Rounded Fangs in Large Grapelike Clusters. Strongylodon macrobotrys, Jade Vine, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, England, UK
In 1834, Asa Gray (1810-1888) had been appointed chief botanist of the great United States South Seas Exploring Expedition. But he didn't get along at all well with its commander, Navy Lieutenant Charles Wilkes (1798-1877). The long delay in getting started - the expedition had already been decided on in 1828 but didn't set out until 1838 - and a possible appointment as a university professor gave Gray a good double pretext to resign from the expedition. He was to become the most famous American botanist of the nineteenth century.
Gray came back into the picture of the Expedition on its return home after four years in 1842. He was to describe the 50,000 (!!!) plants that had been collected. Again Gray had a falling out with Wilkes, who was the supervising editor of the magnificent set of volumes setting forth what the Expedition had discovered and collected.
Gray wanted scholarly, Latin descriptions and, moreover, he needed to consult with foreign - mainly European - colleagues. Wilkes had no use for either. But Gray persevered and thus there are in that wonderful volume (1854) both Latin and English descriptions, and he was also able to discuss the collection with 'foreign' colleagues.
This marvellous plant from the Philippines (collected on Luzon) - the Jade Vine - was first described by Gray in his clear and no-nonsense style. Not with the Expedition, he hadn't seen it 'in the wild'. His description is thus a bit dry; at least drier than I - who only saw it the other day - would have relayed. More in the way of another very great American botanist: Elmer Drew Merrill (1876-1956). Merrill worked in the Philippines from 1902 to 1923 for the US Department of Agriculture. There he made a commented listing (1908) of all the plants discovered by the Expedition. The very terse note for our Strongylodon - which imparts Merrill's enthusiasm (he'd clearly seen this Vine alive) - reads in a little bit of an understatement: 'A very striking endemic species, not uncommon.' If Gray had gone with the Expedition, he might have written something similar.
For me this flower was indeed Amazing.
This photo was taken with a teleshot - it was high up in the Glass House at Kew - and hence is a bit fuzzy.
Rounded Fangs in Large Grapelike Clusters. Strongylodon macrobotrys, Jade Vine, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, England, UK
In 1834, Asa Gray (1810-1888) had been appointed chief botanist of the great United States South Seas Exploring Expedition. But he didn't get along at all well with its commander, Navy Lieutenant Charles Wilkes (1798-1877). The long delay in getting started - the expedition had already been decided on in 1828 but didn't set out until 1838 - and a possible appointment as a university professor gave Gray a good double pretext to resign from the expedition. He was to become the most famous American botanist of the nineteenth century.
Gray came back into the picture of the Expedition on its return home after four years in 1842. He was to describe the 50,000 (!!!) plants that had been collected. Again Gray had a falling out with Wilkes, who was the supervising editor of the magnificent set of volumes setting forth what the Expedition had discovered and collected.
Gray wanted scholarly, Latin descriptions and, moreover, he needed to consult with foreign - mainly European - colleagues. Wilkes had no use for either. But Gray persevered and thus there are in that wonderful volume (1854) both Latin and English descriptions, and he was also able to discuss the collection with 'foreign' colleagues.
This marvellous plant from the Philippines (collected on Luzon) - the Jade Vine - was first described by Gray in his clear and no-nonsense style. Not with the Expedition, he hadn't seen it 'in the wild'. His description is thus a bit dry; at least drier than I - who only saw it the other day - would have relayed. More in the way of another very great American botanist: Elmer Drew Merrill (1876-1956). Merrill worked in the Philippines from 1902 to 1923 for the US Department of Agriculture. There he made a commented listing (1908) of all the plants discovered by the Expedition. The very terse note for our Strongylodon - which imparts Merrill's enthusiasm (he'd clearly seen this Vine alive) - reads in a little bit of an understatement: 'A very striking endemic species, not uncommon.' If Gray had gone with the Expedition, he might have written something similar.
For me this flower was indeed Amazing.
This photo was taken with a teleshot - it was high up in the Glass House at Kew - and hence is a bit fuzzy.