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Friday, March 22, 1974
ARBORETUM PLANNED IN N.T.
Work on Hong Kong's first arboretum, which will contain a
comprehensive collection of local plant species, is now being planned
in the Shing Mun Plantations north of Tusen Wan.
The project, which is related to the conservation of the local
flora, is being carried out by the Agriculture and Fisheries Department.
The arboretum will be a valuable source of information for those interested
in plant species and to botany students who wish to study the names,
forms, colour and flowers of plants.
According to Mr. S.P. Lau, Forestry Officer and Keeper of the
Hong Kong Horbarium, it will be some time before it is completed and opened
to the general public as the plants will take some time to grow.
The Hong Kong Herbarium, now administered by the Agriculture and
Fisheries Department, is responsible for the taxonomy (naming) of plants
found locally.
Founded in 1878, it now houses more than 30,000 plant specimens
which include not only all the known 1,833 indigenous plant species and
varieties, but also some 600 exotic species now grown in Hong Kong.
The Horbarium is also responsible for the maintenance of living
collections of plants, and members of the public are welcome to consult
the botanical reference books and to inspect the plant specimen in the
Herbarium during normal office hours. It is located on the 14th floor of
the Kowloon Government offices at Canton Road, Kowloon.
/Meanwhile................