HISTORICAL NOTES

Georges Guerrard-Samuel Perrottet, a forgotten Swiss−French collector, experimental botanist and biologist in

Anantanarayanan Raman

The first French trade outpost was set up the eastern coast of Peninsular India shot The only item that celebrates Perrottet is in the coastal town of Pondichéry, now into prominence in recent years, when the obelisk in JBP (Figure 1). Puducherry (1193N, 7979E), southern Ang Lee made a few segments of his India by the French East-India Company Oscar runner The Life of Pi (2012) here. (Compagnie Française pour le Com- With spectacular flowering and Georges Guerrard–Samuel merce des Indes Orientales) in 1674. refreshing water features, JBP has re- Perrottet This outpost grew into the earliest mained a fascinating recreational facility French settlement. Its activities driven by in Pondichéry for several years. The Perrottet (Figure 2) was born in 1790 commercial interest got triggered. One 2011 cyclone ravaged JBP and it has not (1793?) in Vully of Vaud Canton of was the exploration – which turned sub- yet recovered from the damage. Cyclonic French-speaking Switzerland. He started sequently as exploitation – of the natural rain and other natural events have irrepa- wealth of India. That in turn, led to the rably damaged similar human creations consideration of growing plants in a for- in Peninsular India in the past. The mal ‘garden’ context, because estab- Marmelon Botanic Garden in Madras lished gardens existed in France: Jardin city (1302N, 8023E), India, created du Roi in Paris initiated by Joseph Pitton by James Anderson and managed by his de Tournefort and Antoine de Jussieu, nephew Andrew Berry in 1790s, was lost pioneering botanists of the day, was permanently due to the torrential cyclone operational from 1640. that hit Madras in December 1807 (refs 4 An early ‘garden’ seems to have exi- and 5). sted in Pondichéry in 1740, although a The floral and faunal elements of formal garden, spreading over 17.5 ha, Pondichéry interested the French admin- was established only in 1826 consisting istrators and visitors. The earliest name of two sections: the Royal Garden (Jar- that resonates in Pondichéry’s biology is din du Roi) and the Colonial Experimen- Pierre Sonnerat (1748–1814). Sonnerat tal Garden (Jardin Colonial et travelled to India and China between d’Acclimation)1 situated between the 1774 and 1781. His Voyage aux Indes South Boulevard and the Oupar stream Orientales et à la Chine, Fait Ordre du (note 1) in the southeastern part of Pondi- Roi, Depuis 1774 Jusqu'à 1781 is chéry. Efforts were made to grow the remarkable. Sonnerat mostly looked at Shirazi tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum, So- birds in these nations, although he was lanaceae, from Shiraz, Persia (now Iran), equally interested in the landscape, peo- considered the finest Persian tobacco), ple and plants. Jean-Baptiste Louis Dacca cotton (Gossypium herbaceum, Théodore Leschenault de la Tour (1773– Malvaceae, also known as the source of 1826) came to Pondichéry in 1816, after the fine ‘Dhaka muslin’ material from the Napoleonic battle to establish a Dacca, Bangladesh), sugarcane (Saccha- botanic garden to be named le Jardin du rum officinarum, Poaceae), and mulberry Roi de Pondichéry, although it did not (species of Morus, Moraceae) in 1826– materialize. Leschenault de la Tour col- 1828 (ref. 2). By 1829, the garden area lected not only plants, but also worked shrunk to c. 11 ha, included about 900 on the biology of fishes and birds of plants, and was more of an experimental India6 and returned to Paris in 1822. The garden (ref. 3, note 2). According to Jac- other French naturalists who contributed quemont (ref. 3, pp. 258–259): to the natural history of Pondichéry and other French territories in India, e.g. ‘True efforts were made to study the Yanam and Chandranagore, for short behaviour of a good number of spells of time were François Louis plants, in the climate of Pondichéry, Busseuil (1791–1835), Charles Paulus though those experiments were not Bélanger (1805–1881) and A. M. M. conducted with the necessary rigour Reynaud (1804–?). Georges Perrottet and method at that time.’ took charge as the Director of JBP in Figure 1. The Perrottet memorial at Jar- 1840. Most of JBP’s botanical novelties din Botanique de Pondichéry (photo cour- The Botanic Garden of Pondichéry (Jar- and star attractions came into existence tesy: S. Prasad, l’Institut Française de din Botanique de Pondichéry, JBP) along only due to the efforts of Perrottet. Pondichéry, Puducherry).

CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 107, NO. 9, 10 NOVEMBER 2014 1607 HISTORICAL NOTES

(estimated six months) in the Nilgiris American Silk Society and Rural Econo- (1125N; 7641E) have been treated mist (Baltimore) – says the following in separately in this note. Back in Paris, the context of M. multicaulis (ref. 17, p. with support from the Ministry of Marine 153; note 5): and Colonies Department of France, Per- rottet searched for the best methods to ‘Having just referred to the multicau- rear silkworm (Bombyx mori; Lepidop- lis and its varieties, we take the occa- tera: Bombycidae) in southern France in sion to protest against the names 1839–1840 and made efforts to introduce Chinese and Canton mulberry, fre- silk industry in Cayenne, Martinique and quently applied to the genuine multi- Guadeloupe. While searching for Coffea caulis of Perrottet. The French (Rubiaceae), he found the coffee- botanist (sic. Perrottet) found the par- miner that ravaged coffee plantations in ent of what he called the multicaulis the French Antilles. He studied the biol- tree – the same now so extensively ogy of this and named it Elachista cultivated among us (sic. in Amer- coffeella (presently coffeella; ica) – not in China, but in the Philip- : ), collaborating pine Islands. It is distinguished for with Guérin-Méneville9 (note 4). Guérin- producing the largest of any Méneville and Perrottet refer to a patho- mulberry known, these having a pe- genic fungus in this memoir9, which culiar bowl shape. So far as we have Figure 2. Perrottet [photo by Albert possibly is Hemileia vastatrix (Puccin- any evidence, this tree is not found in Gockel (note 18), published in the Bulletin iomycetes: Pucciniaceae). Accepting the China. But they have in that country, de la Société Fribourgoise de Sciences Naturelles, Comptes Rendus, Fribourg, appointment as the Government Botanist varieties of the mulberry which very 10 1900]. (Regierungsbotaniker ) with a responsi- much resemble the multicaulis. Many bility to direct JBP, Perrottet returned to of these are now growing in this Pondichéry, travelling via and collecting country from seed brought from Can- as a gardener at the Vaudois Botanic plants in Aden, Bombay, Calicut and the ton. … . The leaves are large but less Garden, Fribourg, Switzerland. He joined Nilgiris in October 1842. He held this of- than those of the genuine Perrottet as the Naturalist in the expedition led by fice until his death in Pondichéry in multicaulis. They are not puckered Captain Pierre Henri Philibert (note 3) in 1870. He was succeeded by J. Contest– and bowl-shaped, but perfectly 1819–1821. Perrottet’s duties on this Lacour, who is recognized by Joseph flat. … To call the genuine multicau- expedition were to collect rare and useful Hooker for finding the economically use- lis of Perrottet the Chinese or Canton plants from Réunion, Java and the Phil- ful plant Pseudodracontium lacourii mulberry is obviously very improper, ippines, and cultivate them in French (Araceae) from Cochinchina (Khmer part as these names are only applicable to Guyana7,8. In 1824–1829, Perrottet of )11. the product of seed imported from the explored Senegambia (Senegal and Given that production of silk was elic- Celestial Empire (note 6).’ Gambia, today), where he was the gen- iting interest and excitement in the early eral manager of the French trade office. decades of the 19th century (ref. 12, pp. Perrottet is also responsible for introduc- At this time, he introduced the nopal 1–6), the credit for introducing a variety ing the Cayenne variety of pineapple cacti (several species of Opuntieae) into of mulberry into France goes to Perrottet, (Ananas comosus, Bromeliaceae) into Senegal. Interest in the Opuntieae and which he named Morus multicaulis (ref. France18. Although other varieties of A. the cochineal was profound dur- 13, p. 129). Perrottet brought large col- comosus were popular in Europe from ing this period and many of the colonial lections of different tropical plants of 1690, the Cayenne variety from French administrators and naturalists were ex- economic relevance to Paris when he Guyana brought by Perrottet was differ- cited in growing the species of Opuntieae returned to France in 1821. One of them ent from its allies by its spineless leaves for raising the dye-yielding scale insect was M. multicaulis, saplings of which and delicately flavoured fruits averaging (Dactylopius opuntiae; Hemiptera: Dac- were deposited in the Royal Botanic Gar- 20 lb (9.08 kg) in mass (ref. 18, p. 103) tylopiidae) in their respective