1) Ex-Situ Sungai Lumut
For orchid lovers, here is the place where one can see the collections of wild orchids for Brunei Darussalam. There are about 300 collections of the wild orchids propagate under three shade houses. Other plants of interest also found here are nepenthes, hoyas, aroids and begonias.
2) Ex-Situ Sungai Liang
i. Palmetum:
Towards the entrance of the Brunei Forestry Centre is the Palmetum. This palm garden was established in 1993 and is located in the valley which housed former forestry nursery site. Palms belong to the family of Arecaceae (also known as Palmae), among the group of plants that have a single cotyledon (monocots). In general, the palm is easily recognized by the shape of leaves like a fan or feathers, grow at/near the base of the stem which is erect, woody, rounded-tube and not branched on the soil surface. Palm foliage is very unique, palm fronds growing from leaf tissue intact sheet folded main buds. In Brunei Darussalam, there are about 133 palm species from 24 genera were recorded, which include four endemic species to Brunei. Of these, 80 species are well-documented rattan.
The Palmetum conserves and shows a variety of Bornean (particularly native to Brunei Darussalam) and exotic palms, To date there are approximately 120 individual palms have been planted in the Palmetum which include 42 species from 30 genera.
ii. Bambusetum:
The Bambusetum is located just behind of the Brunei Forestry Center and which was established in 1993. Bamboos or locally called ‘buluh’ belong to the grass family Poaceae and sub-family of Bambusoideae. They can be distinguished from other grasses by having woody culms or stems, complex aerial and underground branching, specialized of sheaths on the young stems, with a different or specialized leaf anatomy.
There are about 19 species of bamboos from 9 genera were recorded in Brunei Darussalam. To date , there are about 222 clumps including 17 species from 5 genera including local and exotic bamboos were planted in this garden.
iii. Ginger Garden:
The Ginger Garden was established in 2012, it is located just in front of Brunei National Herbarium building cover a small area. The Garden showcases some species, varieties and horticultural cultivars of ginger family (Zingiberaceae), together with other closely related plant families – heliconias (Heliconiaceae) and spiral gingers (Costaceae). Gingers are important herbaceous plants with many uses, such as common spice, ginger or ‘halia’ (Zingiber officinale) or cultivated galangal or ‘langkuas’ (Alpinia galanga) and edible flower, touch ginger or ‘kantan’ (Etlingera elatior).
There are about 77 species of gingers from 14 genera were recorded in Brunei Darussalam . To date there are about 100 individual plants including 30 species and varieties of local and exotic gingers were planted in this garden.
