Career

Collecting localities

Collections

Literature

Biographical data

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

Born: 1898, Delfzijl, Gr., Holland. Died: c. Dec. 1945, murdered by extremists at Batavia, Java.

career:

Botanist, educated at Groningen University, where he took his degree on a morphological thesis, in 1924; when awarded the Buitenzorg Fund he went to the D.E.I. towards the end of 1924¹ and in the next year joined the Djambi Expedition for the collecting of fossil plants.² Early in 1926 he returned to Holland, to come back in October of that year as Selectionist in the employ of the Experiment Station for the Java Sugar Industry at Pasoeroean. Since 1939 Director of the General Experiment Station for Agriculture at Buitenzorg; in 1941 also Professor at the Agricultural College, Buitenzorg.

He specialized in ferns and is the author of numerous publications; together with C.A. Backer he wrote a Fern Flora of Java (in Dutch; 1939).

Sarcanthus posthumii J.J.Sm. was named after him.

Collecting localities:

1925. W. Java: especially in the environs of Buitenzorg (Jan.-March), on G. Salak (Jan. 15, 22, 28), E of Buitenzorg (Febr. 10), Depok (Febr. 15, 25), G. Salak (March 2); Tjibodas (March 18), Tjibeureum and Kandangbadak (19), summit G. Pangrango (20), Tjibodas (21-24); in Bantam visiting Kawah and G. Karang (Apr. 6), Pandeglang (7), Pasir Poetih (8), Pandeglang (9); Dago near Bandoeng (Apr. 15); E. Java: Lalidjiwo (Apr. 18-19), summit G. Ardjoeno (19) and G. Welirang (20); by way of Litjin (23) to the Idjen Plateau, Kawah Idjen (24); Oemboelan (Apr. 30); Semongkrong (May 1); Tosari and Zandzee (May 3-4). Djambi Expedition,² in Central Sumatra: near Bangko (July 9-20), collecting near Sg. Merangin, Sg. Mesoemai, at Limboer and Rantau Pandjang, etc.; bivouac Selem(b)oekoe (July 24-Aug. 31), near Sg. Karing, Sg. Manau, M. Djangkang, M. Tetoen, M. Karing, M. Titi Meranti; in September collecting was done by mantri Saimoendt (see there); in Oct. at Batang Soengai, Sg. Lesing and Paoeh. W. Java: Tjibodas (Dec. 11).-1926. E. Java: G. Andjasmoro with Backer (Nov. 14); Poespo with Backer (Nov. 28); G. Dorowati with Coert (Dec. 5); Pasoeroean (Dec. 27).-1927. E. Java: G. Ardjoeno (Jan. 9); N. slope G. Andjasmoro (Febr. 5), G. Bolang (with A. Radermacher and Backer) (6); with Backer at Blambangan (Febr. 9-11), Kepoeh (March 19), Blambangan and Zuidergebergte S of Toeren (G. Mendjalin) (March 27), Blambangan-Geboek glagah (Apr. 5), Tosari (Zandzee, Bromo Forest, Moenggal Pass) (Apr. 15), Blambangan (Apr. 23), G. Dorowati (May 20), Oemboelan (May 25); and other localities in this part of Java. S. Sumatra, Lampong Districts (early in Nov.): Radjabassa, Kalianda.-1928. E. Java: Lawang (Jan.); Tiris (March 3), G. Taroeb with Backer (4-5); Poedjon-Tjobanrondo (Sept. 1), Poetjoengsari (2); Ranoe Daroengan (Sept. 12); Tiris (Sept. 23), SE. slope G. Taroeb (24), Ranoe Belek-Dempit (25), G. Taroeb (26); P. Bawean, N of E. Java (2nd half of Oct.); G. Tengger (Nongkodjadjar and Kletak with Backer) (Nov. 19 or 20); Ranoe Daroengan with Backer (Dec. 9); also collecting on G. Lawoe, G. Kawi, G. Ardjoeno, at Sitiardjo (S. coast).