BULLETIN - Heliconia Society International

BULLETINA Journal of the Heliconiaceae and the related Cannaceae, Costaceae, Lowiaceae, Marantaceae, Musaceae, Strelitziaceae, and ZingiberaceaeDECEMBER, 2010 VOL. 16 NO. 4HSI HSI HeadquartersHeadquartersHSI HSI Editors:Editors:Dr. Dr. David David H. H. Lorence LorenceKen Dr. Ken W. Leonhardt W. Leonhardt and Richard Dr. Richard A. CrileyA. CrileyNational National Tropical Troppical Botanical Botanical GardenGardenDepartment Department of of Tropical Tropical Plant Plant and and Soil Soil SciencesSciences3530 3530 Papalina Papalina Road Road University University of of HawaiiHawaiiKalaheo, Kalaheo, Hawaii Hawaii 96741 96741 USAUSAHonolulu, Honolulu, HawaiiHI Hawaii 9682296822 96822 USAUSAUSAPost Conference Tour to Sarawak, MalaysiaCarla Black, Volcan, Panamacarla@volcanbaru.comPhotos by author (CB) and Dave Skinner (DS)With the meeting portion of 16 th Conference of HSI successfullyconcluded on July 18, 2010, 20 of us boarded aplane the next morning to Kuching, Sarawak for the post-tour to Malaysian national parks on Borneo. We weremet at the airport by the tour organizer and guide,Chi’en Lee, and over the next 10 days our group was thebeneficiary of Chi’en’s astounding knowledge of theplants and creatures of Bornean forests.Post-tour group in Lambir Hills National Park -photo by Héctor Méndez CaratiniThe first part of the tour was based in Kuching, the capitalof Sarawak state. Three parks are close enough to visiton three individual day trips.Kubah National Park,less than an hour fromdowntown Kuching,was our first forest visitin Sarawak. I had neverbeen to tropical Asiabefore, and with justone glance I could tell Iwas not in the Americas!Giant gingers occuronly rarely in neotropicalforests, buthere the roadsides were Chi’en Lee (CB)full of them. Amomums, Etlingeras, Hornstedtias, andmore. To my eye, the foliage of these genera is very similar,and the observer has to get down into the base of theplant to see the inflorescences and the differences betweenthem. Another clue that I was on the other side of the globewere all the Nepenthespitcher plants – theycame in all sizes andtones of green, brown,and cream.A short stop at the SemengohForest Reservegave us the chance to seeabout six semi-wildOrangutans. Though thetroop is larger and includesa second generation,a group of individualscome for food eachmorning, and let themselvesbe photographedby the fascinated crowdVoon Boon HoeDragon Fruit farmer (CB)of tourists. In the afternoon we visited a farm specializingin Dragon Fruit. Our host Voon Boon Hoe also has a nicecollection of heliconias and other Zingiberales, and a numberof us bought rhizomes for our own gardens.

PAGE 2 THE BULLETIN / DECEMBER 2010Nepenthes rafflesianaBako National Park (CB)The next day our groupflew to Miri, where weenjoyed a visit to LambirHills National Park. Thispark is famous for its highdiversity of trees and otherplants. On our two-hourhike we saw a wide rangeof gingers, stick insects,and birds, all along a gorgeousstream and waterfall.Chi’en Lee, our evervigilantguide, found a tinyflower of the endemicTamijia flagellaris, tight tothe ground, a distance outfrom the foliage. Andthanks to taking the wrongtrail to a dead end, DaveSkinner spotted one of thefew Costaceae in Borneo, a species of the recentlyrenamed genus Paracostus, probably P. muluensis.Dave was thrilled by this little jewel, no matter its name!Tamijia flagellaris flower (CB)OrangutansinSemengohForestReserve(CB)The Purpose of HSIThe purpose of HSI is to increase the enjoyment andunderstanding of Heliconia (Heliconiaceae) and related plants(members of the Cannaceae, Costaceae, Lowiaceae,Marantaceae, Musaceae, Strelitziaceae, and Zingiberaceae) ofthe order Zingerberales through education, research andcommunication. Interest in Zingiberales and information on thecultivation and botany of these plants is rapidly increasing. HSIwill centralize this information and distribute it to members.The HELICONIA SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL, anonprofit corporation, was formed in 1985 because of rapidlydeveloping interest around the world in these exotic plants andtheir close relatives. We are composed of dues-payingmembers. Our officers and all participants are volunteers.Everyone is welcome to join and participate. HSI conducts aBiennial Meeting and International Conference.Membership dues are (in $US): Individual, $40; Family,$45; Student, $10; Contributing, $50; Corporate (Company orInstitution) $100; Sustaining, $500; Contributing Lifetime.Tamijia flagellaris foliage (DS)Member, $1000, Libraries, $35 and PDF, $25. Membershipfees constitute annual dues from 1 July through 30 June. Allmembers receive the BULLETIN (usually published quarterly),the Membership Directory, and special announcements. Pleasesend all inquiries regarding membership or Bulletin purchasesto: Dr. David Lorence, NTBG, 3530 Papalina Rd., Kalaheo,HI, USA 96741. Back issues of the Bulletin are $5.00 per issue.HSI Officers for 2010-2011President, W. John Kress; Vice-presidents forMembership, Carla Black and Jan Hintze; Secretary, VictorLee; Treasurer, David H. Lorence; Cultivar Registrar, BryanBrunner; Archivist: Sandra Barnes. Board of Directors: BruceDunstan, Vinita Gowda, Anders J. Lindstrom, David Skinnerand Chelsea Specht.The HSI BULLETIN is the quarterly publication of theHELICONIA SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL. Inquiries: VictorLee

