Career

Collecting localities

Collections

Literature

Biographical data

 

Semper, Carl Gottfried

 

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

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 8: Cyclopaedia of collectors, Supplement II)

 

Born: 1832, Altona near Hamburg, Germany. Died: 1893, Wurzburg, Germany.

 

career:

Traveller-zoologist, at first destined for the Navy, but afterwards educated at the University of Würzburg, where he took his Ph.Dr’s degree in 1856. He continued his studies at Würzburg and Kiel, making some travels in Europe. He decided to make a voyage to the Philippines (see below), paying the expenses from the large fortune inherited from his father. He returned to Germany in 1865; in 1866 University Lecturer at Würzburg, in 1869 Extraordinary Professor, and in the same year Ordinary Professor and Director of the Zoological Cabinet. In 1892 he resigned on account of his declining health.

 

Collecting localities:

Voyage to the Philippines etc., 1858-65.1 Leaving Hamburg (June 20, 1858), via Christmas Isl. and Singapore, arriving in Luzon: Manila (Dec.); for the first half year exploring the environs of Manila; Aug. 1859 to the southern part of the Philippines, staying 7 months in the environs of Zamboanga (Mindanao) and in Basilan; March 1860 return to Luzon, Manila; in May setting out on a tour through the provinces of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija to Pantabagan, via mountain ridge to Baler, and along the coast to Palanan (Prov. of Nueva Isabela); via the mountains into the interior, N. Luzon, Nueva Isabela and Cagayan Prov., near Mabubuk, and the Catalangan River; Harau River; from Satpat to Ilagan; at Aparri, Cagayan (Aug. 27); April 1861 setting out to N. Luzon, the basin of the Rio Aguo, a trip interrupted in Nov on account of illness; Dec. 31, 1861 sailing for the Palau Islands (staying March 25-Jan. 26, 1862); Bohol, and in the same year minor tours to Cebu, Leyte, and Mindanao; back to Luzon, Manila; May-Dec. 1864 eastern part and the interior of Mindanao; May 1865 sailing from Manila, homeward bound via Hongkong, Saigon, Ceylon, and Egypt, reaching Altona in Germany in July.

 

collections:

He is cited as the collector of Hepaticae in Luzon (Philippines).2 Possibly he collected phanerogams too.

 

literature:

(1) C. Semper: ‘Reisen im Archipel der Philippinen’ (2nd div., Scientif. results, 1868-1900, 8 vols; evidently the 1st div. was never published) (cf. Itinerary in his biography (l.c. vol. 1, Ergänz. Heft 1895, p. vii-xviii)); cf. also ‘Reisebericht’ I-IV (in Zeitschr. f. wiss. Zool. 10, 1859, p. 179-182; l.c. 11, 1860, p. 100-108; 13, 1863, p. 559-570; 14, 1864, p. 417-426); ‘Reise durch die nordöstlichen Provinzen der Insel Luzon’ (Zeitschr. Allg. Erdk. N.F. vol. 10, 1861, p. 249-266), and ‘Reise durch die nördlichen Provinzen der Insel Luzon’ (l.c. 13, 1862, p. 81-96); ‘Palau lnseln im Stillen Ozean’ (1873).

On publication dates of the (zoological) scientific results, cf. J. Soc. Nat. Hist. Bibl. 5, pt 3, 1969, p. 144-147.

(2) cf. Bull. Herb. Boiss, sér. 2, vol. 3, 1903, p. 526.

 

biographical data:

In C. Semper: ‘Reisen im Archipel der Philippinen’ vol. 2, Erganz. Heft 1895, p. vii-xxi, incl. portr. and bibliogr.