Steve Weller (University of California at Irvine) gives the first presentation on Day 1 of the Hawaiʻi Rare Plant Genetics Workshop. Conservation practitioners and field biologists in Hawaii have been critical collaborators in Schiedea research over the years. Their knowledge of populations of Schiedea over the years has allowed the study of breeding system diversity and evolution and enabled greenhouse crossing experiments. Because most species of Schiedea are very rare, several restoration efforts have that have been underway; Steve specifically discusses several efforts to restore Schiedea globosa. The genus has also surprised researchers over the years; Steve recounts the discovery of moth pollinators in biotically pollinated species, the description of species new to science, and hybridization between sympatric species with different breeding systems.

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