Johannes Jacobus Smith
Encyclopedia
Johannes Jacobus Smith (sometimes written as Joannes Jacobus Smith) was a Dutch botanist
who, between years 1905 to 1924, crossed the islands of the Dutch East Indies
(mainly Java), collecting specimens of plants and describing and cataloguing the flora of these islands. The standard botanical author abbreviation J.J.Sm. is applied to plants described by J.J. Smith.
The description of the flowers of the western half of New Guinea
(then a Dutch territory) is largely based on his work. He was, next to Rudolf Schlechter, the most prolific author on New Guinea orchids. He also described numerous plants from other families, such as Ericaceae
and Euphorbiaceae
.
. He made several expeditions in Java, Celebes (now Sulawesi), the Ambon Islands and the Moluccas. In 1905 he was promoted to assistant of the herbarium. He was awarded an honorary Ph.D. degree at the Utrecht University
in 1910. Finally, he was appointed the director of the Botanical Gardens at Buitenzorg from 1913 till his retirement in 1924. He then returned to Holland, settled in Utrecht
and later in Oegstgeest, near Leiden. He continued describing orchids till shortly before his death in 1947, such as naming the Sumatran orchid Dendrochilum atjehense J.J.Sm. 1943.
He named several orchid genera:
The orchid Cypripedium smithii was named in his honor by Rudolf Schlechter.
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
who, between years 1905 to 1924, crossed the islands of the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
(mainly Java), collecting specimens of plants and describing and cataloguing the flora of these islands. The standard botanical author abbreviation J.J.Sm. is applied to plants described by J.J. Smith.
The description of the flowers of the western half of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
(then a Dutch territory) is largely based on his work. He was, next to Rudolf Schlechter, the most prolific author on New Guinea orchids. He also described numerous plants from other families, such as Ericaceae
Ericaceae
The Ericaceae, commonly known as the heath or heather family, is a group of mostly calcifuge flowering plants. The family is large, with roughly 4000 species spread across 126 genera, making it the 14th most speciose family of flowering plants...
and Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae, the Spurge family are a large family of flowering plants with 300 genera and around 7,500 species. Most are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are also shrubs or trees. Some are succulent and resemble cacti....
.
Biography
J.J. Smith sailed to Java in 1891 and became assistant curator at the Buitenzorg Botanical Gardens (near Batavia), now BogorBogor
Bogor is a city on the island of Java in the West Java province of Indonesia. The city is located in the center of the Bogor Regency , 60 kilometers south of the Indonesian capital Jakarta...
. He made several expeditions in Java, Celebes (now Sulawesi), the Ambon Islands and the Moluccas. In 1905 he was promoted to assistant of the herbarium. He was awarded an honorary Ph.D. degree at the Utrecht University
Utrecht University
Utrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....
in 1910. Finally, he was appointed the director of the Botanical Gardens at Buitenzorg from 1913 till his retirement in 1924. He then returned to Holland, settled in Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
and later in Oegstgeest, near Leiden. He continued describing orchids till shortly before his death in 1947, such as naming the Sumatran orchid Dendrochilum atjehense J.J.Sm. 1943.
Botanical accomplishments
J.J.Smith studied and described hundreds of orchid species, amongst others :- Aerides reversum J.J.Sm. (1912)
- Bulbophyllum borneense (Schltr.) J.J.Sm. (1912)
- Bulbophyllum brunendijkii J.J.Sm. (1906).
- Bulbophyllum echinolabium J.J.Sm. (1934).