THE BULLETIN / DECEMBER 2010 PAGE 3The second part of the tour was to Gunung Mulu NationalO u r g u i d ePark A half-hour flight from Miri takes visitors toan air strip at the park entrance, dedicated just to the park.Chi’en Lee wasin his elementThat’s it - there is no town, only two other lodging options.at Mulu. HeWe stayed inside the park, sleeping in comfortablebunkhouses, and feasting on the best food a captive audiencecould dare hope for: each dish was cooked in antook us on fascinatingall-dayhikes, and afterinstant over high heat, flames licking the knuckles of the dinner eachsweltering chef.evening a handfulof us wentout for anotherhour or so tolook for andlisten for nocturnalcreatures.Chi’enidentifies insects,birds, andamphibians tospecies, just bytheir nightsounds.Zingiber kelabitianum atMulu National Park (DS)In the daytime,Chi’en is anBoardwalk in Gunung MuluNational Park (CB)expert on plants, in addition to everything else. So manynaturalist guides focus on birds and animals, barely noticingthe greenery. Chi’en even had botanical papers onZingiberaceae back at camp to clarify the most arcane gingermatters.Dr. David Lorence botanizing in Mulu NP (CB)I carried my rubber boots all the way from Panama tokeep me safe and comfortable in this far-away jungle.The folks at Mulu National Park have a better idea:boardwalks. Kilometers of them! On our longer hikes wewent beyond the end of the planks, but most visitorsnever have to muddy their feet.A day hike took us to one of the largest limestone caveopenings in the world. Mulu is known to spelunkers for itsspectacular caves that hold many of the titles starting with―largest‖ or ―longest‖. We were practically the only peopleon the long trail from camp to a perfect swimming hole –the other tourists had taken boats to the destination. So wehad the boardwalk and the beautifully lit caves to ourselves.We joined the crowdfor a swim, thenloaded into boats forthe trip back to camp.On the way, westopped to visit a villagethat earns part ofits living by hostingtourists and sellingEtlingera fimbriobracteataKubah N.P. (CB)handicrafts. Again,we were the onlyones there, as the restof the crowd hadcome by in the morning,so we visited thetownspeople on the porch of their long house, instead of atthe vending booths by the river. Calmly, and with pleasantmute interactions, we all supported the local economy byindulging in woven bags and mats, beaded necklaces, andblow-gun darts (supposedly without poison on the tips).

PAGE 4 THE BULLETIN / DECEMBER 2010Return to camp by boat in Mulu National Park (CB)Another afternoon walk took us, and the entire complementof park visitors, to a large amphitheater in agrassy clearing. High overhead, a cave hung in the middleof a huge limestone cliff. We milled about, checkingon nearby gingers, and waited for the moment.Every evening, at just the same hour, tens of thousandsof Wrinkle-lipped Bats begin to swirl out of the cave.Three million bats in all fly out in giant, corkscrewingmasses to find their evening meal. The fascinatingflight pattern is their defense against themselves becomingthe evening meal of the waiting Bat Hawks.There’s a Bat-Cam at the cave to get a good look inside,and to see the great swirls of bats flying out eachevening: http://www.muluparkbatcam.com/Among the manyfascinating animalsof SarawakProboscis monkeyTopSpider, upper rightStink bug, aboveParacostus sp. (CB)Early one morning we got our chance to see the forest fromthe top down, from the vista of a canopy walk. At 480 meterslong, park officials say it’s the longest tree-based canopywalk in the world. For over an hour we swayed fromtree to tree, joining pygmy squirrels and hornbills, andferns and orchids, in a whole different forest world.The list of Zingiberales we saw is long and varied – MaureenSimons prepared a species list which is posted, alongwith photos, on the HSI website:http://www.heliconia.org/members/gallery/main.phpFurther information on the gingers of Sarawak appeared inthe HSI Bulletins Vol. 13(1-2) and Vol. 13(3-4).Paracostus sp. (CB)Our post-conference tour in Sarawak was beautifully organized.We saw an incredible variety of natural habitats, gardens,and cultural sites. We ate what was surely some of thebest food in Sarawak state. What a wonderful trip! I’d say itwas a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but of course, I wantto make an equal impression with the post-tour to Colombiain 2012! We’ll see you there!

THE BULLETIN / DECEMBER 2010 PAGE 5Gingers of SarawakAmomun gyrolophosLambir Hills (CB)Etlingera brachychila orangeform, near Kuching (CB)Boesenbergia oligospermaMulu N.P. (CB)Etlingera coccinea, Lambir Hills N.P. (CB)Boesenbergia orbiculataMulu N.P. (CB)Globba brachychilaKubah N.P. (DS)Etlingera brachychila yellow formMulu N.P. (CB)Etlingera velutina ssp. Longipedunculata,Kubah N.P. (CB)

PAGE 6 THE BULLETIN / DECEMBER 2010Remembering –Ray Baker (1945-2010)Our condolences and thoughts go out to Joyce Baker, Ray’swife, who contributed a bio-sketch of Ray for a memorialgathering held at the Harold L. Lyon Arboretum January 9,2011. Portions of this celebration are from her account.He was the go-to man for almost every plant questionand was a recognized expert on palms, another of hisfavorite plants. He taught classes on heliconias andgingers, palms, and ficus, His palm classes were alwayswell-subscribed, even as he manipulated two projectorsbewildering palm newbies with the fine differencesamong the species. Botanist Dr. Clifford Smithwas interested in the lichens on the palms and said thatRay was mystified why he wasn’t interested in thepalms themselves. He led tours – more like hikes – tothe far reaches of the arboretum, sharing his knowledgeboth of the geology of the valley (his undergraduatedegree was in geology) and its history and reeled offplant names and fascinating tidbits with ease. With hisdog, Kona, he tried to keep the wild pigs at bay, aneverending battle, as they liked to eat the rhizomes ofthe gingers and heliconias.Ray was elected to the HSI Board in 1987 and stayedon in various capacities until resigning in summer2010. With Bob Hirano, also of Lyon Arboretum, heedited the HSI Bulletin from 1990 to 1993 and becameeditor again in mid-2007 until his resignation in 2010.He was noted for his meticulous dissection and photographyof ginger flowers that appeared in the bulletin.Ray Baker – Leland Miyano photoFormer editor of the Heliconia Society Bulletin, RaymondF. Baker, lost his battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF) on November 29, 2010. Ray was an active memberof the HSI and was responsible for the HSI repository ofheliconia and ginger at the Harold Lyon Arboretum inHonolulu, Hawaii. In his 37 years with the arboretum asstudent help, graduate student and finally as staff, he organizedsections of the arboretum and oversaw the installationand maintenance of hundreds, if not thousands, of plants,laid out pathways, developed the arboretum website, supervisedvolunteers even on weekends, and ran the twice ayear plant sales. To many, he was Mr. Arboretum himself,with his trademark handlebar mustache and his well-wornwork clothes, the shirt and pants pockets bulging with camera,tagging tape, and the ever-present plastic bags for collectingseeds. He worked in sun or pouring rain, and expectedeveryone else to do the same, much to their dismay.He fought a never-ending battle of trying to maintain whathad been planted, and keeping less knowledgeable volunteersfrom unwittingly pulling up or chopping down rareplants. He designed the landscaping, with an artist’s eye forcolor and texture. As the Arboretum was in a conservationzone, Ray contributed much to a management plan submittedto the State of Hawaii Department of Land and NaturalResources, which ultimately approved it.Ray Baker and Kona – Karen Shigematsu photoHe also served on the Board of the International PalmSociety as well as the Heliconia Society International,often making presentations at the organizations’ meetings.In his younger days, Ray also enjoyed internationalfolkdancing. That’s how he met his future wifeJoyce. They danced recreationally and also in two performinggroups—the Karadeniz Folk Dance Ensembleand the Omega Dancers.At the memorial held by the Arboretum to rememberRay, more than 200 friends showed up. Remarks wereoffered by arboretum staff and Ray’s friends to the

