Awards

• Beginning Aquatic Horticulturist -- 30 points (or 3 plants)
• Associate Aquatic Horticulturist -- 100 points
• Aquatic Horticulturist -- 250 points
• Senior Aquatic Horticulturist -- 500 points
• Master Aquatic Horticulturist -- 750 points
• Grand Master Aquatic Horticulturist -- 1000 points
• Second Degree Grand Master Aquatic Horticulturist -- 1500 points
• Third Degree Grand Master Aquatic Horticulturist -- 2000 points
• Distinguished Grand Master Aquatic Horticulturist -- 2500 points

The Rookie of the Year prize is given to the HAP participant that earns the most points in their first twelve consecutive months. The last month of eligibility determines in which calendar year you are considered a rookie.

Horticulturist of the Year is awarded to the participant that earns the most point between January and December of the calendar year.

Requirements

To earn HAP points the participant must do the following;

1. Propagate an aquatic plant or produce a flower of an aquatic plant
2. Have the plant or flower verified
3. Donate the new plant(s) to the BAP/HAP auction at the regular MAS meeting
4. Fill out and submit a HAP form to the HAP chair(s)

 

Rules

Only aquatic plants are eligible for this program. An aquatic plant is defined as a plant the can live and grow submerged in water for a period of more than one year. Floating plants are also considered eligible if they need not take root in any substrate.

Propagation

The following will be considered the basis for plant reproduction:

• Doubling the amount through division.
  Example – Lemna, Najas, Vesicularia
  
• Cuttings from stem plants.
  Example – Cabomba, Hygrophila, Elodia
  
• Division of a rhizomes or tuber to create a separate plant.
  Example – Anubias, Bulbitis, Nuphar
  
• Daughter plants developed on runners or flower stalks from the parent plant. 
  Example – Cryptocoryne, Echinodorus, Valliseria
  
• Development of a corm or bulb producing a separate plant.                                      
  Example – Nymphaea, Crinum
  
• Sexual reproduction - A plant reproduced by sexual means (pollination of flower) from the aquarist own plant and not from any other source. The flower, seed and subsequent plant growth need to be verified.

Verification

The flower of an aquatic plant must be verified to receive HAP points. This can be done through a home visit by a HAP/BAP verifier, photographs of the plant and flower or the flower can be brought to the meeting and verified there. 10 HAP points will be given for successful flowering of an aquatic plant.

Propagation of a plant species with a point value of more than 10 points must be verified by a HAP/BAP verifier.

Donation

A donation of a newly propagated plant for the HAP/BAP auction at the general meetings is required. Exceptions can be made only by the HAP chair(s). Plants should be in good health and representative of the species. Your plant donation should be of sufficient size and quantity to reflect well on you and the Horticulture Program. Think of what size of plant(s) you would be proud to give to a friend.

HAP Form

The participant must fill out a HAP report form to be turned in with the plant at the time of auction. The form must have a verifier's signature on it for plants with point values greater than 10 or for flowering reports.

Points to participants for propagation and flowering will be awarded only once for any species or cultivated variety. The exception is, 10 bonus points can be earned if a participant sexually reproduces a plant that they have submitted previously.

Any plant species not currently included on the species list will be assigned a point value by the HAP chair(s) after the submission of the HAP form. The species and point value will be added to our HAP data base and that information will be published in the next HAP report.

Micro algae are not eligible except cladophora aegagiphila.
Identification errors or other classification problems can be corrected at the discretion of the HAP chair(s) /committee. The HAP chair(s)/committee reserves the right to exclude any plant with questionable eligibility. In any disputes pertaining to the Horticulturist Award

Program the HAP chair(s) has final authority.

Plants that are raised in an aquarium, paulidarium or pond can qualify.
 
Articles, photographs and slides are encouraged but not required.

Alphabetic HAP Points Values

20	Aldrivandris	10	Hydrocleys
15	Alternanthera	10	Hydrocotyle
10	Ammannia	10	Hygrophila
20	Anubias	15	Isoetes
15	Aponogeton (Asian type)	10	Lagarosiphon
	A. crispus	20	Lagenandra
	A. elongatus	5	Lemna
	A. enchinata	10	Lilaeopsis
	A. natans	15	Limnobium
	A. undulatus	10	Limnophila
	Except	10	Lindernia
20	A. rigidifolius	10	Lobelia
20	Aponogeton(Madagascar)	10	Ludwigia
	A. bernerium		Except
	A. boivinianus	15	L. glandulosus
	A. capuronii	15	L. arcuata
	A. longiplumulosus	10	Lysimachia
	A. madagascariensis	15	Marsilea
	A. stachysporous	10	Mayaca
	A. ulvaceus	10	Micranthemum
5	Azolla	10	Microsorium
10	Bacopa	10	Myriophyllum
	Except	10	Najas
15	B. myriophylloides	15	Nesaea
20	Barclaya	10	Nitella
10	Blyxa	10	Nomaphila
15	Bolbitis	15	Nuphar
10	Cabomba		Except
	Except	20	N. lutea
15	C. piahyuensis	15	Nymphaea
10	Cardamine	10	Nymphoides
15	Caulerpa	20	Ottelia
5	Ceratopteris	10	Phyllanthes
5	Ceratophyllum	15	Physostegia
15	Cladophora	10	Pistia
10	Crassula	10	Potamogeton
15	Crinum	5	Riccia
15	Cryptocoryne	5	Riccocarpus
15	Didiplis	15	Rorippa
15	Echinodorus	15	Rotala
	Except		Except
10	E. tenellus	10	R. indica
5	Egeria	5	Sagittaria
15	Eichhornia	5	Salvinia
10	Eleocharis	15	Samolus
5	Elodea	10	Shinnersia
15	Eusteralis	5	Spirodela
10	Fontinalis	15	Telanthera
10	Glossostigma	15	Trapa
15	Gracilaria	5	Utricularia
5	Gymnocoronis	5	Vallisneria
15	Halimedia	15	Ventricaria
10	Heteranthera	5	Vesicularia
15	Hottonia	10	Wolffia
10	Hydrilla	15	Zephyranthes
15	Hydrocharis	5	Zosterella

Exclusions

The following list of species are excluded from eligibility due to state or federal restrictions:

Azolla pinnata
Hydrocharis morsus-ranae
Hygrophila polysperma
Limnophila sessiliflora
Salvinia auriculata
Salvinia molesta

These rules and values take effect in January 2006. Point values for previously submitted plants will not be retroactively changed.