Microförökning av björkar

Abstract

To preserve biodiversity, individual birches of special interest have been propagated in-vitro. All selected clones feature hereditary characteristics that could be lost, if sexually propagated. Many of these birches were selected and placed in botanical gardens and arboreta 50 years ago, by people with a fascination for trees. These trees must be renewed if they are to be saved for the future. One clone is a triploid (Betula pendula, of the variety gigas) and one is a birch whith copper-coulored trunk originationg from Asia (Betula albosinensis ssp. septentrionalis), while the other clones are birches featuring small mutations of normal birch. One birch retains its leaves throughout the winter (B. pubescens of the variety hibernifolia Ulvinen), one has rhomboicbshaped leaves (B. pubescens) and one has small leaves and short internodes (B. pendula var. sellandi). A technical description of the micro-propagation process is given, and the development of in-vitro shoots is visuallydocumentet. The special characteristics of the birches have been preserved, as far as can be determined from today's plants. The history and taxonomy of birches from the time of Carl Linnaeus to present day are reviewed

Published in

Lustgården
2004, Volume: 84, pages: 37-50 Publisher: Föreningen för Dendrologi och Parkvård

SLU Authors

• Iwarsson, Mattias

  • Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Associated SLU-program

SLU Swedish Biodiversity Centre


UKÄ Subject classification

Horticulture
Landscape Architecture
Forest Science


Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/19818