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Singapore saw a new record through research done on herbarium material collected. Using five herbarium specimens collected from one or two trees from the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Chestnut Nature Park, it was determined that Memecylon acuminatissimum is an accepted species and not as previously thought, a synonym of M. oleifolium. This showed that vouchering living specimens is still vital for the recording of biodiversity in Singapore. This new record is also testament to the important conservation value of small patches of primary forests within urban environments, like Singapore.

The species identity of the ‘Changi Tree’ has been shrouded in the mists of time until recently – using herbarium specimens collected from Changi in 1893, researchers from the Singapore Botanic Gardens determined that the famous ‘Changi Tree’ was likely Sindora echinocalyx. At 76 m tall, it stood out in the landscape and was featured in sea navigation maps as a landmark as early as the mid-nineteenth century. As the tree was located within military barracks, it was removed by the British army during World War II to safeguard against artillery attacks.

Botanists from Singapore Botanic Gardens and Bogor Botanic Gardens jointly described nine new species and one subspecies of Hoya occurring in Borneo. This adds to a total of 85 Hoya species in Borneo. Among the newly minted species, five are endemic to Kalimantan, which is the least explored part of Borneo. Though the discoveries were based on limited plant collections, the researchers are confident that these species are not part of any species complexes, therefore, they are less likely to be synonymised in the future.

NParks has teamed up with local universities to develop new courses on plant science and diversity in Southeast Asia. Students will learn taxonomic and molecular biology techniques which are essential skills to the modern day botanist. Understanding plant systematics and evolution is crucial for plant conservation and the sustainable management of the region’s natural resources. This collaboration aims to nurture a new generation of plant scientists to safeguard the future of our tropical biodiversity.

For the first time in more than a decade, a comprehensive catalogue of the wild-growing plants in Singapore was published as part of the Flora of Singapore project. This publication was produced by a collective of researchers from around the world co-ordinated by NParks. The work highlighted the number of native, naturalised and casual plant species in Singapore and helped to clarify and opened discussions on taxonomic and nomenclatural issues, thereby shaping the future of local conservation efforts.