ISHS Acta Horticulturae 482: International Symposium on Cut Flowers in the Tropics
ORNAMENTAL POTENTIAL OF COLOMBIAN NATIVE FLORA |
| Authors: | A. Cavelier, R. Lee |
| Keywords: | Biodiversity, propagation, selection, Colombia |
| Abstract:
Studies on the ornamental native flora of Colombia have been carried out mostly by plant taxonomists. With the surge of specialists in Horticulture and the deterioration of highland forests in the Andean region, the first studies on "domestication" of species are starting to appear. Plants were collected in the Andean region near Bogotá, Colombia between altitudes of 2400 and 3600 m a.s.l. A thorough propagation study was carried out for each of the 40 species initially collected, followed by a selection according to their potential for use as ornamentals, both as cut flowers and/or pot or garden plants. A further selection based on propagation criteria gave about 20 species of different plant families with a real ornamental use for commercial purposes. Among these are Begonia spp., Bomarea spp., Cuphea sp., Fuschia spp., Hypericum spp., Senecio sp., as well as some species of the Ericaceae and Melastomataceae families. A guide for their future use was suggested in each case. Further studies will concentrate on growing requirements of these species as well as a similar study on lower altitudes. | |
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