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Dr AJ Kostermans, famous founder of the herbarium at Bogor Gardens in Java, described this fruit as the "durian of the future" because of its excellent flavour, heavy cropping and lack of strong smell.

Durio macrantha was first discovered in 1981 by Mr. H Rijksen in the Mt Leuser National Park in Northern Sumatra. Only one specimen was collected and it was brought to Bogor and planted in Dr Kostermans' back yard.

Ten years later, in 1991 the tree had grown to a height of 10 metres and started to flower profusely. Flowering continued for 3 months and the tree matured about 40 fruit. This was an excellent first crop for any durian species. The tree continued to crop heavily each year until 1994 when only 4 fruit were produced, probably due to unseasonable weather, according to Dr Kostermans. The tree came from an area where an annual dry season occurs which is necessary for good crop production.

Dr Kostermans decided that the specimen growing in his back yard was sufficiently different from Durio zibethinus, the commercial durian, to be a new species and he named it Durio macrantha.

Although there have been many expeditions to the Mt Leuser National Park since 1981, no more specimens of Durio macrantha have been found. Dr Kostermans' tree is the only known one in cultivation.

In February of 1994 my wife Jacky and I were holidaying in Bali when we received urgent messages from both the CSIRO and Mr. Joe Zappala, asking for our help in trying to obtain grafting material from Dr Kostermans' tree. We learned that the doctor was seriously ill in hospital, and that he feared for the survival of the tree. He wanted grafting material to be taken to Australia where the species could be cared for.

So on 27th February, I flew from Bali to Jakarta, where I visited Dr Kostermans in St Carolus Hospital. We had a wonderfully long talk about his lifelong work in botany, and all the countries he had visited. He told me how he had survived being a prisoner of war working on the infamous Burma Railway. [See the article: 'Botanist Professor Kostermans' in the People, Places and History section.]

After our long talk, I was driven to Dr Kostermans' home near Bogor Gardens by two of his grandsons. I took photographs of the tree and selected some good grafting material. I was also lucky enough to be given the last fruit of the season. We then drove back to the hospital and had another long talk with Dr Kostermans. He told me how he had sponsored 98 children from poor families, to educate them in the fields of horticulture and botany. He always insisted on a strong commitment to work and discipline and to not be afraid to face difficulties and to find solutions. Thirty eight of his sponsored children went on to become doctors, and five others became professors. Most of then now work overseas.

While we talked, there was a constant stream of family and friends coming in to visit the good doctor.

I said goodbye to this marvelous old man and headed for the airport to return to Bali. On our flight home to Cairns, we carried the durian fruit as hand luggage. None of the passengers or crew suspected anything. There was none of the usual strong durian smell. On arrival at Cairns, we found that Joe Zappala had arranged an import license for the grafting material and it was quickly grafted onto young durian trees in the quarantine area. AQIS also allowed us to eat the fruit and keep the seeds. The flavour was excellent, at least equal to popular varieties such as Montong and Gaan Yaow.

After 12 months the grafted trees were allowed out of quarantine. CSIRO got a couple, Joe Zappala got some, and I planted one in my back yard in Cairns. It was sickly for a long time, until extra root stocks were grafted to the base. It is now 3 metres high and very vigorous. It appears to grow strongly on only some Durio zibethinus varieties.

Durio macrantha is now firmly established in North Queensland.

When I said goodbye to Dr Kostermans in St Carolus Hospital, I assured him we would look after this rare durian species.

Dr Kostermans died on 10th July 1994, and is sadly missed by all who knew him.

He can rest in peace knowing his favourite durian in now safe and being cared for in Australia. He was truly a remarkable man.

DATE: July 2002

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