Ch'ien Lee
Encyclopedia
Ch'ien C. Lee is a photographer and botanist specialising in the carnivorous plant
genus
Nepenthes
. Lee has described several new Nepenthes species, including N. chaniana
, N. gantungensis
, N. glandulifera
, N. jamban
, N. lingulata
, N. palawanensis
, N. pitopangii
, and N. platychila
. Lee also described the natural hybrid N. × bauensis
.
Ch'ien Lee holds a B.Sc. in Biology/Ecology from the University of California Santa Cruz. Having maintained a keen interest in nature since a child, his enthusiasm has led him to study various subjects ranging from entomology
to animal tracking and ethnobotany
, and eventually to work as a naturalist and environmental educator in the East Bay Regional Parks in northern California
. In 1996, fulfilling a lifelong desire to live in the tropics, he moved to Sarawak
(East Malaysia
, on the island of Borneo
) to work in a program for the propagation of native plant species.
Ch'ien studied photography while at school and has always considered it an excellent method to convey ideas and share his fascination about natural subjects encountered during his travels. His hobby became a professional endeavor in 2003. "Borneo is a fantastic place to live if you've got an insatiable interest in nature. It's easy for a photographer to get spoiled by the overwhelming diversity of subjects every time you're out. Of course working in the tropics presents some real obstacles for photography, but it's always worth the effort."
Tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes) have been a major focus of his for over 12 years, and he has published a number of papers on their taxonomy
. "A lot of my travel over the past decade has been in the pursuit of rare Nepenthes and this has taken me to many really remote parts of Southeast Asia
." His photographs have appeared in numerous articles and books, and are featured in Pitcher Plants of Sarawak, The Fishes of Kuching Rivers, and the second edition of Pitcher Plants of Borneo. He occasionally undertakes assignment photography, although freelance work remains his main interest.
In addition to his photography, Ch'ien is currently engaged as a consultant at the Botanical Research Centre (Sarawak Forestry Corporation) in Kuching
and also periodically works as a nature guide for private group tours in Sarawak
and Sabah
.
Carnivorous plant
Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants appear adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Nepenthes
Nepenthes
The Nepenthes , popularly known as tropical pitcher plants or monkey cups, are a genus of carnivorous plants in the monotypic family Nepenthaceae. The genus comprises roughly 130 species, numerous natural and many cultivated hybrids...
. Lee has described several new Nepenthes species, including N. chaniana
Nepenthes chaniana
Nepenthes chaniana ]]) is a highland pitcher plant species belonging to the genus Nepenthes. It is characterised by a dense indumentum of long, white hairs. Pitchers are cylindrical and mostly white to yellow in colouration....
, N. gantungensis
Nepenthes gantungensis
Nepenthes gantungensis is a tropical pitcher plant known from a single peak on the Philippine island of Palawan, where it grows at elevations of 1600–1784 m above sea level.-Botanical history:...
, N. glandulifera
Nepenthes glandulifera
Nepenthes glandulifera is a species of pitcher plant endemic to the Hose Mountains of central Sarawak. This plant is so named for the black speckles around the petioles. The species's discoverer, Ch'ien Lee, initially thought they were a sign of disease. After further investigation, it was...
, N. jamban
Nepenthes jamban
Nepenthes jamban is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to northern Sumatra. The specific epithet jamban is the Indonesian word for "toilet" and refers to the shape of the pitchers.-Botanical history:...
, N. lingulata
Nepenthes lingulata
Nepenthes lingulata is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to northern Sumatra. The species is characterised by the highly developed appendage present on the underside of the lid...
, N. palawanensis
Nepenthes palawanensis
Nepenthes palawanensis is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sultan Peak on the island of Palawan in the Philippines, where it grows at elevations of 1100–1236 m above sea level. It was discovered in February 2010 by Jehson Cervancia and Stewart McPherson.The species appears to be most...
, N. pitopangii
Nepenthes pitopangii
Nepenthes pitopangii is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Lore Lindu National Park in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Only a single plant of this species is known and efforts to locate further populations on surrounding mountains have so far been unsuccessful. Nepenthes pitopangii appears to be...
, and N. platychila
Nepenthes platychila
Nepenthes platychila is a species of pitcher plant endemic to the Hose Mountains of central Sarawak. It is notable for its smooth peristome and funnel-shaped upper pitchers....
