Work in Progress Seminar

Singapore’s national flower: What Science does and does not tell us about the origins of Vanda Miss Joaquim

Dr John Elliot

Associate Professor,

Department of Psychology, NUS

3rd April 2014, 6pm

Vanda Miss Joaquim was reported as a new hybrid orchid in 1893. In 1981 it was selected as the National Flower of Singapore, partly because it was thought to be a natural hybrid, not man-made. Thus, no race or community could claim credit for it, or it would be favoured by choosing it. However, the horticultural records suggest it was a deliberate hybrid, not a natural one, created by the lady for whom it named, Agnes Joaquim. There has been a vigorous debate about this in recent years, in which some scientists have argued that scientific data shows that Miss Joaquim found the orchid, but did not create it. However, I shall argue that science has been misused in this claim; that properly used, science leaves the question open; and that history and horticulture are more likely to provide a clear answer.