Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica 2 
in lobbying for the creation of the Museo. With that goal in mind, the government had 
sent Alfaro to the Smithsonian Institution to study the organization and maintenance of 
collections and exhibits (see Garron, 1974: 22; Gomez P. & Savage, 1983: 4; Kandler, 
1987: 28; McCook, 2002: 29). 
Although he studied sciences, Anastasio Alfaro was in certain aspects self-taught, 
like many scientists of the time (Eakin, 1999). One of his earliest achievements was to 
extract and translate from Hemsley what must qualify as the first attempt at a floristic 
inventory of Costa Rica (Alfaro, 1888). This accounted for 1218 species of phanero- 
gams and pteridophytes, about 75% based on Oersted’s collections. Cognizant of the 
shortcomings of his enumeration, Alfaro engaged Juan (John) J. Cooper (1843-1911), 
of Cartago, to collect additional botanical material for shipment to foreign specialists. 
Cooper prepared an important early series, mostly from near his hometown of Cartago. 
From early on, Alfaro established a network of cooperation with international scientists 
(see also Standley, 1952b; Stone, 1956; Garrén, 1974); Cooper’s specimens were sent 
to the American botanist Capt. John Donnell Smith (1829-1928). 
These developments set the stage for 
the arrival, in November 1887, of a Swiss rm, 
botanist and civil engineer named Henri % 
(Henry, Enrique) Francois Pittier (1857- Mi 
1950). Pittier, who had earned a doctorate 
under famed evolutionist Ernst Haeckel 
(Eakin, 1999), was hired along with several 
other European professors (see below) to 
teach at the two new public high schools in 
San José, created by the reform-minded 
Soto government to promote public educa- 
tion (Kandler, 1987: 20; Monge-Najera, 
1994: 21; McCook, 1999). He would be- 
come the single most significant personality 
in the history of Costa Rican botany, if not 
science in general. 
“Determined, indefatigable, tyrannical” 
(Gomez P. & Savage, 1983: 4), Henri Pittier 
wasted little time. Within a few months of 
his arrival in Costa Rica, he convinced au- 
thorities of the necessity for a meteorological institute and observatory, which was built 
according to his plans, with him as its director (Eakin, 1999). In June 1889 the Instituto 
Fisico-Geografico Nacional (IFGN) was founded by the Costa Rican government, at the 
behest of Pittier and with the enthusiastic support of then Minister of Public Education 
Mauro Fernandez (1843-1905). Pittier became the first director of the IFGN, which 
incorporated the Instituto Meteorolégico and (for a few months) the Museo Nacional 
mie 
OT ar as 
sian 
Henri Francois Pittier (1857-1950) 
Courtesy Adina Conejo 
