SINGAPORE – The deep purple flower of the two-fold velvet bean climber and the pale red blossoms of the Kadsura scandens are among four critically endangered native plants featured in a new set of stamps released by Singapore Post, ahead of the Festival of Biodiversity.

The 2024 edition of the annual festival will be held on May 25 and 26 at One Punggol, said organiser National Parks Board (NParks) on April 26.

Valued between 80 cents and $2, the commemorative stamps can be bought at all post offices, philatelic stores and online on the SingPost website from April 26. They will be sold at the festival too.

The stamp line-up also stars the Piper porphyrophyllum, commonly known as tiger’s betel, and the Artocarpus kemando, or squirrel’s jack.

All four plants are found in lowland dipterocarp forests, such as the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, said NParks.

The quartet are part of NParks’ Species Recovery Programme, which aims to secure the long-term survival of rare and endangered native flora.

For the 2023 festival, the stamp set featured the lipstick plant, the Fagraea splendens, the Singapore kopsia and the red salak.

Correction note: The story has been updated to reflect that NParks, not SingPost, shared details about the 2024 Festival of Biodiversity stamp set. We are sorry for the error.