tropical den of Paris and some of them were cul- (also see note 7). colonies5. Collaborating with Jean- tivated in Lyon. Perrottet collected M. A comprehensive list of Perrottet’s Baptiste Antoine Guillemin (note 4; multicaulis from the garden of a Chinese publications and citations made of his 1796–1842) and Achille Richard (note cultivator on the banks of the Pasig works by others, and detailed notes on 4), Perrottet published the Florae River in Manila14. [Presently, M. multi- his herbaria, known as the Plantae Senegambiae Tentamen in 1833. He was caulis is a valid variant of Morus alba15.] Senegambiae and Plantae Pondicer- appointed the Economic Botanist Morus multicaulis (popularly known as the ianne, are available in Stafleu and (Botaniste Agricole) at JBP during 1834– Perrottet mulberry) was considered a bet- Cowan (ref. 19, pp. 174–177). Several 1837. While returning to St Helena, trav- ter host plant for the silkworm B. mori plant names celebrate this indefatigable elling through the Malabar Coast, the than M. nigra and to some extent even plant collector, experimental botanist and Nilgiris, Poona and Bombay, he col- better than M. alba, which was already biologist. A group of south and southeast lected plants en route during 1837–1839. known in Europe16. An anonymous Asian terrestrial, carnivorous and pul- The botanical collections and experi- writer – identified as an authority on silk monate molluscs is named Perrottetia ments made during his travel and stay culture by the editor of the Journal of the (Animalia: Gastropoda: Streptaxidae)

1608 CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 107, NO. 9, 10 NOVEMBER 2014 HISTORICAL NOTES after Georges Perrottet of Pondichéry After Perrottet left the Nilgiris, the plants Table 1. Orchids collected by Perrottet by Wilhelm Kobelt of Senckenberg degenerated due to poor management. from the Nilgiris and described by Achille Museum, Frankfurt, Germany in 1906. On return to the Nilgiris in January 1838, Richard (AR) in 1841 he restored them, repeating what he did Novelty in 1837. John Sullivan (note 10) and Tribe, Species described At the Nilgiris Ross King (note 10) were surprised to described by AR see the growth which Perrottet could Establishment of Camellia sinensis re-establish in the plants that were mis- Malaxideae Oberonia 2 1 managed during his absence from the Seeds of the tea plant, then known as Coelogyne 2 2 Nilgiris. Perrottet continues to say (ref. Liparis 3 3 Thea viridis (presently Camellia sinen- 21, p. 108): Bulbophyllum 1 1 sis, Theaceae), brought by George James Dendrobium 1 1 Gordon from China at the directive of the ‘When I finally quitted the Neilgher- Eria 2 2 then Governor General William Ben- ries, on the 18th of October 1838, my Vandeae tinck, were introduced in an experimen- young teas were loaded with flowers, Aerides 1 1 tal farm at Kétti in 1835 (ref. 20, p. 510). fruit and leaves – these last were of Birchea 1 1 This farm was established in Kétti the greatest beauty, broad, and of a Oeonia 1 1 village (1140N; 7670E), the Nilgiris, very remarkably bright green – the Calanathe 1 1 Ophyrdeae by Stephen Lushington, Governor of the flowers also were very large and Madras Presidency, who entrusted its Peristylus 3 3 emitted a very sweet odour.’ Habenaria 10 8 management to Lt. Col. Richard Crewe, Satyrium 4 3 the British Commandant of the Nilgiris John Sullivan obtained leaves from tea Spiranthes 3 2 in 1828–1830 (Philip Mulley, e-mail, plants established by Perrottet in Kétti in Neottieae pers. commun., 11 August 2014). With 1840. He had them dried in the ‘open’ Goodyera 2 2 Crewe’s death in 1836, this farm was (air-dried) first, in a frying pan later, and Dryopeia 1 – neglected. The Government at Fort St sent them to the Agri-Horticultural Soci- George, Madras, rented a mansion (note ety office in Madras (note 11). The ‘tea’ 8) in Kétti village to General de Saint made from those leaves in Madras was Among the several hundreds of plants Simon (note 9), the Chief of French judged ‘excellent’ by the enthusiasts, collected by Perottet from the Nilgiris, establishments in India. de Saint Simon who tasted it22. The earliest commercial Richard documents 38 Orchidaceae taxa, instructed Perrottet to go to Kétti to reju- launch of tea as plantations was made by recognizing 16 genera and describing 32 venate the dying C. sinensis plants. On one ‘Mann’ (note 12) in 1856, whose novel species (Table 1). Of these 32, two arrival at Kétti, Perrottet found (ref. 21, estate came to be known in later days as celebrate Perrottet: Calanthe perrotte- p. 108): the ‘Coonoor Tea Estate’. On the reason tiana and Habenaria perrottetiana. Pages of non-viability, the Kétti farm, which 1–9 refer to the floristic composition ‘… these tea plants, to the number of included tea plants established by Per- of the Nilgiris and Richard makes exten- nine, very stunted, and hardly a few rottet was abandoned in 1845. sive comparisons with the flora of the inches high, but still alive.’ Alps, with which he was obviously The Orchidaceae familiar. Perrottet found that the position of the roots in the context of the soil they were The Monographie des Orchidées recueil- planted was the cause for their poor per- lies dans la chaine des Nil-gherries (In- Thallophytes and bryophytes formance. He says (ref. 21, p. 108): des-Orientales) par M. Perrottet23 describes details of the orchids collected Jean-Pierre François Camille Mon- ‘The part of the stalk (stem) above by Perrottet from the Nilgiris. This tagne24, a Parisian botanist, who princi- the vital joint (root–stem junction), monograph indicates that it is a reprint of pally studied non-flowering plants, lists intended to live in or be exposed to the publication made in the Annales des the fungi and bryophytes collected in the the air, was found buried a foot at Sciences Naturelles, Botanique, Paris in Nilgiris and sent to Paris Natural History least. I had them bared to the roots; I January 1841. Each of the 12 plates Museum by Perrottet in the 1830s. cut off the decayed roots and made includes notations at the top left as ‘Ann. Edwin Butler and Guy Bisby in The around each plant a large hollow, in des. Scienc. nat. 2e Série’, and at the top Fungi of India refer to Perrottet collec- which I spread an inch of good right ‘Bot. Tom. 15, Plate 1’, indicating tions of the fungi in the Nilgiris25, but mould, formed of decayed vegetable that the illustrations from the original indicate the time as 1840s, which is matter, and watered them moderately. publication were re-used in this mono- incorrect. For example, Hookeriopsis In a month after, young sprouts made graph. At the bottom left of each plate, utacamundiana (formerly under Hook- their appearance and continued to the notation ‘A.R. det.’ (note 13) occurs, eriaceae and now Pilotrichaceae26), a grow gradually, – so that, when I left implying that the determinations were taxon described by Montagne in 1842 the hills in April 1837, these precious made by Achille Richard, and at the was collected by Perrottet in Ootaca- plants were two or two and a half feet bottom right refers to the name of the mund (Uthagamandalam). I found that high, and were loaded with branches engraver ‘Melle Taillant sc’ (Miss E Perrottet had collected marine algae as and leaves of the finest growth.’ Taillant). well, but could not track down any

CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 107, NO. 9, 10 NOVEMBER 2014 1609 HISTORICAL NOTES detail, except one citation by Murray27 tinctoria () (pp. of this locality, which we do not referring to Scytonema coactile (Cyano- 192–246), explaining its synonyms, know yet accurately’ (note 15). bacteria: Scytonemataceae) collected by description of the plant, colouring prin- Perrottet from the seas of French Anti- ciples in its leaves, extraction of the In his articulate introduction (ref. 31, pp. lles, West Indies. colouring material and the number of i–ix), Perrottet indicates that much of the species of Wrightia in peninsular India. improvements he made to JBP, by intro- In the last section, a detailed description ducing rare and useful plants, occurred in At Pondichéry of the ‘factory’, consisting of furnaces 1863–1867. Perrottet explains the delay in and cauldrons, belonging to one Ficher publishing his catalogue (ref. 31, p. iii–iv): Besides managing JBP for more than a (note 14) that was extracting the dye in quarter of a century and building it to its Salem at a commercial scale occurs (pp. ‘Another reason, more assertive present status, Perrottet wrote two 205–210). probably, which postponed this pub- monographs during his Pondichéry stay: lication, is the widespread insinuation Art de l’indigotier (Traite des indigo- among the public, suggesting that our feres tinctoriaux et de la fabrication de Jardin Botanique de Pondichéry garden site was worth nothing, abso- l’indigo) (1842) and Catalogue des lutely nothing; the experimental plots Plantes du Jardin Botanique et d’Accli- In the near three decades at Pondichéry, were affected by salinity, which is a mation du Gouvernement à Pondichéry Perrottet enriched the garden by intro- major fallacy ...’ (note 16). (1867). ducing several plants that have been shown to bear either economic impor- Reading the above saddens, given the tance to humans or had the potential of enormous effort he made to make JBP On indigo plants and the dye being useful, not only from within the vibrant. rest of India (e.g. Calcutta, Madras), but Perrottet (1867) has organized the Although this monograph was published from overseas (e.g. Réunion, Sri Lanka) catalogue following de Candolle’s plant 28 in 1842, when Perrottet was directing as well. classification Prodromus Systematis JBP, his interest in the dye-yielding Because the bark of Cinchona Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis (note 17). plants and extraction of the dye had (Rubiaceae) to treat malaria was unavail- Close to a 1000 plant species are listed in started in 1832, when he was in western able in India until the late 1860s, Wil- this catalogue and for detailed annota- Africa (Senegal and other French colo- liam Roxburgh (1751–1815), the Scottish tions on the plants of JBP, the reader is nies therein, where he worked). The medical doctor–botanist stationed in referred to Gupta and Marlange32. One details presented in this volume include Madras, searched for substitutes within key attraction of JBP is the imposing his knowledge of and experiences with India. He found Swietenia febrifuga Khaya senegalensis (Meliaceae), a native this plant elsewhere as well. (Meliaceae), an Indian native, in of western Africa, which is claimed by The Introduction (pp. 1–47) includes Samalkottah in 1793. Roxburgh con- the present managers of JBP as a tree in- the following sections: history of indigo, cluded that the bark of S. febrifuga in- troduced by the French in 1826. Perrottet earlier work on indigo and indigo extrac- cluded many principles that do not occur does not list this taxon in his catalogue, tion, general remarks, and a short contex- in the bark of Cinchona, and water which indicates that K. senegalensis did tual explanation of the organization of extracts of S. febrifuga bark were stable not exist in JBP in 1867 and was intro- this volume into four chapters. Chapter I for a longer period of time than those duced there much later in time. (pp. 48–80) refers to the botany and extracted from Cinchona29. The efficacy chemistry of Indigofera (Fabaceae) under of S. febrifuga as a substitute for that of the following sections: (i) the origin of Cinchona was emphasized later after tri- Conclusion the name Indigofera (Perrottet spells as als on humans30. Because of the estab- indigofera, with an ‘i’ at the start) and lished usefulness of Swietenia febrifuga Perrottet spent nearly three decades in the number of species known then, (ii) (presently, Soymida febrifuga, Meli- Pondichéry experimenting and establish- characters of the genus Indigofera, (iii) aceae) in treating the fever (malaria), one ing several useful and rare plants. Many description of the species that have the of Perrottet’s early efforts was to bring of them were brought to JBP from differ- dye-yielding capacity, (iv) chemical its seeds from the Shevroy Hills ent parts of India and a few were from composition of indigo, (v) general char- (1150N; 7816E) and establish them at overseas. And he succeeded in growing acters of indigo and plants relevant in JBP. On establishing the seedings of S. them. Although botanic gardens existed commerce, (vi) indigo of Bengal, Oudh, febrifuga at JBP, Perrottet says (ref. 31, in Europe33 and in India5, JBP stabilized Madras of India, Java (Indonesia), Egypt, p. viij [viii]): out of the committed and conscientious America, Guatemala, Caraque of Guade- effort of Perrottet. His avidity as a col- loupe and Mexico. Chapter II (pp. 80– ‘[In this garden, sic], we have, among lector of economically useful plants and 119) explains the methods of selection of others, Sweitenia febrifuga Rox- introducing them into France, and thus soil and its composition for the cultiva- burgh, which is the largest of all the into the remainder of the Western world, tion of Indigofera. Chapter III (pp. 120– trees in this region. We have, at the is laudable. Will the Government and 191) describes the tools useful in the same time, consolidated a sizable people of Pondichéry remember this extraction of indigo from dried leaves. herbarium, that includes rare and lit- relentless worker and experimental bota- The important final chapter refers to tle known plants, which would enable nist in a better manner, by restoring JBP another dye-yielding plant of India, determining young plants and seeds to its pristine elegance?

