THE NEWSLEttER OF THE SINGAPORE BOTANIC GARDENS VOLUME 34, JANUARY 2010 ISSN 0219-1688 of connecting plants and people p13 Collecting & conserving Thai Convolvulaceae p2 Sowing the seeds of conservation in an oil palm plantation p8 Spindle gingers – jewels of Singapores forests p24 VOLUME 34, JANUARY 2010 Message from the director Chin See Chung ARTICLES 2 Collecting & conserving Thai Convolvulaceae George Staples 6 Spotlight on research: a PhD project on Convolvulaceae George Staples 8 Sowing the seeds of conservation in an oil palm plantation Paul Leong, Serena Lee 12 Propagation of a very rare orchid, Khoo-Woon Mui Hwang, Lim-Ho Chee Len Robiquetia spathulata Whang Lay Keng, Ali bin Ibrahim 150 years of connecting plants and people: Terri Oh 2 13 The making of stars Two minds, one theory - Wallace & Darwin, the two faces of evolution theory I do! I do! I do! One evening, two stellar performances In Search of Gingers Botanical diplomacy The art of botanical painting Fugitives fleurs: a unique perspective on floral fragments Falling in love Born in the Gardens A garden dialogue - Reminiscences of the Gardens 8 Children celebrate! Botanical party Of saints, ships and suspense Birthday wishes for the Gardens REGULAR FEATURES Around the Gardens 21 Convolvulaceae taxonomic workshop George Staples What’s Blooming 18 22 Upside down or right side up? The baobab tree Nura Abdul Karim Ginger and its Allies 24 Spindle gingers – jewels of Singapores forests Jana Leong-Škornicková From Education Outreach 26 “The Green Sheep” – a first for babies and toddlers at JBCG Janice Yau 27 International volunteers at the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden Winnie Wong, Janice Yau From Taxonomy Corner 28 The puzzling bathroom bubbles plant... George Staples 22 From the Orchid Species Collection 29 Name changes in the Eria group Hubert Kurzweil Book Review 30 Gardens of Lanka Jana Leong-Škornicková Beyond the Gardens 31 Zingiberaceae symposium in Yunnan Jana Leong-Škornicková 32 The 3rd South East Asia Botanic Gardens Network (SEABG) Meeting Nura Abdul Karim, Dina Gallick 33 Two regional meetings on ASEAN biodiversity held in Japan Benito C. Tan 29 Staff Publications 34 Publications by Gardens staff in 2009 36 H.M. Burkill Research Fellowship Cover Hornstedtia scyphifera Inside back cover Photos by Jana Leong-Škornicková Key visitors to the Gardens Benjamin Aw, Serena Lee Editors Back cover Chin See Chung From the Archives Mark Hughes Famillies des Plantes, Vols I & II by Michel Adanson (1727-1806) Kho Soo Pei Paris: Chez Vincent, 1763 Christina Soh Production Managers Christina Soh Singapore Botanic Gardens, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569 Mak Sin Chang NATIONAL PARKS BOARD Design [email protected] www.sbg.org.sg www.nparks.gov.sg Splash Productions Pte Ltd Message from the director 2009 was an exceptional year for the animals that a profound appreciation Gardens. It was the 150th anniversary and understanding can only be realized of the founding of the Gardens in 1859. by intimate and constant immersion in To celebrate, 14 events were planned the natural world. Their experiences with the full participation of the demonstrated that the greatest teacher community. As the year unfolded, energy is nature; there is no substitute for field and enthusiasm grew, the momentum learning. developed and opportunities were seized. We finally organized and held 2009 marked another watershed for an astounding 28 events on the history the Gardens when we announced the and the science and art of plants and beginning of the development of our gardens. The year ended with the eagerly Tyersall extension. This is a 9.8 ha plot of anticipated “botanical party”, a large public land under fairly matured secondary forest event anchored by a concert and the at the western boundary of the Gardens light-up of 150 trees. separated by Tyersall Ave. Coincidentally, 2009 was also the 150th We now have the opportunity to extend anniversary of the publication of Charles our existing rain forest patch to develop a Darwin’s epochal book, The Origin of larger and truly exceptional learning forest Species, where he outlined the theory of in the centre of the city. We will display evolutionary change through the process the best and most amazing flora. W e will of natural selection. On the other side grow giant trees and display unique barks, of the world, Alfred Russell Wallace, flowers and fruits. A nd we will develop then living in a hut in the Maluku islands, the forest into an important site for the independently arrived at the same ideas ex-situ conservation of wild relatives of as Darwin. We celebrated their legacies fruit and nut tree species of the region. with an exhibition, “Two minds, one theory There will also be a marshland for a - Wallace & Darwin, the two faces of collection of marshland plants and a water evolution theory”. The exhibition staged body that will complement and support with the Gardens’ usual deftness and