66 LANKESTERIANA Figure 27. James Bateman (1811-1897). Courtesy of Rudolf Jenny. LANKESTERIANA 9(1—2), August 2009. © Universidad de Costa Rica, 2009.
ossenbaCh — Orchids <strong>and</strong> <strong>orchidology</strong> <strong>in</strong> Central America built warehouses on the northern shore of the lake which, <strong>in</strong> their correspondence, were referred to as The Store. The place prospered <strong>and</strong> grew until it became a small village, which kept the name <strong>and</strong> is called today El Estor. S<strong>in</strong>ce his arrival <strong>in</strong> Guatemala Sk<strong>in</strong>ner showed <strong>in</strong>terest for its natural beauties, collect<strong>in</strong>g birds <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>sects that he sent to Engl<strong>and</strong>, persuaded by his friend, the ornithologist <strong>and</strong> writer John Gould. So began his relation with Bateman, who conv<strong>in</strong>ced him to collect <strong>orchids</strong>. “In his first letters Bateman showed Sk<strong>in</strong>ner by means of descriptions <strong>and</strong> a few rough sketches what he was look<strong>in</strong>g for; Sk<strong>in</strong>ner quickly learned all he needed to know how to get started (Hamilton, 1990: 1241).” Bateman wrote years later: “My letter [to Sk<strong>in</strong>ner], dated March 17, 1834, reached him <strong>in</strong> due course, <strong>and</strong> as he never tired of tell<strong>in</strong>g me, the day of its arrival was as it were a new birthday, for it gave a fresh <strong>in</strong>terest to his life, which never left him to his very latest hour” (Hamilton, 1992). Dur<strong>in</strong>g more than 30 years he traveled constantly between Guatemala <strong>and</strong> Engl<strong>and</strong>, dedicat<strong>in</strong>g more <strong>and</strong> more time to the <strong>orchids</strong>. Because of his knowledge of the l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> his excellent relations, he was a great help to other naturalists who explored Central America <strong>in</strong> his time, such as Hartweg, Friedrichsthal, von Warscewicz <strong>and</strong> Salv<strong>in</strong>. All important orchidologists of his time, from L<strong>in</strong>dley to Bateman <strong>and</strong> Bentham, were his friends, but important above all was his friendship with Sir William Jackson Hooker, a Scot like him who was later (1841) to be appo<strong>in</strong>ted as Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. The almost constant political unrest frequently <strong>in</strong>terrupted his activities. In 1839 he wrote to Hooker: “Such has been the state of this Country that my occupations legitimate have been stopped <strong>and</strong> had it not been for my thirst after Orchidaceae long ere I [would have] cut my throat” (Hamilton, 1990: 1239). Although he collected chiefly <strong>in</strong> Guatemala, he obta<strong>in</strong>ed plants from all Central American countries. Capta<strong>in</strong> John M. Dow, <strong>in</strong> a letter to Sk<strong>in</strong>ner dated December 30, 1861, recollects his excursions with Sk<strong>in</strong>ner <strong>in</strong> Nicaragua (El Realejo) <strong>and</strong> Costa Rica (Puntarenas <strong>and</strong> Barranca). A note by L<strong>in</strong>dley, <strong>in</strong> his description of Epidendrum clavatum L<strong>in</strong>dl. seems to po<strong>in</strong>t to the fact that Sk<strong>in</strong>ner collected at some moment of his life <strong>in</strong> Venezuela: “Found <strong>in</strong> August, 1834, near Cumaná [Venezuela], by Mr. Sk<strong>in</strong>ner”. He also collected <strong>in</strong> the Bahamas. The ‘Botanical Register’, <strong>in</strong> its note below plate # 61, Epidendrum altissimum Jacq., says: “Found <strong>in</strong> rocky parts of the Bahamas by the <strong>in</strong>defatigable Mr. Sk<strong>in</strong>ner, from whom I received it <strong>in</strong> the summer of 1837. ” Sk<strong>in</strong>ner tells us about his l<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g on Crooked Isl<strong>and</strong>, Bahamas <strong>and</strong> says: “… was much struck with the appearance of a rock of lava bear<strong>in</strong>g such curious varieties of plants, I made a considerable collection of Orchideae, pr<strong>in</strong>cipally Epidendreae….” (<strong>in</strong> a letter to Hooker, February 28, 1837). With<strong>in</strong> his collections, almost a hundred new species were found. Some of the types collected by Sk<strong>in</strong>ner are: Barkeria sk<strong>in</strong>neri (Batem. Ex L<strong>in</strong>dl.) A. Rich. & Gal., Catasetum <strong>in</strong>tegerrimum Hook., Clowesia russelliana (Hook.) Dodson, Coelia guatemalensis Rchb. f., Cycnoches egertonianum Batem., Deiregyne pyramidalis (L<strong>in</strong>dl.) Burns-Bal., Epidendrum papillosum Batem., Epidendrum stamfordianum Batem., Guarianthe aurantiaca (Batem. ex L<strong>in</strong>dl.) Dressler & N. H. Wms., Guarianthe sk<strong>in</strong>neri (Batem.) Dressler & W. E. Higg<strong>in</strong>s, Lycaste sk<strong>in</strong>neri (Batem. ex L<strong>in</strong>dl.) L<strong>in</strong>dl. (Fig. 26A), Odontoglossum urosk<strong>in</strong>neri L<strong>in</strong>dl., Oncidium sk<strong>in</strong>neri L<strong>in</strong>dl., <strong>and</strong> Xylobium elongatum (L<strong>in</strong>dl.) Hemsl. Two of Sk<strong>in</strong>ner’s discoveries were later declared as National Flowers. The alba variety of Lycaste sk<strong>in</strong>neri, “a th<strong>in</strong>g too beautiful for words” (Boyle, 1983: 81) is today the National Flower of Guatemala, while Cattleya (= Guarianthe) sk<strong>in</strong>neri is the National Flower of Costa Rica. “...The <strong>in</strong>valuable Lycaste sk<strong>in</strong>neri, which now enjoys, <strong>and</strong>, <strong>in</strong>deed, richly merits an amount of popularity - a popularity which is ever <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>crease - such as has not been accorded to any other orchid with which I am acqua<strong>in</strong>ted” (Hamilton, 1992: 18). At the end of his life he pursued, <strong>in</strong> an almost obsessive way, the collection of the famous Catlleya dowiana (dedicated to Capta<strong>in</strong> John M. Dow, of the Pacific Steamship Company) (Fig. 26B), which had been discovered years before by Warscewicz. With this purpose he hired (together with Salv<strong>in</strong>, for whom Arce had previously worked) a Guatemalan collector by the name of Enrique Arce, who also collected birds. Arce traveled first to Costa Rica <strong>and</strong> then to Panama, on board of Capta<strong>in</strong> Dow’s ship. Dow, generous as always, had promised free passage for Arce <strong>and</strong> his equipment <strong>and</strong> collections (Letter from Dow to Salv<strong>in</strong>, LANKESTERIANA 9(1—2), August 2009. © Universidad de Costa Rica, 2009. 67
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