Index Seminum

Please check out the 2022 JCRA/JLBG Index Seminum Offerings Here!

We are pleased to introduce our joint Index Seminum with our sister institution, the JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University!

So, what is an Index Seminum? Index Seminum is Latin for ‘seed list’, but in botanical garden circles, it is a free exchange of seed between institutions for the purposes of conservation, education, and scientific research.

Sadly, many institutions around the world have discontinued their Index Seminum, due primarily to restrictions imposed by the poorly thought-out Convention for Biodiversity (CBD). This International treaty was used to convince poor countries that their plant genetics equated to mined minerals and belonged to each government, which was entitled to ridiculous compensation if anyone used plants native to their country in a “profitable manner.” Obviously, this was written by bureaucrats who didn’t understand plants, business, research, or sharing for the benefit of the human race. We wish them luck as those who help put the treaty in place now try to put the proverbial genie back in the bottle by correcting the error of their ways.

Our Index Seminum offerings are seed collected from the combined two gardens’ collections of more than 27,000 taxa. With climate change, the need for ex-situ conservation is paramount, so we expect these seed to be used in a variety of ways to benefit the human race.

The seed list is generally sent electronically to botanic and research institutions by mid-February with seed being distributed later in the spring. To see if you qualify to receive a copy of our seed list, email Dennis Carey, JCRA Curator.