Noteworthy Ferns of Thailand

Dr Thaweesakdi Boonkerd is Associate Professor in the Botany Department, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

He has been working on the Taxonomy of Pteridophytes in Thailand more than 25 years. One of hs recent publications is a multimedia CD-ROM entitled "Noteworthy Ferns of Thailand" published by Chulalongkorn University Press in 1996. In 2000, he also co-authored with Rossarin Pollawatn, a marvellous handbook listing all the pteridophytes of Thailand, giving their distribution in map form and with many photographs.

A close look at ferns:


      This top quality educational multimedia resource takes you on an interactive journey through the extraordinary diversity of ferns indigenous to Thailand. It is ideal for students as well as interested people.

Features include:
  • pictorial guide for common genera
  • animation sequences which cover the entire life cycle of a fern, with text and sound explanations
  • geographical distribution
  • a mecca for fern lovers
  • rare and endangered species
  • ferns in the uses they are put to
  • instant access to 120 species of ferns with color plates and descriptions via index to family, genus, species, common English name and Thai name
  • point-and click word definitions
  • high resolution color graphics
Tectaria varicolosa (Wall. ex Hook) C. Chr.; syn Tectaria impressa (Fée) Holttum
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System Requirements
  • 80486 or higher based PC., 16MB RAM
  • Run Microsoft Windows V. 3.1 or higher
  • SVGA card and monitor with 640X480 pixel resolution, 64k color
  • 16 bit sound card
  • CD-ROM drive (double speed or higher)
( Note; this CDROM runs well on any 9x-based Windows system.   As yet I can not report on its performance on Windows 2000, XP, or NT.       B. Swale. )

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This review is from the `Pteridologist' Volume 3 part 4, page 104, 1999.

`NOTEWORTHY FERNS OF THAILAND. T. Boonkerd. Chulalongkorn University Press,Thailand, 1996. CD ROM. Recommended price 1,500 Thai Baht (approx. US$ 40)

Treat yourself to a dream of a fern holiday in Thailand with this multimedia presentation in English designed for a 486 (or higher) PC running Windows 3.1.

A nine minute animated demo introduces the potential of the first multimedia CD or electronic textbook to be produced by Chulalongkorn University, based on the author's 20 years experience of ferns. The team are to be congratulated on their work.

This work will introduce the student to the life cycle of ferns and the variety of form, the novice horticulturist to propagation techniques and the fernophile to the diversity of ferns to be found in Thailand. There is a map showing the choice ferny places to visit, and a brief introduction to the phytogeography of mainland SE Asia. A library of splendid colour plates of 120 species of ferns are accompanied by text of family, scientific name, common name, Thai name and a description. This library comprises all the genera, but only about one quarter of the species of the Thai fern flora, thus providing an excellent overview. Point-and-click word definitions link the text to the comprehensive glossary.

Conservation and uses of ferns are also covered, and a good bibliography is included.

There is not a key at any level to the different ferns, and fern allies are not included.

Those captivated by book publications on Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines will be equally enchanted by this offering and pressure will surely grow for a BPS Excursion to SE Asia.'

Josephine Camus
Department of Botany
Natural History Museum
UK
For more information and ordering, mail to

T. Boonkerd,
Department of Botany,
Faculty of Science,
Chulalongkorn University,
Bangkok 10 330, Thailand.

Payment may be by cash, money transfer via bank or postal order as you wish. Please let me give you some more details before placing an order.

Regards, T. Boonkerd.
Please  e-mail me here. at bthawees@chula.ac.th     for more information.