Gardenwise THE NEWSLETTER OF THE BOTANIC GARDENS VOLUME 25, JULY 2005 ISSN 12-1688

A Special Issue to Commemorate the 150th Anniversary of H.N. Ridley (1855-1956) Contents Message from the Director YEAR IN FOCUS th Research 1 his special issue commemorates the 150 anniversary of the birth of the Publications 2004 3 T distinguished botanist, Henry N. Ridley, the first director of the Gardens (1888- 1912). H.N. RIDLEY (1855 – 1956) Who was Henry Nicholas Ridley? 4 Ridley’s contribution to the economy of the region is legendary. He experimented Henry Nicholas Ridley (1855 – 1956) 6 – An Extraordinary Botanical Explorer with and energetically promoted the growing of Para Rubber. His enthusiasm and H.N. Ridley, the Indefatigable Collector 8 vision for this Brazilian tree laid the foundations for the rubber industry in this part of Ridley’s Namesake 10 the world. Several facts are worth retelling. By 1917, the Gardens had distributed – His Legacy in the Gardens over 7 million rubber seeds, a major source of income. By 1920, Malaya was producing Ridley and Orchids 12 50% of the world’s rubber and Singapore was pre-eminently the rubber market of the The Gardens’ Menagerie 14 world. Ridley has been aptly dubbed ‘the father of Malaya’s rubber industry. Ridley’s World of Fungi 16 Ridley and Mosses 16 Ridley’s legacy to and natural history is no less. He laid the foundations for ARTICLES Malayan botany with his collections and publications. He extensively explored the Wolfe’s Vine 17 region, especially the Malay Peninsula, and collected all from fungi, to mosses, Dr Eric Wolfe, Amateur Collector 18 ferns and higher plants. The number of plants he collected and new species he Beautiful Austral Mosses in the Cool House 20 discovered are without parallel. Double Happiness 21 – The Marriage of Two Double Coconuts He devoted special efforts to building up the herbarium and the living collection of REGULAR FEATURES economic plants. In 1891, he established the Agricultural Bulletin of the Malay Around the Gardens 22 Peninsula that continues today as the Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore. His five-volume ❖ Events Flora of the Malay Peninsula, completed after his retirement from the Gardens, is ❖ 4th International Symposium on the still the only flora that attempts a comprehensive account of plants of the Peninsula. If Family Zingiberaceae ❖ Two New Books from the Gardens we were to bequeath paternity, he must also be ‘the father of Malayan botany’. With ❖ The Day the Rubber Trees Cried a number of selected articles, we celebrate, in a small way, the memory of this remarkable man and his contributions, whose influence on Malayan history has been Education Outreach 26 said to be second only to that of Raffles. ❖ New Nature Workshops and Tours in Singapore Botanic Gardens The Gardens has, in particular, built upon the botanical foundations he established From the Orchid Species Collection 27 and for a long while, with names including I.H. and H.M. Burkill, E.J.H. Corner, ❖ Complex Species M.R. Henderson, R.E. Holttum, and others, led the region.

Staff News 28 The tremendous plant diversity of the region, a paucity of botanists and the rapid pace Corner 28 of forest conversion and destruction mean that time is running out for the region to ❖ Family Names for Plants document its botanical wealth. Only an estimated 25% of the plants of the region Key Visitors to the Gardens 29 have been subjected to taxonomic revision. Needless to say, the numbers that have (January 2005 – June 2005) been subjected to detailed chemical or genetic analysis for bioactive compounds are dismal. From the Archives ❖ A Particularly Important The Gardens is well placed to take a leading role in plant taxonomy with the botanical de Alwis Watercolour: Citrus halimii 30 legacy of the extensive herbarium with 650,000 specimens including at least 6,000 types and a comprehensive botanical library dating from the 19th century. It must build its capacity and reassert its leadership role and fulfill its botanical and conservation responsibilities if it is to have any serious claim as a botanical institution.

Chin See Chung

Front Cover: EDITORS PRODUCTION MANAGER Snapshot of H.N. Ridley with plants described Chin See Chung Hassan Ibrahim by him and named after Singapore. The plants Ruth Kiew are singapurensis with its red middle and the thorny Durio singaporensis Singapore Botanic Gardens, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569 NATIONAL PARKS BOARD Photo Credit: Hassan Ibrahim (for ), [email protected] Derek Liew (for Durio singaporensis) and www.sbg.org.sg from SBG Archives (for snapshot of Ridley) www.nparks.gov.sg RESEARCH Diversity and Conservation of the Singapore Flora

he Herbarium team continues to survey important plant areas T(IPAs) in Singapore. Based on historic data from old herbarium sheets, the herbarium is re-surveying areas where rare plant species had previously been collected. By the end of 2004, 20 species designated ‘extinct’ in the Singapore Red Data Book were re-discovered. These species came from 16 different families.

Field trips are also conducted on a weekly basis to areas that require plants to be identified for labels, signages and where checklists of plants of IPAs are required. These include places such as the newly opened HSBC Tree Top Walk, Mac Ritchie, Nee Soon freshwater swamp forest areas and many others.

Serena Lee, Paul K F Leong, Gwee Aik Teck, Samsuri Ahmad and Ruth Kiew Lee Serena Mohd Noor beside a huge climbing palm, the Herbarium rattan - Plectocomia elongata in collaboration with staff from Biodiversity Centre Taxonomy of Begonias Revision of Bulbophyllum

he revision of Bulbophyllum sect. Sestochilus has taken longer than T expected because some species complexes are more difficult to resolve than expected. To see if molecular data can shed some light on this matter, a collaborative project with several European universities is initiated. Apart from this, a synopsis of the Bulbophyllum species occurring on the island of Sulawesi is in preparation. The synopsis will include some 30 species new to science.

Serena Lee Serena Begonia sizemoreae, a new species with Jaap Vermeulen horticultural potential Herbarium his year saw the completion of T the revision of The Begonias of Peninsular that included the description of 52 begonias, of which 13 species and 1 variety are new to science (see page 24). Two other begonias of great horticultural interest were also described as new to science. The one from , Begonia sizemoreae Kiew, has fine variegated leaves, while B. sabahensis Kiew & J.H. Tan, is the first yellow-flowered species from Borneo.

Jaap Vermeulen Jaap Ruth Kiew Vermeulen Jaap Herbarium Unidentified form of B. lobbii complex Unidentified form of B. membranifolium complex

1 Dr Eric Wolfe, Amateur Plant Collector Sally Handford Fairmede Dr Eric D. B. Wolfe Monk Sherborne Road, Charter Alley Sally Handford Tadley RG26 5PS, United Kingdom

y father Eric Wolfe was born which remained with him for the rest by the Japanese at Changi. Here he Min Hertfordshire, England in of his life. Orchids were his great gave what medical aid he could to 1903, the son of a civil servant. He passion, but sadly a hitherto unknown fellow prisoners, and we have his list was educated at Aldenham School variety that he found appears not to of plants with medicinal properties near his home and St Andrews have survived. He presented the found and used in the camp (see below). University in Scotland where he herbarium with a specimen of the rare qualified in medicine in 1928. climber Petraeovitex wolfei (see After the war, he was soon back in article on page 17) and a rare Malaya and, following postings in Rather than following the bauhinia, both found in Kedah in Kedah and Johore, became Deputy conventional career pattern of medical 1938. Director of Medical Services in doctors, he enlisted as ship’s surgeon , all the time continuing to on a Dutch East Indiaman trading study the flora. He supplied snakes between Europe and what is now to M.W.F. Tweedie at the Raffles . After a couple of voyages, Museum, and worked with R.E. the lure of the East had taken hold, Holttum on the propagation of the and he joined the Malay Medical Matonia. He returned to England Service, then run by the colonial when he retired in 1954, and lived government of the Federated Malay until 1975. States. He was posted to Kuala Kangsar where he set up home and I visited Singapore recently for the

John Handford John married the daughter of a tea planter Sally Handford with specimens collected by her first time since 1942. I was delighted from Assam. father in the 1930s to be welcomed at the herbarium by When the war came, he was mobilised Dr Ruth Kiew and her staff, and to It was at this period of his life, around in the Federated Malay States find that my father’s plant hunting the time when I was born, that he Volunteer Force, and, together with adventures all those years ago are still developed the interest in botany most of his comrades, was imprisoned on record.

PLANTS USED IN PRISONER-OF-WAR CAMPS IN SINGAPORE (1942-1945) Ð recorded by Dr E.D.B. Wolfe

Ageratum comyzoides (Compositae) White Weed Dried leaves used by Dutch P.O.W’s in Java as substitute for tobacco. Used as dried leaves to improve very coarse canteen tobacco at Keranji camp. Pleasant flavour probably due to coumarin (Burkill) a well known flavouring for tobacco (cf. Gold Block tobacco). Bacopa sp. (Scrophulariaceae) This was collected at the edge of the at Keranji and used as a vegetable. Carica papaya (Caricaceae) Papaya Apart from the ordinary use of the fruit, the dried leaves were used extensively as a substitute for tobacco. Used quite independently also by civil internees. Centrosema pubescens (Leguminosae) Seeds bought in bulk from Central Messing Fund as an emergency food when Mung Bean or Kachang Hijau (Vigna radiata, Leguminosae)was not obtainable. An uninteresting and tasteless food though not bad in soup. Produced allergic skin and mouth reactions in a large number of people especially those who had had pellagra. Dalbergia oliveri (Leguminosae) Tamalan Tree An Indian species of this wood, reddish pink in colour, was used by the Indian Army for stretchers. It was used for making tobacco pipes and was successful, though the bowls tended to crack especially when cut with the grain of the bowl vertical. Datura metel (Solanaceae) Purple Thorn Apple Dried leaves smoked with benefit by some asthma patients.

18 Hevea braziliensis (Euphobiaceae) Para Rubber The seeds were eaten extensively both raw and cooked especially by the Dutch. Roasted seeds were used also as a substitute for coffee. A very few people suffered from gastro-intestinal symptoms after eating a large quantity for the first time. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Malvaceae) Hibiscus Leaves eaten raw as an anti-scorbatic in early days before green vegetables could be grown. Too mucilaginous to be pleasant. Flowers were used as a boot blacking by some of the smarter troops Ð produced a good shine. Hibiscus sabdariffa (Malvaceae) Roselle Quantities of seed were issued by the Japanese. Plants grew well at Keranji. Leaves were used as a salad and fruits were used for a kind of jam and for sweets. Hyptis suaveolens (Labiatae) Wild Basil A blue-flowered labiate plant growing in large quantities near the shore at Changi Ð was cultivated and used extensively as a flavouring. Jatropha curcas (Euphobiaceae) Physic Nut Seeds were eaten and enjoyed by the troops. A few cases of poisoning were seen, but all recovered quickly. Five seeds appeared to be the maximum that could be eaten without causing symptoms. Lantana camara () Lantana, Bunga Tahi Ayam Called ‘wild mint’ by the troops and used as a flavouring. Lawsonia inermis (Lythraceae) Henna A decoction of the leaves was used with success as an astringent and soothing lotion. Used with a suspension of kieselgur (from Army water carts) as a substitute for calamine lotion. Melastoma malabathricum (Melastomataceae) Senduduk A watery decoction of the young leaf shoots given as a prophylactic against riboflavin (vitamin B) deficiency caused nausea and vomiting and its use had to be abandoned. Mucuna sp. (Leguminosae) Grown at Changi and Keranji. Several cases of poisoning occurred as a result of taking soup to which the water in which the seeds had been boiled had been added. Cases of poisoning occurred also in certain people after eating the beans, even though they had been well washed and the taste removed. Symptoms consisted of shivering, nausea, and a vague feeling of being unwell. Many ate the beans in quantity and over a long period without ill effects. Murdannia nudiflora (Commelinaceae) Used as green vegetable at Keranji, but went out of use when other green vegetables became available. Nephelium lappaceum & N. rambutan-ake (Sapindaceae) Rambutan & Pulasan Seed of both species eaten boiled and roasted in large quantities at Keranji Ð no ill effects. Ocimum basilicum (Labiatae) Basil A dark-stemmed variety cultivated extensively at Changi and Keranji and used as a flavouring in cooked foods. Paraderris elliptica (Leguminosae) Tuba Watery extract of the burned roots was used for the treatment of scabies. One medical officer claimed success, but others preferred sulphur ointment when available. Passiflora foetida (Passifloraceae) Love-in-a-Mist Young green shoots eaten as a green vegetable and also used in a decoction as a prophylactic against riboflavin deficiency Ð no ill effects. Phyllanthus amarus (Euphobiaceae) Pick-a-Back Used by Dutch medical officers at Changi for treatment of dysentery and diarrhoea. Piper sarmentosum (Piperaceae) Daun Kadok An upright pepper with dark green slimy leaves and pleasant odour when crushed, was found growing in several Chinese gardens. Eaten raw as a salad and used for sambals. Plumeria rubra forma acutifolia () Frangipani Latex used by Dutch medical officers for treatment of ringworm Ð results not known. Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae) Guava A strong infusion of the leaves was found useless for the treatment of diarrhoea in the British Hospital. Pterocarpus indicus (Leguminosae) Angsana A watery extract of the bark was used as a gargle by a Dutch medical officer - results not known. Pterocarpus dalbergioides (Leguminosae) Andaman Redwood Used by the Indian Army for stretchers, which in turn were used for making tobacco pipes. For this purpose the wood was excellent. It ‘smoked in’ quickly and well and very seldom burnt or cracked provided the grain of the bowl was not cut vertically. Senna alata (Leguminosae) Seven Golden Candlesticks Used for treatment of tinia when supplies of chrysophanic acid ran out. Extraction of the acid was not possible owing to inability to obtain suitable solvents. Mildly effective, but content of chrysophanic acid not really sufficiently high. Sesuvium portulacastrum (Aizoaceae) Sea Purslane Grew extensively at edge of mangrove at Changi and was highly esteemed as a vegetable. First used by the Dutch troops. Must be boiled twice and the first water discarded. Solanum melongena (Solanaceae) Brinjal The leaves were dried and used as a substitute for tobacco. Usually mixed with dried papaya leaves. Spermacoce sp. (Rubiaceae) Used as a green vegetable before better vegetables were available. Later acquired a great reputation among the troops as a cure for sore mouth due to riboflavin deficiency, even when abundant green vegetables were available. This reputation was not confirmed by clinical observation. Analysis of riboflavin and nicotinic acid content might be worthwhile.

19 Beautiful Austral Mosses in the Cool House

he Cool House in the National populations. The narrow and long, TOrchid Garden of the Singapore silken leaves, together with the pear- Botanic Gardens has a daytime shaped capsules, make the species maximum of 27°C and a night time easy to recognize. Although it is a minimum of 15°C, with daily relative widespread moss and a common humidity of about 90%. It was greenhouse weed in the northern and designed to capture for the public the southern hemispheres, its presence in beauty of canopy landscapes of tropical , even as a The Austral Crane Moss, Atrichum androgynum, and a close-up [inset] tropical montane forest with their greenhouse weed, has not previously many interesting epiphytes. It is no been reported. A cross-section wonder that this newly added gem of of the leaf of A. botanical display has become one of Another moss, Atrichum androgynum the main attractions for the half a androgynum, is a fairly large-sized million visitors to the National Orchid plant, up to 4-6 cm tall, including the Garden each year. capsule. Its common name, Austral The toothed or serrate leaf margin of this moss Once inside the Cool House, one cannot but help to notice the thick, green moss carpets covering the Crane Moss, alludes to the somewhat trunks of tree ferns and cliff faces. The long and curved capsule often seen dripping wet mosses have created a with a long pointy membranous verdant backdrop for the other plant calyptra that looks like the head of a groups like lycopods, ericads, crane with a long beak. The wavy and gesneriads and aroids. serrate leaves add another distinguishing character to the moss. One peculiar feature of this moss is Among the many species of The Pear-Fruit Moss, Leptobryum spiniforme, bryophytes from the equatorial with its distinctive pear-shaped capsules (see the presence of many outgrowths regions growing in the Cool House, picture below) from the upper leaf surface called three mosses are obviously lamellae, which increase the accidentally introduced from the photosynthetic area of the plant. In A. southern hemisphere. They came in, androgynum, the lamellae, seen in most likely, with the imported cross-section, are short, each Australian tree fern (Dicksonia consisting of (1)2-3 cells, quite unlike antarctica) and have become the other species of the , which established on trunks of tree ferns and usually have leaf lamellae that are 4- the adjacent rock ledges forming large 6 cells long. patches of attractive green. They are Leptobryum spiniforme, Atrichum The Austral Crane Moss is a androgynum and Thuidiopsis sparsa. widespread forest moss in the southern hemisphere distributed from The first one, Leptobryum spiniforme, Australia, New Zealand to South bears the common name of Pear-Fruit America and South Africa. Although Moss, referring to the pear-shaped a common colonizer of open and capsules that are always produced in shaded sites, it has not been reported abundance. This erect moss, as an alien species in the northern measuring 1-1.5 cm tall, forms loose hemisphere.

20 The third moss, Thuidiopsis sparsa, common moss in forest undergrowth scattered localities in Sulawesi, is a large moss, up to 10 cm tall minus in Australia. The species is distributed Lesser Sunda Islands, Java and the capsule. Its common name, mainly in Australia and New Zealand, southern Borneo. Austral Feather Moss, reflects the but is also found in Fiji, New highly branched plant habit. In the Caledonia and Cook Island in the The existence of these three beautiful Cool House, the plants form attractive Pacific and westward in a few exotic mosses inside the Cool House, dense, yellowish green wefts, or mini- - whose origin is the southern hedges, on one rock face. Being hemisphere - is worth watching. variable, the species is best identified, Considering the natural habitat in addition to its highly branched preference of these three warm habit, by the numerous tiny green temperate mosses, there is no threat appendages called paraphyllia, posed by their becoming invasive covering the surfaces of the stem and alien weeds in the hot and less humid branches. Each paraphyllium is made conditions of urban Singapore. up of branched filaments consisting The Austral Feather Moss, Thuidiopsis sparsa of several papillose cells. The other Benito C. Tan Department of Biological Sciences distinguishing features of this moss A leafy branch National University of Singapore are the very different shapes of the of the moss Singapore 119260 stem and branch leaves, and the Andrea Kee hexagonal to round leaf cells. Plant Resource Centre

The Austral Feather Moss is a Photos by Benito C. Tan Double Happiness - The Marriage of he Double Coconut, Lodoicea Two Double Coconuts Tmaldivica, like people, is male or female and only comes to sexual was receptive. The first batch of maturity after many years - about 25 pollen did not successfully resulted years in the case of the Double Coconut. in fruit set. Pollen sent on 29th April 2004 produced two healthy fruits. So when the lone female tree in Kebun Raya, the famous Bogor Botanic When the female again became Garden, became sexually active, it was receptive, we once more sent pollen time to start match-making and look on 17th January 2005. This time, Dr for a suitable male partner. Irawati arranged a nuptual canopy over the inflorescence to encourage Dr Irawati, the Director, contacted our fruit set as heavy rain may dampen Director, Dr Chin See Chung, to see the proceedings. Irawati Bogor's female Double Coconut Palm how he felt about the match. Dr Chin has gained a reputation for match- Indeed, this time the union has been making when he successfully blessed with another two fruits. We pollinated our female tree near the are keeping a paternal eye on their Main Gate with pollen from the male development. Double Coconut fruits tree about 500 m away in the Palm take six or more years to mature and Valley (see Gardenwise 9: 12-13). then more than a year to germinate.

Irawati Dr Chin readily agreed and pollen Ruth Kiew The developing fruits. The two large ones in the Herbarium netting are from the first mating and the other was sent when the female in Bogor two on the right are from the subsequent mating

21 AROUND THE GARDENS EVENTS n January 2005, the Gardens had I the privilege of playing host to Dr Henry Oakeley, Dr Joyce Stewart and Mr Peter Furniss. They are the trustees for World Orchid Conference and they were here to assess Singapore’s suitability as a host venue for the prestigious 2011 World Orchid Conference. They must have been impressed with our Gardens’ orchid Services Visitor Minister Mah Bow Tan viewing the art exhibition at the launch of the Evolution Garden programme and found our infrastructure up to the mark. The Gardens’ volunteers runs every 1st and entrench the Gardens’ reputation as successful visit bore fruit when the 4th Saturday of each month at 9 am. a premier outdoor performance committee later announced in Dijon, Three new programmes for schools venue. The complimentary France, during the recent World based on the Evolution Garden have Singapore Press Holdings’ (SPH) Orchid Conference, that Singapore also been launched by the Educational Gift of Music Series, a sponsored won the bid to host the similar event Outreach team. series of concerts to be performed in in 2011. the Gardens on the 1st Sunday of On 26th February 2005, Professor Leo every month featuring various music 14th February 2005 morning saw the Tan, National Parks Board Chairman, genres, was launched at the same launch of the Evolution Garden by launched the book, Begonias of event. The Singapore Symphony Minister for National Development, Peninsular Malaysia, authored by Dr Orchestra once again took pride of Mr Mah Bow Tan. This attraction Ruth Kiew, (see article on page 24). place on stage with their rousing depicts the amazing story of how The comprehensive book was the performance. Despite the light plants gave us life and how, long impressive result of numerous field drizzle from heaven above, the event before we humans arrived, they trips to study and collect begonias in captured a turnout of about 6,000 started to evolve into the myriad Peninsula Malaysia. It featured people. complex life forms we see today. To beautiful pictures and detailed walk through the Evolution Garden descriptions of this group of plants. The Gardens came alive on 5th June is to travel back in time, from the The book is available on sale at the 2005, when under the auspices of one barren un-livable Earth, to the time Botanic Garden shop. Further of SPH Gift of Music Series called when dinosaurs roamed the fern and information can also be found in the ‘Let’s do Latin!’, had the crowd of cycad forests to the lush rain forests website: http://www.nhpborneo.com about 6,000 in Palm Valley on their of the tropics. An art exhibition by feet, sashaying to the infectious Latin students of Siglap Secondary School On 1st May 2005, Minister Mah Bow beat. This was a lively and upbeat (Centre of Excellence, Art, East Zone) Tan launched the new Shaw concert featuring ‘Ireson’, a true- featuring their impressions of the Foundation Symphony Stage with blue Latin ‘big band’ with hot- Evolution Garden on canvas was also great fanfare. The new stage, blooded musicians hailing from unveiled during the launch. sponsored by the Shaw Foundation, Mexico, Colombia and Singapore. features an iconic stage structure that Members of the group on stage and A new tour of the Evolution Garden derived inspiration from the plants on the lawn led the audience to dance for the general public was surrounding it. With new backstage steps, and whole families from subsequently launched in April 2005. artiste facilities and improved sound babies to grandparents were seen This free tour conducted by the and light systems, the stage is set to moving to the irrepressible beat.

22 On 3rd July 2005, the Straits Times flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim, as one celebrated its 160th anniversary in the of its proud lineage. Dendrobium IOC Gardens with President S.R. Nathan has free-flowering blooms that are as the guest-of-honour. A new orchid representative of the enduring hybrid from the Gardens, Olympic spirit. Dendrobium The Straits Times, was named to mark the occasion. It was a A number of new VIP orchids were celebration to be remembered. The also revealed on behalf of many

Straits Times brought together Services Visitor visiting dignitaries. These include President Nathan during the naming of Dendrobium Singapore Idol Taufik Batisah, crowd The Straits Times, assisted by CEO NParks, Dr Tan Dendrobium Susilo Bambang favourite Sylvester Sim, award- Wee Kiat (right) Yudhoyono ‘Ani’ after the First Lady winning singer and songwriter Tanya missed concert titled ‘Voices’. The of Indonesia, Mrs Ani Bambang Chua, evergreen crooners Clement outstanding concert drew a capacity Yudhoyono, Dendrobium Begum Chow and Robert Fernando and crowd of about 8,000, with many Khaleda Zia after the Prime Minister upcoming Jazz Kids for a not-to-be- arriving hours before the concert to of Bangladesh, HE Begum Khaleda reserve their preferred location at Zia, Dendrobium Thabo Mvuyelwa Palm Valley. As it was coincidentally Mbeki after President of South Africa also President Nathan’s birthday, the HE Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki, Vanda crowd joined in with the performers Mohammed VI after King of and sang happy birthday to the Morocco HM Mohammed VI, President. Dendrobium Shaukat Aziz after the Prime Minister of Pakistan HE Another new hybrid from the Gardens Shaukat Aziz, Dendrobium Hamad was named on the occasion of the Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Amir of Qatar International Olympic Committee after HH Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa (IOC) 117th Session in Singapore. Al-Thani, and Dendrobium Silvia Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Cartwright after the Governor- IOC President Jacques Rogge General of New Zealand HE Dame unveiled Dendrobium IOC on 5th July Silvia Cartwright. 2005 during the opening ceremony of the IOC held at the Esplanade

Visitor Services Visitor Camille Foo Capacity crowd enjoying a concert at Palm Valley Theatre. This orchid has our National Visitor Management & Education

th 4 International Symposium on the Family Zingiberaceae

n July 2006, the Singapore Botanic Gardens will be taxonomy & systematics, molecular studies & phylogeny, Ihosting the 4th International Symposium on the Family phytochemistry & pharmacognosy, diversity & Zingiberaceae. This symposium is open to all who are conservation, horticulture & hybridization and all aspects interested in gingers and their relatives. of their biology, etc. For more information, log on to http://www.sbg.org.sg/igs2006.asp. Register before April The symposium will highlight recent research in the 2006 to get an early bird discount! Zingiberaceae and related groups in the Zingiberales as well as providing the venue for researchers to meet and Serena Lee The Secretariat discuss their work. The symposium includes oral 4th International Symposium presentations and posters covering such diverse fields as on the Family Zingiberaceae

23 Two New Books from the Gardens

n illustrated guide to grasses of The second book, Begonias of 2Singapore has been published Peninsular Malaysia by Dr Ruth A as a supplement to the Gardens’ Kiew, will enchant plant enthusiasts Bulletin Singapore. The author, Dr on the beauty of this group of plants. Helena Duistermaat, started her It includes 52 native species of taxonomic work on the grasses of begonias growing wild in Singapore as a hobby soon after Peninsular Malaysia as joining her husband here in 2000. well as two garden escapes. With three children in tow, she managed to devote more time to There are more than 1,500 return to the taxonomy of grasses in named species of begonias

2002 when her youngest started found in tropical and Hassan Ibrahim school. She is now a Senior Research subtropical Asia, Africa Officer in the herbarium. and America and many The book Begonias of Peninsular Malaysia. [Inset] The author (right) in her light blue cheong sam with Chairman of NParks, more are waiting to be Prof Leo Tan, during the launch of the book on 26th Feb 2005 Grasses play a major role in discovered. This group of sustaining life. Some members of the plants - identified by their family Gramineae like wheat, maize asymmetrical leaves in most species Malaysia. If the text alone does not and rice are the staple diet of many - has extricate patterns, colours and fascinate you, the pictures will. cultures around the world. Many are textures on their leaves. Their beauty important food sources for grazing makes them popular as ornamental Hassan Ibrahim Herbarium animals, while some are useful as plants. While there are more than ornamentals or for lawns, and others 10,000 hybrids and cultivars available Copies of “Field Guide to the Grasses of are known as very persistent weeds. in trade, their commercial potential in Singapore”, priced at S$30 (including postage This book gives a good introduction the horticultural world has not been & packing), can be obtained from the Library, to one of the largest families in the tapped fully. Singapore Botanic Gardens. To order plant world and includes a section on “Begonias of Peninsular Malaysia”, turf grasses used in Singapore. This book - arising out of the author’s published by Natural History Publications 30 years of dedicated interest in wild (Borneo), please refer to http:// The book, Field Guide to the begonias - describes the 54 species www.nhpborneo.com for details. Grasses of Singapore, excludes with minimum use of technical jargon bamboos but covers 134 species and and is lavishly illustrated by stunning varieties of grasses occurring in photographs, watercolour paintings Singapore, including 16 new records. and botanical drawings of the plants. It draws attention to a considerable It not only includes detailed number of our native grass species descriptions of the flowers and fruits that are endangered or extinct. of begonias per se but also notes on Grasses invade disturbed, open propagation, pest problems and habitats and many are intentionally or common local uses associated to unintentionally introduced here. This them. Do you know that begonia book will serve as a good guide to leaves are used to wrap fish before anyone interested in identifying grass roasting or chopped fine to make

Hassan Ibrahim species occurring in Singapore. So, sambal belachan (a spicy relish) to the next time you sit on a patch of cook prawns? Or that the sour flowers grass somewhere in Singapore, you are eaten by some? Well! Why not The book Field Guide to the Grasses of Singapore will know what grass it is. You might acquire a copy of this book and learn and the author standing in front of the Greater Tasselgrass (Themeda villosa), one of the grasses even see Lalang in a different light. more about the begonias of Peninsular highlighted in the book

24 The Day the Rubber Trees Cried

t was rubber-tapping day at the as latex flows more abundantly in the I Singapore Botanic Gardens on the cool mornings. You need a special evening of 2nd March. Two authentic tapping knife and skills to cut thin tappers, Mr Raman Narayanan and shaving of the bark just 2 mm thick. Mr Kandasamy Chelambran, from The milky fluid is then collected in a Malaysia, were specially brought in clay cup 12 cm in diameter. When for a task professionally not seen in latex flows like pearly teardrops, it cosmopolitan Singapore anymore. appears as if the rubber trees are crying. This slow weeping may last A film crew from the British two to three hours before it stops. The rubber tapper then visits all the trees

Broadcasting Corporation was on site SBG Archives to film a documentary on the history for a second time to collect the liquid The herringbone method, developed by Ridley of rubber. Back in 1877, eleven Para latex from the cups. Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) seedlings were successfully planted in the Rubber tapping is not done on rainy Gardens. The whole craze on rubber days as the latex runs straight down had its roots here when H.N. Ridley, the trunk instead of into the cups. the Director of the Gardens from Trees are tapped when they are about 1888-1912, saw the potential of this five years old. We witnessed the white latex. So it was only apt that a tapping of the rubber trees planted demonstration on rubber tapping be near Symphony Lake. These are new filmed in the Gardens. high yielding hybrids from the region. It was a rare opportunity to witness a Ridley had encouraged planting of the gift of nature, a time when rubber rubber trees in Malaysia. The latex trees did cry. was already in demand for products like flooring and footwear. But Hassan Ibrahim & Serena Lee Herbarium Ridley, with fervour and great dedication, developed the herringbone pattern of cuts Ð a Lee Serena The white forerunner of the present day tapping latex: when method Ð that allows the continuous the rubber tree cries tapping of rubber latex. The old method was so damaging that it soon killed the tree. Perhaps it was his foresight, or perhaps it was perfect timing, but the rise of the motorcar industry at the beginning of the 20th century saw the demand for rubber skyrocket. Today, Malaysia is still one of the major producers of natural rubber.

To be a rubber tapper, you must be

Hassan Ibrahim prepared to work at the crack of dawn, Mr Kandasamy Chelambran at work

25 EDUCATION OUTREACH New Nature Workshops and Tours in Singapore Botanic Gardens or the December 2004 and June had a terrifying encounter with F2005 school holidays, new Monty, the carnivorous Thunder- thematic half and full-day workshops lizard, but makes a new friend in ‘Young Plant Detectives’, ‘Young Minmi, a little dinosaur who resides Orchidologists’ and ‘Dinosaurs & in the Evolution Garden. This new Plants’, offered to children of Lower workbook is a compilation of story, Primary (Primary 1 to 3), Upper colouring and sticker activity pages. Primary (Primary 4 to 6) and Back in the classroom, after the tour, children were taught how to make Participants studying a Dendrobium flower under Kindergarten (Kindergarten 1 & 2) the microscope in the ‘Young Orchidologists’ levels respectively attracted 112 their own dinosaur (dish) garden. workshop children. Besides the new workshops, a general In the ‘Young Plant Detectives’ tour of the Evolution Garden was workshop, children toured the added to our current repertoire of EcoGarden in the Bukit Timah Core guided nature tours. Targeting to learn more about economic plants families, this tour enjoyed the and their uses. This was followed by participation of 214 children and their an indoor session of arts and crafts accompanying parents, grandparents using herbs and spices, and the planting and guardians during the December of their own miniature dish garden. 2004, March and June 2005 school breaks. Participants of the ‘Young Orchidologists’ workshop enjoyed a In our bid to cultivate and increase tour of the National Orchid Garden. interest, more activities are lined up Indoors, children were involved in for the Evolution Garden. Besides examining orchid plants, flowers and continued offers of the tours in the seeds, the hybridization process, and Evolution Garden to the general the laboratory cultivation of orchids. public, the Educational Outreach Making a dinosaur garden in the ‘Dinosaurs & team has come up with two tours Plants’ workshop The workshop ended with the children planting their own orchid plantlets to targeted at schools. These 1.5 hour take home. tours are designed according to the school syllabus, with one focusing on ‘Dinosaurs & Plants’ participants Plant Classification, the other went on a guided tour of the Evolution focusing on Evolution & Adaptation Garden using the new children’s of Plants. In the meantime, we are also workbook Adventure with Plants, working on assembly talks on the Sara at the Evolution Garden. The Evolution Garden to be held in story is on the adventures of Sara, the schools. Look out for a report on this Gardens’ resident dinosaur and her in the next issue of Gardenwise! squirrel friends in the Evolution Garden. It introduces relatives of Janice Yau Mrs Koh, Research Officer, demonstrating the Educational Outreach methods of separating and sterilizing orchid ancient plants to readers through the seedlings to participants of the ‘Young Orchidologists workshop experiences of Sara. At one stage Sara Photos by Janice Yau

26 FROM THE ORCHID SPECIES COLLECTION

Bulbophyllum lobbii and B. dearei are Complex examples of a complex species or a B. lobbii Ð the various forms. Are they all one or separate species? species complex. For a long time, the Species general idea among horticulturists ost plant species have distinct was that each of these was a species, Mand clear-cut (although but recently numerous forms have sometimes minute) characters to been described as separate species. distinguish them from other species. Scientists in the Netherlands, But some show such a wide variation Germany, Austria, and Singapore in shape that extreme forms have been have formed a team to establish the erroneously described by taxonomists status of B. lobbii and B. dearei. The as separate species - particularly when team is currently studying herbarium too few specimens were available to specimens and living plants, and span the intermediate forms. checking for visible characters, as Subsequent taxonomists felt the need well as the genetic similarity of to do something useful with the different forms. Herbarium material intermediate forms - often by naming of these large-flowered orchids is more ‘species’, sometimes with slew often damaged or incomplete. The of ‘subspecies’, ‘varieties’, and team relies heavily on living material, ‘forms’ - to cover specimens that do and that is why the research collection not fit satisfactorily in one of the in Singapore Botanic Gardens ‘species’. includes a fair number of plants of B. lobbii representing many different After carefully comparing all the forms. B. lobbii and B. dearei are also specimens that are available, plant on display in the Coolhouse in the taxonomists may be able to determine National Orchid Garden, and flower whether such assemblages of often spectacularly at least twice a year. similar-looking units are in fact a single, unusually variable species (a Jaap Vermeulen and Paul K F Leong Herbarium ‘complex species’) or consist of a number of related species (a ‘species Photos by Jaap Vermeulen complex’).