-1929. Bay of Popoh (Jan. 6); Ranoe Daroengan (Jan. 17, Febr. 12); with Backer visiting: Kepoeh (Febr. 22,) G. Boto (March 10-13), Bondowoso (14) and G. Baoeng (18); Blambangan and environs (Apr. 14-23); G. Baoeng (Aug. 3); G. Smeroe, and kali Bening (Aug. 14), kali Glidik (16); also collecting on G. Kawi, G. Ardjoeno, Kendeng Mts, Zuidergebergte near Djember, etc. -1930. G. Kawi, Singoeroek, Soerabaja (Patjiran); kali Glidik (Malang), G. Smeroe. Tour to Borneo and Celebes, E. Borneo: Balikpapan (Oct. 17), Samarinda (18), Tengarong (19), M. Kaman (20), Melak (22), Melak to Sekolak darat (23), Sg. Darat-Padang Loewai (24),³ Padang Loewai-Sekolak (25), Melak (26), Djantoer (27); W. Centr. Celebes: Pakoeli (Nov. 3), Sidaventa to Kaboelia (3), Koelawi (3), mountain E of Koelawi (4), along Sg. Magili (5), Koelawi to Lindoe (6), environs of Tomado (7), G. Tornado (8), Lindoe to Koelawi (9), Koelawi (10), Donggala (12), Tosale (13), Donggala (14-16) and SW. Celebes: Makassar (17-19), making trips to Paleko (18), and to Tjikorok on the SW. slope of G. Bonthain (19).-1931. E. Java: Soenggoriti (March 20); G. Kawi above Tjobanrondo (Apr. 19); Poenten (Apr. 26).-1932. P. Weh, N of Sumatra: Sabang (March 28); E. Java: Poespo (Sept. 10), G. Lawangan (Sept. 25).-Tour to the Lesser Sunda Islands. Sailing from Soerabaja (Oct. 29); Soembawa: Bima (Nov. 1); Soemba: Waike(1)o (2); Flores: Geli (or Keli) Moetoe (4), from where to Endeh (6), Wolo-Are(h) (7), Inie Lika (9), Mborong (10), Mborong-Sita (11), Roeteng (12), G. Kasteno SE of Roeteng (13), Rana Mesé (14), SE. slope of G. Mandaswai (15), G. Mandaswai (17), E of Reo (19); and on the way back to Java touching at SW. Celebes: Makassar (23), visiting Malino (24-26), and Patapang (25). -E. Java: Gradjegan (Dec. 10).-1933. G. Sawoer (S. slope G. Smeroe) (Apr. 17); Ranoe Pani to Sendoeroe (July 16); Lalidjiwo (slope G. Ardjoeno) (July 31); G. Kembar (31) and W. slope G. Welirang (31); Ranoe Kembolo (Aug. 24) and Ajek-Ajek (N. Smeroe) (25); also collecting at Soenggoriti, G. Baoeng, Loemadjang, G. Lamongan. P. Bawean, N of E. Java: at Baleboh Goenoeng, G. Menangis, G. Lawangan, Sangkapoera. Bali: Sebetan (Nov. 19), Sangeh (20), G. Kelatakan (21), Bedoegoel (22), Poeloehan (22), Lake Bratan (22), Gitgit (24), northern caldera of the Bratan (25), Gitgit (26). E. Java: above Litjin (ldjen Plateau) (Dec. 17).-1934. E. Java: G. Welirang; G. Kawi (Aug. 5).-1935. During a trip to Australia, collecting on Thursday Isl., S of New Guinea (Aug. 17).-1936. E. Java: G. Ardjoeno (Febr. 16, March 15); G. Tengger (Apr. 26); G. Dorowati (Apr. 30); G. Andjasmoro (July 19); G. Lamongan (Aug. 9); E. Java: road to G. Boetak (Sept. 9), Oro-Oro (9), Tjikadjang (9); road to G. Kawi (Sept. 20); G. Kawi (Oct. 11); also collecting on G. Tjemarakandang (near Malang) and at Ranoe Daroengan (S. slope G. Smeroe).-1937. Batoeraden on slope G. Slamat (Febr. 5); G. Andjasmoro; G. Baoeng (June 10); above Ranoe Pani (Aug. 30); G. Kawi-Boetak (Sept. 18); Idjen Plateau: G. Pendil (Nov. 3), Banjoepait (4), Sempol (5); above Sarangan (Nov. 30-Dec. 2), at Tjemara Sewoe (Dec. 1), etc. Visit to Bali: Bangli (Dec. 26), Sangeh (27), Bedoegoel (27), Bratan caldera (28-29), G. Bratan, above Poeloekan (Jan. l, 1938).-1939. N. Sumatra, Tapanoeli Res.: Siborongborong (Apr. 16); Hoetagindjang (Toba Lake) (16) and Toba Plateau beyond Balige (16); Sumatra West Coast: Pajakoemboeh near Bangkinang (18); N. Sumatra, Tapanoeli : Silalahi on the N. side of Toba Lake (22); Sumatra East Coast: Sibolangit (23). SW. Celebes: Enrekang (Oct. 13), Palopo to Rantepao (14), Maros to Tjambi (15), Malino ( ? ).-1939-45. W. Java.

