APPENDIX 8. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT COLLECTING

Questions about Species List Assignments

Q: What if I want to add a species to my list that is already assigned to another collector?
Collectors interested in collecting a species on another collector’s list should contact that collector to get the switch approved and then notify Mary Byrne of any changes via e-mail to mary_byrne@blm.gov.

Q: What if I don’t collect everything on my list during the collecting year?
Unless your collecting group has been contracted for a certain quota, there is no penalty. If a collecting group does not collect all of the species assigned to them by the end of the collecting year, the species will remain on the collector’s list until it is collected or traded to another collector.

Questions about Collecting

Q: How should I collect Orchid seeds?
Follow these steps:

1. Orchid seeds should be carefully collected as entire, ripe capsules just prior to dehiscence. For shipping to Kew the seeds will need to be removed from the capsule in order to comply with CITES regulations (see Section 16e). Remove and package seed as follows:

2. Place a large piece of paper (approximately 17"x22") FLAT (that you have previously folded in half then half again to form a cross in the centre) on a desk. Either shake the capsule upside down or split the capsule with a scalpel blade and gently peel it open. As capsules, they are designed to split and will have natural fault lines for you to follow.

3. Using a small artists paint brush to help you dust the capsule of seeds. Then just pick out any capsule segments with a pair of tweezers. DO NOT crush the capsules as you will not be able to remove pieces of "fruit" from the seeds and this will cause CITES issues.

4. Next, simply fold up the piece of paper with the seeds in the center and fold it up several more times to seal the seeds inside. PLEASE DO NOT USE ADHESIVE OR SCOTCH TAPE! Then place this into another standard envelope and label it with “Very small seeds – Orchids.”

5. Seeds of species not on CITES Appendix I can then be sent to Kew using normal procedures for processing and the following option can be selected in the “Letter to Courier Service” in Appendix 4 of the protocol.

q. This shipment contains seeds of ______________________________________, which is/are included on Appendix II or III of CITES. Seeds of plants from the United States listed as Appendix II or III species are exempt from CITES regulations and do not require import licenses or export permits.

Q: Can I make repeated collections from the same population to get sufficient seed for a single collection?
Yes, seed collections made from the same population can be combined for the entire growing season. However, if a collection is made from the same population in a different year those materials should be kept separate and assigned a new seed collection reference number.

Q: Can I collect from several locations to get sufficient seed for a single collection?
The sampling strategy is intended to achieve a representative sample of the genetic diversity of a single population. Seed samples may only be combined into a single population sample if samples have been collected:

• from groups of apparently similar individual plants from nearby locations, and
• which appear capable of frequent interbreeding (consider the seed dispersal characteristics and the kind of pollination agent for the species - ‘nearby’ may mean 1 mile for an insect pollinated species, but as far as 10 miles for a wind-pollinated species) if the sampling approach has been consistent at each location, such that that combined sample is truly representative of the population. In this case, it is good practice to note the location of the centre of each sub-population on the field data form. If you have any doubt about combining such samples, it would be wise to select the most suitable sub-population for sampling.

Q: What is Seeds of Success doing for Fraxinus ssp. (ash)?
A: Seeds of Success is part of the National Fraxinus Germplasm Conservation Project, which is developing a nationwide strategy to conserve ash germplasm in a coordinated and strategic manner.

Ash should remain and be added to SOS target lists. For more information contact the SOS National Coordinating Office or the National Fraxinus Germplasm Conservation Project Coordinator (contact information below).

Mark P. Widrlechner, Ph.D.
USDA-ARS Horticulturist
North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station
Iowa State University
Ames, IA  50011-1170
Phone: 515-294-3511