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

Born: 1861, Lipine, Upper Silesia, Germany. Died: 1930, Mentone, France.

career:

Painter and bryologist who studied geology for some time at Zürich University in 1892. He resided in Java for several years, invited by Treub (see there) who thought him the right man to make pictures destined for the exposition at Paris, the more so as he was able to collaborate on the just started ‘Flore de Buitenzorg’.¹

In the years 1908-13 he travelled for the second time in the Malayan region; in 1914 temporarily connected with the Botanical Museum at Berlin and in 1917 appointed professor. He travelled in Europe too and visited the Canaries. In the beginning of 1926 he settled at The Hague, Holland.

Dendrobium fleischeri J.J.Sm. was named after him.

Collecting localities:

1898. Malay Peninsula:² Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, P. Penang; W. Java: Tjibodas on the slope of G. Gedeh.-1899. Java; S. Sumatra with Prof. K. Giesenhagen (see there detailed itiner. etc.); starting on Nov. 5, Fleischer returned to Java on account of illness from Kalangan Djarei (Nov. 21) via Benkoelen.-End of 1899-1902. Staying in Java, returning to Germany in 1903 after making a world tour, during which he visited the Bismarck Archipelago, Mioko, and Finschhafen in former Kaiser Wilhelmsland (NE. New Guinea) in March.-2nd Voyage, 1908-13. In 1908 he made preparations for a second voyage to the Malay region, from which he returned in 1913. He collected at least in the following localities in the year 1909: Malay Peninsula, near Taiping (Apr. 12); W. Java: G. Salak (Aug. 15); Mr Cornelis (Sept. 12-13); Weltevreden, Batavia (Dec. 5); Tjipanas, Sindanglaja (Dec. 18-20); Tjibodas and Tjibeureum on the slope of G. Gedeh (22-28). In the following years in W. Java: near Tjibeureum (Dec. 1910), at Soekaboemi (1911), on the Gegerbintang (June 22, 1911), etc.

collections:

Principally Musci, but Fungi, Pteridophyta and Orchidaceae too. Herb. Berl. [B]: many mosses, 411 nos of Fungi (1898-99), 26 nos of siphonogams from Tjibodas (1898), 54 orchids from Java (1910-14) and orchids with Herb. Schlechter, 86 nos in the Show Mus.; Herb. Bog. [BO]: many Musci and several orchids from Java (pres. 1911); Herb. Brit. Mus. [BM]: ‘Musci Archipelagi Indici’ 250 species in 5 fasc. (1898), 100 ditto (purch. 1906-08); Herb. N.Y. Bot. Gard. [NY]: ‘Musci Arch. Ind.’ 500 species (acq. 1905-08); Herb. Deless. (Geneva [G]): ‘Musci Arch. Ind.’ 173 species (1916-18); ditto ser. 12 (50) (acq. 1933); Herb. Leiden [L]: ‘Musci Arch.Ind.’ (purch.), Fungi, ferns and phanerogams Java; Herb. Vienna [W]: ‘Musci frond. Arch. Ind.’ ser. 7 (50) (purch. 1905); Herb. Bonaparte (= Paris [P]): his collection of ferns, principally from W. Java.³ His mosses probably sold to many other herbaria too.

After his death his private collections and library were bought by an antiquarian at Leipsic. At present in Farlow Herb. (Cambr., Mass. [GH]).

literature:

(1) M. Fleischer: ‘Die Musci der Flora von Buitenzorg’ (Leiden, 1900-22, 4 vols).

(2) cf. Burkill in Gard. Bull. Str. Settlem. 4, 1927, nos 4-5.

(3) cf. Bonaparte, Notes Ptéridol., fasc. 1, 1915, p. 215-222 and l.c. fasc. 3, 1916, p. 5-27.

biographical data:

Ann. Cryptog. Exot. 3, 1930, p. 161-167 + portr. and bibliogr.; Ann. Bryol. 4, 1931, p. 113-122; Backer, Verkl. Woordenb., 1936.

photo gallery: