Career

Collecting localities

Collections

Biographical data

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

Died: 1830 or 1831, at sea between Batavia and Holland.

career:

For 6 years Chief Gardener in Kew Gardens; he accompanied the embassy of Lord Amherst to the imperial court of Peking in 1816, at the recommendation of Banks. On the return voyage in 1817 the frigate ‘Alceste’ was wrecked near Poeloe Liat between Banka and Billiton. They proceeded on another ship to Batavia, where Hooper was appointed Curator of the Buitenzorg Botanic Gardens in 1817 on the suggestion of Reinwardt. In the beginning of Dec. 1830 he went on sick-leave to Europe.

Acacia hooperiana Zipp. and Rhaphistemma hooperiana Decne. were named after him.

Collecting localities:

W. Java: Koeripan, in 1824 during the tour of inspection of Blume (see there). Hooper joined the party in March at Romping (staying till Apr. 1) and subsequently made a trip to Koeripan.

Merrill cites in his Enum. Born. Pl. 1921 a Calamus blumei Becc. collected in Dutch Borneo by a Hooper. This may refer to James Hooper, if so he must have collected the same when returning from China in 1817.

collections:

Herb.? Leiden [L]; if so, probably but a few plants. No plants ever arrived at Kew.

biographical data:

Biogr. Index Britten & Boulger in Journ. Bot. 36, 1898, p. 268; Backer, Verkl. Woordenb., 1936.