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Societal Impact Statement Human‐caused habitat destruction and transformation is resulting in a cascade of impacts to biological diversity, of which arguably the most fundamental is species extinctions. The Global Conservation Consortia (GCC) are a means to pool efforts and expertise across national boundaries and between disciplines in the attempt to prevent such losses in focal plant groups. GCC Erica coordinates an international response to extinction threats in one such group, the heaths, or heathers, of which hundreds of species are found only in South Africa's spectacularly diverse Cape Floristic Region. Summary Effectively combating the biodiversity crisis requires coordinated conservation efforts. Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and numerous partners have established Global Conservation Consortia (GCC) to collaboratively develop and implement comprehensive conservation strategies for priority threatened plant groups. Through these networks, institutions with specialised collections and staff can leverage ongoing work to optimise impact for threatened plant species. The genus Erica poses a challenge similar in scale to that of the largest other GCC group, Rhododendron, but almost 700 of the around 800 known species of Erica are concentrated in a single biodiversity hotspot, the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) of South Africa. Many species are known to be threatened, suffering the immediate impacts of habitat destruction, invasive species, changes in natural fire regimes and climate change. Efforts to counter these threats face general challenges: disproportionate burden of in situ conservation falling on a minority of the community, limited knowledge of species‐rich groups, shortfalls in assessing and monitoring threat, lack of resources for in situ and limitations of knowledge for ex situ conservation efforts and in communicating the value of biological diversity to a public who may never encounter it in the wild. GCC Erica brings together the world's Erica experts, conservationists and the botanical community, including botanic gardens, seed banks and organisations in Africa, Madagascar, Europe, the United States, Australia and beyond. We are collaboratively pooling our unique sets of skills and resources to address these challenges in working groups for conservation prioritisation, conservation in situ, horticulture, seed banking, systematic research and outreach.

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Although significant advances have been made in implementing international mechanisms to support the benefit sharing of natural resources in low and middle income countries, there are limited practical examples. Our research examines how the ornamental horticulture sector might be able to meet its benefit sharing requirements.Employing a consumer survey, we reveal the potential for monetary benefit sharing to emerge for plants with Known Wild Provenance. Our results indicate that although consumers value plants that have their Known Wild Provenance clearly labelled, the magnitude of this estimate is insufficient to generate meaningful monetary benefits. Summary• The global trade in ornamental plants is significant and growing. Historically, the relationship between the acquisition of novel plants from the wild for use in ornamental horticulture has been referred to as plant hunting. However, questions are now being raised about the ethical utilisation of biological resources and if those countries providing access to material from the wild are receiving adequate benefits. It is in this context that we examine if plants of Known Wild Provenance (KWP) are valued by UK consumers, and if a potential premium could be the basis of a benefit-sharing agreement.• Employing a choice experiment, we assess consumers' preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for KWP.• Our analysis reveals that KWP did not prove to be a strong driver for plant buyers.• Although a positive WTP is generated it is relatively small. Thus, the ability of commercial horticulture to provide monetary benefits to support benefit sharing is likely limited. This result raises questions as to how benefit sharing might then be implemented if buyers of plants are not prepared to pay a price premium.

Orites myrtoideus (Poepp. & Endl.) Engl. is an evergreen shrub in the family Proteaceae, endemic  to the Andes of both Chile and Argentina. With a small distribution and increasing risks, direct conservation action has been recommended. Ex situ cultivation and subsequent translocation of populations may be an option for the conservation of this species. In recent documented history this species has been grown ex situ on only a small number of occasions. One plant was grown outside at Benmore Botanic Garden for a period of five years and another has been grown at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh as part of the Arid Lands collections. A better understanding of its cultivation requirements has been deemed necessary before ex situ collections can be established.This study aims to give a broad overview of the germination and first 12 months of cultivation of this taxon with the aim of informing future ex situ cultivation and subsequent restoration initiatives.