Two new native plant species discovered; Minister Khaw calls them nature's SG50 gift
By Coconuts Singapore June 5, 2015 / 16:33 SGT
Exciting science discoveries are far and few in between in our little red dot — we've pretty much already scoured the whole island and found nothing new — but it seems that researchers have stumbled upon a new find exclusive to Singapore.
Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan excitedly wrote on his blog that researchers at the Singapore Botanic Gardens have recently discovered two new species of plants: the Hanguana rubinea and Hanguana triangulata. Not only are they both two completely new plant species, but they're also native to Singapore.
Previously, botanists had only assumed that there was only one species — the Hanghuana malayana — in Singapore, but closer examination of forest herbs revealed remarkable differences in the plants, such as their size, flower structure, colour of the ripe fruits and shapes of their seeds. Stop reading here if you really couldn't care less about the fine aesthetics of horticulture.
"Incidentally, the two new Hanguana plant species have red and white berries, our national colours," the minister wrote. "At SG50, they are nature’s timely gift to us."
Cringe.
