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Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach | |
|---|---|
 Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach | |
| Born | 3 January 1823 (1823-01-03) |
| Died | 6 May 1889(1889-05-06) (aged 66) |
| Occupation(s) | botanist and orchidologist |
| Spouse | Kathelijne de Bruyn(e) |
| Father | Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach |
| Scientific career | |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Rchb.f. |
Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach (Dresden, 3 January 1823 –Hamburg, 6 May 1889) was abotanist and the foremostGermanorchidologist of the 19th century. His fatherHeinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach (author ofIcones Florae Germanicae et Helveticae) was also a well-known botanist.
He started his study of orchids at the age of 18 and assisted his father in the writing ofIcones. He became a Doctor inBotany with his work on thepollen of orchids (see ‘Selected Works’).
Soon after his graduation, Reichenbach was appointed to the post of extraordinaryprofessor of botany at theLeipzig in 1855. He then became director of thebotanical gardens at theHamburg University (1863-1889).
At that time, thousands of newly discovered orchids were being sent back to Europe. He was responsible for identifying, describing, classifying. Reichenbach named and recorded many of these new discoveries. He probably was not the easiest of personalities, and used to boast about his many descriptions, some of which were superficial, leading to a great deal of taxonomic confusion.
H.G. Reichenbach became the world's leading authority on orchids, after the death of his friend, the 'father of orchidology'John Lindley in 1865. Reichenbach spoke English extremely well. He made many visits, sometimes lasting many weeks, to Kew and theherbarium of the British Museum, as well as visits to English professional and private growers of orchids. His last visit to England was in the autumn of 1887.[1]
"Orchid specimens from all over the world were sent to him for identification, and these, together with his copious notes and drawings, forms an immense herbarium which rivaled that of Lindley at Kew" (Reinikka, 'A history of the orchid', p. 215).
His immenseherbarium andlibrary were bequeathed to the 'Naturhistorisches Museum' inVienna, Austria (instead, as expected, to theKew Gardens), on the condition that it would not be consulted during the first 25 years after his death. Reichenbach probably acted this way out of resentment of the appointment ofRobert Allen Rolfe, a self-taught orchid expert, as the toptaxonomist at Kew. This resulted in a great number of double or multiple descriptions of orchid species, which had to be corrected afterwards.
After Reichenbach's death, his work was continued byFriedrich Wilhelm Ludwig (“Fritz”) Kraenzlin (1847-1934).
In 1886,Frederick Sander commissionedHenry George Moon (1857-1905), a pure colourist, to paint 192watercolour plates of orchids with descriptions by Reichenbach (1888-1894). These monthly publications became known as theReichenbachia and are the richest reference sources on orchids ever produced.
