Table Of Content

PROFESSOR KAI LARSEN (1921–2012) 1 Prof. Kai Larsen, the Danish co-editor of the educated and trained abroad, and plant taxonomy Flora of Thailand, established the Flora of Thailand in Thailand was recognized and promoted. Prof. project in 1965 after the fi rst joint Thai-Danish Larsen knew the history, as well as the present and Botanical expedition in 1958, organized as a coop- the future vision of the Flora of Thailand when he erative effort with Prof. Tem Smitinand, the then saw so many young Thai botanists working on the director of the Forest Herbarium (BKF). Prof. Larsen Thai fl ora. He encouraged them to assure that the found that it was time for Thailand to have a con- Flora of Thailand Project would be best in the hands temporary Flora to update the only existing work of the younger generation. Due to his initiatives, covering Thailand’s plants - the ‘Flora Siamensis and his remarkable work on the Thai fl ora in col- Enumeratio’ written by W.G. Craib and A.F.G. Kerr laboration with BKF staff, the Flora of Thailand in 1931. He contacted renowned botanists, mainly has reached an international standard and recogni- from prestigious botanical institutes in Europe, i.e. tion, and serves as the base for fl oristic study. The Aarhus, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Kew, Leiden, and Forest Herbarium is also known as a national her- Paris, whom he knew, to join the Flora of Thailand barium well equipped with knowledgeable and project on a voluntary basis to pursue the produc- well-trained botanists, herbarium specimens and tion of taxonomic treatments of Thai vascular plant botanical references. families. The editors and editorial board members Since the beginning of the Flora of Thailand of the Flora of Thailand were comprised of K. Project, Prof. Larsen took 40 years to do this indis- Larsen and Tem Smitinand as co-editors, B. Hansen pensable task - not only writing the Flora on his own as assistant editor and Chamlong Phengklai, R.C. but also recruiting family experts for contributing to Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr., B.L. Burtt, L.L. the Flora. In the early years, the Flora of Thailand Forman and J.E. Vidal as editorial members. Prof. progressed slowly, but at present the treatments of Larsen dedicated himself to the Thai flora, and the remaining families are not far from completion. tirelessly conducted many Thai-Danish botanical Prof. Larsen had sat as Chair of the Flora of Thailand expeditions in remote areas throughout Thailand. editorial board meeting since the fi rst meeting till Despite the difficult and discouraging access to the fourteenth meeting in Copenhagen, but we were botanical sites, a great number of Thai plant collec- very regretful that he could not join the latest meet- tions were made and deposited in the herbaria of ing in Chiang Mai in 2011 because of his health Aarhus University and the Forest Herbarium, (though he gave a videotaped presentation. At the Royal Forest Department in Bangkok. Together Flora of Thailand Board meeting he always brought with BKF staff, Kai managed to conduct botanical up questions to be discussed including the possibility collections in the once luxuriant forests, and he of the next meeting. Among other future initiatives became aware that the Thai fl ora encompassed far to be considered by the Board, was a closer collabo- more undescribed species than expected. When it ration between the organizers of the Flora of became more and more diffi cult to recruit foreign Thailand and the other projects such as the Flora specialists to work for the Flora of Thailand project, Malesiana and Flora du Cambodge, du Laos et du he therefore encouraged a new young generation of Viêtnam; and through his knowledge of experts, the Thai botanists to continue their own Flora. The Flora of Thailand has become a strong team to work Flora of Thailand can be proud that a large number on the Thai Flora. of families have been revised by local botanists - Prof. Kai Larsen devoted his life to the work more than for any other tropical Flora. Prof. Larsen on the Flora of Thailand, particularly on his most succeeded in securing substantial aid from the favourite family the Zingiberaceae, until his last Carlsberg Foundation and DANIDA, the Danish years. He served as co-editor of the Flora of Development Aid Programme, for botanical expe- Thailand from the very fi rst volume until he passed ditions, printing costs, and, most importantly, away in 2012. He will always be remembered by fi nancial support for the higher education of prom- Thai colleagues, and without his initiative and help ising young Thai botanists in Denmark. Some have the Flora of Thailand would have not materialised. already got their Ph.D. degrees, while many re- He has done a great job for the Thai fl ora, and his ceived support for short or long periods of study, name will forever remain in the history of the Flora and this lengthy academic collaboration has con- of Thailand as one of the great Danish botanical tinued to the present day. It was encouraging to see explorers of the Thai fl ora. that several young Thai botanists were successfully Thawatchai Santisuk & Kongkanda Chayamarit