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

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specimens. For the orchid taxonomist this is rather like
a chocolate cake with the sugar left out – pretty difficult
to utilize. The situation was made more palatable when
Stalky Dunsterville and Leslie Garay published their
splendid series on the orchids of Venezuela. One
corner of the cake was now sweet” (Dodson, 1981).
“Cal Dodson and I talked a lot about the Icones during
our long field trips in Ecuador. His intention, when
he was director at Selby, was to put at the disposal of
orchidologists and amateurs all drawings which were
in the archives. Since he only wanted to publish the
illustrations, he did not intent a very scientific text
which would imply the revision of a lot of material,
but would only include the basic information related
to the specimen used for the illustration. Hence the
simple description, which should be a complement
to the illustrations, adding short notes from his
experience, of that of the collectors and illustrators.
It was important to cite the specimen on which the
illustration was based. Due to this intention, he did
not intent a taxonomic revision, although eventually
several new species were published. After the change
of direction at Selby, Cal decided to continue with
IPT II in San Louis, Missouri. I know that he tried to
obtain permission from the widow of Rafael Lucas
Rodríguez to publish his drawings in the series, but she
thought that a fortune should be paid to her, so that an
agreement was not possible. Fortunately, Rafael Lucas
allowed me to photograph (slides) and photocopy all
his illustrations of Epidendrum, which has been very
useful for my work” (Hágsater, 2007, pers. comm.).
In 1990, Eric Hágsater and his collaborators at the
AMO Herbarium of the Mexican capital began with
the publication of a similar series to IPT, which was
called Icones Orchidacearum (Fig. 63D). “Icones
Orchidacearum, as a difference to IPT, has intended
from the beginning to be a very rigorous taxonomic
work, in two directions. On one side, it wants to be
the work of reference for the orchids of Mexico, with
the collaboration of multiple authors in the genera of
their expertise, and with the illustrations of many other
collaborators, trying to promote botanical illustration
among young biologists, following a certain pattern
regarding the details to be illustrated. The ‘executive’
editor was initially Gerardo Salazar, now substituted
by Miguel Ángel Soto, who has already in preparation
the next volume, which will be number 10. The dream
LANKESTERIANA
LANKESTERIANA 9(1—2), August 2009. © Universidad de Costa Rica, 2009.
would be to complete all Mexican species. On the
other side, there is the series on the genus Epidendrum,
where I have had the collaboration of several executive
editors, today Luis Sánchez. This series intends to be
the publication of the revision of the genus, giving
place in the beginning to new species, and now also
to those previously described, for which we have been
preparing illustrations based on the type specimens or,
if not possible, from material that has been collected
or grown, or other herbarium specimens when nothing
else is available” (Hágsater, 2007, pers. commm.).
The National Orchid Societies. We have read about
the interest in orchids shown by the prehispanic
cultures in Central America. Orchids were grown
and collected by the first inhabitants of our region
not only for medicinal and economical purposes, but
also for their ornamental value. From Friar Francisco
Jiménez we learned how, during colonial times, the
Indians in Guatemala collected orchids and put their
flowers on the altars, while Francisco Antonio de
Fuentes y Guzmán describes the practical uses given
to orchids by musicians and candy-makers. Bateman,
in one of his vivid descriptions, gives us the following
account on the popularity of orchids in XIX century
Mexico: “In Mexico, where the ‘language of flowers’
is understood by all, the Orchidaceae seem to compose
nearly the entire alphabet. Not an infant is baptised,
not a marriage is celebrated, not a funeral obsequy
performed, at which the aid of these flowers is not called
in by the sentimental natives, to assist the expression
of their feelings; -they are offered by the devotee at the
shrine of his favorite saint, by the lover at the feet of
his mistress, and by the sorrowing survivor at the grave
of his friend... (Bateman, 1837-1843: 8).” Seemann,
in his Botany of the H.M.S. Herald, tells us how in
Panama “[The] Espiritu Santo or Holy Ghost plant
(Peristeria elata, Hook.) bears a flower resembling a
dove, and is, like the Flor de semana santa (= Holy
Week Flower), another Orchidea, almost held in
religious veneration, and eagerly sought for when in
blossom” (Seemann, 1852-1857: 71). Boyle, in 1893,
writes about the craziness for the alba varieties of
certain species: “Even the half-castes of Mexico, who
have no soul, apparently, for things above horseflesh
and cockfights, and love-making, reverence this
saintly bloom [Laelia anceps var. alba]. The Indians