards
nor buzzards displaying on the 16 and there after, a combination of
exaggerated roller coaster flights and excited mewing. Jays became very
obvious mid month too - whether they were resident birds or continental
visitors preparing to return I do not know.
March proved to be the driest month since June 2000 but again generally cold
- indeed the night time temperatures at the beginning of the months closely
approached the Garden’s all time low of minus 6 degrees centigrade. Later on
th
th
th
th
th
th
th
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fresh to strong Easterly winds combined with low air temperatures gave very
cold conditions and a number of shrubs suffered chilling injury.
Daffodils first bloomed on 7 and the first chiffchaff song could be heard on
15 . Toad spawn was evident in the pond by 18 whilst milder conditions on
24 brought out hibernating Comma and Peacock butterflies. Wading birds
such as curlew, redshank and snipe were heard migrating east on 22 and
sandwich terns arrived in the Strait during the last week of March, a week
which saw the wood anemone shoot into leaf and flower in the ancient wood.
Rainfall 2001
Month
January
February
March
th
th
th
th
nd
Unfortunately April has begun on a wet note with as much rain falling in the
first week as fell in the whole of March. Blackcaps from the Mediterranean and
West Africa could be heard in full song from 9 and that was the first date for
swallow too. Meanwhile a distinctive call on 13 announced the presence of a
distinctive resident - the green woodpecker, whose yaffle echoed across the
Garden shortly after dawn. In recent years this species has only been
recorded at Treborth in mid-April.
Winter and early spring would not at first seem to hold much interest for the
entomologist but it is surprising what you catch by running a Robinson Light
Trap every night of the year. Even during January 7 species of moth came to
the light at Treborth, including a very early Common Quaker on 3/4 . In
February 11 different species of moth were trapped including a rather early
Oak Beauty. March saw a big increase in both numbers of species (22) and
individual moths (935 specimens caught during the month using one trap).
The largest single night’s catch of the year so far has been 185 moths of 16
species on the night of 12/13 April. Interestingly amongst the moths of April
there have been a few Dark Sword Grass, a migrant from continental Europe.
th
th
th
th
Nigel Brown (Curator)
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
When I finished in the laboratory on the evening of April 8 everything seemed
fine, indeed the display of Aroid plants kindly donated to Treborth by Bleddyn
and Sue Wynn-Jones of Crûg Farm, Griffiths Crossing, looked magnificent
with their intricately patterned, mottled green leaf stalks up to a metre in
length, and the fragrance of Clematis armandii on display in a vase filled the
air.
Yet when I returned in the morning, just 9 hours later, the situation could not
have been more different - I opened the top door and a putrid odour hit me like
a brick wall - it smelt as if something the size of a dinosaur had died in the
th
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laboratory. At first I could not determine the source and dashed around
looking for something deceased whilst opening every available window and
door to ventilate the building. Only after much searching did I finally realise
where the terrible smell was coming from - Bleddyn’s beautiful Aroid!
A fortnight or so earlier one of these Far Eastern specimens, a species of
Amorphophallus, had produced a pinkish spear shaped shoot which rapidly
elongated into a 50 cm tall flower shoot or inflorescence of unusual form.
Hundreds of tiny petal-less flowers were inserted on a fleshy central stalk,
termed the spadix, the male flowers above the females. This floral cluster was
subtended by a dark purplish-pink cowl-shaped bract known as the spathe.
Overnight the distal end of the spadix had expanded to twice it original size
and the surface had become curiously lobed and brain like. This deformed
structure was also the source of the terrible odour.
The smell was so awful that there was no alternative but to relegate this prize
specimen to the glasshouse furthest from the laboratory so that life could
continue unsullied. When I had had time to consider the situation I was
reminded of the conference I had recently attended in Oxford and the advice
that botanic gardens need to promote their work more effectively to the public.
With tongue slightly in cheek I contacted the University’s publicity officer,
Elinor Elis-Williams, and within an hour she had compiled an excellent press
release.
The response was amazing - within six hours HTV Wales, Radio Wales, Coast
FM, the North Wales Chronicle, the Bangor Mail, and the Daily Post all
covered the story with interviews, filming and photographs, all valuable
publicity for the Garden. I am particularly grateful to Rachel Hughes, a first
year undergraduate studying Biology and a Friend of Treborth, who happened
to be at Treborth volunteering when the story broke and who ably dealt with all
the media attention including explaining the biology of the flower to camera - a
natural talent there I’m sure (see front cover)! Also thanks to Ann Wood’s
delightful granddaughter Posy who I’m sure charmed the Daily Post readers
more than the Aroid she kindly agreed to be photographed with!
And what of the botanical star of this story? Seven hours after I first
discovered it’s olfactory potential the odour had dissipated entirely and a few
days later it’s fine cowl had withered. There were no more unpleasant
encounters and you may be left wondering what all the fuss was about. Well
like it’s larger cousin the Giant Arum from Sumatra (Amorphophallus titanum)
which first flowered at Kew a few years ago this smelly extravaganza is laid on
to attract insects which naturally seek out dead animals to lay their eggs in so
that the resulting larvae can feast. The appalling smell fools the insects into
visiting the Aroid and in the process they pollinate the unisexual flowers and
ensure seeds are set. Exactly the same strategy is employed by Britain’s only
native Aroid, Arum maculatum (variously known as Cuckoo Pint, Lords and
Ladies, Wild Arum and Jack by the Hedge) which is familiar in woodlands and
hedgerows. Luckily for us the odour power of the Cuckoo Pint is no match for
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Bleddyn’s tropical stinker, otherwise a walk in the woods might not seem so
pleasant an idea this Spring!
