Career

Collecting localities

Collections

Literature

Biographical data

 

Hügel, Carl Alexander Anselm Freiherr von

 

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

 

Born: 1795, Regensburg, Germany. Died: 1870, Brussels, Belgium, on his way to Vienna.

 

career:

Lived with his family at Vienna from 1805 onwards. He started his career as an officer in the Austrian army, but later (from 1826 onwards) devoted himself to horticulture. He was the founder and first president of the ‘K.K. Gartenbau-Gesellschaft’ in 1837, and introduced numerous New Holland and other plants into Europe. He travelled for many years in Europe, Asia, Malaysia, etc., making living and dried botanical collections. From 1850-67 ambassador of Austria at Florence, and subsequently (from 1860 onwards) at Brussels. Settling in England (1867-70), and finally at Vienna again.

Author of an enumeration of New Holland plants.

Some plants were named after him.

 

Collecting localities:1

1831-36. Sailing from Toulon (May 1831), visiting Greece, Cyprus, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Nubia, Arabia; Brit. India (Bombay, 1832), W. coast etc.; Ceylon; India (Coromandel coast); Malacca; Sumatra; Java; some small islets when passing Sunda Strait to Australia (end of 1833); New Zealand; Southsea Islands, Carolines, Marianas; sailing from Sydney (Oct. 6, 1834) to the Philippines: Luzon, at Manila (arrival Dec. 2); he was not allowed to visit the interior, except Laguna Prov. ; the following localities were visited: Pasig, Laguna de Bahia, Jal(l)a Jal(l)a ( -11); to Los Baños (12), and proceeding to Socol Lake (= Dagatan); return at Manila (13); trip to Cueba di St. Matteo (cave) (16-17); St. Juan del Monte (20); sailing (23, Spanish calendar, = 24); to Canton and Macao; embarking for Madras, on the way paying short visits to Singapore, Malacca and Penang; Brit. India, Himalaya District etc.; voyage home from Bombay (June 8, 1836) via the Cape and St Helena; London (Oct. 18).

 

collections:

Herb. Vienna [W]: about 3000 nos from Asia and Australia; Herb. Munich [M]: Indian plants; dupl. in Herb. Brussels (w. Herb. Martius [BR], ± 150 nos) and Kew [K]; Herb. Hamburg [HBG]: ferns from Asia; Herb. Acad. Sci. Leningrad [LE]: grasses (with Trinius Agrostotheca); Herb. Cambridge [CGE]: Australian plants.

Schumann & Lauterbach mention a collection of his from Neu Pommern (= New Britain);2 this statement is based on an error, the cited collection is made by Anatole Freiherr von Hügel’s collector (see there).

 

literature:

(1) Karl Frhr von Hügel: ‘Der stille Ocean and die Spanischen Besitzungen im ostindischen Archipel’ (Wien 1860; deals with the Philippines; for plants and fruits of Luzon cf. p. 392-401).

Brief notice on his travels in Hook. Comp. Bot. Magaz. 2, 1837, p. 190.

cf. Lasègue, Mus. Bot. Deless., 1845, p. 384-385.

(2) in ‘Flora d. Deutsch. Schutzgeb. i.d. Südsee’ 1901, p. ix.

 

biographical data:

Flora 20’, 1837, p. 96; Morren Belgiq. Hortic. 20, 1870, p. 202-207; Gartenflora 19, 1870, p. 254; Pritzel, Thes. Lit. Bot., 1872; ‘Charles von Hügel, April 25, 1795-June 2, 1870’ (Cambridge 1903, w. several portr.); Maiden in Journ. W. Austr. Nat. Hist. Soc. 1909, p. 18-19; Gartenzeit. d. Osterr. Gartenbau Ges. 1927, p. 54-55, w. portr.; Backer, Verkl. Woordenb., 1936.