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Fasciation

Making It Grow Radio Minute
SC Public Radio

Herrick Brown is the new curator of the A C Moore Herbarium at the University of South Carolina, taking over from our friend Dr. John – a k a Dr. John Nelson. Herrick also has a terminal (not fatal in this case, fortunately) degree, too, but I think one Herbarium Doctor is enough and Herrick is a youngster compared to John and me. He’s kindly been one of Making It Grow guests several times. Now you might now think that preserved plant specimens wouldn’t be very exciting show and tell items, but you’d be wrong. Fasciation was the feature of some specimens Herrick brought recently – a weird type of plant growth when the something goes awry in the apical meristem – the specialized group of cells at the tip of a plant –and instead of elongating they flatten out and divide.

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Amanda McNulty is a Clemson University Extension Horticulture agent and the host of South Carolina ETV’s Making It Grow! gardening program. She studied horticulture at Clemson University as a non-traditional student. “I’m so fortunate that my early attempts at getting a degree got side tracked as I’m a lot better at getting dirty in the garden than practicing diplomacy!” McNulty also studied at South Carolina State University and earned a graduate degree in teaching there.