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As a student, the speaker recalls flipping through a Singaporean garden guide during bus rides, with the Damsana (or Angsana) standing out as a particularly prominent and native species. Its resilience, rapid growth, and ability to withstand tough terrain made it a favorite choice for lining roads and parks, transforming Singapore into the "Garden City" envisioned decades earlier.
The Role of Research and Botanical Institutions
Singapore’s Herbarium, a vital research facility, has been instrumental in collecting plant specimens from around the world, including the oldest specimen of the Tang Sanatri—collected in 1918 at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. These collections serve as critical resources for taxonomic research, identification of new species, and ongoing scientific studies.