- Calanthe veratrifolia var. dupliciloba J.J.Sm. (1922)
- Calanthe veratrifolia var. lancipetala J.J.Sm. (1930)
- Cirrhopetalum biflorum (Teijsm. & Binn.) J.J.Sm. (1903)
- Coelogyne salmonicolor var. virescentibus J.J.Sm. ex Dakkus (1935)
- Dendrobium acaciifolium J.J.Sm. (1917)
- Dendrobium acanthophippiiflorum J.J.Sm. (1915)
- Dendrobium agathodaemonis J.J.Sm. (1910)
- Dendrobium asperifolium J.J.Sm. (1911)
- Dendrobium atromarginatum J.J.Sm. (1929)
- Dendrobium capitellatum J.J.Sm. (1906)
- Dendrobium carstensziense J.J.Sm. (1929)
- Dendrobium confusum J.J.Sm. (1911)
- Dendrobium ephemerum J.J.Sm. (1917)
- Dendrobium halmaheirense J.J.Sm.
- Dendrobium lichenicola J.J.Sm. (1929)
- Dendrobium papilioniferum J.J.Sm. (1905)
- Dendrobium papilioniferum var. ephemerum J.J.Sm. (1905)
- Dendrobium quadrialatum J.J.Sm. (1922)
- Paphiopedilum glaucophyllum J.J.Smith (1905)
- Phalaenopsis amboinensis J.J.Sm. (1911)
- Phalaenopsis denevei J.J.Sm. (1925)
- Phalaenopsis fimbriata J.J.Sm. (1921)
- Phalaenopsis fimbriata var. sumatrana J.J.Sm. (1932)
- Phalaenopsis pulcherrima J.J.Sm. (1933)
- 67 DendrochilumDendrochilumDendrochilum is a genus of epiphytic, lithophytic and a few terrestrial flowering plants in the orchid family...
species - and many more
He named several orchid genera:
- Abdominea J.J. Sm.1914.
- Ascocentrum Schlechter ex- J.J. Sm. 1914.
The orchid Cypripedium smithii was named in his honor by Rudolf Schlechter.
Selected publications
He was the author of many taxonomic papers.- Smith, Joannes Jacobus. : ‘Orchidaceae van Ambon. - Batavia, 1905. (in Dutch)
- Smith, Joannes Jacobus. Aanteekeningen over orchideeën. - [S.l.], 1920. - 5 dl. (in Dutch)
- Smith, Joannes Jacobus. : The Orchidaceae of Dr. W. Kaudern's expedition to Selebes. - [S.l.], 1926
- Smith, Joannes Jacobus. : Enumeration of the Orchidaceae of Sumatra and neighbouring islands. - Dahlem bei Berlin, 1933.
- Smith, J.J. Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Saprophyten Javas. XII-XIV: Burmannia tuberosa Becc. Leiden.. 102-138 pp. 16 lithogr. plts.
- Koorders, S.H. & J.J.Smith. Ericacea - Gentianaceae - Corsiaceae - Polugalaceae. Leiden, 1912. 14 pp. 46 lithogr. plts.
- Koorders, Sijfert Hendrik, Theodoric Valeton & Johannes Jacobus Smith: Bijdrage no. 1 [-13] tot de kennis der boomsoorten op Java. Additamenta ad cognitionem Florae javanicae … Batavia & ‘s Gravenhage, G. Kolff, 1894–1914, 13 volumes (J.J.Smith is the sole author of volume 12 and of volume 13 in collaboration with Theodoric Valeton)
- J.J. Smith et al. - 's Lands Plantentuin Buitenzorg. Gedenkschrift ter gelegenheid van het honderdjarig bestaan op 18 mei 1917. Eerste gedeelte. (Buitenzorg, 1917) (in Dutch)
- J.J. Smith - Geïllustreerde gids voor 's Lands Plantentuin Buitenzorg pp 60 pb Buitenzorg, zj ±1925 (in Dutch)
Reference works
- Blumea, Suppl. 1, SMITH vol., 1937, with dedications, photographs, etc.; Bull. Jard. Bot. Bilt. sér. 3, vol. 14, 1937, p. 99-114, incl. bibliogr. & portr
- Wie is dat? ed. 3-4; Orchideeën, June 1942, 6 pp (in Dutch)
- Bull. Bot. Gard. Buitenzorg III, 17, 1948, p. 381-382
- Orchideeën, March 1949, p. 23-31 + portr.