Gardenwise• • • The Magazine of the Singapore Botanic Gardens Volume 53 August 2019 ISSN 0129-1688 2 The life and legacy of David Lim Hock Lye, venerated orchid breeder and polymath 10 Refurbishment of the Potting Yard 19 Toxic ‘peas’ – the dark 32 Fungus-termite for horticulture and botanical research side of the legumes partnerships Volume 53 • August 2019 1 Group Direction 2 38 Nigel P. Taylor Articles Regular Features 2 The life and legacy of David 28 From the Taxonomy Corner 38 What’s Blooming Lim Hock Lye, venerated orchid Herbarium collections Heat wave and flowers… breeder and polymath David Middleton Nura Abdul Karim Gillian Khew 31 Collaborators in Research 40 Book Review 10 Refurbishment of the Potting International researchers on the Pictorial Guide to the Flora Yard for horticulture and Flora of Singapore project of Tasik Chini botanical research Serena Lee S.K. Ganesan Jana Leong-Škorničková, Michele Rodda, Tan Siew Tin 32 From the Earth 41 Key Visitors to the Gardens Fungus-termite partnerships January–June 2019 16 Native Dracaena in Singapore – Serena Lee, Chan Wai Yeng Part 2, Maingay’s Dracaena Back From the Archives Matti Niissalo, 34 Edibles Cover From Third Lake to Eco-Lake Jana Leong-Škorničková Appreciating the colours of the Christina Soh Butterfly Pea’s flowers 19 Toxic ‘peas’ – the dark side Wilson Wong of the legumes Ho Boon Chuan, Lily Chen 36 From Education Outreach Sharing with the community 22 New to cultivation in Singapore Janice Yau, Winnie Wong, Nigel P. Taylor Tan Hui Min, Steffi Loe 24 A meeting of two giants of botany – Beccari and Ridley Michele Rodda, Laura Guglielmone 26 Conservation of a Critically Endangered native orchid, Callostylis pulchella Yam Tim Wing, Peter Ang, Felicia Tay, Sunia Teo Editors Singapore Botanic Gardens Ada Davis, Nigel P. Taylor 1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569 National Parks Board Production Managers Ada Davis, Christina Soh [email protected] www.sbg.org.sg Design www.nparks.gov.sg Photoplates Pte Ltd Cover Opposite page Papilionanthe Singapore Golden Jubilee, one of Ang Wee Foong, Centre Director of the Gardens’ Seed Bank, sharing about the numerous orchid hybrids created by David Lim. process of seed banking with Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for Social and Family It was named in 2015 in celebration of Singapore’s Development and Second Minister for National Development. 50th birthday. (Photo credit: David Lim) Article Gardenwise • Volume 53 • August 2019 Group Direction 019, the Botanic Gardens’ 160th redevelopment reported on in this issue on the fascinating relationships between 2 anniversary year, is proving to of Gardenwise (pp. 10–15) is that of these non-plants and termites (pp. 32– be every bit as special as we hoped. the Potting Yard, an historic but vital 33). Our first Director, Henry Ridley, gets In late April and early May our staff were behind-the-scenes facility supporting our a further mention for his correspondence involved with other NParks divisions in scientific research. and meeting with the great Italian mounting the first modern competitive botanist Beccari (pp. 24–25). Ridley was horticultural show in conjunction with We open this issue, however, with a perhaps the most important contributor the launch of Lakeside Garden at Jurong celebration of the life of one of the to our SING Herbarium, whose Lake Gardens and under the banner of Gardens’ greatest horticulturists, David collections and purpose are explained in the Singapore Garden Festival (SGF). Lim Hock Lye or Uncle David as we all ‘From the Taxonomy Corner’ (pp. 28–30). This, in a sense, is the continuation of a knew him, who passed away suddenly tradition begun in 1862, when the Agri- last December (a brief notice about his In the eight years I have been Horticultural Society that originally passing was published in our last issue). experiencing Singapore’s weather, founded the Gardens held its first flower David’s exceptional skill at breeding new its behaviour seems to have become show at the Esplanade. On 13 July we orchid hybrids has left an important increasingly unpredictable, with a launched our annual nine-day Heritage legacy for the Gardens and they continue greater frequency (whether perceived Festival with the opening of the Gardens’ to be favourites for naming in honour or imagined) of violent storms and Seed Bank, a major milestone in our of visiting heads of state. Orchids, as extended droughts. While these may give history, a significant contribution towards naturally occurring species, also feature our arborists and horticulturists more the ex situ conservation of genetic amongst our ongoing conservation challenges, they can also bring much diversity of Singapore’s and the Southeast efforts, focused on the reintroduction appreciated flowering events, as reported