JOHN HERSCHEL AND THE CAPE FLORA, 1834–1839

SUMMARY

John Herschel's interest in botany was stimulated by his contact with the species-rich Cape flora while resident in Cape Town, 1834–1838. The comparative study of his extensive living collection of bulbous plants, mainly of the Iridaceae, Liliaceae, Amaryllidaceae and Orchidaceae led him to consider some basic aspects of the origin of species and of taxonomic theory, in letters to colleagues in Europe. He also conducted simple experiments on breaking dormancy in hard-coated Leucadendron seeds by heat-scarification. Herschel's portfolio of over 131 camera lucida drawings of Cape plants, finished in watercolours by his wife, is enumerated and discussed.