Xia Ke

I am a Ph.D student co-supervised by the Kunming Institute of Botany (KIB), the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Millennium Seed Bank at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. My Ph.D programme focuses on the seed ecology of Chinese Cyclobalanopsis (Fagaceae).
My interest in the genus Cyclobalanopsis (evergreen oaks) was led by my Chinese supervisor Prof. Zhou Zhekun. With a broad understanding of biogeography of Fagaceae, he suggested I  start my Ph.D programme on Cyclobalanopsis, a genus mainly growing in tropical and subtropical Asia. This proposal interested Prof. Hugh Pritchard and Dr. Matthew Daws at the MSB.
My Ph.D programme started in 2006. I collected seeds of 13 Cyclobalanopsis species and also seeds of Quercus, Castenea, Lithocapus in China. Under the guidance of Prof. Pritchard and Dr. Daws, I visited the MSB that winter to begin the research on Cyclobalanopsis seeds.

The aims of my programme are to build up seed ecological knowledge of Cyclobalanopsis,  an area not well studied until now. The programme includes studies on storage behaviour, germination, and desiccation tolerance. European oak seeds are also studied as a comparison.
My experience at the MSB broadened my seed biology knowledge through experimental practice, and also through reports and talks. During my five and a half month stay I got to know many excellent colleagues from around the world, who helped me with lots of good suggestions.
I am going to visit the MSB again this year. Even more exciting is that I will have the opportunity to attend the 9th ISSS Conference on Seed Biology in Poland. Study at the MSB is brightening my career as a seed biologist.