THE BULLETIN / DECEMBER 2010 PAGE 7point of almost a roast, albeit warm-hearted. The evolutionof his mustache from a pointy latin handlebarstyle to the bushy white filter of recent years, his unorthodoxhair style, his ―quietly argumentative‖ approachto some arboretum issue, an incident with an electricaltransformer, and his propensity to disregard a little rainwhen working in the arboretum were referenced withwarm humor. David Orr, of Waimea Arboretum(another HSI repository), said that ―Ray was and willbe my role model, for his extensive knowledge ofplants.‖ Bea Yamasaki, a former University of Hawaiiadministrator, related that Ray opened her eyes to somuch of the natural world, and that he was supportiveof the local Ikebana Society and their programs, supplyingthem with all manner of unique plant materialfrom the Arboretum. He even got in to creating his ownhuge arrangements in the various ikebana styles. In aletter from HSI President, John Kress wrote that Ray’s―bad traits are so good that I can’t begin to describe thegood ones!‖Fellow palm enthusiast, Don Hodel, wrote that ―Ray issorely missed. He is irreplaceable.‖ And Dr. Smithnoted that ―These plantings are Ray’s heritage, the heritagethat he leaves us.‖ Former Interim Director, CliffMorden, said, ―How blessed are we to work in thisplace [of Ray’s deeds].‖Before his passing, Ray and his wife Joyce (pictured inlast issue) set up two funds with the University of HawaiiFoundation to support on-going work at the Arboretumand to initiate a permanent endowment to supportthe mission of the Harold Lyon Arboretum. Linksto these are: www.uhfoundation.org/RayBaker andwww.uhfoundation.org/RayBakerEdowed. More tributesto Ray can be found on the HSI website, http://www.heliconia.org/ members/gallery/main-phpDavid Orr speaks at Ray Baker memorialRemembering –Trish FrankPatricia Frank, a founding member of the Heliconia SocietyInternational, passed away in June 2010 in Miami, Florida.She was an ardent plant lover whose garden featured asmany tropical and subtropical palms, aroids, ferns, orchidsand heliconia as she could fit into the space. She and husband,Chayo Frank, developed their garden in an old rockpit not far from Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens whereshe was a long time volunteer and employee and was instrumentalin running their plant shows and sales. ``Thereare many people who love Fairchild,'' said Nannette Zapata,Fairchild's chief operation officer, ``but there are only ahandful of people who are Fairchild. She is one ofthem.'' (Obit. Miami Herald) They both loved to travel,often with members of the plant societies they belonged toand ventured off to Peru, Borneo, Brazil, and CentralAmerica as well as other exotic spots where they enjoyedthe plants, scuba diving and skiing, cultural, historical andsocial scene.We were tippedoff to TrishFrank’s passingby an exchangebetween DavidLloyd in Arizonaand Bruce Dunstanwho werereminiscing abouttheir first heliconiasightings inFlorida manyyears ago. Bothattended the 1996HSI Conferencein Miami, whereTrish gave Davea box of Indonesianwax gingerstarts, which hemanaged to kill.Current HSITrish Frank—Lynda LaRocca photo Board memberWith glass recognition bowl from Bruce Dunstanthe International Aroid Society wrote, ―I went toTrish Frank'splace for drinks when the 96 conference was in Miami.Fantastic garden. I wish I didn't have Heliconia tunnel visionand could have appreciated more of the other stuffTrish had in her garden. I do recall big foliage Anthuriumsand Philos.‖ Well-known in the Miami horticultural scene,Trish was a founding member of the International AroidSociety and the Coral Gables Orchid Society, and participatedin activities of the local Tropical Fern and ExoticPlant Society, the International Palm Society, and theTropical Flowering Tree Society.

