David Burke ( 1854 - 1897 )

David Burke was one of the most widely travelled botanical collectors-and one of the last sent out by James Veitch& Sons to search for orchids and rare of tropical plants. Looked upon by many as an eccentric , Burke was somewhat nonconformative, preferring the privations of his native England.

Born at Kent in 1854, he entered the Veitch firm at Chelsea as a young gardent and , desiring to travel , was sent on a trial trip to Borneo with Charles Curtis . His proclivity as a collector was thus proven, for he returned with a wonderful collection of orchids collected in Sarawak.

Buke's next mission was a solo trip to British Guiana in 1881 ,where he rediscovered the curious insectivorous plant Heliamphora nurans, which had not been seen since its discovery by the Schomburgk brothers on Mount Roraima in 1839. He also sent home the handsome Amasonia punicea (calycina) and , among orchids, the rare Zygopetalum burkei.

Subsequent journeys followed -two to the Philippines for phalaenopsis , two to New Guinea ,and one to the newly annexed provinces of upper Burma in 1891 in search of orchids . During 1894-1896 he made three trips to Colombia for Cattleya mendelii ,Cattleya schroderac,Catleya trianaei ,and Odontoglossum cispum.

Finally , having spent a short time in England , he left for the Moluccas and Celebas Islands in 1896. Prior to departing for the tropics he seemed to love so , he stated," I'm off again and if I make a good medal for some one I hope I shall give full satisfaction ."

Burke was fully aware of the dangers involved in his expeditions ,but in spite of the differing mores and customs of the native peoples who might at the slightest provocation rise aganist him ,he had little love for the refinements of society and floried in the risks he was used to taking . Yet ,fate or the law of averages won out , for on 11 April 1897 David Burke died at Amboina in a native but far from any European settlement . Had it not been for information sent by a German traveleron that part of the island at the time , history might never have known the fate of David Burke, one of orchidology's most adventurous plant collectors.

References

Curtis Charles H. 1933.Men, Matters and Memories . The Orch . Rev. 41, no . 478.

Irvin ,R. 1960. The Early Orchid Collectors .The Orch .Rev. 68,no. 803.

Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society . 1948.Vol. 73,pt.9.

Lemmon ,Kenneth . 1962. The Covered Garden . London.: Museum Press Ltd.

van Steenis ,C.G.G.J. 1950. Cyclopaedia of Collectors . Flora malesiana . Vol. 1 ,ser .1 .

Veitch ,James H. 1906. Hotus Veitchii Chelsea ,London: James Veitch & Sons Ltd.