B. dearei

B. dearei in the National Orchid Garden Coolhouse

27 STAFF NEWS

information technology sectors. To de- Nura Abdul Karim stress, this bubbly lady enjoys listening (Clockwise from far left): Tona Tuominen, Jeffrey to Taiwan’s rock group, “Wubai & Forsyth, Kho Soo Pei and Leni Duistermaat ura Abdul Karim is no new face Blue”. Currently, she is pursuing interest in widening his knowledge of Nto the Gardens. In 1996, she a part-time Masters Degree in tropical plants spurred him to join us as received a scholarship and took study Marketing Communications. Manager (Horticulture) since March leave to pursue her degree in 2005. Jeff considers gardening as one Horticulture at Curtin University, Perth, Dr Helena Duistermaat or Leni for of his creative hobbies, relaxes with a Australia. She excelled in her academic short, came on board in March 2005 as good meal and red wine, and adores pursuit and was awarded a prestigious a part-time Senior Research Officer at Raquel Welch as one of his idols. He scholarship by the Australian the Herbarium. Already in 2000 she had has two daughters residing in Australia. Government to embark on her PhD. In started to study the grasses of Singapore January 2005, Nura was “reintroduced” as a hobby since arriving from the Kho Soo Pei joined the Gardens in May into the Gardens after completing her Netherlands with her family. That 2005 as Assistant Director (Special research on the biology of tropical hobby became a passion and her work Projects) on a 2-year secondment from orchids of the north-west region of was recently published in the Gardens’ the Ministry of National Development. Western Australia. She has noticed Bulletin Singapore. Besides spending Prior to her posting, she was the many changes in the Gardens and looks time with her three children, Leni also Assistant Director (Infrastructure) forward to contributing in her capacity likes to work with beads, the tinier the pertaining to policy works of Agri-Food as Plant Record Manager. better, she said. & Veterinary Authority, Building & Construction Authority and National Tona Tuominen joined the Singapore Jeffrey Forsyth came to us from the Parks Board. Botanic Gardens in February 2005 as Great Sandy Region Botanic Gardens Manager (Marketing & Commercial in Queensland, Australia, where he had Hassan Ibrahim Herbarium Activities). She had previously worked spent the last six years of his life-long in the retail, broadcasting media and fascination with Horticulture. His Photos by Hassan Ibrahim TAXONOMY CORNER Family Names for Plants he international system for naming plants follows the name chosen as the basis for the family name is one common TInternational Code for Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN), in Europe but is unfamiliar in tropical regions, such as the which recommends that family names be based on the name dead nettle, Lamium, that gives the family name of one of the genera in the family with the ending ‘-aceae’ for the Labiatae. Perhaps because of this, the traditional names added. For example, the name of the ginger family, have continued to be used more commonly in this region.

Zingiberaceae, is based on the genus name, Zingiber. But note Ruth Kiew that while the genus name is in italics, the family name is not. Herbarium Alternative Name Traditional Name Meaning Based on a However, there are some notable exceptions. These are (Common Name) Generic Name traditional names that are based on an unusual and/or Compositae flower head of many flowers Asteraceae (sunflowers) that looks like a single flower conspicuous character and many of these families have always Cruciferae ‘cross-wise’ referring to the Brassicaceae been important as, for example, a source of food or spices, (cabbages) arrangement of the petals Gramineae grain (wheat, rice, etc.) Poaceae long before the ICBN came into being. These family names (grasses) have the ending ‘-ae’. Guttiferae producing latex Clusiaceae (mangosteens) Labiatae flower with a large lip-like Lamiaceae Having two names for a family can cause confusion. I was at a (mints) petal Leguminosae the fruit is a pod or bean Fabaceae talk recently where one of the audience asked why palms had (beans and peas) not been included in the study. They had but under the less Palmae characteristic palm habit (palms) familiar name ‘Arecaceae’. For most of these families, the genus Umbelliferae stalked flowers in ball-like Apiaceae (carrot, coriander) heads 28 KEY VISITORS TO THE GARDENS (JANUARY 2005 – JUNE 2005)

NAME FROM NAME FROM

Mr Aaron Betsky Director, Netherlands Architecture Institute in Ms Marilyn Jordan Taylor Chairman, Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM), USA Rotterdam Mrs Matsuko Nakajima Japan HE Abderrahmane Drissi Alami Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Singapore Mr Michael Law Hing-sun Senior Engineer, Civil Engineering Development HE Abdeslam Jaidi Ambassador of King of Morocco Department, Hong Kong SAR Government HRH Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah Crown Prince of Brunei Darussalam Dr Michael Maunder Director, Fairchild Tropical Garden, USA Mr Albert Cheng Ting-ning Assistant Director, Civil Engineering and Development HM Mohammed VI King of the Kingdom of Morocco Department, Hong Kong SAR Government HE Munshi Faiz Ahmad High Commissioner of the People's Republic of Mrs Ani Bambang Yudhoyono First Lady of the Republic of Indonesia Bangladesh to Singapore Ms Ann Schmidt Special Events Manager, Fairchild Tropical Garden, Dr Nanakorn Weerachai Director, Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden, Thailand USA Datin Nancy Chiu-Ng Member of Green Fun Committee, Hong Kong SAR HE Dr Arun Shourie Member of the Rajya Sabha and Former Minister of Government Communication, Information and Technology and Mr Ng Shun-pui Senior Landscape Architect, Civil Engineering and Disinvestment, Republic of India Development Department, Hong Kong SAR Dr Axel Poulsen Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, UK Government HE Begum Khaleda Zia Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh HE Dr Osman Mohamad Osman Minister of Urban Planning, Arab Republic of Egypt Mrs Betty Tung Wife of Chief Executive, Hong Kong SAR Dr Phang Siew Moi University of Malaya, Malaysia Government and Honorary Advisor of Green Fun Mr Park Soung Chan General Director, Environment Department of Jung- Committee Gu Ward Office, Incheon City, Republic of Korea Mr Bob Deaco General Manager, Darling Harbour of Sydney, Mrs Pascale Isabelle Fabre-Kridelka Spouse of Ambassador of Belgium to Singapore and Australia Executive Director of Alliance Francaise Singapore Dr Carrick Chambers Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia Ms Phatchani Srikhumsuk Khon Kaen University, Thailand Mdm Cecile Vignot Media Head, National Museums of France, France Sir Peter Crane Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK Mr Chalezmpol Suwanphakdec Khon Kaen University, Thailand Prof Sir Peter Hall Professor of Planning, Bartlett School of Architecture Mr Charan Leevetiwong Khon Kaen University, Thailand and Planning, University College of London, UK Ms Chin Lea Yen Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia Prof Puangpen Sirirugsa Professor of Department of Biology, Faculty of Sir David Akers-Jones Member of Green Fun Committee, Hong Kong SAR Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Government Thailand Mr David Lan Member of Green Fun Committee and Former Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Qawi Brother of Crown Prince of Brunei Darussalam Secretary for Home Affairs, Hong Kong SAR Mrs Ryu Joo Hee Wife of Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Government Singapore Dr David Mabberley University of Washington, Seattle, USA HE Ryu Kwang-sok Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Singapore Dr Ed de Vogel National Herbarium of the Netherlands, the Mrs Sandie Burrows Botanist and Writer of African Flora (Southern African Netherlands Ferns & Fern Allies [1990], Figs of South-Central and Dr Elizabeth A. Widjaja Herbarium Bogoriense, Indonesia Southern Africa [2002] and Plants of the Nyika Prof Fumihiko Maki Principal of Tokyo-based Maki & Associates, Japan Plateau, Malawi [2004]) Dr George Weiblen University of Minnesota Herbarium, USA HRH Pengiran Anak Isteri Sarah Wife of Crown Prince of Brunei Darussalam Mr Gerard Rondeau Renowned Photographer Mr Sarrai Mattaphon Khon Kaen University, Thailand HE Dr Gyorgy Nanovfszky Ambassador of the Republic of Hungary to Singapore HE Shaukat Aziz Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Dr Hanna Margonska Gdansk University, Poland HH Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Amir of the State of Qatar Mr Hassan Amrani Governor of Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco HE Dame Silver Cartwright Governor-General of New Zealand Dr Henry Oakeley Trustee of World Orchid Conference (WOC) Mr Soh Wuu Kuang Forest Research Institute, Malaysia Mr Ho Cheow Teck Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Morocco to Ms Sou Channary Officer, Administrative Department, Ministry of Singapore Foreign Affairs, HE Hugh Swift Ambassador of Ireland to Singapore Mr Steve Corbett Director and Chief Executive, Centennial Parklands, Mr James Folsom Director, Huntington Botanic Garden, USA Australia Dr Jeremy Purseglove Cambridge, UK Mr Surapol Saensook Khon Kaen University, Thailand Mr Jiang Xing Rong Deputy Director, Greenery Management Department, Mrs Susan Cross Wife of Vice Commander of the United States Coast Changzhou City, People’s Republic of China Guard Prof Jim Chi-yung Member of Green Fun Committee, Hong Kong SAR Mr Tae-Gab Song Researcher Fellow, Gwangju Jeonnam Development Government Institute, Republic of Korea Mr Jimmy Chan Pai-ming Senior Engineer, Civil Engineering and Development HE Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki President of the Republic of South Africa Department, Hong Kong SAR Government Mr Thomas Sin Park-wah Secretary of Green Fun Committee, Hong Kong SAR Prof Joan Busquets Martin Bucksbaum Professor in Practice of Urban Government Planning and Design, Harvard University Graduate Mr Tibor Magyar Attache of the Republic of Hungary to Singapore School of Design, USA Mr Toong Yet Han Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia Dr Joanna Choo Rutgers University of New Jersey, USA Mr Tsao Tak-kiang Director, Civil Engineering and Development Prof John Niland Chairman, Centennial Parklands, Australia Department, Hong Kong SAR Government Dr Joyce Stewart Trustee of World Orchid Conference (WOC) Dr Vincent Demoulin University of Liege, Belgium Ms Julia Sang Forest Research Centre, Sarawak, Malaysia Ms Wendy Yong Sze Yee Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia Ms Kamolhathai Phulphong Khon Kaen University, Thailand Mr Wirot Kesonbua Khon Kaen University, Thailand Mr Khanit Wangwasit Khon Kaen University, Thailand Dr Wong Ching Lee University of Malaya, Malaysia Prof Kirk Smith Nephew of the late Colonel Griffin Mr Yan Li Deputy Party Secretary, CPC Suzhou Municipal Dr Kongkanda Chayamarit The Forest Herbarium, Thailand Committee, Mayor of Suzhou, People’s Republic of Mrs Lana Kinoshita Member of Green Fun Committee, Hong Kong SAR China Government Mdm Yang Aidi Wife of Ambassador of the People's Republic of China Mr Laszlo Takacs Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission of the to Singapore Republic of Hungary to Singapore Ms Yang Cher Hing Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia Mrs Laura Eileen Collins-Merciez Wife of Assistant Naval Attache of United States of Mr Yang Xiaoming Chief Planner, Planning and Construction Bureau, America to Singapore Suzhou, People’s Republic of China Dr Lawrence Chau Member of Green Fun Committee, Hong Kong SAR Mr Yonchoke Sukmarg Director-General, Department of City Planning for Government and Senior Manager of Flora Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Thailand Conservation and South China Biodiversity Team, Ms Zarina Bte Ahmad Osman Director, Parks and Recreation Department, Kuala Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden Lumpur, Malaysia HE Lee Hae-chan Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea Mdm Zhang Ruizhen Wife of Chairman Wu Bangguo, Speaker of Mrs Lee Jung-ok Wife of Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea Parliament, People's Republic of China Ms Marge Magner Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Mr Zhang Wen Wei Director, Office of Wuxi City Population Planned Consumer Group, Citigroup Committee, Wuxi City Government Bureau, People’s Ms Maria Tam Wai-chu Chairman of Green Fun Committee, Hong Kong SAR Republic of China Government Mr Zhao Zheng Gang Director, Huaian City Development Committee Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China 29 FROM THE ARCHIVES

A Particularly Important de Alwis Watercolour: Citrus halimii

mong the 185 or so watercolours prepared for the AGardens by Charles de Alwis at the beginning of the 19th century (Gardenwise 20: 24) there is a drawing of one of the very few truly wild Malaysian citrus, a species which was not to be named until over 70 years later: Citrus halimii Stone (Biotropica 5: 106, 1973).

The surviving herbarium material (there were no duplicates) bears a letter annotated by Ridley ‘Limau Kedangsa’ and ‘Drawing by Alwis’, ‘fruit in spirit’, though Stone seems not to have examined the illustration. The letter itself (discussed by Stone) is a note dated 28 December 1902 from W. Egerton [not ‘Egeton’ of Stone], British Resident at Seremban, Negri Sembilan, ‘Dear Ridley, I send you by [R.W.] Hullett [Principal of Raffles Institute and member of the Gardens Committee] some leaves and fruit of a Mountain Lemon or Citron found growing in primeval jungle at a height of 2,200 ft about two miles from the Bukit Tangga pass to Jelebu. It may be unknown but I expect to hear you know it well’.