Swan Lake. We will be able to provide a thoroughness highlighted the incredible better arrival and departure experience beauty and diversity of tropical flora and for visitors who come by coach to this fauna. It demonstrated that biodiversity part of the Gardens. This resource will provided the key that unlocked ideas and greatly strengthen our outreach and will provided the evidence that explained provide unique opportunities for our evolutionary change. visitors to experience and learn about plants, forest and the natural environment. Both Darwin and Wallace went on long journeys of exploration, documentation The addition of this forest patch to the and collection that provided the Gardens is a great cause for celebration. inspiration, ideas and evidence for the It is an unprecedented historical event; an process of natural selection. Wallace exceptional 150th anniversary gift to the wrote The Malay Archipelogo, after eight people of Singapore. Their favourite place years of intensive work in Southeast will get even better. Asia. Darwin, The Voyage of the Beagle, that documented the almos t five-year Chin See Chung expedition of HMS Beagle. Both are outstanding scientific journals and inspiring natural history travel books. They illustrate to all who work with plants and 1 ARTICLE Collecting & conserving Thai Convolvulaceae George Staples George Staples George As a working taxonomist, identifies and describes 24 genera and 119 species of morning glory that The final I spend most of my occur in the Kingdom of Thailand. It is as complete as it can be at this time; account identifies time studying dried there are some inadequate specimens plant specimens in the that could not be identified, raising and describes the prospect that more species will be Gardens Herbarium. added to the Thai flora in future, once 24 genera and One of the tasks I better specimens become available. This points out one of the side effects 119 species of perform there is to of publishing flora accounts—they morning glory write floras—scientific stimulate further efforts to collect and document biodiversity, as gaps in our that occur in accounts of the plants knowledge are highlighted. the Kingdom growing in a particular One of the gaps identified in our country, state or region. knowledge of Thai Convolvulaceae is of Thailand. that numerous species are known from A flora is the first source for information rather few collections. In some cases so about the plants in a given area; it allows few herbarium specimens exist that our you to identify, name, describe and locate basic knowledge of the plants is quite the plants found there. As such, floras are incomplete. Of the total 119 species the first line of defense for conservation reported for the flora, 26 were known efforts, because they provide the data from less than five specimens—five Left: one needs to decide how to manage and species are known only from the Habitat for Merremia verruculosa, Phujong Nayoi preserve plant diversity. National Park. The backpack at left gives an type specimen, often collected long indication of the size for the depressions in the ago—an inadequate sample to make sandstone where plants can grow. Since 1985 I’ve been working on an any decisions about the biology, ecology, account of the Convolvulaceae for the Right: and conservation management of such Team Convolvulaceae in action collecting and Flora of Thailand Project, which is now species. photographing morning glories, our vehicle in the completed and in press. The final account background. 2 Thailand Preecha Karaket Staples George So while the flora account is finished and Plant Conservation. Specifically, issue of Gardenwise). In 10 days of field (and after 24 years of work, I might we went looking for the rarest species collecting, we drove by car almost 3,000 add, at last!) the real work now begins. of Convolvulaceae in Thailand. Using km in search of 12 of the rarest species With 22% of the Thai Convolvulaceae the information gathered for the flora of Thai Convolvulaceae. so poorly known, how can we make account we plotted out the last known informed decisions about their sites where the rarest species had been So what did we find?A ny rare conservation needs? It is worth pointing found, and compiled the flowering Convolvulaceae? Well, yes. We had out that the most recent Red Data book and fruiting seasonality so that we extraordinary success in some ways for Thailand does not include a single could pinpoint the time of year the and some disappointments in others. member of the Convolvulaceae, despite plants would be fertile (which makes We could not locate some species the seeming rarity of so many species Convolvulaceae easier to find; when (such as the enigmatic Argyreia versicolor, in the country. Are these species really there are no colorful flowers, the green collected once in Prachin Buri province rare, or is this an artifact due to poor leaves disappear into the background and never seen since).