Third Symposium on Zingiberaceae |
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The 3rd world symposium on the plant family Zingiberaceae was held July 7-12, 2002 at Khon Kaen, Thailand. There were over 100 participants attending the symposium from the countries of Australia, China, Denmark, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, United Kingdom, United States of America, and of course from Thailand. The Local Organizing Committee and the Local Helpers did a magnificent job of arranging and hosting the Symposium. The food and accomodations were marvelous, the activities and entertainment were delightful and our gracious hosts did everything possible to make us feel comfortable and welcome. The Symposium was held at the luxurious  Hotel Sofitel Raja Orchid in Khon Kaen, Thailand . Each evening of the symposium was filled with good food, good company, and the opportunity to socialize or exchange ideas about the family Zingiberaceae. This began with a reception on Sunday evening with hors d'ourvers. The second evening included a bus tour of Khon Kaen University and a bountiful dinner followed by entertainment of traditional Thai music and dancing from the Isan region of northeastern Thailand. Tuesday afternoon there was a trip to visit the Wat Phra That Phu Phan (Temple) and the Ubolrat Dam, where we were treated to a bar-b-que "appetizer" and then yet another full meal with course after course of wonderful Thai food. Wednesday evening was the "Farewell Party" held at a popular Khon Kaen restaurant and once again we were presented with a fabulous meal.The Scientific Committee organized the Symposium program of oral and poster presentations, which included a wide range of topics related to the plant family Zingiberaceae. There were seventeen oral presentations and over thirty poster presentations covering the taxonomy and systematics, morphology and cytology, enzymology and phytochemistry, pharmacognostics and ethnobotany, and the diversity and conservation of plants in the family Zingiberaceae. Many of these presentations were prepared by graduate students under the coordination and tutilage of Dr. Kai Larsen of Aarhus University in Denmark. It became very evident to me that Dr. Larsen is the loved and respected patriarch of ginger research. One of the highlights of the symposium was a presentation by Dr. W. John Kress of the Smithsonian Institution, announcing a proposed new classification of Zingiberaceae, based on molecular phylogenetic analyses (DNA) and related morphological features. This proposal, which will soon be published in the American Journal of Botany, divides Zingiberaceae into 4 sub-families and 6 tribes. A new project was initiated, the Zingiberaceae Image Project, to compile images of zingiberaceous plants and place them on a website where they can be seen by anyone with access to the internet. If you have any photos of Zingiberaceae you are willing to share with others, please send them to me. After the Symposium, many of the participants took part in the post-symposium excursions. On Thursday, the group went on a field trip to the Phu Phan National Park where a trail took us through rock platform, mixed deciduous, dry evergreen and dry dipterocarpous forests containing over 20 species of Zingiberaceae growing in their native habitat. On Friday, there was an excursion to the Ban Chiang National Museum and Wat Pho Si Nai archeological site where excavations have revealed an ancient civilization that existed in northeastern Thailand. After lunch we visited the Udorn Sunshine Fragrant Orchid Farm where perfumes are made from orchids and Kaempferias. The symposium closing remarks were given by Dr. Kress, and he fittingly called the symposium a "Ginger Lover's Banquet". He reminded us of the underlying purpose behind all the good work that is being done to study Zingiberaceous plants. It is much more than an abstract scientific excercise, or a chance to add beautiful plants to our home gardens. Gingers have been used in traditional medicines for centuries, and these plants undoubtably have many treasures that are not yet known to modern man. The plant parts contain a wealth of chemical compounds that are only just beginning to be studied and applied to our use. The tropical rainforests where they grow are rapidly disappearing from the face of the earth, and species are being lost forever. By studying Zingiberaceae, we are beginning to understand and hopefully will be better able to preserve one of Nature's most wonderful gifts to mankind. |
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