dragon lordwhy a british botanist is hunting thai dragons
BOTANICAL BEAST
Did Thai people once believe – like some societies did in ancient times – that the red resin produced by dragon trees was actually the dried blood of dragons?
And why are so many dragon trees (below right) found growing around old Th ai temples? Is it because they were revered in ages past?
These are just some of the many questions botanist Dr Paul Wilkin (below left) hopes to answer during a three-week British-Th ai expedition, which was due to commence as Fah Th ai went to press in June. A joint venture between London’s Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG), Thailand’s National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department and Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, the mission is part of a long-term collaborative project aimed at documenting Th ailand’s 10,000 or so flowering plants and ferns.
The research trips will take Wilkin to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and other spots in the kingdom where dragon trees – or dracaena – flourish. Wilkin’s passion for plants has brought him to exotic locales like Madagascar. He hopes his latest journey through Th ailand will arm him with enough information to preserve and protect the dracaena, whose skinny green leaves and red fruit (right, in a 19th century illustration) hang like upside down pom-poms atop long, grey-brown stems.
“They are strange, charismatic and beautiful plants, which is why I am so very fascinated by them,” said Wilkin, who works for RBG. “I want to discover more about the different species of Thai dragon trees, exactly how they are related to their bizarre cousins in Hawaii and Madagascar, as well as more familiar plants like mother-inlaw’s tongues. Without knowing precisely which species grow in Thailand and how they are distributed, we can’t possibly say which ones need to be conserved.”
The red resin from dragon trees has long been used in Thailand as a medicinal product, and the trees are grown ornamentally in many homes and hotels across the country. If you look closely, you’ll likely spot them during your travels. Just be careful not to touch them – you wouldn’t want to rouse the beast.
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