'Direct Action Will Save Our Wild Plants'

My father grew cacti and, inspired by his collection, I used my pocket money to buy a small, hairy specimen, probablyCleistocactusbrookeae

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The first plant I ever grew

My father grew cacti and, inspired by his collection, I used my pocket money to buy a small, hairy specimen, probably Cleistocactus brookeae. It grew well until we relocated to Hong Kong when I was 11 years old.

The plant that shaped the botanist I am today

Black salsify, Scorzonera hispanica. Seen under a microscope salsify and related plants have beautiful, almost crystal-like, pollen grains. I studied how their pattern develops, which can be used to understand the process of plant evolution.

My favourite plant in the world