Conservation Collections at the National Botanic Garden of Nepal – The Franklinia Taxus Project

Abstract

Three species of Taxus occur in Nepal T. contorta, T. maireii and Taxus wallichiana,. All are under pressure from collection for medicinal use, habitat destruction and changing land use. In 2017 and 2018 fieldwork was carried out to collect seed, herbarium specimens, cuttings and information to improve protection of these species, funded by Fondation Franklinia. Collections were made for propagation, herbarium and molecular studies. Population level Information was also gathered to make national assessments for these species. This article traces the status of the living collections in the National Botanic Garden of Nepal (NBG) and the assessments made by the team comprising staffs of Department of Plant Resources (DPR) and Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and Freelance botanist. Reference is made to work done prior to 2017 on the taxonomy and distribution of the species and which enabled efficient fieldwork thereafter. The establishment of a conservation collection at NBG provides a basis for research into yew species in Nepal and highlights the benefits of internationally collaborative projects to maintain conservation collections of threatened species in their country of origin.