Professor Bill Baker

We think that probably there might be 100,000 plants that aren't described. We think that three quarters of those are probably already threatened with extinction. If you don't have a name for something, if it isn't scientifically documented, you can't take any actions towards it.

We think that probably there might be 100,000 plants that aren't described. We think that three quarters of those are probably already threatened with extinction. If you don't have a name for something, if it isn't scientifically documented, you can't take any actions towards it.

Yeah, well, I brought the one I was most closely involved in, and that's the ghost ratan, which is a bizarre climbing palm that we found in Borneo. So I brought here one of our specimens, a palm folder here.

Yeah, well, I brought the one I was most closely involved in, and that's the ghost ratan, which is a bizarre climbing palm that we found in Borneo. So I brought here one of our specimens, a palm folder here.

Not just for this occasion. This is purely for science. And in this folder, there are a number of pieces of leaf and stem of the rattan. They're really important plants. They're the source of cane furniture. Multi-billion dollar industry rests on rattan. So finding a new one isn't trivial.

Not just for this occasion. This is purely for science. And in this folder, there are a number of pieces of leaf and stem of the rattan. They're really important plants. They're the source of cane furniture. Multi-billion dollar industry rests on rattan. So finding a new one isn't trivial.

This one was very frustrating because it's actually been found many times over the last 90 years, but never with any flowers and fruit. And without those elements, it's really, really hard to do the describing part.

This one was very frustrating because it's actually been found many times over the last 90 years, but never with any flowers and fruit. And without those elements, it's really, really hard to do the describing part.

OK, so I'm active in the field. I go to the forest. I collect palms. I bring them back. And I compare them to all the specimens we have at Kew already. We have an amazing sort of museum of plants, if you like, our herbarium with 8 million specimens in it. And that's an incredible resource for comparing with known species.

OK, so I'm active in the field. I go to the forest. I collect palms. I bring them back. And I compare them to all the specimens we have at Kew already. We have an amazing sort of museum of plants, if you like, our herbarium with 8 million specimens in it. And that's an incredible resource for comparing with known species.

But in this case, we were still stuck because we hadn't got flowers and fruit. So my fantastic student at the time, Ben Kunheiser, did a whole load of clever DNA work to establish its identity.

But in this case, we were still stuck because we hadn't got flowers and fruit. So my fantastic student at the time, Ben Kunheiser, did a whole load of clever DNA work to establish its identity.