Whether Ridley responded is unknown, but he did indeed refer ‘Limau Kedangsa’ to one of the varieties (‘perhaps wild’) of the citron, Citrus medica L., in his Flora of the Malay Peninsula (1: 359, 1922), though he labelled the drawing ‘Citrus cf. hystrix’, while the specimen itself was later named C. limonia (i.e. the lemon, C. limon (L.) Osb.) by the eminent citrologist Tanaka. By contrast, Burkill Citrus halimii Stone (Rutaceae) painted in Singapore by Charles de Alwis included it under the pomelo, C. maxima (Burm.) Merr., from material sent from Negri Sembilan in December 1902 in his masterly account of the genus (Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore 5: 222, 1931) and in his monumental demonstrates the scientific significance of archive Dictionary. Today this truly wild species is known from drawings preserved in the Gardens. Peninsular Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah (Tree Flora of Sabah & Sarawak 1: 366, 1995), apparently as David Mabberley College of Forest Resources well as northern Sumatra (Blumea 49: 20, 2004). University of Washington Botanic Gardens Seattle, Washington The watercolour is particularly important, not merely U.S.A because it documents the plant’s first collection but

P D ADDISON

Ruth Kiew because it shows in great detail the structure of the fruit Herbarium & Library and seeds that have subsequently been lost from the Herbarium spirit collection. It therefore beautifully Photo by Serena Lee

30 Designed & Produced by he Singapore Herbarium has The Singapore T made a continued effort to verify and database type specimens. Herbarium Type Project Information on more than 6,000 types has been entered into the Botanical Research And Herbarium Management System (BRAHMS). An online search of these types including their images can be viewed via the following website http:// herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/?singapore. We estimate that there are a further 500 types to be included, not to mention those continuously identified from the general collection.

Ruth Kiew, Hassan Ibrahim & Serena Lee Herbarium

http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/?singapore The opening page of the website on the Singapore Herbarium Type Collection

acca chantrieri is a herbaceous Tperennial plant. Its flowers are Mass Production of rich maroon black and shaped like bats with wide-spreading wings, and Tacca chantrieri, the Bat Lily they have long trailing filaments or

whiskers radiating out from the of Tacca centre. The olive-green leaves have chantrieri an oblique base. The plant has been called by many names such as Bat Lily, Cat’s Whiskers, and Devil Flower, due to its strange and uniquely shaped flowers. It is propagated by division of rhizomes or from seeds when available.

A commercial grower brought some Plantlets of Tacca chantrieri produced by tissue culture seeds of this plant to the Micropropagation Laboratory. Phua Jassy Germination rate of the seeds was low, about 20-30%. We were contracted to do the work as the grower hoped to speed up mass production by tissue culture. Our experiments were successful, and about 2,000 plantlets were delivered within three years to the grower.

Lim-Ho Chee Len, Jassy Phua & Koh-Low Neok Chein Orchid Breeding & Micropropagation

Lim-Ho Chee Len

2 PUBLICATIONS 2004

ARTICLES Low, J.L., M.H. Woon & C.L. Lim-Ho Kiew, R. Effect of different culture media on the Phytogeography of the limestone flora of Govind, R.M., J.W.Y. Tan, J.H. Xiao, A. growth of Aranda Barbara Bush. Malaysia and its implications for conservation. Thame & T.W. Yam Proceedings of the 16th Science Research 6th Flora Malesiana Symposium. 20-24th Studies on the cryopreservation of the orchid Congress. National University of Singapore September 2004. Los Baños, the . protocorms. Proceedings of the Tenth Youth and Ministry of Education. CD-Rom. Science Conference. Ministry of Education, Kiew, R. Singapore. Pp. 282-286. Ng, Y.Z., A. Thame & T.W. Yam Habitat Classification and Important Plant Comparative studies on diploid and tetraploid Areas in Singapore. Second Regional Hassan Ibrahim & R. Kiew Spathoglottis Lion of Singapore. Proceedings Workshop on Important Plant Areas and Snapping away for the Web Ð the Type Project of the 16th Science Research Congress. Standardization of Habitat Classification for in the Singapore Herbarium. National University of Singapore and Asia. ASEAN Regional Centre for Gardenwise 23: 21-23. Ministry of Education. CD-Rom. Biodiversity and Conservation. 21-23th October 2004. Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Kiew, R. O’Byrne, P. & J. J. Vermeulen Malaysia. Begonia sizemoreae Kiew (Begoniaceae), a New species in Dendrobium and handsome new begonia from Vietnam. Thrixspermum from Sulawesi. Malayan Yam, T.W. & A. Thame Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore 56: 95-100. Orchid Review 38: 66-70, 108-110. Hybrids of terete Vandas. The 8th Asia Pacific Orchid Conference. 6-14th March 2004. Kiew, R. Tan, L.Y., A. Thame & T.W. Yam Tainan, Taiwan. Ethel Burkill’s paintings return to Singapore. Studies on the growth rate of tropical orchid Gardenwise 22: 28. seeds in symbiotic cultures. Proceedings of Yam, T.W. & A. Thame the 16th Science Research Congress. National Conservation and reintroduction of the native Kiew, R. University of Singapore and Ministry of orchids of Singapore. The 2nd International Oleaceae. In: J.H. Beaman & C. Anderson. Education. CD-Rom. Orchid Conservation Congress (IOCC).15- The Plants of Mount Kinabalu. 5. 23th May 2004. Marie Selby Botanical Magnoliaceae to Winteraceae. Natural Vermeulen, J.J. & K.F. Leong Gardens, Florida, U.S.A. History Publications, Malaysia. Pp. 239-246. Malaxis. Gardenwise 22: 24.

Kiew, R. & K. F. Leong Yam, T.W. & F. Ho POSTERS PRESENTED Usun Apau! Where’s that? Gardenwise 22: 6-8. The 8th Asia-Pacific Orchid Conference. Malayan Orchid Review 38: 27-30. Lee, S. Kiew, R. & J.H. Tan Towards a revision of the West Malaysia Begonia sabahensis Kiew & J.H.Tan Yam, T.W. & J. Arditti Homalomena (Araceae). The 9th International (Begoniaceae), a new yellow-flowered Raising orchids from seeds: The Gardener’s Guide Aroid Symposium. 21-26th November 2004. begonia from Borneo. Gardens’ Bulletin to Growing Orchids. Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Singapore 56: 73-77. All-region Guides. Fitch (ed.). Pp. 68-75. Kiew, R. Leong, K.F. Yam, T.W. & J. Arditti C.X. Furtado’s contribution to aroid Usun Apau Orchids. Gardenwise 22: 10. Micropropagation of Orchids: The taxonomy. The 9th International Aroid Gardener’s Guide to Growing Orchids. Symposium. 21-26th November 2004. Liew, K.Y.K., Y.Z. Tan, Y.S.C. Wong, A. Brooklyn Botanic Garden. All-region Guides. Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Thame & T.W. Yam Fitch (ed.). Pp. 76-81. Effects of different nutrition media on Kiew, R., Hassan Ibrahim & S. Lee symbiotic germination of Dendrobium Yam, T. W., J. Arditti & C.S. Hew The Singapore Herbarium Ð The Type Project. crumenatum. Proceedings of the Tenth Youth The origin of Vanda Miss Joaquim - How did 6th Flora Malesiana Symposium. 20-24th Science Conference. Ministry of Education, Vanda Miss Joaquim really originate? September 2004. Los Baños, the Philippines. Singapore. Pp. 276-281. Malayan Orchid Review 38: 86-89.

Lim-Ho, C.L., L.K. Phua & A. Kee UNPUBLISHED REPORTS Tissue Culture of Aglaonema rotundum. PAPER PRESENTED Gardenwise 23: 8. Vermeulen, J.J. Kee, A. A survey of the terrestrial mollusk fauna of Lim, Y.F., A. Thame & T.W. Yam Aroids of Singapore Botanic Gardens. The 9th the Hon Chong-Ha Tien Limestone Hills, Kien Influence of the increase ploidy levels (from International Aroid Symposium. 21-26th Giang Prov., Vietnam. A survey for HOLCIM, 2n to 4n) on the physical attributes of November 2004. Kuching, Sarawak, in collaboration with the Institute for Ionocidium Popcorn. Proceedings of the 16th Malaysia. Environment Studies, Ho Chi Minh City, Science Research Congress. National Vietnam. University of Singapore and Ministry of Kiew, R. Education. CD-Rom. Singapore Country Report. Regional Workshop on Important Plant Areas and Standardization of Habitat Classification for Asia. ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation. 27-30th January 2004. Bangkok, Thailand.

3 June 11th 1877, 22 plants were sent to Who Was the Botanic Gardens Singapore…”

Henry Of these 22, nine were planted at Kuala Kangsar, Perak, where Ridley Nicholas reported that they grew well and by 1882 some of their seeds had been Ridley? planted at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. By 1888, these seeds had As 2005 is the 150th grown into mature trees. Ridley anniversary of Ridley’s understood the economic potential of this crop and had the foresight to birth, it is appropriate that realize the immediate need was for we review his contributions. seeds. Thus trees that survived and fruited in the Gardens became the enry Nicholas Ridley, whose life primary source of all the rubber

SBG Archives Hwork included economics, H.N. Ridley (1855-1956) planted at that time. And, to show botany, zoology, ethnography, Ridley’s administrative ability, medicine, etc, is well known in years researching fossils at the Oxford became an important income for the Singapore where he was Director of Geological Museum. He next moved cash-strapped Gardens. the Singapore Botanic Gardens from to the Botanical Department, British 1888 until 1912. The respected Asian Museum and in his eight years at this How Ridley came to be called scholar, Sir Richard Winstedt, in post he published about 50 papers “Mad Ridley” the1955 celebrations of Ridley’s 100th dealing with botany and zoology. He In his unpublished autobiography, birthday, said that Ridley was second had “time off” in 1887 when the Royal The Life of a Naturalist, Ridley recalls in importance only to Raffles in the Society sent him on an expedition to an interesting tale. “…I found near a history of Singapore and Malaya. In Brazil. rest house in Tapah in Perak, some an obituary by Professor Eric very large [rubber] trees then owned Holttum, the third Director of the However, Ridley wanted to explore by a Malay who said he was getting Gardens from 1925 until 1949, Ridley the botany of the tropics. His museum about a half a pickul (66 pounds) from is described as a genius. Ridley’s work and membership in the Linnean one tree 12 feet round. The house had peers repeatedly acknowledged his Society had drawn the attention of formerly been that of a District achievements by electing him into England’s leading natural scientists, Officer whom I had worried to plant prestigious scientific societies. He and when the Colonial Office created [rubber] seeds. I stuffed his pockets received medals of recognition from the post of Director of Gardens and with seeds.” the British government, the American Forests for the Straits Settlements, he government and from private was asked if he was interested. In “One day a traveller who had been organizations. 1888, he came to Singapore. from my house to visit Ceylon shortly after the boom in rubber began, Ridley before Singapore Ridley and Singapore’s returned to me, and told me he had As a child and schoolboy, Ridley Rubber Trees met a tea-planter in Ceylon whose showed an interest in nature. During The History of the Introduction of name he unfortunately forgot. The his schooling he made good Para Rubber into the Malay planter said ‘Oh you have been in collections of beetles and mammals. Peninsula, January 1903, is Ridley’s Singapore. Did you meet a fellow So good was he that one summer he essay describing the early years of called “Mad Ridley”? The traveller was excused from cricket to work on Malayan rubber growing. He writes said he had. ‘Well,’ said the other, the beetle collection. In 1875, he that the first seedlings (50 plants, not ‘some years ago he sent me a lot of entered Oxford College. seeds) destined for Singapore were rubber seeds and asked me to plant sent from Ceylon in 1876. But them. As I wanted to get something His adult life began in 1878 with a “Owing to the delay in payment of out of him [Ridley], I did so to please degree in science. He then spent two freight these plants all perished. On him. Well they grew up…’ ”. The

