Abstract
WHEN the lease of the Royal Botanic Society, Regent's Park, terminated in 1931, the grounds were thrown open to the public, but arrangements were made with the Office of Works for continuing the investigations in genetics which had been carried on there since the War. This arrangement has now been placed on a permanent basis, a portion of the original Gardens, including a quadrangle of buildings and the adjacent grounds, having been set aside for this work on rental from the Office of Works. Through the action of Prof. R. Ruggles Gates, the Courtauld research fund of £5,000 has been obtained as an endowment for this work, which is an important extension of the research facilities of the Department of Botany, King's College. The facilities include two greenhouses with boilers for heating, a potting shed, tool house, cold frames and a laboratory of four rooms. The latter is being fitted up for the examina tion of genetical material and the collection and treatment of cytological material from plants grown in the Gardens, as well as for photographic work. The Empire Cotton Growing Corporation is also making a grant for three years in aid of further researches on cotton and its relatives. Various other temperate and tropical economic plants are being investigated. The fundamental researches in cyto-genetics, with which the name of Prof. Gates has been connected for many years, have now been extended to include a study of the native species of CEnothera in eastern Canada. The phenomena of distribution, relationships and hybridisation of the native species and varieties (many of them undescribed) found in this area constitute a genetic survey which throws light on many phases of the complicated evolutionary problems in this genus.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Royal Botanic Gardens, Regent's Park. Nature 133, 488 (1934). https://doi.org/10.1038/133488a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/133488a0