1610 CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 107, NO. 9, 10 NOVEMBER 2014 HISTORICAL NOTES

Notes 6. ‘Celestial Empire’ – traditional name for miner les jeunes plantes de cette localité China. venues de grains ici et que nous ne con- 1. Perrottet refers to Oupar as a small river 7. Collins (1951) disputes the mass of fruits naissons pas encore exactement. (pétite rivière). The website of Institut of A. comosus indicated by Perrottet. 16. Une autre raison, plus péremptoire peut- Français de Pondichéry explains that this 8. Presently the Women’s Hostel of the être, qui nous eût différer cette publica- aqueduct, known as Uppar, was covered C.S.I. College of Engineering, Kétti, The tion, est celle relative aux insinuations ré- with concrete slabs in 1937 and presently Nilgiris (Rev Philip K. Mulley, Coonoor, pandues dans le public, tendant à faire functions as a sewer duct. The Nilgiris, pers. commun., e-mail, 23 croire que le terrain de notre jardin ne 2. Because I had restricted myself princi- July 2014). valait rien, absolument rien; qu’on y trou- pally to Puducherry, I have not mentioned 9. Hubert-Jean Victor, le Marquis de Saint- vait çà et là des parcelles où le sel marin Victor Jacquemont (1801–1832) in detail. Simon, was the Governor General for the dominair (c’est de la plus grande faus- Jacquemont was a remarkable French French colonies of India during the Sec- sité)…. naturalist, who explored the Western Hi- ond French Colonial Empire. Saint-Simon 17. The de Candolle Prodromus volumes run malaya in 1828–1832 (ref. 34), a decade held office from May 1835 to April 1840. from 1824 to 1873, the earlier editions or- and a half earlier than Joseph Dalton 10. John Sullivan (1788–1855) was the Col- ganized by Augustine Pyramus de Can- Hooker, who explored the Himalaya in lector of Coimbatore, which included the dolle and the later editions by Alphonso 1847–1851 (ref. 35). Nilgiris. Sullivan is credited as the ‘dis- de Candolle. Perrottet could not have con- 3. Pierre Henri Philibert commanded the coverer’ of the Nilgiris. W. Ross King sulted all the 17 volumes of the de Rhône and Durance, which left the island was a British anthropologist at the Candolle volumes since he died in 1870. of Aix in 1819. The expedition intended Nilgiris, studying the sociology of the Throughout this catalogue, Perrottet refers to recruit volunteer Chinese workers at tribes in that landscape. to ‘de Candolle’ as ‘Decandolle’ and Java and Manila and settle them in French 11. The Agri-Horticultural Society of Madras ‘Dc.’ and distinguishes Alphonso de Can- Guyana. A collateral objective was to col- started as ‘The Madras Horticultural Soci- dolle as ‘Dc.’ (Alph.). lect economically useful plants from the ety’ in 1835. One highly active founding 18. Albert Wilhelm Friedrich Eduard Gockel Far East and establish them in French member was Robert Wight, a Scottish was born in Baden (Germany) in 1860. He colonies, such as Réunion, Guyana, the surgeon in the Madras Medical Service, graduated in physics from the University Antilles and Senegal. This mission intro- better remembered for his interest in hor- of Heidelberg in 1885. After a short stint duced water buffalos into French Guyana ticulture and his major botanical publica- as a high-school teacher in Germany, he and snake-eating birds into Martinique. tions made in 1840 and 1853. This joined as an assistant to Joseph von After stopping at Cayenne, La Praya, Society changed to its present name in Kowalski at the University of Fribourg, Réunion, the northwest coast of New Hol- 1860. This Society and its garden function Switzerland in 1901. He became a full land (Australia), the Makassar Strait, Cel- even today in Madras. professor of physics in 1909 and contrib- ebes, the Philippines, Borneo, Java, and 12. One Henry Mann owned coffee planta- uted to the physics of the atmosphere and again Réunion, the Rhône went to French tions in Coorg (1242N; 7574E) and ran the earth. He died in Fribourg in 1927 Guyana to dispatch plants and , a company ‘H Mann & Co’ (ref. 36). Pos- (ref. 38, p. 158). while the Durance went to Rochefort sibly Henry Mann started the tea industry (southwestern France). Perrottet stayed in in the Nilgiris and because of local politi- French Guyana to establish the introduced cal interference he left the Nilgiris to set- 1. Labernadie, M. V., Le vieux Pondichéry, plants. The Rhône returned to Lorient tle in Coorg. histoire d’une ville coloniale Française, (Brittany, France) in 1921, bringing fishes 13. Mark Nesbitt remarked that he would read Imprimerie Moderne, Pondichéry, 1936, gathered in India7. ‘A.R. det.’ as ‘A.R. del.t’; ‘del.t’ repre- p. 448. 4. Jean Baptiste Guillemin of the National senting ‘delineavit’, implying Achille 2. Government of Pondichéry, Archives Natural History Museum of Paris was the Richard did the drawings (Nesbitt, pers. Administratives des Établissements author of Zephyritis Taïtensis, an early commun., e-mail, 31 July 2014). Français de l’Inde, 1828, I, 1–201. enumeration of the plants of Tahiti. He 14. G. F. Fischer purchased a monopoly busi- 3. Jacquemont, V., Correspondance inedité edited the Annales des Sciences Naturelles ness of extracting dyes from Indigofera de Victor Jacquemont avec sa famille et Botanique from 1834 until his death. tinctoria and Wrightia tinctoria, situated ses amis, 1824–1832, Michel Levy et Achille Richard (1794–1852) of the Uni- in Ãttur, Salem District, Madras Presi- Frères, Paris, 1827, vol. I, p. 384; vol. II, versity of Paris was a French botanist and dency from one Heath in 1833. Fischer p. 390. physician. He was a professor of botany at improved the method of dye extraction 4. Raman, A. and Prasad. S., Int. J. Ecol. the Faculty of Medicine. Besides several from Indigofera using lime water Environ. Sci., 2010, 36, 205–214.

