Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
2
Figure 2.16 Ribes sanguineum was introduced to Britain
and Ireland by David Douglas
Figure 2.17 Monkey-puzzle tree ( Araucaria araucana ) from
Chile was an early introduction to Britain and Ireland
(a)
(b)
Figure 2.18 (a) A memorial in Cornwall to William Lobb, the collector of giant redwood from California;
(b) Berberis darwinii , collected by William Lobb (source: Wikimedia Commons)
India and South East Asia to collect plants. William
was sent to the Americas.
Though William Lobb did not have botanical training,
his personality appeared to Veitch (his employer)
to be quite adequate for the difficult task of a plant
hunter. At the age of 31, his first journey in 1841
took him to Rio de Janeiro. He had with him a 'peace
offering' for the emperor of Brazil; namely the seeds
of rhododendron hybrid cultivar 'Cornish Early Red'.
So began his impressive plant-hunting career. Lobb
soon discovered, among several others, the orchids
Cycnoches pentadactylon , Oncidium curtum and
Begonia coccinea , and also Passiflora spp . All these
plants arrived in Britain in acceptable condition.
Nasturtium ( Tropaeolum azureum ), Abutilon vitifolium
(pale blue) and Calceolaria alba (white) were to follow.
In 1843, he reached Peru and then Ecuador, arriving
finally at Panama City to despatch another
consignment for Exeter that included Oncidium
ampliatum orchid as well as seeds of several Fuchsia
and Tropaeolum species. He was back in England by
May 1844. A year later, Lobb went to South America
again to collect hardy shrubs and trees. Chile was his
main area of interest. He sent home Berberis darwinii, ,
Chilean firebush ( Embothrium coccineum ), flame
nasturtium ( Tropaeolum speciosum ), and seeds of
Antarctic beech ( Nothofagus antarctica ) and Escallonia
macrantha.
 
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