Novcmljcr, 1915.] 



nil'; ORCHID WORLD. 



4* 



F. ARNOLD, ORCHID COLLECTOR 

 1880-86. 



OF the many collectors engaged by 

 Messrs. Sander and Sons there is 

 little douljt that F. Arnold proved 

 himself particularly energetic, and apart from 

 successfully sending home immense quantities 

 of plants, he explored vast tracts of little 

 known country in the northern parts of S. 

 America. As practically nothing has hitherto 

 hecn published concerning this intrepid 

 collector the following account cannot fail to 

 he of interest. The particulars are taken 

 from Arnold's corresi)ondencc, the whole of 

 which has recently been handed to us l)y 

 Messrs. Sander and Sons. 



Towards the end of the year i<S8o Arnold 

 commenced work in X'cnezuela, where from 

 Tovar he sent home no less than io,ocx) 

 Masdevallia tovarcnsis, as well as M. triangu- 

 laris, M. picturata, M. maculata and Restrepia 

 clegans. After searching several mountains, 

 with little or no good results, he arrived at 

 Montalban, only to find that the district had 

 previously been denuded of its treasures. 

 However, he managed to send 77V? Puerto 

 Cabello 23 cases of plants, all described as 

 good things, except a Mormodes from Campo 

 Amor. He next visited a place described as 

 -M rivers and 21 islands, where he saw a 

 lliousand white Schomburgkias in flower. 



In March, 1881, he successfully journeyed 

 to the coast with a grand collection of 7 000 

 Masdevallia tovarensis, 2,000 M. maculata, 

 Stxj M. triangularis, all the ])l;mts he could 

 find of M. picturata, a Masdevallia species 

 unknown in EuroyDC, goo Odontoglossum 

 constrictum, 50 Ponthieva maculata, and 

 various Oncidiums. Two months later he 

 despatched a case containing nine white 

 varieties of Cattleya Mossiae, then extremely 

 valuable, but this was evidently lost, for 

 nothing more was heard of it. 



Later on he encountered many difficulties, 

 but succeeded in sending 71 cases of botanical 

 stuff, which, on flowering, proved to be of 

 little commercial value. Eight days were 

 occupied in an unsuccessful attemjit to 

 discover Odontoglossum lurvium, although 



some few weeks later he came across a large 

 quantity in another locality ; but these, on 

 flowering, proved to be O. gloriosum album. 

 .Some idea of the expenses incurred in 

 collecting may be gained ivom the fact that 

 while in August Arnold received £250, in less 

 than a month he wrote home from Buena 

 Vista : " Somethmg to be done here, but no 

 money !" 



Merida was the next place visited. He 

 described it as having" a pleasant climate, 

 near by being five mountains, 10,000 feet 

 high, known as Sierra Nevada, and a great 

 number of woods. Here Arnold was 

 fortunate in meeting the last survivor of the 

 party who went collecting with Schlim, Funk 

 and Wagener about the year 1845, and from 

 whom much valuable information was 

 obtained. The discoveries consisted of 

 many Epidendrums, a new Odontoglossum 

 and two large-flowered Maxillarias. After 

 journeying for three days a plentiful sujjply 

 of the then very scarce Uropedium Lindenii 

 was met with, which proved a welcome 

 acquisition. Early in October, 1 881, Arnold 

 despatched his sixth consignment, no less 

 than 75 cases, containing Anguloas, Epiden- 

 drums, Maxillaria grandiflora, Odontoglossum 

 odoratum, O. constrictum Sanderianum, O. 

 ramosissimum, and various Masdevallias. 



The autumn of 1881 brought news of great 

 interest. It was that Arnold had discovered 

 a remarkable Cattleya, something like labiata, 

 } et not the same. Four plants were seen in 

 ])ossession of native iieojile, but no informa- 

 tion could be procured as to its real growing 

 place. Day after day he continued the search, 

 now and again finding time to write home the 

 progress he made, which amounted to : " Still 

 tr\'ing to find it. Have been again in 

 TruxiUo about the Cattleya, found some 

 which were very faded and different to those 

 seen in Merida. Hope to find the right thing 

 in Carache. Afraid it is a hoi^eless job." 

 However, November brought the welcome 

 news : " At last, on the track of the Cattleya." 

 And, indeed, it proved correct. Not only was 

 the habitat of this species discovered, but 

 yVrnold actually saw a s]3ecimcn 8 feet m 

 diameter, with 1,000 bulbs and no less than 



