The maples of Vietnam
The maples of Vietnam have been litle documented. Around 20 are known, though details in floras are inconsistent and incomplete. Some are not recorded at all. It didn’t take us long to find one of these. Acer sterculiaceum subsp. sterculiaceum, also known as the pungent maple, was one of the first maples we came across on our hike up Five Fingers. Its native distribution is recorded as being west from North West Yunnan, more than 600km away. Here we observed it growing with Campbell’s maple (Acer aff. campbellii) and the Chinese tulip tree (Liriodendron chinense) among many other incredible plants.
Waking up to see specimens of the rare Rhoiptelea chiliantha, was amazing. There is only one plant of this species in cultivation and this is here at Westonbirt, so I was particularly happy that we were able to harvest some seed, albeit a touch early in the season. Still, a great start to the day. It wasn’t even eight o’clock!
Four days on Five Fingers
Our four days on Five Fingers somewhat blurred into one, with endless ups and downs on challenging terrain. Coming off the mountain on the fourth day brought about a feeling of huge satisfaction with the plants we had seen and the ground we had covered. We’d been tremendously fortunate with the weather, it rained only once on the first evening. Following our successful first leg of the expedition, we returned happily to civilisation for a well-earned shower!
Next was our excursion to Y Ty, where we camped for two nights amid the maples. Immediately adjacent to the campsite was an excellent specimen of the snake bark Acer sikkimense and all around were juvenile Campbell’s maple. What was particularly noticeable here, and to a lesser degree on Five Fingers, was the lack of old trees (particularly maples). Many had evidently been removed for cardamom production, leaving a distinct lack of seed sources. The area is in serious need of conservation.
The trek was full of highlights, and setling down for the evening beneath specimens of Betula insignis var. fansipanensis, Acer aff. campbellii and Magnolia sapaensis is an experience you can’t get in many places.
Credit: Dan Crowley
WESTONBIRT AUTUMN 2017
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