Asian flora, and an educational facility and reinforcement in situ of these rare on pp. 38–39. Drought also affects the open to the public. Later this year we examples of Singapore’s flora (pp. 26–27). water levels in our lakes, as we saw earlier will be opening the 8-hectare Gallop Members of the Pea family, Fabaceae, this year with the Eco-Lake. I wonder how extension, with its Forest Discovery feature in contrasting ways – first as many can remember what its predecessor Centre, gallery of botanical art and poisons not to be trifled with, though looked like in the 1980s, when the Bukit OCBC Arboretum, a further ex situ many are edible if prepared correctly, and Timah Core was first opened to visitors conservation programme for this key second, the surprisingly versatile colours (see rear cover)? Southeast Asian family of forest trees, of the Blue Pea, which is often used as the Dipterocarpaceae, comprising a food colourant (pp. 19–21 & 34–35). some 200 species from the region. And We also continue to look at the genus 2019 will conclude with the opening of Dracaena, including various kinds of enhancements at the National Orchid dragon trees (pp. 16–18), both local and Nigel P. Taylor Garden and associated SGF Orchid exotic, while our now regular instalments Group Director Show, both much anticipated. Another on the fungus kingdom this time focuses Singapore Botanic Gardens 1 Article The life and legacy of David Lim Hock Lye, venerated orchid breeder and polymath to be a Phalaenopsis bellina. That was the moment David fell in love with orchids and although his career path ahead sometimes led him on a tangent1, he finally found his way back home. Over the course of his career, he would come to know people like George Alphonso and Ang Gek Choo, and would even exchange plants and pollen with them. When he first started growing orchids, he had no knowledge on the subject at all and the books that he read contained information on growing only temperate plants – there were no books written by growers in tropical countries. David had to start from scratch, kill a few plants, succeed or fail at times, and learn a great deal from more experienced growers. He started learning a lot when he became a close friend of Syed Yusof Alsagoff and joined the Orchid Society of South East Asia (OSSEA) in the early 1970s. Between the 1970s and 80s, David served as a committee member for the Society and a member of David Lim holding Aranda Lee Kuan Yew (Arachnis hookeriana × Vanda Golden Moon) in the editorial board of the Malayan the National Orchid Garden in 2015. (Photo credit: NParks) Orchid Review, a journal published by OSSEA. David became an orchid David Lim: early life and a When David was growing up, his show judge in 1978 and continued budding orchid hobby mother used to grow floribunda roses. to serve as a judge to the end. Being Having developed a love for these an active member of OSSEA, David David Lim was born on 26 October plants, he decided to try his hand at would attend monthly meetings with 1945 in Singapore and grew up in growing roses. He started importing his family, and in his later years, the Telok Kurau area. At the age of hybrid tea roses from New Zealand with his grandchildren. Ame would 20, David started his first job at a and the United Kingdom but found contribute regularly to the afternoon shipping company. It was during that that they were not suitable for the tea associated with each meeting. period that he met, and would later weather in Singapore. In 1961, David’s marry, Ame Han at a soya bean stall schoolmate made a trip to Kuching, Credit goes to Mr Alsagoff for near a record store where she worked. Sarawak, and posted 10 bare-rooted sparking David’s interest in orchid David and Ame went on to have two orchids back to David. Although breeding. David was so immersed children, Jerome and Casandra, and some plants from that batch died, one in his hobby that he even tried his three grandchildren, Javier, Michelle finally flowered and enchanted David hand at in vitro seed germination – and Juliette Lim. with its scent. The orchid turned out he used empty milk bottles made of 1 David has been an electrician, a shipping clerk, the owner of a lighterage and stevedore firm, an air-conditioning company and even a satay stall at Raffles Hotel! 2 Article Gardenwise • Volume 53 • August 2019 Spathoglottis Monira Iqbal (Spathoglottis Rolita × Spa. kimballiana) was registered by David in 2011. David began experimenting with hybridising Spathoglottis while he had his farm, David Lim Orchids. glass to contain the nutrient media David registered his first hybrid, In 1986, he registered another five required for germination. However, Phalaenopsis David Lim, in 1974. hybrids, amongst them Phal. Peggy he had a problem with a high rate The hybrid’s originator was Syed Tan.