Botanical Garden with Dr. Hoffmann and Dr. Heklau
03.04.2024, Halle (Saale)
As part of the input series, after the multi-day excursion, we made a stopover at the Halle Botanical Garden. There we were welcomed by Dr. Matthias H. Hoffmann, who works as curator of the collection of plants from the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean region as well as the extensive collection of succulents, orchids and aquatic plants. These facilities and collections of the garden are not only available to the staff and students of geobotany, but also to those of biochemistry, genetics, paleobotany, pharmacy and zoology. Our tour took us through the cactus house, where we looked at the variety of succulents and discussed the adaptation mechanisms of plants in stressful situations. We also discussed approaches to promote the adaptation of forests to global warming in the context of forest management and were also given a guided tour of the system garden, in which, among other things, only locally occurring salt plants grow. We then visited the Institute of Biology at Domplatz, where Dr. Heike Heklau gave a lecture on “dye-producing plants” and “plant fibres” in crop plants from the tropics and subtropics. Using selected plants and their structure, she demonstrated different types of natural dyes, explained traditional craft techniques and presented potential applications in addition to the dyeing of fibers. The comparison of different fiber plants such as cultivated flax, hemp, jute, ramie and stinging nettle was particularly impressive. We gained insights into the biological structure of these plants, their impressive static properties during the growth process and an understanding of the development of the fibers. It was also exciting to learn about the complexity of harvesting and processing right through to the usable fiber bundle.
thanks to: | Dr. Hoffmann & Dr. Heklau from MLU Halle |
project: | The Plant Project – Resilience Part II |
year: | 2024 |
text by: | Emil Löber |