Type-Photographs of the Panamanian Collections of B. C. Seemann

Abstract

Photographs of 132 Panamanian plant collections studied by B. C. Seemann and others for the Flora of the Isthmus of are available from the Missouri Botanical Garden. Well over 100 of these collections are possible types. One of the great achievements of the British Admiralty in the 19th century was the creation of a series of hydrographical and scientific expeditions which have had an enormous and lasting influence on the natural sciences. The most famous of these voyages, which usually came to be designated by the name of the leading ship, was of course that of the H. Al. S. Beagle. But at least two other expeditions, that of H. Al. S. Sulphur and that of H. NI. S. Herald, while of less universal fame, nevertheless, culminated in the production of extensive scientific knowledge. The results of these two expeditions have had a fundamental influence on the treatment of Central American floras due to the large plant collections which were made. The credit for the first flora of must belong to the naturalist on the expedition of H. M. S. Herald (1845-1851), Berthold Carl Seemann (18251871), German botanist and indefatigable collector. Several circumstances, one of them an unfortunate accident, coincided to give Seemann the rare opportunity to explore Central America and indeed much of western South America. He rereceived his early training at his native town of Hanover and in 1 844 wvent to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kewv to further his botanical studies. Seemann must have impressed Sir WNlilliam J. Hooker, who in July 1846 recommended him to the British Admiralty as the replacement for Thomas Edmonstone, the original naturalist with H. M. S. Herald, who wvas killed in a gun accident near the Bay of Atacamas, Ecuador. Seeman arrived at Chagres, Panama, in September 1846 via a West Indian mail packet. At this time the Herald was surveying the coastal waters around Vancouver Island, British Columbia. While waiting for the Herald to return, Seemann collected in Panama (now the Provinces of Cocle, Colon, Herrera, Los Santos, and Panama') and Veraguas (now the Provinces of Chiriqui, Veraguas, and part of Bocas del Toro). The Herald returned to City in January 1847. Under difficult conditions-heavy rainfall, mosquitoes, and alligators-the Herald charted the Bay of until the end of April 1847. At that time the rainfall became so incessant that the ship was forced to return to City. By the first of May the Herald was anchored off the island of Coyba (Coiba) for the purpose of taking on wood and water, and Seemann added to his collec'Department of Biology, Washington Universitv and M\IissoUri Botanical Garden, 2315 Tower Grove Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.185 on Thu, 26 May 2016 04:31:42 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms