Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany Volume 37 Issue 1 Issue 1–2 Article 2 2019 Plantae Coulterianae: Thomas Coulter’s Californian Exsiccata Gary D. Wallace California Botanic Garden, Claremont, CA Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/aliso Part of the Botany Commons Recommended Citation Wallace, Gary D. (2020) "Plantae Coulterianae: Thomas Coulter’s Californian Exsiccata," Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany: Vol. 37: Iss. 1, Article 2. Available at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/aliso/vol37/iss1/2 Aliso, 37(1–2), pp. 1–73 ISSN: 0065-6275 (print), 2327-2929 (online) PLANTAE COULTERIANAE: THOMAS COULTER’S CALIFORNIAN EXSICCATA Gary D. Wallace California Botanic Garden [formerly Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden], 1500 North College Avenue, Claremont, California 91711 ([email protected]) abstract An account of the extent, diversity, and importance of the Californian collections of Thomas Coulter in the herbarium (TCD) of Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, is presented here. It is based on examination of collections in TCD, several other collections available online, and referenced literature. Additional infor- mation on historical context, content of herbarium labels and annotations is included. Coulter’s collections in TCD are less well known than partial duplicate sets at other herbaria. He was the first botanist to cross the desert of southern California to the Colorado River. Coulter’s collections in TCD include not only 60 vascular plant specimens previously unidentified as type material but also among the first moss andmarine algae specimens known to be collected in California. A list of taxa named for Thomas Coulter is included. Images of the map of his route are presented here as well as comments on some locality errors. Mention is made of works cited in annotations that were, in fact, never published, leading to persistent author citation errors. Coulter’s expansive interests in collecting and natural history included languages of the indigenous tribes he encountered in California. Key words: bryophytes, California, Coulter, exsiccata, flora, herbarium, marine algae, Native Americans, Native American language, TCD. “This is truly the kingdom of Desolation.” “I fear the whole propriate, correct incorrect determinations, and assign infraspe- flora of California Alta will fall far short of a thousand cific taxa not recognized when the specimens were first identi- species. Indeed, I do not expect above 600 and of these fied. I also hope curators and monographers look for more of not above 200 of much interest.” (Coulter 1832) Coulter’s specimens in other collections and image those on hand. I have attempted to locate as many of Coulter’s Californian preface exsiccata as possible in TCD. There are likely more specimens there under older names or merely misfiled. I have included ref- The title of this paper includes “Plantae Coulterianae” partly erences to specimens at other herbaria historically more likely in recognition of—and homage to—the similarly titled treat- to have been consulted than those at TCD. The account of Coul- ments by Asa Gray and his co-authors about the expeditions ter’s Californian plants (phanerogams and bryophytes) is in- and collections of other explorers of the era, including Plan- cluded (Appendix I) to demonstrate the taxonomic breadth of tae Fendlerianae Novi-Mexicanae (Gray 1849), Plantae Lind- his collecting in California and the distribution of his exsiccata. heimerianae (Engelmann and Gray 1845), Plantae Wrightianae There is also a separate account of Coulter’s marine algae speci- Texano–Neo-Mexicanae (Gray 1852), Plantae Novae Thurberi- mens (Appendix II), taxa for which his collections are type ma- anae (Gray 1854) and Plantas Hartwegianas (Bentham 1839– terial (Appendix III), a list of plant and algae taxa named for 1857) and in part in response to Nelson and Probert’s (1994: 79) him (Appendix IV), a list of taxa claimed as first collected by comment, “No-one has published a Plantae Coulterianae.” Coulter but not typified by his specimens (Appendix V), and a My primary purpose is to present a list of—and guide to— list of obscure generic names and their disposition in this paper the hundreds of Coulter’s Californian specimens in the Trin- (Appendix VI). This contribution is not to be taken as taxonom- ity College Dublin Herbarium (TCD), Dublin, Ireland. His are ically definitive because most determinations have not been ver- among the earliest collections of Californian specimens. It is ified. It was not feasible to attempt to verify or update identifica- beyond the scope and purpose of this contribution to docu- tions of the hundreds of exsiccata on site at TCD due to limited ment the identifiers or provenance of each of Coulter’s Cali- time and onsite resources. There may be other herbaria contain- fornian specimens. The initial identifications of Coulter’s spec- ing significant numbers of duplicates of Coulter’s Californian imens were made over 170 years ago. It is likely