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

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 8: Cyclopaedia of collectors, Supplement II)

Born: 1870, London, England. Died: Jan. 30, 1925, Santa Cruz, Teneriffe.

career:

Botanist who besides in the Malaysian region (1910 and 1913), made extensive travels to S. Africa (1905), the Fiji Islands (1907), Australia (1914-15) and Hawaii, for the comparison of the alpine floras.

She wrote many important papers on the results of her investigations.

Some plants, including the genus Gibbsia Rendle, were named after her.

Collecting localities:

Br. N. Borneo.¹ Landed at Jesselton (end of Dec. 1909); Tenom (Jan. 1910), Kiau, Gurulau Spur, Maraiparai Spur, ascent of Mt Kinabalu (reaching the summit Fehr. 23), return to Kiau (27), Koung, Usakan, Kotabelud, Tenghilan, Tuaran-Visited Java (Buitenzorg Botanic Garden) in 1913 on the way to Dutch NW. New Guinea:² Manokwari (Nov.), Warèn and Wariap; Arfak Mts, Angi Lakes (Dec.); Mt Koebré, Wariap; vicinity of Manokwari, Dorei Bay, Isl. of Roon, Humboldt Bay, P. Wakdé (N of Tor River), Isl. of Wiak (= Biak, Schouten Isls; Bosnik) (Jan.-Febr. 1914); Manokwari.

collections:

Herb. Brit. Mus. [BM]: 1st set, c. 1000 nos from Br. N. Borneo, 330 nos Arfak Mts, 150 nos Manokwari, Humboldt Bay, etc.; she also bequeathed her private collection of plants to this institution. Duplicates in Herb. Kew [K]: from Br. N. Borneo (pres. 1912/13) and New Guinea (pres. 1918); Herb. Bog. [BO]; Herb. Leiden [L]; Herb. Bonaparte (= Paris [P]): some New Guinea ferns.³

literature:

(1) L.S. Gibbs: ‘A contribution to the flora and plant formation of Mt. Kinabalu and the highlands of Brit. N. Borneo’ (Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. 42, 1914, p. 1-240, pl. 1-8); extract Kinabalu trip in Saraw. M us. Journ. 2, 1915, p. 162-164.

(2) L.S. Gibbs: ‘Dutch North West New Guinea: A contribution to the Phytography and Flora of the Arfak Mountains, etc.’ (London 1917); ‘Some peculiar Papuan customs’ (Journ. Str. Br. Roy. As. Soc. no 79, 1918, p. 15-16).

For the reconstruction of her route in the Arfak Mountains see W. Vink in Nova Guinea, Bot. 22, 1965, p. 485-486.

(3) cf. Bonaparte, Notes Ptéridol. fasc. 13, 1921, p. 227-235.

biographical data:

Journ. Bot. 63, 1925, p. 85, 116-117, incl. bibliogr.; Kew Bull. 1925, p. 189; Bolet. Soc. Broter. (Coimbra) ser. 2, vol. 3, 1925, p. 239-241 + portr.; in Biogr. Index Britten & Boulger, 2nd ed. by Rendle, 1931; Backer, Verkl. Woordenb., 1936.

photo gallery: