Sunsight 12 July 2025

Remembering Bucky from Bellevue

On the evening before I had given a talk at the Campuan Lounge about 45 years of Bellevue, identifying the notable visitors since 1980, which included Malaysian royalty, President Weizsacker of Germany, Lee Kuan Yew, botanists: Holttum, Dransfield, Whitmore, Polunin – and film stars such as Omar Shariff and Jane Seymour. In the setting of the lounge which recollects the memories of the Bali meetings Bucky was especially celebrated as the lingering spirit at Bellevue and significant for his intimate involvements in Penang. Indeed the geodesic dome in the panoramic terrace and the view of the Komtar dome testifies. The gathering ended with a group photo before the Dymaxion Map as a reminder of Bucky’s global inspirations.

On Sunday the 13th, we visited Suriana Botanic Conservation Gardens, where there are three geodesic shade houses – which Bucky had called “grown domes”! At Bellevue we have yet another for sub-montane flora.

As mentioned previously, the new ginger species grown at Bellevue and Suriana had been named Alpinia buckiana. It has now been published and cited taxonomically in the latest issue of Folia malaysiana, Vol.19(1), 2024 – reproduced below.

The new taxa from Peninsular Malaysia

Alpinia buckiana C.K Lim, sp. nov.
Differs from Alpinia nobilis with leaves smaller, glabrous, inflorescence 1 – 2 flowers per cincinni; labellum not creanulate, bright yellow, scarlet coloration more suffused.

Type: Malaysia, Penang, cultivated at Suriana Botanic Conservation Gardens. C.K. Lim CL14573 (Holotype PBG, isotype MPSU).

Description: Clustering rhizomatose herb with shoots 1-1.5cm diam., 2.5m or more in height. Leaves glabrous, elongate, lamina 75-83.5 x 12-14.6cm, apex caudate with long cauda to 1.5cm long, base cuneate, sometimes decurrent, petiole 4cm, ligule entire 1cm, green, glabrous, lighter below, (sometimes lightly pubescent). Inflorescence terminal at leafy shoot, unopened in prophyll, 25-28 x 5-6cm, boat-shaped, greenish brown; spike ca. 30cm long with c. 35 floral cincinni, 1.5cm apart; 1-2 flowers per cincinni. Flowers are large and showy; pedicel light green, hairy; ovary globose, light green, slightly hairy (sometimes covered with persistent floral bract); calyx tubular, bilobed with acute tip, whitish, slightly hairy; labellum broad, bright yellow distinct at margins, median broadly suffused with scarlet coloration, striating into protruding apical lip, bilobed; staminodes short or absent, anthers bulbous on connective, white, sometimes pink tinged, pollinia 2, stamen pale yellow. Fruit globose, c. 2-3cm diam., trilocular with many seeds, c. 39-56 seeds per capsule, hirsute, immature light green turning orangey red. Seeds angular, black, c. 2-3 mm across.

Etymology: The species is named in honour of the global humanist Richard Buckminster Fuller, a frequent visitor to Penang and the region.

Distribution: Peninsular Malaysia: Perak: Kuala Kangsar, Cenein; Perlis, near Wang Kelian. (Numerous collections collected for MPSU and propagated at Suriana Botanic Conservation Garden)

Notes: Alpinia buckiana (and also the other two new species) is very distinct from A. mutica by the leaves not having the latter’s distinct “sweetly rancid” scent.

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On the 12th we received the annual news from Jaime Snyder and Alexandra May of the The Estate of R. Buckminster Fuller celebrating Bucky’s 130th birthday, recalling events from 1975. This prompts our records of Bucky’s visit to Bali in August 1975, when the bamboo tensegrity dome at Penestanan was being conceived (as later built and featured in the Campuan meetings of 1976 and Bucky’s birthday in 1977). Bucky’s inscriptions in the guestbook were indeed memorable (see photos below).

On August 1st Bucky had made the visit to my house at Penestanan accompanied by the guide Pak Geria, later visiting Balinese carvers and also meeting Arie Smit, Robie Sularto and Donald Friend at Sanur. A poignant event that I recall was when Bucky confided in me about his dream about his first deceased child Alexandra….