PAGE 8 THE BULLETIN // JANUARY DECEMBER 2005 2010HSI Lifetime Achievement AwardsAt the Conference in Singapore the Board of Directors,on behalf of all the members of the Heliconia SocietyInternational, recognized two founders of HSI withLifetime Achievement Awards. We thanked Dr. W.John Kress and Dr. Gilbert S. Daniels, and presentedthem with engraved crystal monoliths and honorarylifetime memberships in HSI. Both Gil and John werefounding members of the Society in 1985 and bothhave served as its President. Their long-term engagementin the study of heliconias and other members ofthe Zingiberales, their publications, and – in the case ofDr. Kress – continuing research merited this recognitionby the Heliconia Society International.Dr. W. John Kress receives the HSI LifetimeAchievement Award from Victor Lee at the XVIHSI Conference in Singapore, July 2010.Willis Black presented the HSI Lifetime AchievementAward to Dr. Gilbert S. Daniels inIndianapolis after the Singapore Conference.These words are engraved on the crystals:In Recognition of his Dedication and Contribution tothe Corpus of Knowledge of the Order Zingiberales,and his contributions to the Founding and Continuationof the Heliconia Society International, this LifetimeAchievement Award is hereby conferred on Dr. GilbertS. Daniels (Dr. W. John Kress). 16th July 2010Visit the Heliconia SocietyInternationalweb site atwww.heliconia.org

THE BULLETIN / JANUARY DECEMBER 2005 2010 PAGE 9After Collection and Identification --then comes CultivationJan Hintze, Australiahintze@ozemail.com.auThe Conservation aim of the Heliconia Society Internationalis increasingly becoming more important – thearea of vegetation loss is increasing, and species loss isbecoming critical, affecting all of the Zingiberalesgroup. Many of the plants in the group have enormousornamental value, which in itself is a cause for conservation,but the ginger group of plants is likely to havesignificant medicinal uses, as these plants have beenwidely used in this way by the local peoples, for manyhundreds and thousands of years. I leave it to others towork out ownership of the compounds involved in thisaspect, but I would emphasize that a proper understandingof cultivation outside their natural zone is essentialfor any purpose – be it species conservation,ornamental or medical uses.Many of those who start in such a way need informationof the environment from which the species came toenable them to successfully grow the plants in a domesticatedenvironment. Questions such as those followingcan be critical. Soil – is it swampy, sandy, pH neutral?Light – full sun, shady, dense cover, intermittent? Water– Wet tropical, wet/dry cycles, cloud forests? Althoughnurseries, landscapers, flower growers and gardenersare only likely to use the more attractive varietiesof Zingiberales, the importance of this sector indeveloping interests in conservation cannot be overlooked.Initially at least, many collections of the HSIConservation Centres were based on ornamental considerations.Temperature range can be a critical factor in determiningwhere the plant can be grown - many species areintolerant of major changes in temperature from theirnatural habitat; others are more tolerant.Light? Most heliconias and some gingers will toleratehalf to full sun, but their natural environments are oftenvery different. It should be understood that often, thelower the exposure to sunlight, the higher the humidity,so that attention should be paid to increasing protectionfrom dryness when light conditions are made brighter.Seed propagationSeed is often the only way to access new species, andto prevent the possibility of the spread of disease whichaccompanies the movement of plants, it is considereddesirable. Heliconias often only set seed where suitablehummingbirds are present, but other agents (ants, bugs,Left: Heliconia x Scarlet Torch foliage bleached by cold(10°C). Right, H. psittacorum ‘Sassy’ is undamaged.etc.) will occasionallydo thejob. Gingers aresometimes selfpo l l i n a t i n g ,sometimes insect-assisted.Heliconia seedgermination cantake up to 12-18months, whileginger seed,which are sensitiveto dryingout, generallygerminate quitequickly.The blue-black fruit of heliconiamay contain one to three seeds.The best way to germinate these (and most other) seedsis to sow them in shallow containers with some sphagnummoss, water them moderately, and seal the wholecontainer in a ziplock bag. There is no need to add anymore water, just checking occasionally for germinatedseed which needs to be transplanted out into tubes at the2-leaf stage, and the bag sealed up again to await thenext germination. A label should be sealed inside thebag identifying the seed.

