Field Trip: Penang Botanic Gardens 1

May 14, 2021

Field Trip: Penang Botanic Gardens 1

The Penang Botanic Gardens (formerly called the Waterfall Garden) is one of the oldest botanic gardens left over by the British colonials in Asia. As of today 2021, it is 134 years old! Located at an old quarry site at George Town, Penang, the Penang Botanic Garden spans about 200 hectares, and it hosts a great collection of tropical flora and fauna. As a citizen of Penang, I am grateful to this botanical heritage and now, let me show you some of its botanical highlights. To this end, I will not limit sharing to only poisonous species, but in this section [Field Trips], I aim to showcase the grand diversity of our tropical rainforest.

Lets go !!!

Let me start with the lesser known poisonous denizens of the Penang Botanic Gardens. After all, this is the theme of my blog. I must admit that many of the poisonous plants are not well labelled and not well taken care of. As I know it, the Penang Botanic Garden has all but ceased research activity, and there is a lack of expertise to identify, catalogue, and take care of the plants. Some of them might even have gone 'extinct' from the garden, like what I'm about to show you.

Aristolochia cf. indica (Aristolochiaceae).

Here, you are looking at what I think is the Indian birthwort (Aristolochia indica), and you should know that it is very poisonous due to the presence of aristolochic acid. This very specimen has long since died out from the Penang Botanic Gardens, or at least I can't find it anymore as of 2021. In fact, I am only about 90% confident of its ID, and I could be wrong about it. I have no idea where it came from, and Aristolochia indica isn't suppose to be endemic to Malaysia. However, it is evidently different from the congeneric Aristolochia acuminata, which is more commonly found in Malaysia. There is another species that is exclusive to Penang, namely Aristolochia curtisii, but this is not 'curtisii' either. What it is remains a mystery! But at the very least, I have collected its seeds and now this species is thriving in my poison garden. Despite its toxicity, Aristolochiaceae plants are crucial to the survival of many species of birdwing butterflies, including the Troides helena, which can be found abundantly at Penang Botanic Gardens (usually around the Bauhinia kockiana at show garden). Seeing the butterflies abundantly gives me hope because I know, somewhere in the canopy, there lives more birthworts. In fact, if the garden management is resourceful, they could have built a veranda to cultivate Aristolochia, which will host various species of birdwings, and give rise to a real butterfly garden in-situ!

Strychnos nux-vomica (Loganiaceae)

The lone watchman of the Penang Botanic Gardens, the one-and-only strychnine tree (Strychnos nux-vomica) in Malaysia. It is certainly a heritage of the Brits, but now the lonely tree is left to fend for itself in front of the herb garden, and beside the African sausage tree. The strychnine tree and its toxic alkaloid strychnine signify the advent of modern synthetic organic chemistry. However, here in Malaysia, even the very label of this tree is erroneous, it's strychnine, not strychine! This very specimen is still alive, but not in the tip top of condition. It flowers, but never fruits to my disappointment. Perhaps it is suffering from malnutrition, and believe it or not, I will sometimes smuggle liquid fertiliser in plastic water bottles into the botanic garden to help it along. It is my personal wish to see the strychnine tree flower and fruit at the Penang Botanic Gardens one day!

Antiaris toxicaria (Loganiaceae)

Now, something positive. We have here at Penang Botanic Gardens three healthy, matured, towering giant of Upas Ipoh tree (Antiaris toxicaria), which I reckon to be at least 100 years old. They are such a magnificent sight, which literally withstood the test of time. One specimen readily gives viable seeds, and during the right season, you can see me collecting seedlings happily around it. Yes, I know it is unlawful to take plants out of there, but considering the state of our botanic garden, I'm not sure if I am a Robin Hood sort of a scientist? Long live the Upas Ipoh trees!

Mitragyna speciosa (Rubiaceae)

Speaking of unlawful, here's a plant that really is illegal, namely, the Kratom or Ketum (Mitragyna speciosa). It frequently makes the headlines of drug busts in Malaysia, and I guess a lot of Malaysians have heard of it but never really seen it. Yes, it grows in the Penang Botanic Gardens! Don't call the police because this species rightfully belongs here in Malaysia, the Ketum plant was endemic long before us humans. If anyone should leave, it's us, not the plants. However, to those of you who wish to get high off the botanic garden, sorry I'm not going to disclose the plant's location. After all this is Malaysia, and to non-Malaysians, ours is a country where anything silly can happen. Also, be aware that I am a frequent visitor of the Penang Botanic Gardens, so you might just get caught by me instead, if you think of doing silly things! Seek knowledge before you seek any sort of psychedelic escape. If you have the right knowledge, plants themselves will be calling out for you.

Finally, let me pay tribute to some of the unnamed, unlabelled but deadly poisonous plants of the Penang Botanic Gardens. You may have walked pass them without even knowing what they are, but here's your homework because you can find all their information in my [Poison Garden] and [Science] entries. How I wish there is a true poison-themed garden in the Penang Botanic Gardens, housing all those I've featured, alongside the poisonous butterfly conservatory. Guess what? I've done it myself it in my own gardens in no less than two years. I owe part of my Poison Garden to the Penang Botanic Gardens, and I will always remain grateful to it.