4 story then ends with the tea-planter reveal a rational, productive mind, comparable number of ferns, gingers, becoming a rich rubber planter, all completely in touch with reality. etc. Ridley appreciated the difficulty thanks to “Mad Ridley”. This story, of growing wild orchids without along with others, reveals Ridley’s Ridley as a Scientist consideration for their native habitat. sense of humor. He also had a great In 1881, Ridley was elected to the Nonetheless, he developed a fine intellect. Linnean Society and later to the collection of worldwide plants that Society’s Council. In 1914 he held the were displayed in the Gardens. The papers that Ridley wrote in the post of Vice-President. The Royal early years of the rubber industry in Society is the domain of world Ridley’s Description of Vanda Malaya, 1897 to 1910, reveal a mind famous scientists who vote in new Miss Joaquim that was clear and focused. He studied members. According to the Society Vanda Miss Joaquim was described tapping and perfected the herringbone “The main criterion for election as a by Ridley in 1893. Ridley was a very method. He described layering. He Fellow is scientific excellence”. In competent botanist. He clearly knew wrote about the most successful 1907, Ridley was elected a Fellow of the difference between an artificial planting systems. He added the Royal Society. In the same and a natural hybrid. Botanists had knowledge of prevention and control election, 21 other outstanding made the distinction for many years of insects, and other diseases on scientists were elected, including Sir as is evident by the literature of the rubber. In summary he wrote about William Bragg and Ivan Pavlov. The time. Ridley read and published in everything from seeds to stumps. The botanical contributions Ridley made many leading journals about new clarity of his writings aided by the during his lifetime were formally species of plants, including orchids, adoption of his practices led to the recognized in 1950 when the Linnean and their ecology. His writings about success of the plantation system. B. Society awarded him the prestigious pollination reveal an acute awareness J. Eaton in 1935, while marking Gold Medal. He was also honoured of the role of insects. When the Ridley’s 80th birthday, said “We in many times over by the rubber Joaquims had a new orchid and asked Malaya, not to mention other rubber industry. him to identify it, he noted that it was growing countries in the East, owe midway between two species and thus him a considerable debt of gratitude Ridley collected about 50,000 a hybrid. Ridley wrote “A few years for his pioneer work in connection herbarium specimens, many of which ago Miss Joaquim, a lady residing in with the plantation rubber industry he described. This huge volume could Singapore, well-known for her and his optimism and faith in its only be accomplished with a bit of success as a horticulturist, succeeded future.” And while doing all the haste and the resulting odd error. But in crossing Vanda hookeriana Rchb. above, he still maintained a Ridley’s errors are not important f., and V. teres...”. It is clearly substantial output of quality papers in when viewed against his overall indicated that Vanda Miss Joaquim is botany, zoology, geology, ethnology, contributions. In 1960, Eric Holttum an artificial hybrid. medicine, and biography. These wrote of Ridley’s errors: “He was a writings contain extensive genius and as such much can be Conclusion descriptions and analysis, which forgiven.” A study of Henry Nicholas Ridley reveals him as an exceptional person Ridley and Orchids who made important contributions to Ridley had a science degree from life science and economic Oxford based on a geology development in Asia. E. J. Salisbury scholarship and had worked on wrote: “…[his] total output, from the systematics in museums and carried time he was a schoolboy of seventeen out fieldwork in England and to when he was an old man of ninety- overseas. In the British Museum, he one, is an impressive monument to his specialized in . industry and alertness of his mind.” Orchids are monocotyledons and he may have had a special interest in Harold L. Johnson them judging by the number of 23 Chartwell Drive, Singapore 558717

From Malaya, 1953 From Ridley in 1903, among rubber trees planted before species he described Ð about 200 1888 alone in Malaya. He also described a

5 planting material. Ridley’s Henry Nicholas Ridley (1855-1956) persistence with rubber paid dividends for those planters who followed his advice, and was an Ð An Extraordinary enormous boost for the economy of Southeast Asia. Popular history views Botanical Explorer him as ‘Mad Ridley’, with an obsession for rubber. This fixation is perhaps to be understood in seed Although Singapore Botanic go back to. A man of lesser abilities production being one of the few Gardens was founded in would have been happy to serve out possibilities for income of the 1859, it did not have a his time, write the reports, make sure Gardens. But rubber was just part of enough work was done to satisfy the Ridley’s many and varied activities designated director until Governor. This was not enough for with introduction and trials of plants 1888. This was when Henry Ridley. He single-handedly turned of economic potential. At the time of Nicholas Ridley arrived Singapore Botanic Gardens into a his retirement, Ridley published from England to take up his major centre for tropical plant Spices, a monograph on spice plants science. From being something of a and their cultivation, which was the post as Director of the backwater compared to places such standard work on the subject for many Botanic Gardens. as Calcutta in India and Peradeniya years. in Sri Lanka, Singapore shot forward idley was 32 years old. His thanks to Ridley’s tireless efforts. Expeditions and Floras Rdirectorship lasted for more than Ridley took every opportunity to visit 23 years until he retired in 1912. His Economic Plants, Herbarium the forests and islands of the region achievements during the period as Ridley developed the Gardens, collecting plants whenever possible. director were enormous and they laid particularly the living collections of Some trips were official business, but the foundations for truly monumental economically important plants. He most expeditions were during his contributions to botany that resulted travelled through the region collecting leave and funded out of his own from his long and productive plants, both living specimens for the pocket. The flora of the Malay retirement living near the Royal Gardens and dried specimens for the Peninsula was poorly known and Botanic Gardens Kew in England. newly developed herbarium and there were new discoveries to be made making notes on all aspects of natural everywhere. Calcutta had been the Gardens and Forests history and anthropology. He was main centre for research on plants of Ridley was responsible for secretary of the Straits’ Branch of the the British colonies in Southeast Asia. administering the Gardens, not just Royal Asiatic Society and edited their Ridley collaborated with the Calcutta- those in Singapore, but the Waterfall journal, himself filling many of the based botanists Sir George King and Gardens in Penang also. Additionally, pages with articles on plants, as well James Gamble, sending specimens to he was in charge of the Forest as animals, minerals, folklore and them, but himself specialising in the Reserves in the Straits Settlements other subjects. monocots, notably gingers, orchids (Singapore, Penang and ). and palms. Ridley described Rubber and Spices thousands of new species and before The colonial administration was He was an enthusiastic advocate for his retirement, the preliminary always sparing with funds and Ridley the rubber industry in Malaya. Ten account for much of the Malayan flora had perpetual problems with years before Ridley arrived in had been published by King, Gamble, obtaining enough money for the Singapore, 22 of the famous seedlings Ridley and others as a series of Gardens. His post was actually of Para Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) ‘Materials’. abolished while he was on one of his reached the island from Brazil via periods of home leave, and it was only Kew and Peradineya. Ridley therefore Ridley took up residence in the leafy through the intervention of the had a few young trees to start London suburb of Kew and became Director of Kew Gardens that the post experiments on latex extraction and an almost daily visitor to the was reinstated giving Ridley a job to for seed production to increase the herbarium of the Royal Botanic

6 Gardens. Retirement did not diminish It was an exciting time to be a biology his energy for scientific work and he student with Darwin’s writings on began work on his Flora of the Malay evolution rocking the scientific Peninsula. It took ten years for the establishment and being discussed by first volume to appear in 1922, and everyone. by 1925 all five volumes were published. This industrious activity Ridley’s eventual appointment to strained Ridley considerably and Singapore was therefore the there were worries whether he would fulfillment of his great ambition, live to see the enormous task though chance (through job complete, but he did. opportunities at the British Museum) had diverted him to botany when Plant Dispersal zoology was his first love. He clearly At 70, one might imagine his life’s made the most of the opportunities work was complete and he could his position gave him. It is hard to finally retire. But no, Ridley started believe anyone could have done more work on another tome for which he to document the botanical diversity had been keeping careful notes for of the region. In retrospect, Ridley has

many years. Ridley had always been SBG Archives often been criticised for his rather fascinated by how plant species Ridley, the ever-tireless botanist, zoologist and slapdash approach to botany. This is explorer spread, for instance, how are islands perhaps understandable when one colonised? He realised that photographs of him give the realises the magnitude of the task information on how seeds are impression of a small man with a bald Ridley could see lying before him. dispersed is vital to answering these head, a bushy moustache and very Later botanists could sort out the sorts of questions. So he decided to penetrating eyes Ð an energetic and problems, he wanted to record the collect together all the information on enthusiastic man eagerly searching thousands of new species of plants he this topic and published The Dispersal for information from the world found. Perhaps also, Ridley was not of Plants Throughout the World in around him. by nature a taxonomist, not obsessed 1930. In his eighties, Ridley with pigeonholing and discriminating continued to publish on botanical The ultimate source of information and the technicalities of type subjects and was a keen birdwatcher on Ridley is his personal notebooks specimens and accurate descriptions. in Kew Gardens. He attended and journals. These he bequeathed to I suspect that the reluctant botanist meetings at the Royal Society and the the archives at Kew. There are 15 became a keen plantsman. It was the Linnean Society, and got married for volumes of journal recording his life plants (as well as the animals, the the first time. His last great in detail. I have had the opportunity rocks, the ethnography and achievement was to reach 100 years to dip briefly into some of these, but everything else) that inspired the of age. By all accounts though hopefully some day the complete insatiable curiosity that made him one increasingly frail in his final years, he work will become available to a of the great explorers of the botanical retained the clear mind and excellent wider audience (though at the outset world. recall that he had always possessed. Ridley wrote that the journal was for He died in 1956 in his 101st year. his own personal use and not Ian Turner Winchelsea East Sussex intended for publication). The TN36 4WA Ridley, the Person journals make it clear that Ridley was United Kingdom The many books and papers Ridley fascinated by natural history from an published are testament to his early age and his great ambition was immense contribution to tropical to explore the biological diversity of Henry Nicholas botany, as is the continuing existence the tropics. The boyhood passion for of Singapore Botanic Gardens and the bugs and birds did not diminish with Ridley rubber industry in Southeast Asia. age and was reinforced by a thirst for However, they do not provide much scientific knowledge particularly (1855-1956) insight into Ridley as a person. The when he went to Oxford University.

7 advantage of the Naturalist, for the H. N. Ridley, felling and burning of the forest has caused the disappearance of many the Indefatigable Collector plants and probably many insects and other animals; and as this work is still “When I first arrived in this Between 1889 and 1911, and later in continuing, it becomes of more and country in 1889, large areas his retirement, he collected more importance to save specimens of forest and mountain, now extensively in Peninsular Malaysia of the vanishing flora and fauna, ere they become as extinct as Dodos.” easily reached by train and and Singapore. In most cases, he worked up his collections describing motorcar, were only new species and compiling checklists In his Flora of the Malay Peninsula, accessible by long and for the specific areas he had explored. he recorded in 1924 that Echinodorus difficult marches.” His account of his expedition to what ridleyi (now a synonym of Ranalisma rostrata), which he had collected in Ridley, 1917 is now known as the Cameron Highlands area listed 612 species of 1897 from ‘a patch of black mud in ndeed, the easiest form of travel in vascular plants. dense forest’ at Batu Caves, outside Ithose days was by gharry or Kuala Lumpur, had never been found dogcart, if there were passable roads, He was particularly interested in plant again. It was one of the first examples or by horseback on ponies along geography and the origin of the flora of extinction in the Peninsula. bridle paths or by boat if river access and was the first to study the change was possible. Otherwise, there was in the north of the Peninsula from

nothing for it but to walk. tropical rain forest with its 363 :

4 predominantly evergreen species to Ridley’s first attempt in 1891 to climb the monsoon forest with many Gunung Tahan, the highest mountain deciduous species. He determined in Peninsular Malaysia, started at that the change occurred close to the Ranalisma Pekan on the East Coast and involved town of Alor Setar, a finding that later rostrata, discovered by a six-day boat ride up the Pahang study has confirmed. In his Ridley in 1897, River to Temerloh, where he changed exploration of mountains, and he was never seen

again Peninsula of the Malay Flora Ridley’s From to smaller boats and took another 14 climbed many (Gunung Jerai, Taiping days to reach Kuala Tahan, followed and the Larut Hills, Gunung Bujang by a further three days up the Tahan Melaka, the Cameron Highlands area, River to reach the foot of the Genting Simpah, Genting Peras, mountain. At that time, the route to Gunung Tahan, Gunung Ledang, the summit had not been found and Gunung Panti and Gunung Pulai) and after 20 days, running short of food he noted those species that formed and with two out of three men part of the temperate element, such suffering from fever, they turned back as violets and sanicles, that grew in without having reached the summit. mountain forests.

