The Herbert Medal

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The Herbert Medal is awarded by the International Bulb Society to those whose achievements in advancing knowledge of ornamental bulbous plants is considered to be outstanding. [1]

International Bulb Society

The International Bulb Society was founded on May 31, 1933 and is an international society dedicated to informing the public about the science, cultivation, conservation and botany of geophytic plants, commonly known as bulbs.

Ornamental bulbous plant

Ornamental bulbous plants, often called ornamental bulbs or just bulbs in gardening and horticulture, are herbaceous perennials grown for ornamental purposes, which have underground or near ground storage organs. Botanists distinguish between true bulbs, corms, rhizomes, tubers and tuberous roots, any of which may be termed "bulbs" in horticulture. Bulb species usually lose their upper parts during adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat or winter cold. The bulb's storage organs contain moisture and nutrients that are used to survive these adverse conditions in a dormant state. When conditions become favourable the reserves sustain a new growth cycle. In addition, bulbs permit vegetative or asexual multiplication in these species. Ornamental bulbs are used in parks and gardens and as cut flowers.

Contents

The medal is named for William Herbert, a noted 19th-century botanist. He published many articles in the Botanical Register and the Botanical Magazine on the subject of bulbous plants, many of which he cultivated in his own gardens. He wrote what became the standard work on the family Amaryllidaceae in 1837. He also published extensively on hybridization based on his own experiments, [2] not only on bulbs but also on other groups of plants.

Amaryllidaceae A family of flowering plants comprising members popular for horticulture and vegetable production

The Amaryllidaceae are a family of herbaceous, mainly perennial and bulbous flowering plants in the monocot order Asparagales. The family takes its name from the genus Amaryllis and is commonly known as the amaryllis family. The leaves are usually linear, and the flowers are usually bisexual and symmetrical, arranged in umbels on the stem. The petals and sepals are undifferentiated as tepals, which may be fused at the base into a floral tube. Some also display a corona. Allyl sulfide compounds produce the characteristic odour of the onion subfamily (Allioideae).

Herbert Medalists

A full list of those awarded the Herbert Medal is given on the International Bulb Society website, [1] and in Herbertia (1937–1988). [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Hippeastrum</i> genus of plants

Hippeastrum is a genus of about 90 species and over 600 hybrids and cultivars of perennial herbaceous bulbous plants. They generally have large fleshy bulbs and tall broad leaves, generally evergreen, and large red or purple flowers.

<i>Nerine</i> genus of plants

Nerine is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. They are bulbous perennials, some evergreen, associated with rocky and arid habitats. They bear spherical umbels of lily-like flowers in shades from white through pink to crimson. In the case of deciduous species, the flowers may appear on naked stems before the leaves develop. Native to South Africa, there are about 20–30 species in the genus. Though described as lilies, they are not significantly related to the true lilies (Liliaceae), but more closely resemble their relatives, Amaryllis and Lycoris. The genus was established by the Revd. William Herbert in 1820.

Botanical nomenclature is the formal, scientific naming of plants. It is related to, but distinct from taxonomy. Plant taxonomy is concerned with grouping and classifying plants; botanical nomenclature then provides names for the results of this process. The starting point for modern botanical nomenclature is Linnaeus' Species Plantarum of 1753. Botanical nomenclature is governed by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN), which replaces the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN). Fossil plants are also covered by the code of nomenclature.

The Hon. William Herbert was a British botanist, botanical illustrator, poet, and clergyman. He served as a member of parliament for Hampshire from 1806 to 1807, and for Cricklade from 1811 to 1812. His botanical writings are noted for his treatment of Amaryllidaceae.

Bulbil A small young plant that grows from the parent plants stem

A bulbil is a small, young plant that is reproduced vegetatively from axillary buds on the parent plant's stem or in place of a flower on an inflorescence. These young plants are clones of the parent plant that produced them—they have identical genetic material. The formation of bulbils is a form of asexual reproduction, as they can eventually go on to form new stand-alone plants.

Sydney Percy-Lancaster, F.L.S., F.R.H.S., M.R.A.S. was born on 19 July 1886 at Meerut, India. His father, Percy Lancaster, was a banker and a talented amateur gardener, who went on to become the Secretary of the Agri Horticultural Society of India in Calcutta, India.

<i>Ismene</i> (plant) genus of plants

Ismene, or Peruvian daffodil, is a genus of South American plants in the Amaryllis family. The species are native to Peru and Ecuador and widely cultivated elsewhere as ornamentals because of their large, showy flowers.

<i>Herbertia</i> (plant) genus of plants

Herbertia is a small genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the Iris family (Iridaceae).

Brian Frederick Mathew MBE, VMH is a British botanist, born in the village of Limpsfield, Surrey, England. His particular area of expertise is bulbous plants, particularly ornamental bulbous plants, although he has contributed to other fields of taxonomy and horticulture. He has authored or co-authored many books on bulbs and bulbous genera which appeal to both botanists and gardeners, as well as specialist monographs on other genera, including Daphne, Lewisia, and Helleborus. His work has been recognized by the British Royal Horticultural Society and the International Bulb Society.

Alpine Garden Society society based in the United Kingdom

The Alpine Garden Society is a society based in the United Kingdom, with its headquarters at Pershore, Worcestershire. It describes itself as an "International Society for the cultivation, conservation and exploration of alpine and rock garden plants, small hardy herbaceous plants, hardy and half-hardy bulbs, hardy ferns and small shrubs".

Herbertia may refer to:

<i>Hippeastrum miniatum</i> species of plant

Hippeastrum miniatum is a flowering perennial herbaceous bulbous plant, in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to Peru.

<i>Hippeastrum psittacinum</i> species of plant

Hippeastrum psittacinum is a flowering perennial herbaceous bulbous plant, in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to Brazil.

<i>Hippeastrum reginae</i> species of plant

Hippeastrum petiolatum is a flowering perennial herbaceous bulbous plant, in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru and Brazil.

Peter Goldblatt is a South African botanist, working principally in the United States.

<i>Hippeastrum reticulatum</i> species of plant

Hippeastrum reticulatum, the netted-veined amaryllis, is a flowering perennial herbaceous bulbous plant, in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to South America.

Graham Dugald Duncan(born 1959) is a South African botanist and specialist bulb horticulturalist at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town, South Africa.

<i>Acis trichophylla</i> species of plant

Acis trichophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to Portugal, Spain and Morocco. It has very narrow leaves. The flowers are produced in late winter or early spring and are usually white, but sometimes pink-tinged or all pink. The species is cultivated as an ornamental bulb, but requires protection from hard frost.

Dierdré A. Snijman South African botanist

Dierdré "Dee" Anne Snijman is a South African botanist and plant taxonomist who is notable for studying and writing extensively on bulbs. She has described over 120 species and has written comprehensive works on South African flora. She received the 1997 Herbert Medal from the International Bulb Society for her research on Amaryllis.

References

  1. 1 2 International Bulb Society Archived August 25, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ "Herbert, William (1778-1847)"  . Dictionary of National Biography . London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  3. ↑ The Herbert Medal
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