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SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 1985
IT ALSO OFFERS A PLANT IDENTIFICATION SERVICE TO GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
THE HERBAR FUM MAINTAINS CONTACT WITH ABOUT 220 HERBARIA AND BOTANICAL INSTITUTIONS ALL OVER THE WORLD. THROUGH THE
INTERNATIONAL SEED EXCHANGE PROGRAMME. THIS PROGRAMME
MR LEUNG SAID, IS A USEFUL WAY TO INTRODUCE NEW SPECIES INTO HONG KONG,
ON THE OTHER HAND, SEEDS COLLECTED BY THE HERBARIUM ARE SENT TO OVERSEAS BOTANICAL INSTITUTIONS ON REQUEST. AMONG THE POPULAR SEEDS SOUGHT OVERSEAS ARE THOSE OF THE GNETUM AND PITCHER PLANT, HE SAID.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT WORK OF THE HERBARIUM IS TO GIVE ADVICE AND INFORMATION ON CONSERVATION OF VEGETATION. TO CONSERVE RARE NATIVE SPECIES, THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT HAD SET UP AN ARBORÉTUM IN SHING MUN COUNTRY PARK.
IN THE THREE-HECTARE ARBORETUM, MORE THAN 200 SPECIES REPRESENTATIVE OF HONG KONG FLORA, SUCH AS WATER PINE AND MANGLIETIA HAVE BEEN PLANTED.
THERE IS ALSO A CAMELLIA GARDEN, WITH BEAUTIFUL CAMELLIAS INCLUDING THE RARE +GRANTHAM'S CAMELLIA+ AND +HONG KONG CAMELLÍ A+.
THE ARBORETUM ALSO FEATURES THE GROWING OF ABOUT
40 DIFFERENT BAMBOO SPECIES, MOST OF THEM NATIVE SPECIES,
BUT SOME CONTRIBUTED BY CHINESE BOTANISTS.
PLANS ARE BEING MADE FOR THE ARBORETUM TO BE OPENED FOR EDUCATIONAL VISITS BY SCHOOLS AND OTHER GROUPS.
THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT ALSO PROPAGATES RARE SPECIES, SUCH AS THE EARLIER MENTIONED GRANTHAM'S CAMELLIA, CRAPNELL'S CAMELLIA AND SOUTH CHINA RHODODENDRON IN THE COUNTRY PARKS, TO ENSURE THEIR SURVIVAL IN THE WILD,
AS HONG KONG IS SITUATED IN THE NORTHERN LIMIT OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF TROPICAL ASIAN FLORA, THE PLANTS OF HONG KONG ARE LARGE IN NUMBER AND VARIETY,
WITH THIS RICHNESS IN FLORA, HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD SPEND MORE TIME STROLLING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE AND APPRECIATING THEIR SURROUNDINGS.
AND THEY MIGHT EVEN FIND A PLANT THAT MIGHT BE NAMED AFTER THEM, MR LEUNG SAID.
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