The next time he climbed Gunung His collections are important, as the Tahan in 1911, he took a house boat vegetation in many of the areas that from Kuala Lipis in central Pahang he explored, for example in the Kinta and reached the foot of Gunung Tahan Valley, which was exploited for tin- in seven days. The trail to the summit mining, Rawang in Selangor, was then known and could be reached Malacca, and Tebrau in Johore, are in two days. Ridley was the first long gone. botanist to explore the strange,

Hassan Ibrahim stunted padang flora on the sandstone In 1917, he deplored “the wide A herbarium specimen of Memecylon cantleyi development of agriculture of late collected and described by Ridley with close-up of plateau and he collected and the label. This is the 13,012th plant he collected. described many new species. years has not been, alas, all to the Note his initials HNR in his handwriting. Ridley collected this from the Gardens Rain Forest 8 “Formerly I always used presses made when that failed some jungle string had of crossed laths of hard wood, but these to be sought. Rattan split is excellent but proved awkward sometimes to carry often unprocurable and then one has to through thick forest, and I substituted fall back on the inner bast of mahangs for them the ordinary wire presses of (Macaranga) or dadaub (Bauhinia) or crossed wire, which I contrived to have Gnetum, Artocarpus, or the like. It is very made sufficiently strong and not too seldom that one has to go far in the forests

SBG Archives heavy, in fact hardly as heavy as the for jungle string. Ridley and Ahmad, plant collector with plant press, in the Gardens Rain Forest wooden ones, and more easily portable. The paper we use is Chinese bamboo very succulent plants such as aroids or In the Telom and Temango expeditions paper procurable at most village shops orchids. we found plenty of bamboos which, split in the country. Only a few sheets are put into suitable lengths and tied with string in each press, which is put out in the sun The plants when dry were made up into or bast from some jungle tree or and taken in on the approach of rain. bundles and wrapped in American cloth climbers made suitable presses. The Most of the plants dry thus in a few days for travelling, so as to take no injury laths were tied together with twine and and a week suffices for anything but the from damp.” Ridley 1910

So, too for Singapore, where of the He wrote all the labels for these species he listed in his 1900 Flora of 50,000 species and their duplicates by Singapore, only about three quarters hand himself. He abbreviated his of them can still be found growing in name to his initials HNR and Singapore. This underlines the great recorded minimum data Ð locality importance of his collections that are, (very brief), the date and scientific in many cases the only permanent name. Occasionally, he might add a record of what there was at the turn short note about flower colour or of the last century. uses. He numbered his specimens in the herbarium (most botanists It is estimated that Ridley collected number their plants in the field) and about 50,000 plants. For each plant many ended up with s.n., sine collection he made, he collected numero, meaning no number. several duplicates that were sent to other herbaria specializing in the flora He not only collected green plants, of Indo-Malayan region, such as Kew, he also arranged for toadstools to be the British Museum (now the Natural collected from the Gardens, which History Museum) and the Botanic were painted by the resident artist

SBG Archives Garden in Calcutta. He also sent Charles de Alwis while still fresh to A Charles de Alwis’ painting of a toadstool plants to botanists who specialised in capture their delicate colours. These Christmas Island. Christmas Island, for particular groups. For example, he were sent to George Massee, the which Ridley wrote a flora, was then sent palms to Dr O. Beccari in mycologist at Kew, and many proved under the administration of Singapore. Florence. A great number of his to be new species (Gardenwise collections represented new species. 15(2000)24). As J.W. Purseglove wrote on the Many, it is estimated about one occasion of Ridley’s 100th birthday: thousand, new species were described He not only extensively covered the “Mr Ridley’s work as a field botanist by Ridley himself, while many Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore added more than that of any other others were described by specialists in his botanical exploration, he also single man to our knowledge of the in other herbaria. Frequently, they travelled further afield to southern Malay Peninsula.” commemorated his discovery of the Thailand, the east coast of Sumatra, new species by naming it ‘ridleyi’ or the Riau Archipelago, northwest Ruth Kiew ‘ridleyana’. Borneo, Lundu, Labuan and Herbarium

9 In his taxonomic work, Ridley had Ridley’s Namesake also honoured Singapore by naming a few of the new plant species he or Ð His Legacy in the Gardens others had collected around the island after our nation, such as Kopsia Ridley passed away in singapurensis Ridl. and Dracaena 1956 but his name has singapurensis Ridl. been immortalised New combinations made by in many plant species Ridley from the Malay Peninsula Ð Besides actually naming new species a legacy befitting a of plants, he also transferred some of

Tan Puay Yok Puay Tan great naturalist. The flowers of an Apocynaceae named after his contemporaries’ described and Singapore, Kopsia singapurensis Ridl. named plants into their proper genera. are Platycerium ridleyi Christ., In reassigned cases, the complete ew people have achieved so much Gigantochloa ridleyi Holttum, scientific names of these plants would Fin 23 years of service in the Dracaena yuccifolia Ridl., have the original author’s name in tropics as the late H.N. Ridley. During Monochoria elata Ridl., Spatholirion brackets followed by the name of the his tenure, he collected about 50,000 ornatum Ridl. All the plants current author who transfers the plant botanical specimens. His interests mentioned here are grown in our to its correct genus. For example, the were varied, and he studied the entire Gardens. Nibong Palm known scientifically as spectrum of plant families. tigillarium (Jack) Ridl. New species described by was first described by William Jack In the Gardens we have a living Ridley in 1820 as Areca tigillaria Jack before collection of about 90 species named In 1900, Ridley authored the first Ridley transferred it to its present after Ridley and a number of species checklist of Singapore plants, entitled genus Oncosperma. that were described by the man “The Flora of Singapore” ( in Journal himself. Some of the plants described of the Straits Branch of the Royal Likewise, other taxonomists have also by Ridley or were named after him Asiatic Society 33: 27-196). During reassigned some of Ridley’s named his time, he described over 5,200 species. For instance, in 1905, Ridley species of plants as new species. described and named a remarkable Those cryptic letters “Ridl.” after the scientific names of the plants is an abbreviation for ‘Ridley’. This means they were first named and described by him.

Koh Sin Lan Koh Dracaena yuccifolia Ridl. (Agavaceae)

Koh Sin Lan Koh

Nura Abdul Nura Karim

The erect fertile fronds of Platycerium ridleyi The very useful but spiny palm, Oncosperma

Koh Sin Lan Koh Christ. (Polypodiaceae). This endangered fern tigillarium (Jack) Ridl. (Palmae), The attractive blue flowers of the aquatic plant species is highly valued in the horticultural trade better known as Nibong Monochoria elata Ridl. (Pontederiaceae) and once grew in Singapore (Inset: Close-up of the thorns on the trunk)

10 Example of plants in the Gardens named after H.N. Ridley

SPECIES FAMILY COMMON NAME

Alangium ridleyi Alangiaceae Mentulang Daun Lebar

Gigantochloa ridleyi Gramineae Ð

Hoya ridleyi Asclepiadaceae Ð

Oryza ridleyi Gramineae Ð

Platycerium ridleyi Polypodiaceae Ridley's Staghorn Fern

Ridleyandra kiewii Gesneriaceae Ð

Vatica ridleyana Resak Buah Chana

Koh Sin Lan Koh Borassodendron machadonis (Ridl.) Becc. (Palmae) Wikstroemia ridleyi Thymelaeaceae Ð growing in Palm Valley Ridleyara Fascad Ð new palm species discovered by a colleague, Machado, from the forest of Kamuning, Malaysia, as Borassus machadonis Ridl. Nine years later, an Italian taxonomist, , A living Ridley legacy himself from Province Wellesley transferred this palm to a new genera, In 1956, the former director of (now Seberang Perai), Malaysia, and Borassodendron and ever since then, Botanic Gardens, R.E. Holttum had is still alive at the Palm Valley. This this palm, first described by Ridley, described and named a species of bamboo, Gigantochloa ridleyi has been known as Borassodendron bamboo growing in the Botanic Holttum, is a living type specimen and machadonis (Ridl.) Becc. Gardens after Ridley - his well- will serve as a reminder of Ridley and respected predecessor. his connection with the flora of Malay Ridley as honoured by his Peninsula and the Gardens. fellow botanists Ð past and The very plant Holttum studied was present brought to the Gardens by Ridley Nura Abdul Karim Plant Records Unit Over the years a number of plant species have been named in honour of Ridley by other botanists. The specific name for most of these plants is ridleyi, but a few are named ridleyana, ridleyanus and ridleyanum. There are even a small number of genera named after Ridley, such as Ridleyara, Ridleyella (both Orchidaceae) and Ridleyandra (Gesneriaceae).

The table below shows a list of 9 taxa

Nura Abdul Karim Nura named after Ridley that are in our Gardens’ collection. They range from The clump of ferns, orchids, bamboos , grasses to Gigantochloa ridleyi dipterocarps, asclepiads and Holttum (Gramineae) at Palm Valley. This is a gesneriads among others. living type specimen

11 and 2 natural genera (Ridleya and Table 2: Ridley Ridleyella) named after him. In Orchid species named after Ridley and honour of his contribution, the Gardens named an artificial genus Acriopsis ridleyi Hook.f. Ridleyara (Arachnis x Vanda x Orchids Bulbophyllum ridleyi Kraenzl. Trichoglottis) after him. To date, Cleisostoma ridleyi Garay Ridleyara Fascad (Aranda Eileen .N. Ridley had already written Coelogyne ridleyana Schltr. Addison x Trichoglottis fasciata) is papers on tropical orchids Coelogyne ridleyi Gagnep. H the only grex registered in the genus. before arriving in Singapore. He had Corybas ridleyanus Schltr. worked in the Botany Department of Cynosorchis ridleyi Th. Dur. et Schinz the British Museum of Natural Dendrobium ridleyanum Kerr History from 1880 to 1887 where he Dendrobium ridleyi Merr. was in charge of the Eria ridleyi Rolfe section of the herbarium. It was Habenaria ridleyana Kraenzl. natural therefore that he made Lecanorchis ridleyana Schltr. Malayan orchids an early subject of Malaxis ridleyana P.Francis Hunt study. Wherever he went plant- Microstylis ridleyi J.J.Sm. collecting, he collected orchids for the Polystachya ridleyi Rolfe herbarium, for cultivation and for Sarcanthus ridleyi J.J.Sm. exchange. Thrixspermum ridleyanum Schltr. Published records show that Ridley described 13 orchid genera and about 200 new species. Some of these Malay Peninsula while engaged on genera and species have been reduced forest survey work. He built a by later taxonomists. herbarium in Penang, which in 1910 was incorporated into that of the

Table 1: Wing Tim Yam Singapore Botanic Gardens. Ridleyara Fascad Orchid genera described by Ridley Mohamed Haniff who entered the Ridley wrote the first account of the Gardens Department in 1890, and Ascochilus Poaephyllum orchids of the Malay Peninsula in later stationed in the Waterfall Ascotainia Porphyroglottis 1896. He amplified it in his complete Gardens, Penang from 1911-1921, study of the monocotyledons of the was another important collector. Forbesina Radinocion peninsula in 1907 (Materials for a Owing to the efforts of Ridley, Curtis, Flora of the Malay Peninsula, Haniff and other collectors, by 1912, Glossorhyncha Renantherella Monocotyledons 1) and finally in orchids had become the largest group of living plants in the Gardens with Leucolena Staurochilus 1924 in Flora of the Malay Peninsula 4. At the age of 75 Ridley published 276 species in the living collection. Orestia Zetagyne his last major work, The Dispersal of Plants Throughout the World (1930). In 1893, Ridley described the first Pelatantheria This book is still an important source orchid hybrid, Vanda Miss Joaquim, of information regarding the dispersal from Singapore. This hybrid was later Holdings in the Singapore Herbarium of orchid seeds. selected as the National Flower of show that Ridley collected some 5,932 Singapore in 1981. specimens of plants in Singapore of During Ridley’s time, Charles Curtis, which 125 are types. Of these, 459 are Superintendent of Gardens and Yam Tim Wing, Aung Thame Orchid Breeding & Micropropagation orchids comprising 59 genera and 154 Forest, Penang from 1884-1903, species and include 35 types. which came under the Singapore Acknowledgement: We would like to thank Botanic Gardens’ administration, Serena Lee and Hassan Ibrahim for His work on orchids brought him recorded in his reports the collecting providing information from the herbarium; Christina Soh and Zakiah Agil for providing recognition with almost 30 species of orchids in the northern part of the help in the library.