Although overpowering at the time the brevity of the smelly phase of the
flowering period of these extraordinary Aroid plants and the beauty of their
leaves amply justify their inclusion in the botanical collections here at Treborth
and through Bleddyn and Sue Wynn-Jones’ generosity we now cultivate over
a dozen tropical specimens.
Nigel Brown (Curator)
OOPP
ATLAS 2000 - LIFE MATTERS
My work with the Atlas 2000 has now drawn to a close, so I can at last get my
social life back together again (and my garden in order after years of neglect!).
Working with the BSBI and all the volunteer recorders has been a
tremendously rewarding experience, and I have learned an awful lot during
the five year contract. All our work (2400 maps, captions and introductory
chapters) will be handed over to Oxford University Press in the next few
weeks, and we can then look forward to publication of the New Atlas of the
Flora of Britain and Ireland in about 12 months time.
The BBC have now become interested in the project, and several
programmes are planned. A 30 minute documentary will be aired on Radio 4 a
few weeks before publication of the New Atlas, and there will be a programme
on BBC 1 Wales. This will initially focus on me and my work with the Atlas, as
BBC Wales then want to make a programme about the Atlas in a national
context (i.e., the whole of Britain and Ireland) which will go out on BBC
network. Not wanting to miss out on the opportunity, the film crew has been to
Treborth several times, and Nigel and the Friends should be featured several
times! The programme, called The Plant Detective, will be part of a series
called Life Matters, and will go out on BBC 1 Wales during the evening of 23rd
May (see listings for details). The story of the new Equisetum hybrid at Traeth
Lligwy is also followed (see last Newsletter for details), and I'm really pleased
that Dick Roberts (after whom I have named the plant) has taken part. As
Nigel mentioned earlier, publicity is vital for Treborth - see if you can spot all
the bits filmed there in the programme!
Trevor Dines (Chairman)
AABB
AVIAN FLIGHT RESEARCH AT TREBORTH
Anyone who has recently visited the gardens may be excused for wondering
what is the purpose of the new structure just behind the old soil Rhizotron.
This is the new research station which will be used to study avian flight
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energetics. This large enclosure will house approximately 90 homing pigeons
and will be maintained largely by myself and Dr Charles Bishop at the School
of Biological Science here in Bangor. Over the next three years we will be
using these pigeons as a model species to examine some of the important
physiological and morphological factors that enable birds to fly, both efficiently
and effectively. An example of this will be to study heartbeat frequency and
how this correlates with metabolic rate and therefore energy expenditure in
free-flying pigeons.
Over the years people have been amazed at the wide range of physiological
and morphological adaptations that enable birds and other animals to fly. Until
relatively recently, the quantitative study of avian flight was extremely limited,
proposed ideas being almost exclusively theoretical. Most of these traditional
theories of flight were based largely on aerodynamic principles, generated by
physicists and aircraft engineers. This engineering approach has proved to be
useful in gaining a better understanding of the aerodynamic principles
involved in flight research but tells us very little about the physiological
adaptations, such as the energetic costs of flight.
In the mid 1960's several important scientists in the area of avian flight
research decided to use some of these aerodynamic models as a tool to
predict energetic cost of flight. Although very innovative and useful, these
models require the input of real quantitative data (i.e., wing span, wing aspect
ratio, body mass etc.) collected from wild birds. Unfortunately very few
ornithologists at that time collected this kind of information; therefore in the
early years effective usefulness of these models was limited. Over the last few
decades the amount of available quantitative data has increased, along with
new technology. With these recent advances in technology we may be better
able to refine our techniques and therefore take a more empirical approach to
flight research and therefore gain a better insight into, what was up until now,
beyond our capabilities.
The purpose of our research at Treborth, is to test these new techniques and
build upon the existing knowledge within the area of flight research. An
emphasis will be placed upon a series of empirical studies, which will explore
the interaction between various important physiological and morphological
variables. This resultant quantitative data will be used in conjunction with the
theoretical predictive models to produce an overall picture of flight energetics,
therefore hopefully bridging the gap between the two disciplines.
Both Dr Bishop and myself look forward, over the next few years, with the help
and co-operation of both friends and staff at Treborth, to embark of a trip of
discovery where, all going well, only the sky will be the limit.
James Garland (PhD Student)
OOPP
COVER PICTURE
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The front cover of this Newsletter carries an illustration of Rachel Hughes, a
first year undergraduate studying Biology and a Friend of Treborth, with an
Amorphophallus which flowered recently at Treborth and caused quite a
media stir (see Nigel Brown's article, Beauty and the Beast for more details).
Picture courtesy of the Bangor Chronicle.
Trevor Dines (Editor)
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