books on plants, he will be remembered (Ca(OH)2) and allowing the plant material 5. Raman, A., Curr. Sci., 2011, 100, 1092– for his Monographie des Orchidées des Îles to ferment in large vats for 24 h, followed 1096. de France et de Bourbon (J. Tastu, Paris, by boiling in cauldrons and draining them 6. Leschenault de la Tour, J-.B. L. T., Mem. 83 + 11 pages). He collaborated with Perro- to separate an indigo paste. This paste was Mus. nat. d’Hist. Nat., Paris, 1820, 6, tet writing botanical treatises, e.g. the Flora squeezed in a screw press to remove 300–328. of Senegambia (1833). Felix Edouard moisture, air-dried into blocks of dye ma- 7. Bauchot, M-.R., Daget, J. and Bauchot, Guérin-Méneville (1799–1874) was a Pari- terial, sliced and sold. Fischer’s enterprise R., Bull. Mus. Nat. d’Hist. Nat., Paris, A, sian entomologist, who studied and in Salem District flourished until 1894 Suppl., 1990, 12, 3–142. butterflies (Insecta: Lepidoptera). (ref. 37). 8. Perrottet, G. S., Catalogue Raisonné des 5. The first volume of American Silk 15 Nous citerons, entre autres, le sweitenia Plantes Introduites dans les Colonies Grower and Farmer’s Manual (1838) in- febrifuga de Roxburg, qui est le plus gros Françaises de Bourbon et de Cayenne, et cludes multiple annotations and references et le plus grand de nous les arbres de ces de Celles Rapportées Vivantes des Mers to M. multicaulis and rearing Bombyx régions. Nous avons, en même temps, d'Asie et de Guyane, au Jardin du Roi à mori on them (pp. 1–6, 200–204), in addi- rapporté de la un herbier assez con- Paris, Lebel, Paris, 1824, p. 63. tion to what I have referred as Bossin’s sidérable, composé de plantes rares et peu 9. Guérin-Méneville, F. E. and Perrottet, notice (pp. 277–278). connues; il pourra nous server à déter- G. S., Mémoire sur un insecte et un

CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 107, NO. 9, 10 NOVEMBER 2014 1611 HISTORICAL NOTES

champignon qui ravegent les caffiers aux 23. Richard, A., Monographie des Orchidées 35. Hooker, J. D., Himalayan Journals: Antilles, Madame Ve Bouchard–Huzard, Recueillies dans la Chaine des Nil- Notes of a Naturalist in Bengal, the Sik- Paris, 1842, p. 40. gherries (Indes-Orientales) par M. Per- kim, and Himalayas, the Khasia 10. Urban, I., Symb. Antill. Funda. Flor. Ind. rottet, Paul-Benouard, Paris, 1841, p. Mountains, John Murray, London, 1854– Occident., 1902–1903, III, 99–100. 36 + 12. 1855, vol. I, p. 348; vol. II, p. 487. 11. Hooker, J. D., Curtis’s Bot. Mag., 1883, 24. Montagne, J. P. F. C., Ann. des. Sci. Nat. 36. Playne, S., Bond, J. W. and Wright, A., 39, 6673. Bot., 1842, 18, 12–23. Southern India – Its History, People, 12. Federico, G., An Economic History of the 25. Butler, E. J. and Bisby, G. R., The Fungi Commerce, and Industrial Resources Silk Industry, Cambridge University of India, Indian Council of Agricultural (reprint, 2004), Asian Educational Ser- Press, Cambridge, 1997, p. 259. Research, New Delhi, 1960, p. 552. vices, New Delhi, 1914–1915, p. 776. 13. Perrottet, G. S., Mem. Soc. Linn. Paris, 26. Streimann, H., Australian mosses on-line 37. Richards, F. J., Salem, Madras District 1825, 3, 89–151. 