Charles Schweinfurth (April 13, 1890 – November 16, 1970) was an American botanist and plant collector who distinguished himself by his studies on orchids. He predominantly collected species from

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

which he described in his four volume reference work ''Orchids of Peru'' (1958). He was a researcher at the Botanical Museum of

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

, and director of the Ames Orchid Herbarium where, in 1958, he was succeeded by

Leslie Andrew Garay Leslie Andrew Garay (August 6, 1924 - August 19, 2016), born Garay László András, was an American botanist. He was the curator of the Oakes Ames Orchid Herbarium at Harvard University, where he succeeded Charles Schweinfurth in 1958. In 1957 ...

Life

Schweinfurth was born in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1890, the son of Mary Frances and Julius Adolf Schweinfurth, a noted architect. In 1909 Schweinfurth entered Harvard University where he majored in chemistry, although his course work included several biology courses such as taxonomic botany. Despite a bout with

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...

which left his right arm slightly paralyzed, he graduated ''cum laude'' in 1913, and entered Harvard graduate school. In 1914 he took a job tending the living orchid collections of a Harvard professor, Oakes Ames. Ames recognized his intelligence and abilities and took him on as his personal assistant. Soon he had acquired the skills of a dedicated orchidologist. Ames had him doing independent work on the orchids of the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, of

Mount Kinabalu Mount Kinabalu ( ms, Gunung Kinabalu, Dusun: ''Gayo Ngaran or Nulu Nabalu'') is the highest mountain in Borneo and Malaysia. With an elevation of , it is third-highest peak of an island on Earth, and 20th most prominent mountain in the worl ...

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...

and on some from various Pacific islands. Subsequently he worked on the orchids of

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

, notably Honduras, Costa Rica and

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

. In 1922,

James Francis Macbride James Francis Macbride (19 May 1892 16 June 1976) was an American botanist who devoted most of his professional life to the study of the flora of Peru. Early life and education Born on 19 May 1892 in Rock Valley, Iowa, Macbride graduated from th ...

invited him to join the "Flora of Peru Project", and Schweinfurth took on the

Orchidaceae Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

for his part. This eventually led to his ''magnum opus'' the ''Orchids of Peru''

Selected publications

* 1925. ''New or noteworthy species of Orchids from the American tropics'' with Ames, Oakes, ''Schedulae Orchidianae'', No.8, pp. 1 – 91 * 1939. ''Notes on a remarkable collection of orchids from Panama''. Botanical Museum Leaflets, Harvard University * 1967. ''Orchidaceae of the Guayana Highland''

Books

* Ames, Oakes; Hubbard, F. T. and Schweinfurth, Charles. (1936). ''The Genus ''Epidendrum'' in the United States & Middle America''. Botanical Museum Cambridge, Massachusetts. * 1958. ''Orchids of Peru''. Chicago Natural Hist. Museum. Publication 837, 868, 885, 913. 4 vols.

Honors and homages

* 1958 ''Catedrático Honorario'' (honorary professor) from the National University of San Marcos in Peru * 1962 an honorary professorship from the

National University of San Antonio Abad in Cuzco The National University of Saint Anthony the Abad in Cuzco (Spanish: ''Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco'') (UNSAAC), also known as Saint Anthony University of Cusco or University of Cusco, is a public university in Cusco, Peru a ...

, Peru * 1966 elected an honorary member by the Sociedad Colombiana de Orquideologia The following plants have been named after Schweinfurth in his honour: ; Genera: * ''

Cischweinfia ''Cischweinfia'' is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It was named after Harvard orchidologist Charles Schweinfurth. It has eleven currently recognized species, all native to Central America and northwestern South ...

'' Dressler & N.H.Williams, 1970 ; Species: * ''

Rhynchopera schweinfurthii ''Pleurothallis'' is a genus of orchids commonly called bonnet orchids. The genus name is derived from the Greek word , meaning "riblike branches". This refers to the rib-like stems of many species. The genus is often abbreviated as "Pths" in hor ...

'' ( Garay, 1954) Szlach. & Marg. 2001, originally ''Pleurothallis schweinfurthii''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Schweinfurth, Charles American botanists Orchidologists Harvard University alumni 1890 births 1970 deaths