Career

Collecting localities

Collections

Literature

 

Busseuil, François Louis

 

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 1: Cyclopaedia of collectors)

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 1: Cyclopaedia of collectors, Addenda & Corrigenda)

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 5: Cyclopaedia of collectors, Supplement I)

 

Born: 1791, Nantes, France. Died: June 14, 1835, Gorée, Senegambia.

 

career:

Chief Surgeon-Zoologist o/b the ‘Thétis’, during a circumnavigation of the world from 1824-26, under command of Baron de Bougainville.1 Later appointed by the French government in Senegambia, where he died before having published the natural history part of the voyage.

The genus Busseuillia Less. (= Eriscaulon) was named in his honour.

 

Collecting localities:

Voyage in ‘La Thétis’ and ‘L’Espérance’, 1824-26.1 Leaving Brest (March 2, 1824), sailing via Teneriffe, Cape of Good Hope, Île de Bourbon, coast of Coromandel, Pondicherry; the Nicobars; Malacca (Aug. 22-26, 1824), Singapore (Sept. 1); Philippines, Luzon: Cavite (Sept. 18-Dec. 11, in this period the ship got badly damaged by a typhoon), making a trip to Manila (Sept. 20-21); Canton, Hainan, Cochin-China; Anambas & Natoena Isls (March 3-7, 1825); E. Java: Soerabaja (20-Apr. 22), paying a visit to Madura (March 26) and making a trip to the Bromo (G. Tengger); Australia, New South Wales; S. America: coast of Chili, Valparaiso, Cape Horn, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro; Ascension, Azores; Brest (June 24, 1826).

 

collections:

In the introduction of the cited journal Bougainville expresses his opinion that it was a pity that no specialists for natural history were attached to the expedition. As far as was in their ability he himself and Dr Busseuil made the zoological collections. Of botanical collections no mention is made, but in the Natural History part in the 2nd volume, 2 new plants, both not from the Malaysian region, are described by Lesson (l.c. p. 346-348). So we surmise the possibility that elsewhere plants have been collected too, though certainly on a small scale only. If so, they will be preserved in Herb. Paris [P], like the above-mentioned plants.

Also in Herb. Montpellier [MPU] (cf. Index Herb. pt 11, 1954).

Herb. Paris [P]: plants from Australia and New Zealand; various objects of natural history (partly in alcohol, both botanical and zoological) from Anambas, Manila (Luzon), Java, etc.2

On the two plants described in the Natural History part of vol. 2 of the ‘Journal de la navigation etc.1 a note is published by Dr van Steenis.3

 

literature:

(1) Baron de Bougainville: ‘Journal de la navigation autour du globe de la frégate La Thétis et de la corvette L'Espérance pendant les années 1824-26, publié par ordre du Roi’ (Paris, 1837, 2 vols + atlas). ‘Histoire naturelle’ by R.P. Lesson in vol. 2, p. 297-351.

(2) cf. MS. list in Herb. (Phanérog.) Paris, made by Busseuil at Brest on July 20, 1826.

(3) In Bull. Bot. Gard. Buit. ser. 3, vol. 18, 1950, p. 460-461.