. Lee also described the natural hybrid N. × bauensis
Nepenthes × bauensis
Nepenthes × bauensis is a natural hybrid involving N. gracilis and N. northiana.N. × bauensis is intermediate in appearance between its two parent species. It displays the clumping habit and vine growth of N. gracilis, but can be distinguished from that species on the basis of its...
.
Ch'ien Lee holds a B.Sc. in Biology/Ecology from the University of California Santa Cruz. Having maintained a keen interest in nature since a child, his enthusiasm has led him to study various subjects ranging from entomology
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
to animal tracking and ethnobotany
Ethnobotany
Ethnobotany is the scientific study of the relationships that exist between people and plants....
, and eventually to work as a naturalist and environmental educator in the East Bay Regional Parks in northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. In 1996, fulfilling a lifelong desire to live in the tropics, he moved to Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
(East Malaysia
East Malaysia
East Malaysia, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia located on the island of Borneo. It consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Federal Territory of Labuan. It lies to the east from Peninsular Malaysia , which is located on the Malay Peninsula. The two are...
, on the island of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
) to work in a program for the propagation of native plant species.
Ch'ien studied photography while at school and has always considered it an excellent method to convey ideas and share his fascination about natural subjects encountered during his travels. His hobby became a professional endeavor in 2003. "Borneo is a fantastic place to live if you've got an insatiable interest in nature. It's easy for a photographer to get spoiled by the overwhelming diversity of subjects every time you're out. Of course working in the tropics presents some real obstacles for photography, but it's always worth the effort."
Tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes) have been a major focus of his for over 12 years, and he has published a number of papers on their taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
. "A lot of my travel over the past decade has been in the pursuit of rare Nepenthes and this has taken me to many really remote parts of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
." His photographs have appeared in numerous articles and books, and are featured in Pitcher Plants of Sarawak, The Fishes of Kuching Rivers, and the second edition of Pitcher Plants of Borneo. He occasionally undertakes assignment photography, although freelance work remains his main interest.
In addition to his photography, Ch'ien is currently engaged as a consultant at the Botanical Research Centre (Sarawak Forestry Corporation) in Kuching
Kuching
Kuching , officially the City of Kuching, and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest city in Malaysia....
and also periodically works as a nature guide for private group tours in Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
and Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
.
Publications
- Lee, C.C. 2002. Proceedings of the 4th International Carnivorous Plant Conference, Hiroshima University, Tokyo: 25–30.
- Lee, C.C. 2002. Nepenthes platychila (Nepenthaceae), a New Species of Pitcher Plant from Sarawak, Borneo. Gardens Bulletin Singapore 54: 257–261.
- Clarke, C.M. & C.C. Lee 2004. A Pocket Guide: Pitcher Plants of Sarawak. Natural History Publications (Borneo)Natural History Publications (Borneo)Natural History Publications Sdn. Bhd. is a publishing house based in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo. It is among the leading English language and natural history publishers in Malaysia and the entire Southeast Asian region...
, Kota KinabaluKota KinabaluKota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...
. vi + 81 pp. - Lee, C.C. 2004. Nepenthes. In: Sarawak Bau Limestone Biodiversity. H.S. Yong, F.S.P. Ng and E.E.L. Yen (eds). The Sarawak Museum Journal Vol. LIX, No. 80; Special Issue No. 6: 71–77.
- Lee, C.C. 2004. New records and a new species of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae) from Sarawak. Sandakania 15: 93–101. Abstract
- Clarke, C.M., C.C. Lee & S. McPherson 2006. Nepenthes chaniana (Nepenthaceae), a new species from north-western Borneo. Sabah Parks Journal 7: 53–66.
- Lee, C.C., Hernawati & P. Akhriadi 2006. Two new species of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae) from North Sumatra. Blumea 51(3): 561–568.
- Phillips, A., A. Lamb & C.C. Lee 2008. Pitcher Plants of Borneo. Second Edition. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Kota Kinabalu.
- Lee, C.C., S. McPherson, G. Bourke & M. Mansur 2009. Nepenthes pitopangii (Nepenthaceae), a new species from central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 61(1): 95–100.