that many are exsiccata and I welcome additions and corrections to this effort. misidentified or under-identified (not differentiated to infraspe- An applicable comment on this contribution is: “A measure of cific taxa). I hope the listing here and description of discoveries the usefulness of this study will be the number of additions and (see Findings below) entices systematists to examine the Coulter corrections it elicits” (Renkema and Ardagh 1930). exsiccata at TCD and elsewhere to verify their type status if ap- introduction © 2019, The Author(s), CC-BY. This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution License, which allows unrestricted Thomas Coulter (1793–1843) (Fig. 1) is best known, in Cal- use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the orig- ifornia, as an Irish botanist for whom are named Pinus coul- inal author(s) and source are credited. Articles can be downloaded at teri (Coulter pine), which bears the heaviest cones of any http://scholarship.claremont.edu/aliso/. pine species, and the large white-flowered Romneya coulteri 2 Wallace ALISO Fig. 1. Portrait of Thomas Coulter, artist unknown, oil on canvas. Collection of Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin. Reproduced by permission of the Board of Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Ireland. VOLUME 37(1–2) Plantae Coulterianae 3 (Coulter’s matilija poppy). David Douglas, engaged by the Hor- Probert 1994: 98) but soon quit and went south to Guaymas. ticultural Society of London to collect plants in North Amer- Coulter collected plant specimens in the area, noted by Hem- ica, met Coulter in Monterey in 1831 and later described him as sley (1879–1888) as collected in “Sonora Alta” (the intended “ …a good fellow, most zealous in all he undertakes and anx- scope of this geographic designation is uncertain). A set of these ious to collect a vast collection …” (letter from David Douglas is in the herbarium at Kew (K). Thomas Coulter’s collecting of to William Hooker in London dated 15 April 1833, transcribed “California Alta” plant specimens (he used “California Alta” to by Nelson and Probert 1994: 111). Alphonse de Candolle de- distinguish the region from Baja California; see clarification be- scribed Coulter as an amiable eccentric who kept live lizards low) may have begun, for reasons explained later, with his stay and snakes in his pockets and whistled tunes to them to keep in Sonora, Mexico, in December 1829. Coulter had wanted to them calm (de Candolle’s 1862 memoirs: 332 translated in Nel- travel to California for some time and planned to go to Califor- son and Probert 1994: 26). Coulter, an accomplished all-around nia overland but instead sailed for California Alta from Guay- naturalist, and lexicographer, was also an avid fisherman and a mas on 21 August 1831. Prior to leaving Mexico, Coulter had good shot. Coulter’s contribution to our knowledge of the diver- left instructions that all of his earlier Mexican collections be sent sity of the California flora is largely overlooked and underappre- to London. ciated because narratives of his explorations were never written and his collections were not well known for several years after Coulter’s Mexican Woods his death. Coulter wrote only one short article about his travels in California for the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society Coulter reportedly collected 784 wood samples from Mex- of London (Coulter 1835). ico and California, of which most, if not all, were accompanied Thomas Coulter was among the earliest floristic collectors to by herbarium vouchers (Ball 1846: 3). Other references have visit California. He traveled extensively along the coast and inte- higher estimates of the number of wood samples (e.g., Nelson rior desert and collected intensively wherever he went, vascular and Probert 1994: 92) but no others suggest that any wood sam- and non-vascular plants as well as marine algae. He collected ples were from California. It has been assumed that Coulter’s showy specimens and plain specimens, annuals and perennials Mexican wood specimens were included with the long-term loan alike. He seems to have had a good eye for differences, collect- of Dixon’s specimens of tropical woods from TCD to the Uni- ing many different species of Lupinus and Eschscholzia. Coul- versity of Limerick, Ireland. However, none of Coulter’s wood ter’s specimens are not scanty and he often collected enough ma- specimens has been located with the Dixon specimens. I have terial for duplicates. His Californian plant collections, amassed seen some of the herbarium vouchers for the wood samples at in just over two years, were assigned at least 841 exsiccata num- the National Botanic Garden (DBN) in Dublin (see also Nelson bers. Coulter’s Californian collections are unusual in that spec- and Probert 1994: 92) but many are also at TCD.Theywereall imens in the partial sets distributed from TCD to other herbaria Mexican specimens, so Ball’s suggestion that some were from or individuals after Coulter’s death in 1843 are better known and California is a likely error.