Singapore, 25 May 2023 – In conjunction with the Festival of Biodiversity 2023, Singapore Post Limited (SingPost) will launch a set of four stamps featuring Critically Endangered Flora of Singapore – Flora of Singapore’s Freshwater Swamp Forests on 27 May 2023 (Saturday).
Jointly organised by National Parks Board (NParks) and the Biodiversity Roundtable, the Festival of Biodiversity is an annual celebration of the community’s efforts to conserve Singapore’s natural heritage. This year, it will be held at Heartbeat@Bedok on 27 and 28 May 2023.
The four Critically Endangered flora species showcased in this stamp issue are on NParks’ Species Recovery Programme and were all found or rediscovered at Nee Soon Swamp Forest, Singapore’s last substantial patch of freshwater swamp forest located in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. They are:
- Lipstick Plant (Aeschynanthus pulcher): a popular native ornamental plant. It was believed to be extinct in the wild in Singapore until its rediscovery in 2013.
- Fagraea splendens: thought to be extinct in Singapore until its rediscovery in 2010.
- Singapore Kopsia (Kopsia singapurensis): first described by the first scientific director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Henry Nicholas Ridley, from specimens in Singapore in 1894. It was collected in the wild in 1920 and was not seen again until 2011 when it was collected from the Nee Soon Swamp Forest.
- Red Salak (Salacca affinis): thought to be extinct in Singapore until its rediscovery in 2011.
The rediscovery of these four species and many others reflects the richness and resilience of Singapore’s habitats.
Sale of stamps
The stamps (valued between $0.31 and $1.50), Pre-cancelled First Day Covers with stamps (S$5.05) and Presentation Packs (S$6.15) will be available at all post offices, philatelic stores, and online at shop.singpost.com from 27 May 2023, while stocks last.
