A RHODODENDRON EXPEDITION TO SULAWESI

There are many reasons why people travel to different parts of the world, not the least of which are adventure and the rare opportunity to search for and to see vireya rhododendron in the wild. The trip to the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia was made for both of these reasons.

This expedition was unique in several ways. Neither John nor Hank were experts in the field of vireya rhododendrons. John had only a passing acquaintance with these plants and Hank little more, having done limited research on this subgenera. John was familiar with Sulawesi and knew some
Indonesian, while Hank had never been to Indonesia and knew no Indonesian. Neither John nor Hank had previously climbed to elevations exceeding 6,500ft (1,980 m).

John had made a previous trip to Sulawesi in the spring of 1996 with Keith Adams. Several vireya rhododendrons were found in southwest and north Sulawesi but a number of very promising areas had been left unexplored. John wanted to return to take up where they had left off. By October of 1996, he
had convinced Hank that a trip to Sulawesi would be both fascinating and fun. He didn’t mention that it would also be hot, humid, often difficult, and occasionally dangerous. There was also the prospect of finding several species of vireya which have only been collected once, have not been photographed
and are not in cultivation. Although vireyas make up over one third of the more than eight hundred rhododendron species, few plant hunting trips are made to search for them…

excerpt of article A Rhododendron Expedition to Sulawesi by J. Farbarik & H. Helm page 15

CONTENTS
Branch Information ……………………………………………………………………….. 2
President’s Report – John Schutz …………………………………………………. 3
Annual Report for the Year 1996–97 – Barry Stagoll …………………………… 4
Rhododendrons in Chinese Gardens – Peter Valder …………………………….. 6
A Rhododendron Expedition to Sulawesi – John Farbarik
and Henry R. (Hank) Helm ………………………………………………….. 15
The Azalea Project – Alan Kepert ………………………………………………… 26
The Large Leaf Project – Ken Cathie ……………………………………………. 30
The Road to ‘Teddy’s Best’ – Geraldine Roelink ……………………………….. 37
Vireyas: the Not-So-Tropical Rhododendron – Graham Snell ……………… 40
Tasmanian rhododendron companions from Gondwanaland – Ken Gillanders . 47
Fragrant rhododendrons in Christchurch – Brian Coker ……………………… 56
Vireyas – John Kenyon and Jacqueline Walker reviewed by Richard Francis . 58
New Registrations 1996–97 – Graeme Eaton ………………………………….. 59
Victorian Branch Report 1996–97 – Lionel Marshall …………………………. 65
The Society’s Annual Accounts ………………………………………………………. 66