12 Ridley intended his Flora of the Malay Peninsula 4 to have colour illustrations and employed James & Charles de Alwis to paint orchids from the Gardens’ living collections. However, there were insufficient funds for their publication. Here is a selection of a few of the orchid paintings from the SBG Archives.

Eulophia keithii

Thrixspermum ridleyanum (synonym of Dendrocolla maculate)

Anoectochilus geniculatus

Bromheadia pungens

Bulbophyllum acuminatum

From SBG Archives 13 The Gardens’ Menagerie Imagine this sight! You are from the lake. When the lake was taking a stroll in the drained, it managed to hide in the mud and later escaped. Somehow it was Gardens and admiring the never captured, nor seen nor heard of beautiful flowers. But there again. sitting comfortably is an Orangutan sipping a glass Tigers were also kept in the collection. But it must have been dangerous to of whisky and puffing on a visit the Gardens back then. Ridley cigar. Further on you recorded that a wild tiger used to roam notice two tiger cubs round the Gardens’ Jungle for months accompanying the Director in 1893! And another tigress, originally caught in Pahang, would be of the Gardens on his daily labelled “racist” nowadays.

walks. Then even more Purseglove Jeremy Apparently she was tame with remarkable Ð you think you Ridley as Noah, during a fancy dress party Europeans but totally disliked the see a crocodile swimming in common animals in Singapore (but natives. So…the “Sarong Party Girl” rare now) like the porcupine or the concept was already present in those Swan Lake. Are these scaly anteater were kept in cages. The days. And the drinking, smoking scenarios very far-fetched? menagerie even boasted an exotic Orangutans are no tale either. They collection of animals like the really acquired the taste for sweet ell! Not if you were a visitor flamingoes from Egypt, various wines like port. Can you imagine Wto the Gardens in the late marsupials from Australia and even them sitting on the verandah of 1890s when H.N. Ridley was here. As foxes from China. Ridley’s zoo was Burkill Hall, merrymaking the days Director of the Gardens, he not only also used as a temporary abode for away with booze in one hand and oversaw the management of the many animals before they were cigars in the other? Ridley even botanical collections, but also ran a shipped to faraway zoological recorded how a Malayan tapir and the small zoo. gardens like London, Vienna and rhinoceroses always dropped their Calcutta. dung on the exact same spot making The collection of living animals went housekeeping for them convenient. back to the days of the Agri- Ridley made acute observations on Horticultural Society in 1859 Ð the the animals in the zoo. Regular Despite careful attention, many precursor to our present Gardens. An activities were recorded in the Annual animals perished perhaps due to annual report on the Zoological Reports of the Gardens. He even ignorance of their proper diet or lack Collections in 1876 highlighted the published a detailed account of the of knowledge on their upkeep. presence of a rhinoceros, sloth-bear, fascinating behaviour of the animals There’s a poignant story of two kangaroo, and a collection of birds which included many funny partridges (a male and a female) that just to name a few. In its heyday, the anecdotes (H.N. Ridley, 1906, “The were at first kept in separate cages but zoo was even well-known around the Menagerie at the Botanic Gardens”, were united together as they kept world. In those days the first question in the Journal Straits Branch of the calling for each other. But alas! that travellers asked was “Where is Royal Asiatic Society 46: 133-194). Marital bliss was not meant to be as the menagerie?” the male bird pecked the head of the Remember the crocodile in Swan female till she died. This was one Most of the animals were donated by Lake? Well! That’s not a tale at all. male who didn’t want to be regular patrons of the Gardens or had Ridley mentioned that one of the henpecked at all! A number of been captured within the region Ð like crocodiles escaped to the lake and animals also succumbed to illnesses the Malayan Honey Bears which were grew to about 2 m long. It devoured and died during their stay in the kept in bear pit - and handed over to waterfowls there and even tried to Gardens or while on their onward the Gardens for upkeep. Once drag workers who were taking water voyage over the sea to distant lands.

14 Many past directors of the Gardens resided in Burkill Hall including J.W. Purseglove, who was Director from 1954- 1957. These old photographs, taken in the mid-50s, have been kindly provided by his son, Jeremy Purseglove. A young Jeremy is seen in the bottom picture, playing with his friends, Andrew (middle) and Gillian (far right), children of J.W. Ewart (see page 17 on the mention of J.W. Ewart). It was mentioned that there used to be bear pits in the background of this picture where Malayan Honey Bears were once kept. The ducks at play and a reminder of When the Pursegloves lived in Burkill Hall, they kept Susan (1889-1902) ducks near their home. These ducks merrily enjoyed a swim in the orchid-watering tank located nearby. Notice a gravestone on bottom right of the top picture with the name “Susan” engraved on it. Besides overseeing the animals in the zoo, Ridley also had a pet dog, Susan. When the dog died, it was buried near Burkill Hall. Jeremy (far left) with the Ewart We are totally grateful to Jeremy for providing these children personal family photographs. Photos by Jeremy Purseglove

squirrels, terrapins and parakeets or even our screeching cicadas are here to stay and make a visit to the Gardens all the more an entertaining one. Don’t fret the next time you thought you saw the scales of a crocodile bobbing out of the murky waters of Swan Lake. It could be our long lost crocodile coming back for a visit or how would you like to see our Director walking around the Gardens with two tigers - Siegfried and Roy -

SBG Archives as his bodyguards? Wouldn’t that be The Gardens in the 60s, when long-tailed macaques were once common residents a sight!!! Rarely were the animals purchased. So gone are the days of the After 1881, no funds were granted by menagerie. And no longer do the the government for their upkeep. So visitors ask “Where is the expenses for feeding and housing the menagerie?” but instead “Where is animals were paid out of what could the National Orchid Garden?” Our be spared from the Gardens’ vote. No only zoological collections are the large animals like the elephant could free roaming animals that are part and be kept on account of the expense. It parcel of the Gardens. One might was this perennial pecuniary problem notice the occasional monitor lizard

Derek Liew Derek that ultimately caused the demise of scurrying away on a flight to freedom, One of our current resident zoological collections, the Oriental Whip Snake, which can be spotted the menagerie. As its upkeep became or the delicate green Oriental Whip now and then too much to bear, the zoo was Snake slithering away amidst the abolished in 1903 and the animals green Murraya hedges. But the Hassan Ibrahim were gradually taken away. common “zoo” residents like Herbarium

15 Ridley’s World of Fungi

idley started the Herbarium’s they were dried and lost all their Many of the fungi were collected R fungal collection by colours. from the Gardens Rain Forest. Several systematically collecting macrofungi were species new to science thus from the Gardens. These included Duplicates of the specimen were then making the Rain Forest an important mushrooms, toadstools and bracket sent to Kew where a copy of the type site. This refers to the original fungi. painting was made. These were location from where a specimen new identified and described by G. to science (type specimen) was Way before the epoch of digital Massee, who commented on the collected and later described for the photography, Ridley commissioned importance of the ‘very beautifully first time. Charles de Alwis to make watercolour executed coloured drawings’ in making paintings of fresh specimens before description of these new species. To date, as many as 14 species have been named after him: namely, Boletus ridleyi, Calodon ridleyi, Clavaria ridleyi, Cordyceps ridleyi, Crepidotus ridleyi, Daedalea ridleyi, Hydnum ridleyi, Melanotus ridleyi, Ophiocordyceps ridleyi, Polyporus ridleyi, Polystictus ridleyi, Pulveroboletus ridleyi, Tulostoma ridleyi and Xylaria ridleyi.

Painting of a type specimen A selection of other Serena Lee Hypholoma elatum toadstool paintings Herbarium

From SBG Archives Ridley and Mosses

.N. Ridley collected a and 12 varieties of mosses were these 31 Ridley’s types, only 12 are H significant number of mosses identified, mainly by H.N. Dixon in accepted taxa today. from Singapore and Malaysia, the the United Kingdom. Following duplicates of which are preserved in today’s taxonomic concepts, these Three moss taxa bore Ridley’s name the Singapore Herbarium. represent 152 species, one subspecies as the species epithet, namely, and eight varieties. Acroporium ridleyi Dixon, Syrrhopodon On the basis of publications, we ridleyi Dixon, and Thysanomitrium counted well over 300 moss Thirty one species and varieties were ridleyi Dixon (= Campylopus specimens collected by him, most of validly described as new from Ridley’s exasperatus var. lorentzii (M. Fleisch.) J.- which are from Peninsular Malaysia, moss collections. Three of these new P. Frahm). Only one, A. ridleyi, has stood several from Singapore (the Gardens’ taxa have the type locality in Singapore, the test of time and not been reduced to Jungle, Bukit Timah, and the locality namely Syrrhopodon ridleyi Dixon (= synonymy. called Chan Chu Kang), with a few Syrrhopodon involutus Schwaegr.), from Sarawak in Borneo. In Taxithelium subtrachaelophyllum Dixon We are fortunate in Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia, a large part of (= Taxithelium nepalense (Schwaegr.) Peninsular Malaysia that Ridley Ridley’s moss collections came from Broth.), and Trichosteleum brachypelma showed interest in collecting mosses Mount Ophir, Gunung Tahan and var. compactum Dixon (= Trichosteleum for posterity. During his stint in Penang Hill. A total of 172 species boschii (Dozy & Molk.) Jaeg.). Of Singapore at the turn of the 19th

16 century, the Malay Peninsula and Lopidium struthiopteris, Desmotheca twigs and leaves (e.g. Ephemeropsis Singapore were covered largely by apiculata and a number of tjibodensis from Penang Hill), as well pristine rain forests. Having a keen Macromitrium species, are widespread as morphologically unique mosses eye for morphological differences, Malesian taxa found in humid and well (e.g., Cryptogonium phyllogonioides Ridley proved a good collector of shaded lowland forest. Unfortunately, from Perlis), and rare or uncommon moss novelties. This is evident from they can no longer be seen in mosses found in our region (e.g., the broad variety of moss genera and Singapore today. Interestingly, Ridley Chaetomitrium borneense from species that he collected. Among the collected a fairly small forest moss, Selangor and Glossadelphus bilobatus moss species he collected from Fissidens crassinervis, from Geylang. from Perak). Singapore, several are large, This last mentioned species can still dendroid ground plants, while be found in Bukit Timah Nature We should thank Ridley for giving us others are medium-sized epiphytes Reserve and Central Catchment a glimpse of the past richness of moss forming extensive populations on tree forests, but not in Geylang. diversity in our forests in Singapore trunks and branches. These mosses, for and Peninsular Malaysia. example, Hypnodendron arborescens, Other than the large-sized mosses, Leucobryum javense, Neckeropsis Ridley also had a good eye for Benito C. Tan, Ho Boon-Chuan Department of Biological Sciences gracilenta, Leucophanes candidum, collecting very tiny mosses growing on National University of Singapore Singapore 119260

Wolfe’s Vine recent introduction into the A horticultural world, Wolfe’s Vine (Petraeovitex wolfei, Verbenaceae), has captured the hearts and minds of many gardeners and landscape designers alike.

It was recently re-introduced to the Close-up of the flower of Petraeovitex wolfei Petraeovitex wolfei covering the entire fence Gardens. It was documented in 1956 Assistant Curator to the Botanic can last for many weeks making this (Garden’s Bulletin Singapore, 15: 18) Gardens, Singapore on 9th October a most attractive climber. The plant that Mr. J.W. Ewart, the Assistant 1937. He was transferred to Penang is suitable on fencing or a pergola Curator, first introduced this in 1938 and came back in 1939. where it can best display its bright charming climber into the Gardens in During the Japanese Occupation, he pendulous inflorescences. 1939. He had obtained the plant from was again relocated to Agriculture Dr E.D.B Wolfe for whom this Gold Coast in Africa and returned to Our re-introduction was purchased climber had been named. Dr Wolfe the Gardens in 1946. He acted as from a private collector in Thailand was then the Deputy Director of Director for two months from June to in 2002. It can be viewed together Medical Services, Federation of August in 1954. In 1957, he retired. with other climbers along the fence Malaya (see article on page 18). This at the upper edge of the Evolution climber was first recorded in both the This free-flowering, vigorous climber Garden. states of Kedah and Trengganu in has long pendulous yellow Peninsular Malaysia. inflorescences borne at the tips of its Andrea Kee Plant Resource Centre stems. It bears bright yellow bracts Mr J.W. Ewart was appointed as and creamy white flowers. The bracts Photos by Andrea Kee

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