The Smithsonian Institution has a long history of monographic and floristic work on the plant family Gesneriaceae, one of the largest families of the Lamiales as now circumscribed. Conrad V. Morton worked on the family from the 1930s until his death in 1972. Shortly after Morton’s death, Dr. Laurence E. (Larry) Skog was hired to continue research on Gesneriaceae in the Smithsonian’s Department of Botany, and continues to work on the group since retiring in 2003. In large part due to the work of these two scientists, the United States National Herbarium (US) has grown to have one of the largest and richest collections of Gesneriaceae in the world, with approximately 28,000 specimens and including about 1,000 types. Although the emphasis of the collection is on New World material it includes many specimens from the Old World, with particularly significant holdings of Chinese, Philippine, and Pacific Island material. The department also maintains a small living collection of approximately 300 accessions in its research greenhouses in Suitland, Maryland. ... [Information of the supplier]
Major objectives of GLOMIS are: (1) To construct a database with the characteristics of single mangrove species and of mangrove ecosystems; (2) To disseminate worldwide the information stored in the Database; (3) To focus on the functioning, management and rational uses of single species of mangroves and of entire mangrove ecosystems, including local environmental and socio-economic inplications for coastal communities; (4) Organize, maintain and up-date at regular intervals the information system which is meant for the use of forestry, ficheries, law-makers and administrators, decision makers and users at large. This first phase of GLOMIS consists of a searchable database of scientific literature relating to mangroves, institutions and scientists working on all aspects of mangroves, as well as regional projects and programmes related to mangroves. We believe that GLOMIS is ready to be opened on the Web although refinements, improvements and corrections will always be needed. ... [Information of the supplier]