TUBI EYED FOR STATE PLANT

BY BETTY SISIMIA

Foresters here are planning to have the country’s native hard wood species; Tubi, set down to be the country’s national plant.
A senior forester from the Forestry Division, Fred Pitisopa says this is something similar to Fiji, Vanuatu and other country’s national dress or costume.
Since Tubi could only be found here, it is one reason to have it set down for a state plant identity, the senior forester said.
Mr Pitisopa said foresters are yet to decide if the tree is seen fit to become a state plant, before plans would be submitted to the cabinet for final decisions.
“Tubi could not be found everywhere, but only in some places, this gives us second thoughts to have it named the national plant.”
Tubi is only found in south eastern part of Choiseul Province and San Jorge Island in the Southern Side of Isabel province.
Researchers say this endemic species is limited to a small area, and are rare.
Previous findings from the Forestry revealed a single Solomon Islands native species’ was collected as early as 1958 but has remained unnamed scientifically until recently.
A formal published name; Melanoxylon is now provided for this species in June 29, 2007.
Its growing demand as a marketable resource has more recently raised concerns from possibility of its unsustainable harvesting.
This led to a formation of a conservation strategy where Tubi species are legally protected from being cut down.