11. Hookeriaceae: Hookeriopsis, 2012; Gazeteers, Volume 1, Part 1, Govern- 14. Anon., New Engl. Farm., 1833, XI, http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/Mosses_On ment Press, Madras, 1918, p. 362. 266. line/Hookeriopsis.pdf (accessed on 28 38. Mehra, J. and Rechenberg, H., The His- 15. USDA–ARS–NGRP, Morus multicaulis July 2014). torical Development of Quantum Theory: Perr. [on-line database]; http://www.ars-grin. 27. Murray, G., Catalogue of the Marine Erwin Schrodinger and the Rise of Wave gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?, 31 July Algae of the West Indian Region, Dulau Mechanics, Springer, New York, 1987, 2014 (accessed on 1 August 2014). & Co, London, 1889, p. 60. vol. 5, p. 878. 16. Bossin, M., Am. Silk Grow. Farm. Man- 28. Perrottet, G. S., Art de l’Indigotier ual, 1838, 1, 277–278. (Traite des Indigoferes Tinctoriaux et de ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Mark Nesbitt 17. Anon., J. Am. Silk Soc. Rural Econ., la Fabrication de l’Indigo, suivu d’une (Kew Botanic Garden, London), Henry Noltie 1840, 2, 97–109, 148–156. Notice le Wrightia tinctoria et sur les (Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh), Anu- 18. Collins, J. L., Pac. Sci., 1951, 5, 3– Moyens d’Extraire de ses Feuilles le pama Krishnamurthy and Srinivasan Prasad 17. Principe Colorant qu’elles Contiennent), (l’Institut Français de Pondichéry, Pudu- 19. Stafleu, F. A. and Cowan, R. S., Taxo- Madame Ve Bouchad-Huzard, Paris, cherry) reviewed the draft manuscript and of- nomic Literature: A Selective Guide to 1842, p. 219. fered useful remarks. Philip K. Mulley (Retired Botanical Publications and Collections 29. Raman, A., Curr. Sci., 2012, 102, 1717– Pastor, St Luke’s Church, Kotagiri, The with Dates, Commentaries and Types, 1720. Nilgiris, and a Nilgiris historian) offered sev- P–Sak. Bohn, Scheltema & Holkema, 30. Breton, P., Med. – Chirur. Trans., 1821, eral helpful insights on Perrottet’s stay at the Utrecht and Dr W. Junk, The Hague, 11, 310–329. Nilgiris. I dedicate this note to my Botany 1983, vol. IV, 2nd edn, p. 1214. 31. Perrottet, G. S., Catalogue des Plantes teacher in Madras, Kasukhela Narasimha Rao, 20. Grigg, H. B., A Manual of the Nílagiri du Jardin Botanique et d’Acclimation du who inspired many generations of South In- District in the Madras Presidency, Gouvernement à Pondichéry, Govern- dian youth to study plants and their complex Government Press, Madras, 1880, p. ment Press, Pondichéry, 1867, p. 51. biology. 578 + cxxvii. 32. Gupta, R. K. and Marlange, M., Trav. 21. Anon., Asiatic J., Mon. Regis. Br. For. Sect. Sci. Tech., Inst. Franç. Pond., India, China, Australia (Asiat. Intell.), 1961, III, 1–133. Anantanarayanan Raman is in the 1839, XXX (new series), 108. 33. Williams, R. L., Huntia, 2011, 14, 147– Charles Sturt University and Graham 22. Francis, W., The Nilgiris, Madras Dis- 176. Centre for Agricultural Innovation, P.O. trict Gazetteer, Logos Press, New Delhi, 34. Gupta, R. K., Indian J. Hist. Sci., 1966, Box 883, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia. (Indian Reprint, 1984), 1908, p. 397. 1, 150–157. e-mail: [email protected]

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