The region comprising Peninsula Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo is known for its high diversity of life. Quite a large proportion of the species that make up this diversity have their entire natural ranges restricted to this region. Such species are said to be ‘endemic’ to the region.
It is a very peculiar fact that some of these endemic species have such small natural ranges. So small that they might only be found in one single forest and no where else.
Sitting in such a hyper-diverse region as this, one would expect that there must be atleast one such endemic plant in Singapore. Singapore after all has one of the best known forests in the world. With botanical exploration stretching back over 144 years to 1870, over 33,000 specimens collected and the highest specimen collection densities in the world of 5720 per 100 sqkm (compared to the United Kingdom next in line with 1720 specimens per 100 sq km).
Yet, for 144 years of botanical exploration, no such endemic plant was known from Singapore.
However, it was not until July this year that the first plant (Zingiber singapurense) truly endemic to Singapore (i.e. found here and nowhere else in the world) was found and described by botanists at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. A few months later in November this year we described a second one (Hanguana neglecta). While in October this year we re-discovered an extinct one (Alangium ridleyi).
Botanical exploration in Singapore is still just getting started. There is synergy and collaboration between the up and coming natural historians among the general public, Botanic Gardens, NParks and Universities. The future looks bright. Watch eagerly as the coming years see many more wonders of the plant world come to light!
Conservation 