CLARKSVILLE, TN– While working as a graduate research assistant with Austin Peay State University’s Center of Excellence for Field Biology and the Southeastern Grasslands Institute, Thomas Murphy identified four new types of clematis and one species that had been forgotten for more than a century. He did this through a type of clinical gardening in combination with observations of herbarium specimens, field work and partnerships with Jesse Harris from the University of Colorado– Stone who supplied DNA analysis.
If you point out “clematis” and “gardening” to someone, they will likely envision a large-flowered vine. Clematis are discovered worldwide and have been grown in gardens for decorative functions for hundreds of years. Today, there are thousands of ornamental cultivars available in the horticultural market.
What most people do not recognize is that there are over 20 various species of clematis belonging to the southeastern U.S. These types look really various from the large-flowered vine that is so familiar in the gardening world. In truth, most of the region’s native clematis species are not available within the traditional horticultural market, although some can be found through native plant nurseries.
One of the clematis species belonging to the southeastern U.S. is netleaf leatherflower (clematis reticulata). It’s range covers Tennessee west to Oklahoma, and south to Texas and Florida. However, the plant was known to be extremely variable across its range.
Some botanists thought this irregularity represented different species. Others thought the variability was because of differences in the climate, location and other conditions where the plants were discovered. Murphy’s research study, which was funded by the distinguished Mt Cuba Center Graduate Fellowship in Eastern American Botany, looked for to discover the answer to this long-standing scientific mystery.
” At Mt. Cuba Center we are devoted to saving native plants in the wild, in our gardens, and in the hearts of our visitors and students,” stated Amy Highland, Mt. Cuba Center’s Director of Collections and Preservation Lead. “This research study demonstrates how botanical research study can discover new types in unanticipated places. Learning more about these plants assists us to identify how to best protect them.”
Murphy started his research by taking a look at dried herbarium specimens of netleaf leatherflower from throughout its variety. This is the technique that had been most often used by previous taxonomists examining the variability of netleaf leatherflower. Nevertheless, he rapidly realized that many of the herbarium specimens only included a portion of the vine and in some cases crucial characteristics of the plants had been obscured or lost in the pressing and drying processes.
In order to really comprehend and classify the variations, Murphy understood that he required to see the plants growing in their natural environments. So, he and his colleagues required to the field, driving over 15,000 miles throughout more than 20 states.
” When I started seeing the different populations of netleaf leatherflower in the field is when it truly began to strike me,” Murphy said. “Everything about these populations appeared various– the method they looked, their habitats, the associated species, just whatever.”
At each site, Murphy collected and processed new herbarium specimens revealing the whole plant. He also collected leaves for DNA analysis by Harris. Murphy then took his research study one action even more and did something no one else had actually made with this types– he conducted what is called a common garden experiment.
With appropriate licenses to do so, he gathered two living transplants from each website. Among these plants he grew in APSU’s greenhouse and the other was sent out to the Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware. Both of these websites now offer living collections of all the clematis in Murphy’s research study.
Murphy is presently pursuing his Ph.D. at the University of Florida, where he is studying plant systematics of neotropical Smilax. Financing for Murphy’s Clematis research study was provided by the Mt. Cuba Center, the British Clematis Society, and a personal donor.