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

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

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

Born: 1876, Sorb, Seeland, Denmark. Died: 1950.

career:

Studied medicine in Denmark, and followed a course in botany by Prof. E. Warming; since 1904 Medical Officer in the D.E. Indian army, stationed respectively in West and North Sumatra, Java and Celebes; from 1909-12 member of an exploration detachment in Dutch North New Guinea.¹ Retired in 1921, and subsequently set up as an ear, nose and throat-specialist at Semarang (Centr. Java). He finally returned to Denmark in 1932, settled at Copenhagen and since 1936 on Bornholm. He travelled in Eastern Asia, America and Europe.

He is commemorated in the genus Gjellerupia Laut. and in several plant species.

Collecting localities:

Dutch North New Guinea. Humboldt Bay expedition:² probably as early as Dec. 1909 near Humboldt Bay, Hollandia; in March 1910 exploring near the Tami River, P. Kayoe, Hollandia and Eti River; in April, the Upper Tami, Hollandia bivouac and Humboldt Bay; in May-June, Hollandia bivouac and Bougainville Mts (June). Dutch-German boundary delimitation expedition, 1910 (cf. also sub Schultze Jena):³ setting out from Hollandia (June 11, 1910); ascending the Mosso River; to the Béwani and proceeding to the salt-spring on the Begoure (= Begowi River) (20), Gjellerup staying behind; in July in Hollandia bivouac, and exploring Béwani River, Upper Tami River and the mouth of the Tami; bivouac Hollandia (Aug.); by boat (Sept. 8) to the mouth of the Kaiserin Augusta (= Sepik) River (10); headquarters facing October River (Oct. 3); ascending the river E and W of the Neumond Mountain (Oct. 14-Nov. 8); back at headquarters (Nov. 11); march to Hollandia (18-28); Hollandia Bivouac and Humboldt Bay (Dec.); Jotefa Bay (Jan. 1911); for some months staying in the vicinity of Hollandia and Humboldt Bay, reconnaissance of the Sermowai (March 19-May 19);⁴ setting out (June 12) on a march to Lake Sentani and the Cyclop Mts;⁵ in August, the hinterland of Hollandia, Sawia and Arso; in September, Mt Misate, Tami River, hinterland of Hollandia and Jotefa Bay (16); coastal region between Biri River and the mouth of the Mamberamo, with the main object of the reconnaissance of the Mafin (= Tor) River:⁶ in October, Tor River, Berkombor and Tenem River; spurs of the Gautier Mts (Nov.); leaving the Tor region (Nov. 15), reconnoitring the north coast to W of the Berdowi; P. Wandoewa, P. Sarmi and hinterland of Hollandia; in Jan.-Febr. 1912 exploring the hinterland of Hollandia, Humboldt Bay and Kajo Bay; transfer of the detachment from Hollandia to Manokwari in NW. New Guinea, Vogelkop: march from Siari (= Sjeri) on the W. coast of Geelvink Bay to Angi and Warmasin Lakes in the Arfak Mts.⁷

collections:

Herb. Bog. [BO]: 1243 New Guinea nos (dried and in alcohol) incl. 231 nos from the NW. part; dupl. in Herb. Leiden [L], Utrecht [U], Kew [K], Berl. [B], etc.⁸

Important collections were lost, when a vessel capsized during the Dutch-German expedition. At first he was assisted by the Indonesian Sadeli, later by mantri Ajoeb (see there) of the Botanic Gardens at Buitenzorg. From a list of numbers of his collection, present at the Buitenzorg Herbarium, it is evident that he started collecting in March 1910.

Together with Ajoeb he collected many living plants for Hort. Bog.;⁹ in the cited list is an orchid from Boeroe, which may have been collected on the home voyage.

literature:

(1) Author of: ‘De Saweh-stam der Papoea’s in Noord Nieuw Guinea’ (Tijdschr. K.N.A.G. 1912, p. 171-182).

(2) cf. Versl. Milit. Expl. Ned. N.G. 1907-15 (Weltevreden 1920), p. 55.

(3) ‘Verslag der Commissie ter voorbereiding van de aanwijzing eener natuurlijke grens tusschen het Nederlandsche en het Duitsche gebied op Nieuw Guinea’ (Batavia 1911); ‘Uittreksel nit het Verslag der Commisie etc.’ (‘s Hage, no date, w. 50 fig., 4 maps); extract in Tijdschr. K.N.A.G. 1911, p. 708-712.

(4) cf. Tijdschr. K.N.A.G. 1912, p. 73-74.

(5) cf. Versl. Milit. Expl. l.c. p. 57, and Tijdschr. K.N.A.G. 1911, p. 1035.

(6) cf. Meded. Encyclop. Bur. no 11, p. 13; Tijdschr. K.N.A.G. 1912, p. 834-836 + map; Versl. Milit. Expl. l.c. p. 58.

(7) cf. Tijdschr. K.N.A.G. 1913, p. 77-78; Versl. Milit. Expl. l.c. p. 54.

For annotations on the Arfak route (Apr. 19-May 16, 1912), see W. Vink in Nova Guinea, Bot. 22, 1965, p. 485, fig. 5.

(8) Results published in Nova Guinea vol. 8 and 12.

J.J. Smith described many new orchids in the series ‘Vorläufige Beschreibung neuer Papuanischer Orchideen’.

Meliaceae and Ericaceae resp. by H. Harms and H. Sleumer in ‘Beitr. z. Fl. Papuas.’ (Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 72, 1942, p. 158-205 and 207-269).

(9) cf. list in Versl. Pl. Tuin Buitenzorg for 1911, p. 21 and for 1912, p. 22.

biographical data:

Backer, Versl. Woordenb., 1936; in the biographic directory 1936 of the General Danish Medical Society (non vidi; extr. by Gjellerup himself); ‘Den Danske Lagestand 1949-1957’, 13th ed. 1957, p. 553 + portr.

photo gallery: