Rosemary Newton

Development, dormancy, germination and ex-situ survival of seeds of selected Amaryllidaceae species

Rosemary and an example of a European Amaryllidaceae: the wild daffodil, Narcissus pseudonarcissus (Image: RBG Kew)

“I have a background in plant ecology and physiology, having completed a Masters degree in Botany at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. My first association with the Millennium Seed Bank was assisting Dr Michiel van Slageren with seed collection in the Western Cape during 1997 and 1998. In January 2005 I joined the Seed Conservation Department as a Seed Specialist in the Technology and Training Section. I am now a Germination Specialist in the Conservation and Technology Section and my work consists primarily of studies on seed germination/dormancy and longevity.

In 2006 I registered for a part-time higher degree in research, funded by Kew, under the supervision of Dr Fiona Hay at Kew and Professor Richard Ellis at the Unversity of Reading. The aims of my study were to investigate seed biology in selected species of the horticulturally and medicinally important Amaryllidaceae family, which has centres of diversity in Africa, Europe and America. Seed morphology and storage behaviour in this family are very diverse. Storage behaviour ranges from seeds that cannot be dried and stored by conventional methods (recalcitrant seeds) to orthodox seeds that are dried and stored in the seed bank at -20°C. My research looked at seed development, dormancy, germination, storage behaviour and longevity in seeds of primarily the common snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) and wild daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus).

I have been fortunate to be able to work with experts in the field of seed biology at the Millennium Seed Bank and have greatly appreciated the opportunity to conduct research in such a stimulating and supportive environment .”