Horticultural taxonomy is the study of the systematics of horticulturally important groups. Kew is ideally placed to carry out such work, having herbarium, library, laboratory and media facilities, supported by extensive living collections, amongst its resources. Although the Horticultural Taxonomy Unit is based in the Herbarium, staff from various departments make contributions in this area; examples include cytogenetics of Narcissus hybrids(Jodrell Laboratory), systematics of Cactaceae-Rhipsalideae (Living Collections), photographic recording of diverse horticultural accessions(Information Services) and systematics of cultivated Ilex(Herbarium).

Many other projects of relevance to horticultural taxonomy are currently underway and staff regularly contribute research papers to both scientific journals and more popular or specialist publications, including Kew's own Curtis's Botanical Magazine and its associated monograph series. The chief aim is to put the taxonomy of horticulturally significant groups into order, which means the resolution of often complicated identification and nomenclatural problems that such groups tend to present as a consequence of their specialist amateur following and the nursery trade. The development of user-friendly identification aids, provision of good illustrations and clear explanations of why name changes may be necessary are important components in the dissemination of this research.

While much of Kew's systematic expertise is focused on tropical plant families and floras, horticultural taxonomy has a broader coverage, including groups that range into, or are particularly diverse in, the temperate regions, such as orchids (e.g. Pleione), various bulbous genera (e.g. Allium), aroids (Arum, Arisaema etc.), Rhododendron and woody Rosaceae. Nevertheless, tropical groups also figure here, with insectivorous plants (Nepenthes), cacti, orchids and Aloaceae receiving particular attention. Besides these, the Living Collections are building up comprehensive holdings of other taxa that merit study, for example, Paeonia, Lavandula, Philadelphus and Betula.

Left: Bergenia crassifolia var. pacifica collected by Tony Kirkham on an expedition to Sakhalin and Ussuri in 1994. This dwarf form, which is new to cultivation, flowered for the first time this year.

Right: Kew's two new Assistant Curators, Tony Kirkham (Hort. Operations & Support) and Jenny Evans (Tropical), at this year's orchid festival.

Kew staff have lent their support towards the production of a long-overdue revision of theInternational Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP), published in December 1995. This will undoubtedly re-stimulate interest in the naming of cultivated plants, for which the Horticultural Taxonomy Group (HORTAX, chaired by Susyn Andrews, Herbarium) and its newsletter, Hortax News, should act as a forum for discussion and further revisions of the ICNCP. HORTAX has recently received a grant from the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust to support Hortax News over the next three years.

Contact Nigel Taylor

Email: Nigel Taylor

IN 1995 Kew Magazine reverted to its former title Curtis's Botanical Magazine underwhich it was known from 1787 to 1983. Curtis's Botanical Magazine is the world's longest-running scientific periodical featuring colour illustrations - 10,000 plates have been published to date! The magazine (published on behalf of the Bentham-Moxon Trust) includes botanical artwork by leading artists accompanied by detailed horticultural and botanical texts on a worldwide range of interesting plants, frequently based on material cultivated at Kew and usually written up by Kew staff. Although traditionally a miscellany of plants, in recent years 'themed' parts have been introduced; e.g. Araceae. In preparation is an orchid issue to coincide with the World Orchid Congress in Rio de Janeiro and a part devoted to the Mascarenes as a mark of Kew's commitment to the Flora of those islands. Future titles in the associated series of monographs include Cypripedium (by Dr Phillip Cribb), Epimedium (Prof. W.T. Stearn) and Galanthus (Dr. Aaron Davis).

Contact: Brian Mathew (c/o The Herbarium)

Email: Brian Mathew

ON 23 JANUARY 1996 a plant of Helleborus vesicarius gained both an RHS Botanical Certificate for its scientific interest and a Cultural Commendation for the Alpine Unit, who grew the plant from seed collected in 1975. Native to S Turkey and N Syria, H. vesicarius is an interesting summer-dormant dryland species within a primarily alpine or woodland genus: e.g. the inflated seed pods are wind dispersed, the fresh seeds are long-lived (taking 2-5 years to germinate), and the seedlings produce subterranean tuber-like swellings, presumably to enable them to survive their first dormancy.

Contact: Tony Hall

Email: Tony Hall

SEVERAL recent projects, involving institutes in Spain, France and Portugal, have focused on the systematics and conservation of plants endemic to the Mediterranean and Macaronesia. These include work on Limonium spp. endemic to SE Spain, Silene spp. in the Algarve, Canarian Echium spp., Lysimachia minoricensis from the Balearics, and Leucojum spp. Many of these are also of horticultural interest. The projects have established relationships with more widespread taxa and will study levels of intra-specific variation so that conservation strategies can be formulated.

Contact: Dr Mike Fay (0181-332 5517)

Email: Mike Fay