The Merwin Conservancy Welcomes Palm Specialist, Dr. John Dransfield

Cataloging of the palms underway and in the hands of the esteemed botanist Dr. John Dransfield, visiting Maui for the first time from Wales. The world’s foremost palm specialist, Dr. Dransfield is assisting the NTBG in the cataloging efforts during his three-week visit.

Dr. Dransfield will lend both his considerable experience and formidable talent for identification to the palm cataloging project.  We would very much like to acknowledge Jan Elliot of Maui and Sir Ghillean Prance, former head of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, for their role in orchestrating this opportunity.

Chipper Wichman, Executive Director of the NTBG, is excited to have Dr. Dransfield join the team. Says Wichman,”Dr. Dransfield is one of the great plantsmen of the world, and his knowledge of palm taxonomy is second to none. Best of all, he has a `taxonomic eye.’  This highly refined skill allows him to identify palms at a glance. Where most skilled taxonomists would need to study a species in the field, then go back to the lab and review the published literature and taxonomic keys that are based on unique morphological characteristics, Dr. Dransfield is able to do most of this in his head while he stands in the field and looks at a palm specimen. Having John Dransfield join the team for three weeks is like having a super computer that can crunch the most challenging math problems in seconds!”

Dr. Dransfield’s wife, Soejatmi, also a botanist, specializes in grasses including everything from sugarcane to rice to bamboo.