PAGE 10 THE BULLETIN / DECEMBER / JANUARY 2005 2010Stem and flower cuttingsSome gingers, notably the Costus group and Zingibers,will propagate from stem cuttings, and flowerbases.Heliconia and ginger seedlings can be germinatedin moist sphagnum moss.Be aware that some species of heliconia and ginger arevariable in form and colour, as well as the possibility ofhybrid seed when it is sourced from a collection.Rhizome divisionVegetative propagation is the only way to propagate anidentical plant, and for heliconias and most gingers,rhizome division is the only possibility. Rhizomesshould be trimmed of leaves and damaged roots,washed thoroughly, to remove all soil, rinsed in a chlorine(1%) solution to minimize bacteria and fungalspores. All rhizomes should ideally have a new shootalready emerged, since this shoot will readily carry ongrowing, and will establish more quickly and reliably.Roots can emerge on axillary aerial shoots of somegingers even while attached to the mother plantPestsAnts and mealy bugs often go together since ants harvestsugar syrup from mealy bugs. Mealy bugs can be controlledwith soap sprays or summer oil. Grasshoppers arerelatively uncontrollable, since if you spray one lot, anotherwill fly in, and cursing is also ineffective.Basal stem and rhizomes cleaned and ready topropagate. Note new shoots (arrows)Costus spicatus damaged by Case Moth larvae

PAGE THE BULLETIN 12 / DECEMBER 2010 THE BULLETIN / JANUARY PAGE 2005 11Nematodes, (root knot nematodes) often attack rootsof heliconias and gingers, and these can be controlledby building up the nitrogen and organic contentof the soil, as well as a soil drench of 10% molassesand water.Termites are very difficult to control, but baiting withan approved insecticide mixed with a suitable bait - tryjam or sawdust - but these poisons are extremelytoxic, so use with care. Heavy watering will discouragethem, as well as cultivating the soil to break uptheir tunnels.DiseasesA most serious disease in heliconias is a fusarium wilt(Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense, Race 3). Thishas no cure, and the control measure is to dig up theaffected plant and burn it. The spores can stay in thesoil for many years, and are water dispersed. Fortunatelyonly a few species of heliconia are subjects ofthis disease, although it is said that others carry thefungus, without showing symptoms.HSI Director Anders J. Lindstrom WedsAnders Lindstrom, past president of HSI, and Curator forBotanical Collections at Nong Nooch Garden in Thailandand bride Panida Rodpao, nicknamed ―Bun‖, married on 9January in a private ceremony at the bride’s parent’s homein Bangkok. Bun is a technician at a tissue culture labwhere Nong Nooch contracts for propagation services.Drying foliage is a result of fungal or bacterial infectionand loss of root systemThe couple are shown above in traditional Central Thai(Siamese) wedding attire.Bacterial disease, affecting the roots of some heliconiasand gingers, is quite common and can be controlledby increased potassium fertilizer although careshould be taken since excess is toxic - water-insolubleforms would be safer.Other problems can be caused by inappropriate pH,and trace element deficiencies - these can be remediedby information about the plant’s native origin,and by leaf or sap analysis. Recommended nutrientlevels can be obtained by referring to work done forthe commercial banana industry, and some informationis available for growers of edible gingers.Photos of the newlyweds provided by Alvin Yoshinaga

