orchids and orchidology in central america. 500 ... - lankesteriana.org

More documents

Recommendations

Info

210 A. Fowlie (1929-1993) (Fig. 59B), a family physician, was one of Horich’s best friends and visited him in Costa Rica on several occasions. His first expedition with Horich was in November of 1960, together with Noel Gauntlett, Jürgen Hansen and Glenn Hiatt, from the Los Angeles State & County Arboretum. Then they traveled again, this time to the region of Sarapiquí, together with Ralph Spencer. In one of his articles, Horich muses about Fowlie getting lost in the forest, loosing a valuable camera, climbing down a 50 meter vertical rock and finally coming out with a thick bundle of Pescatoria cerina (Horich, 1978). “Jack [...] had a busy practice when he was not traveling. He loved to talk about orchids and his travels, and he was never reluctant to give medical advice when on a trip or with orchid friends” (Hetherington, 2004: 288). His most valuable contribution to the orchid world was his excellent photography and his ability to write of his travels and of the species he observed. Clarence Horich collaborated with Fowlie collecting a great number of Lycaste species for the research that led to the publication of the latter’s most important work: The Genus Lycaste, its specification, distribution, literature and cultivation – a monographic revision (1970). In 1993, Oakeley actualized Fowlie’s work, bringing the genus to 45 species and changing some names (Oakeley, 1993). The following orchid species were dedicated to Fowlie: Cyrtopodium fowliei L.C. Menezes, Encyclia fowliei Duveen, Lycaste fowliei Oakeley, Paphiopedilum fowliei L.A. Birk, and Stanhopea × fowlieana Jenny. Most of these species were published in The Orchid Digest, the specialized journal of which Fowlie was the editor during many years. In the words of Eric Muehlbauer, “[..] the late Jack Fowlie had been its editor during the 80’s, maybe late 70’s... an incredible character. Had no grasp of written grammar and his own, very unique, ideas on Paphiopedilum taxonomy. That said, he was an incredibly productive writer who traveled to see slippers in situ, and got to know the people in the areas where they grew, and the people who collected them and grew them. His influence helped the Orchid Digest become and remain the great magazine that it still is” (Muehlbauer, 2006). “Typical of his extraordinary interest and drive, prior to his interest in orchid species he wrote a hardbound book, The Snakes of Arizona, in 1965. It is a fascinating LANKESTERIANA LANKESTERIANA 9(1—2), August 2009. © Universidad de Costa Rica, 2009. study, though I doubt that many orchid fanciers would say that they must see or have it” (Hetherington, 2004: 289). Rafael Lucas Rodríguez and the Lankester Botanical Garden “Those who dedicate too much time to orchids begin as orchidophiles, become soon orchidologists, and end as orchidiots...” Rafael Lucas Rodríguez, during a lecture (1974) Schlechter had good reasons to dedicate Ramonia pulchella to the small village of San Ramón, which with a population of bearly 15,000, has produced more than its share of great biologists. Not satisfied with having Alberto M. Brenes and Guillermo Acosta among its prominent citizens, San Ramón gave birth in the early XX century to one of the most respected figures of Costa Rica’s scientific world: Rafael Lucas Rodríguez Caballero (1915-1981) (Fig. 59C). During one of his first visits to Costa Rica, Robert Dressler visited Rafael Lucas Rodríguez in his office at the University of Costa Rica. As Dressler remembers: “After that, a visit to Costa Rica was incomplete without seeing ‘don Rafa’, as friends and students called him. Quite aside from our mutual interest in orchids, I was at once impressed by his charm, his intellect and his linguistic skill” (Rodríguez et al, 1986: 10). Rafael Lucas received his first lessons from his mother, Emilia Caballero, who was a teacher in his home town. After finishing elementary school, he moved with his mother to the United States, where he began his high school studies, which he later finished at the ‘Liceo de Costa Rica’, one of the best schools of the capital. His friends at school called him “El Sabio” (= the wise man) because of his dedication to his studies. He stayed at the same ‘Liceo’ as an assistant for Natural History, Zoology and Botany. Blessed by the Muse of arts, he was also employed during those years in the workshop of the famous French sculptor Louis Ferón, where he developed his talents as a jeweller and illustrator. Years later he would design the great mural which Ferón crafted for the ‘Golden Room’, in San José’s old airport building. In 1942, shortly after the University of Costa Rica opened its doors, Rodríguez started his studies in biology at its School of Sciences, and in 1945 received a scholarship which allowed him
ossenbaCh — Orchids and orchidology in Central America to continue his specialization in plant systematics at the University of California at Berkeley. His teacher was the famous Lincoln Constance, whose illustrious career at Berkeley spanned more than six decades and who wrote several years later: “Rafael was torn between a career as a professional biologist with strong interest in natural history or as an artist with a flair for graphic illustration. He was happiest when these interests coincided in the study of recurring patterns in living organisms” (Rodríguez et al., 1986: 14). Rodriguez’ doctoral dissertation was a comparative investigation of the Costa Rican tree Myrrhidendron, in relation to other woody Umbellales, profusely and beautifully illustrated by the author. This publication is still quoted widely years after his death. After returning to Costa Rica in 1953, Rodríguez was incorporated as a professor at the University of Costa Rica, where he was instrumental in the creation of a Department of Biology, and was appointed as its first director. Under his direction, the Department assumed custody of the University Herbarium (USJ), which had been founded in 1943. Today, the department has become the School