SANDAKAN: Sandakania, a scientific journal dedicated to plant systematics, morphology, and natural history, has been released by the Forest Research Centre of the Sabah Forestry Department in Sandakan, Malaysia.
The latest edition, Volume 24, has been made possible through financial support from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (NRECC) under the Heart of Borneo (HoB) Project in Sabah.
Within this volume, five scientific papers have been contributed by botanists from various parts of the world. Ling Chea Yiing and Julia Sang from the Forest Department Sarawak have described four new species of Begonia (Begoniaceae) found in Sarawak.
John B. Sugau, representing the Forest Research Centre of the Sabah Forestry Department, has described two new species of Polyspora (Theaceae) discovered in Sabah.
Junhao Chen and his co-authors from the Singapore Botanic Gardens have introduced a unique genus endemic to Borneo and the Philippines called Chewlunia (Rubiaceae), named after Datuk Chan Chew Lun, a prominent Sabah-based Malaysian naturalist, illustrator, historian, and publisher.
Cheng-Wei Chen from the National Taiwan Normal University, along with his co-authors, has described a rare and new species of fern called Antrophyum kinabaluense, found in Kinabalu Park, Sabah.
Lastly, Timothy M. A. Utteridge from Kew Royal Botanic Gardens UK, and his co-authors, have introduced ten subgenera of Ardisia (Primulaceae) in Sabah.
The SANDAKANIA journal is supported by an editorial committee led by Dr. Robert C. Ong as Chairman, Mr. John B. Sugau as Editor, Dr. Joan T. Pereira and Dr. Arthur Y.C. Chung as Assistant Editors, and Alviana Damit as Layout Designer.
The committee is dedicated to achieving excellence and actively seeks publications that contribute to the scientific understanding of the flora in Sabah and Borneo.
SANDAKANIA continues to serve as a valuable platform for the dissemination of botanical knowledge, fostering a deeper appreciation for the abundant biodiversity found in this region.