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PAGE THE BULLETIN 14 / DECEMBER 2010 THE BULLETIN / JANUARY PAGE 2005 13This Vietnam expedition was arranged by the NationalHistory Museum in Paris that also funded the missionin cooperation with Northern Mountainous Agricultureand Forestry Science Institute (NOMAFSI) in Pho Tho,North Vietnam and the Institute of Tropical Biology inHo Chi Minh City (Saigon). Dr. Thomas Haevermans,Paris; Prof. Le Cong Kiet and M.Sc. Ngoc Sam Lyfrom Saigon also participated in the mission. In addition,M.Sc. Tien Dung Trieu from the Phu Tho ResearchCenter participated as the mission as a guideduringthe northern part of the mission.is regarded as one of the four important centers of biodiversity,especially for the Musa section Callimusa species.The other important areas are Borneo, Peninsular Malaysiaand Sumatra.Expedition MethodIn my earlier expeditions to Southeast Asia during the periodfrom 1988 to 2007, we used the same basic method toconduct research. First my colleagues and I reviewed theareas we planned to study. Then with the help of the localauthorities and citizens, we traveled to various places suchas nature reserves and parks. By following a plan, wewere able to cover most of the areas that we hadplanned to study, but our treks into remote areas werenecessarily based more on visual observations as wellas interviews and guidance from local people, as localauthorities were so unfamiliar with wild Musa species.As a result, unstudied areas still remain, some ofwhich I hope to explore during subsequent trips.Standing on the Vietnamese-China borderThe aim of this expedition during the five-week periodwas to conduct research on wild bananas throughoutthe country, especially in remote areas, beginning in theextreme north near the Chinese border and continuingto the southernmost region near the Cambodian border.Some of Vietnam's wild bananas are unknown to scienceand need proper description and classification.We had considered also paying for a week-long expeditionto northern Laos, but that idea was dropped becauseour tight schedule was already too optimistic,taking into consideration the poor roads. We plannedthe mission for this time of year as the monsoon rainshad already ended. Thus the roads were much lessprone to the landslides that occur frequently during therainy season. The Vietnam climate differs greatly fromnorth to south, though both regions experience monsoons.From November to April, the north is cool anddry, but hot and rainy from May through October. Conversely,the south is hot and humid all year, particularlyfrom February to May, while the rains last from May toNovember. The Central Highlands climate is similar tothe south, but somewhat cooler; winter temperaturescan drop to freezing. The region where North Vietnamparallels China's south Yunnan and Guangzi provincesThe total distances that we drove in Vietnam were1990 Km in the first part in the north and 2360 Km onthe second part in the south. We collected some 65Musa specimens for herbaria; DNA analysis and suckersto be grown at Kiet’s university in Saigon. In addition,Dr. Haevermans collected some Euphorbia andPandanus samples. In conclusion I have to say thatthis was a very hard mission, wherein we spent 12hours a day on the road, then in evening after dinnerchecking over the daily collection for some 2 hours ormore. Luckily it was possible for me to take naps inthe car along the way as the young men were eager towatch for bananas with their keen eyes.Author admitted to the Linnean Society of London in MayThis article is adapted by Gabriel Sachter-Smith from:Hakkinen, Markku. 2010. Fruit Gardener, California RareFruit Growers. 42(5):2, 25-28.

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THE PAGE BULLETIN 16 / JANUARY 2005 THE BULLETIN / DECEMBER PAGE 2010 19Banana Breeding: Progress andChallenges (2011)Editors: Michael Pillay, Vaal University ofTechnology, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa;A-dou Tenkouano, Director of the RegionalCenter for Africa, AVRDC - The WorldVegetable Center, Duluti, Arusha, TanzaniaThe first comprehensive compendium on bananas inrecent years, Banana Breeding: Progress and Challengesprovides in-depth coverage of all aspects of bananabreeding and genetics, including biotechnology. Awide-ranging compilation of chapters by various experts,the book begins with a chapter on the generalplant morphology of Musa, including floral biology.Other chapters cover the origin, history, and distributionof bananas, Propagation, Evolution and GeneticRelationships in Bananas and Plantains, Genetic Resourcesfor Banana Improvement, Genomes, Cytogenetics,Flow Cytometry of Musa, and Genetics of ImportantTraits in Musa as well as two chapters thatcover the major diseases and pests of banana.The central focus of the book is encompassed in chapterssuch as Reproductive Biology, Breeding Techniques,Mutations and Cultivar Development of Banana,Biotechnology in Musa Improvement, and Genotypeby Environment Interaction and Musa Improvement.The latter chapter offers tools for selecting bothnarrowly adapted and broadly adapted cultivars. Thechapters on quality improvement of cultivated Musaand postharvest processed products provide researchersand teachers with information to improve quality aspectsof banana along with information on how to reducepostharvest losses.Price: $139.95Cat. #: K10029ISBN: 9781439800171ISBN 10: 1439800170383 pageswww.crcpress.comfDID YOU RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN HSI?HSI HeadquartersDr. David H. LorenceNational Tropical Botanical Garden3530 Papalina RoadKalaheo, Hawaii 96741 USA