Career

Collecting localities

Collections

Literature

Biographical data

 

Vriese, Willem Hendrik de

 

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

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 5: Cyclopaedia of collectors, Supplement I)

 

Born: 1806, Oosterhout, N.Br., Holland. Died: 1862, Leiden, Holland.

 

career:

Since 1834 Professor of Botany in the University of Amsterdam, since 1845 at Leiden; from 1834-45 with Prof. J. van der Hoeven editor of the ‘Tijdschrift voor Natuurlijke Geschiedenis en Physiologic’; one of the founders of the ‘Nederlandsche Botanische Vereeniging’, editor of the scientific inheritance of Reinwardt (see there).

From 1858-61 he travelled in the D.E.I. to make investigations on the position of European and native crops.1 In March 1861 he returned to Holland a sick man, dying within a year, hardly having started the lectures on his tours.

Author of several papers on the Malaysian flora, which for the greater part have no concern with his mission.2

He is commemorated in several plant names.

 

Collecting localities:

Mission to the Dutch East Indies, 1858-61. Singapore (early in Jan. 1858); Java, in W. Java visiting G. Tangkoeban Prahoe, Tjilaoeteureun (S. coast), etc., towards the end of Sept. having proceeded so far that only the central part of the island remained to be done; in the 2nd half of 1859 he travelled through Java and Madoera with Teysmann;3 tour to the Moluccas with Teysmann, end 1859-60,4 visiting Timor (1859) on the way thither, and N. Celebes on the home voyage (detailed itiner., liter., etc. see sub Teysmann); W. Borneo, 1860:5  In the 2nd half visiting Centr. Java (principalities Djokjakarta and Soerakarta); Sumatra West Coast: Padang Highlands.-Pontianak (Oct. 10-15); by boat to Mampawa (16); to Sg. Doerie (19); Montrado (20); trip to Benkayang, via the Penarang Ridge to the gold-diggings, Sg. Betong, Doerian, and G. Singkawang (7000 ft) via Patingan; S. Sumatra: Benkoelen (probably early in 1861).

 

collections:

Herb. Leiden [L] (purch. 1863); dupl. at Kew [K], a few in Herb. Bog. [BO] (H.B. nos from Borneo), Utrecht [U], Cambridge [CGE], Vienna [W] (from Java); Herb. Martius (= Brussels [BR]): 100 from Java; Copenhagen [C] (Celebes).

Several of his plants were described by Miquel in his ‘Annales’ and in various monographs.

In 1851 he presented 200 ferns and other plants to the Herbarium of plants of the Dutch overseas possessions of the Dutch Botanical Society (Ned. Botanische Vereeniging, later pres. to Leiden [L]) (cf. Kruidk. Arch. 3, 1851/55); with a view to the year this cannot possibly be his own Malaysian collection.

 

literature:

(1) cf. ‘Mission of Prof. de Vriese to D.E.I.’ in Hook. Journ. of Bot. & Kew Gard. Misc. 9, 1857, p. 346.

W.F.R. Suringar: ‘Voyage de M. le Prof. W.H. de Vriese dans l’Archipel des Indes Orientales Néerlandaises, fait par ordre de S.M. Le Roi des Pays Bas, dans l’intérêt des Grandes Cultures, 1857-1861’ (Alg. Konst- en Letterb. 1861, no 10; repr. in Ann. Hort. Bot. 5, 1862, p. 45-48).

(2) His most voluminous work being: ‘Tuin-bouwflora van Nederland en zijne overzeeschd bezittingen, etc. (1856, 3 vols).

(3) cf. Koloniaal Verslag for 1858 and 1859 sub ‘Kunsten en Wetenschappen’; and Flora N.R. 18, 1860, p. 159-160.

(4) cf. ‘Mededeeling betreffende Boeroe’ in Nat. Tijdschr. N.I. 23, 1861, p. 77-78.

(5) W.H. de Vriese: ‘Minjak tangkawang, en andere voortbrengselen van het plantenrijk van Borneo’s Westerafd., welke aanbeveling verdienen voor den Nederlandschen handel’ (Leiden 1861).

cf. also Nat. Tijdschr. N.I. 23, 1861, p. 72.

 

biographical data:

Ann. Hort. Bot. 5, 1862, p. 163-164; Bet. Zeitung 20, 1862, p. 48, 63-64; Pritzel, Thes. Lit. Bot., 1872; Backer, Verkl. Woordenb., 1936; Ned. Kruidk. Arch. 49, 1939, p. 450; l.c. 51, 1941, p. 375; beautiful painting in senate room of Amsterdam Municipal University.