of Biology and carries his name. Rodríguez contributed enormously to the development of the studies of biology in Costa Rica and was one of the first editors of the prestigious Revista de Biología Tropical. Again through his efforts, the first contacts between the University of Costa Rica and the Organization for Tropical Studies were established, a milestone in the history of nature conservation in the country. A many-faceted man, Rodríguez was a leader of the Boy Scout movement in Costa Rica, a passionate stamp collector, and combined his teaching in biology with singing in the University Choir. As his friend and fellow artist Francisco Amighetti wrote: “Like many scientists and artists, Rafael Lucas Rodríguez had the privilege of maturing intelectually while still preserving his childhood spirit intact”. Strongly interested in Orientalistim, he believed in a theosophical interpretation of nature and intended to form his students not only as biologists but as true humanists. His passion for botanical illustration led him to organize a special course for the School of Arts, which he called ‘watercolor painting for biologists’. It was because of his reputation as a botanical illustrator that Rodríguez first became interested in orchids. One day in the early 1960’s he was 211 approached by the well-known orchidologist Charles Lankester, who asked him to produce an illustration from a live orchid: it was a specimen of Pescatorea cerina (Lindl. & Paxton) Rchb. f. (Fig. 59D) which became the first of a large number of beautiful orchid watercolors. As Lincoln Constance said, his paintings were ‘artistically gorgeous but scientifically accurate’ (Rodríguez et al., 1986: 14). Rafael Lucas began in 1966 his most ambitious project, a treatise with the title Orquídeas del Istmo Centroamericano, a manuscript that unfortunately was never published, of which large parts are still preserved in the archives of the Lankester Botanical Garden, and that began with the words, in Rafael Lucas’ characteristic calligraphy: “Central America is famous for the abundance and above all, the variety of its orchids” (Fig. 60A). It was for this project that Rafael Lucas began his series of illustrations, which reached the impressive number of 1,092. As Robert Dressler recalls, as time went on, his skill increased and it was easy to see which were the older paintings and which newer. Then he changed to a larger format, with the intention of redoing all of the earlier paintings, as flowers became available. However, many of the illustrations remained unfinished at the time of his death. What Rafael Lucas did not have was a good hand at cultivating orchids. As Dressler puts it: “He didn’t have a green thumb” (Rodríguez et al., 1986: 11). His office was usually decorated with the dying remains of many plants that his friends had brought in for him to paint. He was neither a field man. Luis D. Gómez, one of his pupils, tells us that he once had to drag his professor into the field, to admire a tree which was ladden with masses of flowering Trisetella triaristella (pers. comm, 2004). It is not clear why Rafael Lucas did not publish his work. He might have been a perfectionist, waiting to finish his series of paintings before comitting anything to press; he might also, being a specialist in other plant families, have felt somewhat insecure about Orchidaceae. According to L.D. Gómez, don Rafa always complained about the lack of literature, reference collections and time to travel and study type specimens. He never stopped studying: his notebooks are full of annotations and sketches, and he often pasted a photocopy of the original description of a species next to one of his detailed pencil sketches. In 1969, members of the Latin-American Committee LANKESTERIANA 9(1—2), August 2009. © Universidad de Costa Rica, 2009.
Page 1 and 2:
LANKESTERIANA 9(1-2): 1-268. 2009.
Page 3 and 4:
In Belize, the Botanical Station wa
Page 5 and 6:
ossenbaCh — Orchids and orchidolo
Page 7 and 8:
despotism penetrated the social sec
Page 9 and 10:
A B C ossenbaCh — Orchids and orc
Page 11 and 12:
ut we believe that they resemble th
Page 13 and 14:
Page 15 and 16:
Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco (Gómez-Po
Page 17 and 18:
Page 19 and 20:
A ossenbaCh — Orchids and orchido
Page 21 and 22:
C ossenbaCh — Orchids and orchido
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36:
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40:
Page 41 and 42:
Page 43 and 44:
C ossenbaCh — Orchids and orchido
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
The expedition split in two and in
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
A C ossenbaCh — Orchids and orchi
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
B A ossenbaCh — Orchids and orchi
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
A B ossenbaCh — Orchids and orchi
Page 75 and 76:
The German-Belgian connection ossen
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Page 103 and 104:
William Walker in Central America o
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
The Mexican Empire of Maximilian of
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114:
Other travelers in Central America
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119 and 120:
Page 121 and 122:
Page 123 and 124:
Page 125 and 126:
Page 127 and 128:
Page 129 and 130:
Page 131 and 132:
Page 133 and 134:
Page 135 and 136:
Page 137 and 138:
Page 139 and 140:
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
Page 149 and 150:
Page 151 and 152:
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157 and 158:
Page 159 and 160: A C ossenbaCh — Orchids and orchi
Page 161 and 162: ossenbaCh — Orchids and orchidolo
Page 167 and 168: A ossenbaCh — Orchids and orchido
Page 183 and 184: A C ossenbaCh — Orchids and orchi
Page 185 and 186: institution in the research of the
Page 209: ossenbaCh — Orchids and orchidolo
Page 213 and 214: A B C ossenbaCh — Orchids and orc
show all

orchids and orchidology in central america. 500 ... - lankesteriana.org

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?