collections:

Principally ferns.⁴ Herb. Groningen [now in L]: 261 nos Java collection 1925; also fern dupl. The Djambi (Centr. Sumatra) collection wholly in Herb. Bog. [BO]: > 600 nos (451-1098, partly collected by Saimoendt, numbered in the same series). Collections since 1926 in private herbarium, for the greater part dupl. in Herb. Bog. [BO], Herb. Pasoer. (also some dupl. Java 1925) [PAS now in BO], Herb. Leiden [L] (365 nos, pres. 1933-35), Herb. Sing. [SING] (5 nos from Flores, pres. 1935), Herb. Geneva [G], Brisbane, etc. The total amount of his collections in Herb. Pasoer. [PAS now in BO] is c. 2000 nos, of which more than 1000 collected together with C.A. Backer (see there).

His collections from the tropics are numbered from 1 onwards; from the Lesser Sunda Islands and Celebes in 1932, the nos 3001-3504.

literature:

(1) cf. Ann. Jard. Bot. Buit. 45, 1935, p. 47 and l.c. p. 68-69.

(2) O. Posthumus: ‘Djambi Expeditie’ (Bull. Mij Bev. Nat. Onderz. Ned. Kol. no 81); ‘Palaeobotanische Djambi-Expeditie’ (Tijdschr. K.N.A.G. 1926, p. 214-216); ‘Eenige opmerkingen betreffende de palacozoïsche flora van Djambi, Sumatra’ (Versl. Gew. Verg. Afd. Nat. Kon. Akad. Wet. Amsterdam 36, 1926, p. 428-434).

(3) O. Posthumus: ‘Some remarks on the vegetation on the sandy soil of the Padang Loewai (Borneo)’ (Proc. Kon. Akad. Wet. Amsterdam 40, 1937, p. 505-512).

(4) O. Posthumus: ‘Betreffende de Pteridophyta van Djambi’ (Versl. Gew. Verg. Kon. Akad. Wet. Amsterdam 31, no l, p. 95-112); ‘Notes on the Pteridophyta from Djambi’ (Proc. Roy. Acad. Sci. Amsterdam 31, no 1, p. 95-112); ‘Ferns of Bawean’ (Proc. Roy. Acad. Sci. Amsterdam 32, 1929, 9 pp.); and numerous other publications on the fern flora of Indonesia (see Ann. Jard. But. Buit. 45, 1935, p. 79 and 147).

biographical data:

Backer, Verkl. Woordenb., 1936, p. 659; Landbouw 20, 1948, p. 178-180; Bull. Bot. Gard. Buit. ser. 3, vol. 18, 1949, p. 171-180, incl. portr. & partial bibliogr.; C.L. Romke: ‘Herinneringen aan Dr O. Posthumus’ (Nota); Jaarb. Kon. Ned. Akad. Wetensch. 1948-49, 19 pp., reprints w. bibliogr. p. 20-24.