Augustus Fendler (January 10, 1813 – November 27, 1883), alternatively written as August Fendler, was a

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

n-born American

natural history Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

collector.Augustus Fendler
at the SIA archives.

Early travels

Fendler first attended preparatory school at the age of 12. After four years, he discontinued his education for financial reasons and apprenticed for the town clerk. He disliked the work, and yearned for travel.William Marriott Canby: ''An Autobiographie and Some Reminiscences of the Late August Fendler. I.'' In: ''

Botanical Gazette The ''International Journal of Plant Sciences'' covers botanical research including genetics and genomics, developmental and cell biology, biochemistry and physiology, morphology and structure, systematics, plant-microbe interactions, paleobotany, ...

''. Band 10, Nummer 6, 1885, S. 285–290
(online).
/ref> Fendler gained his first taste of exploration as a physician's assistant. He partook in an inspection trip of the

cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

quarantine camps on the Russian border of Prussia. Upon his return, he briefly worked as a tanner, then spent a year in a polytechnical school based in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. He dropped out and found his way to

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...

, eventually sailing to

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

in 1836. Fendler initially found work as a tanner in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, then moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and pursued lamp manufacturing. The

panic of 1837 The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis in the United States that began a major depression (economics), depression which lasted until the mid-1840s. Profits, prices, and wages dropped, westward expansion was stalled, unemployment rose, and pes ...

lead to the closing of his shop, and consequently, he left New York for

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

in 1838. He resumed working in the lamp business, but left the city shortly before Christmas the same year. Fendler continued south through

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, before heading west to

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. He was granted a land permit in

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, but abandoned the claim as he had no rifle nor interest in fighting

Comanches The Comanche (), or Nʉmʉnʉʉ (, 'the people'), are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in Lawton, Oklahoma ...

to secure the land.Stieber, Michael T., and Carla Lange. “Augustus Fendler (1813-1883), Professional Plant Collector: Selected Correspondence with George Engelmann.” Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, vol. 73, no. 3, 1986, pp. 520–531. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2399191. Yellow fever drove Fendler from Texas, and he became a school teacher in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. Suddenly driven by the desire for a solitary life, he settled in a dilapidated log cabin on an island on the

Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...

near

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

. He remained here for six months, surviving off of wild game and reading. He left after the island became flooded. In 1841, he returned to

Königsberg Königsberg (; ; ; ; ; ; , ) is the historic Germany, German and Prussian name of the city now called Kaliningrad, Russia. The city was founded in 1255 on the site of the small Old Prussians, Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teuton ...

, Prussia.

Initial collections

Ernst Heinrich Friedrich Meyer Ernst Heinrich Friedrich Meyer (1 January 1791 – 7 August 1858) was a German botanist and botanical historian. Born in the Electorate of Hanover, he lectured in Göttingen and in 1826 became a professor of botany at the University of Königsb ...

, professor of botany at the

University of Königsberg The University of Königsberg () was the university of Königsberg in Duchy of Prussia, which was a fief of Poland. It was founded in 1544 as the world's second Protestant Reformation, Protestant academy (after the University of Marburg) by Duke A ...

, convinced Fendler that he could make a profit collecting plant specimens. He went back to St. Louis with his brother, making the acquaintance of

Georg Engelmann George Engelmann, also known as Georg Engelmann, (2 February 1809 – 4 February 1884) was a German-American botanist. He was instrumental in describing the flora of the west of North America, then very poorly known to Europeans; he was particul ...

. Fendler began sending his specimens to

Asa Gray Asa Gray (November 18, 1810 – January 30, 1888) is considered the most important American botany, botanist of the 19th century. His ''Darwiniana'' (1876) was considered an important explanation of how religion and science were not necessaril ...

at the behest of Engelmann. During the

Mexican American War Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

in 1846, Fendler traveled with the U.S Army to

Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , literal translation, lit. "Holy Faith") is the capital city, capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Santa Fe County. With over 89,000 residents, Santa Fe is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, fourt ...

. He collected specimens throughout the year, once again returning to St. Louis in 1847. His collection is hailed as the first from this part of the country, and he collected over 17,000 specimens during this trip. In 1849, he attempted to travel to the

Great Salt Lake The Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere and the eighth-largest terminal lake in the world. It lies in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah and has a substantial impact upon the local climate, partic ...

, but a flood stymied his progress. On his return to St. Louis, he found a

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...

destroyed all his possessions, personal collections, and travel journals. He left the city with his brother, and continued to New Orleans. He gathered supplies for a collecting trip at Engelmann's expense, and sailed to Chagres, Panama. Fendler collected at the mouth of the

Chagres River The Chagres River (), in central Panama, is the largest river in the Panama Canal's drainage basin. The river is dammed twice, and the resulting reservoirs—Gatun Lake and Lake Alajuela—form an integral part of the canal and its water ...

for four months. He arrived back in New Orleans on April 20, 1850, but continued up to

Camden, Arkansas Camden is a city in and the county seat of Ouachita County, Arkansas, Ouachita County in the south-central part of the U.S. state portals, U.S. state of Arkansas. The city is located about 100 miles south of Little Rock. Situated on bluffs overlo ...

to make further collections. The Fendler brothers, running low on funds, opened up a gas lamp business in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

. Fendler continued to collect plants in his spare time, and began running horticultural experiments with some of the specimens he collected. He reported his data to Engelmann and the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

. By late 1853, the lamp business became unprofitable and Fendler sought to move again.

Venezuelan collections

On the December 24, 1853, the Fendlers left New York harbor for

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

. They arrived at

La Guaira La Guaira () is the capital city of the Venezuelan Vargas (state), state of the same name (formerly named Vargas) and the country's main port, founded in 1577 as an outlet for nearby Caracas. The city hosts its own professional baseball team i ...

on January 21, 1854, and Fendler immediately began collecting plants. Although initially hoping to settle in

Caracas Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...

, the expensive cost of living in the city prompted them to purchase a small farm near

Colonia Tovar Colonia Tovar (Tovar Colony) is a cold mountain town of Venezuela, capital of the Tovar Municipality, Aragua, municipality Tovar in Aragua state. It is located about west of Caracas. It was founded on April 8, 1843, by a group of 390 immigrants f ...

. In Venezuela, he not only collected plants, but also operated meteorological studies during his stay. He collaborated with

Joseph Henry Joseph Henry (December 17, 1797– May 13, 1878) was an American physicist and inventor who served as the first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. He was the secretary for the National Institute for the Promotion of Science, a precursor ...

of the Smithsonian Institution, who published his observations.Todzia, Carol A. “Augustus Fendler's Venezuelan Plant Collections.” Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, vol. 76, no. 1, 1989, pp. 310–329. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2399350. After two years of collecting in Colonia Tovar, Fendler was forced to take longer excursions to find new specimens. He traveled from Maracai to

Puerto Colombia Puerto Colombia is a coastal town and municipality in Atlántico Department, Colombia founded in the mid-1800s. It is famous for its " Pier of Puerto Colombia", that at one time was the largest pier in the world. Duties were later transferred to ...

, as well as from

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

to San Estevan. He also traveled from Petaquire to the Atlantic coast. Fendler visited the United States in 1856, selling moss specimens to

William Starling Sullivant William Starling Sullivant (January 15, 1803 – April 30, 1873) was an early American botanist recognized as the foremost authority on bryophytes in the United States. Biography Sullivant was the oldest son of Lucas Sullivant and Sara (Star ...

and lichen specimens to

Edward Tuckerman Edward Tuckerman (December 7, 1817, in Boston, Massachusetts – March 15, 1886) was an American botanist and professor who made significant contributions to the study of lichens and other alpine plants. He was a founding member of the Natural H ...

. His moss collections from 1854 to 1855 were determined by the bryologist Karl Müller and distributed by August Schrader in 1879 as

exsiccata Exsiccata (Latin, ''gen.'' -ae, ''plur.'' -ae) is a work with "published, uniform, numbered set of preserved specimens distributed with printed labels". Typically, exsiccatae are numbered collections of dried herbarium Biological specimen, spe ...

with the title ''Musci Venezuelenses, determ. C. Mueller. Legit. A. Fendler 1854-5''. Specimens collected by Fendler were also distributed to

herbaria A herbarium (plural: herbaria) is a collection of preserved plant specimens and associated data used for scientific study. The specimens may be whole plants or plant parts; these will usually be in dried form mounted on a sheet of paper (called ...

worldwide in two moss series named ''Musci Boreali-Americani, sive specimina exsiccata muscorum in Americae Respublicis Foederatis detectorum, conjunctis studiis W. S. Sullivant et L. Lesquereux'' (1857, 1866) and in the lichen series ''Reliquiae Tuckermanianae'' (1937-1942).

Later life

The Fendlers returned to St. Louis in 1864, and they purchased a densely wooded tract of land in Allenton, Missouri. They cleared the land and homesteaded for the next 7 years. Fendler accepted a short-term offer from Asa Gray to work as his curator in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

. The brothers sold the farm in 1871, and visited Germany. Here, Fendler improved his botanical knowledge through visits with Johann Caspary and

Alexander Braun Alexander Carl Heinrich Braun (10 May 1805 – 29 March 1877) was a German botanist from Regensburg, Bavaria. His research centered on the morphology of plants and was a very influential teacher who worked as a professor of botany at the univers ...

. The brothers returned to the United States in 1873. The brothers initially settled in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

, with Fendler finding employment arranging herbarium specimens for

William Marriott Canby William Marriott Canby Sr. (1831–1904) was an American banker, business executive, philanthropist and botanist. He is famous as a leading expert on the flora of Delaware and the "eastern shore" region of Maryland and as an epistolary corresponde ...

. Here he continued making meteorological observations for Engelmann. Discomfort caused by

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...

had Fendler searching for a place with a fairer climate. Fendler therefore moved to

Port of Spain Port of Spain ( ; Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English: ''Port ah Spain'' ) is the capital and chief port of Trinidad and Tobago. With a municipal population of 49,867 (2017), an urban population of 81,142 and a transient dail ...

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

in 1877. Fendler continued collecting plants and corresponding with Canby, Gray and Engelmann until his death on November 27, 1883.

Eponyms

Genera

* (

Hydrangeaceae Hydrangeaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Cornales, with a wide distribution in Asia and North America, and locally in southeastern Europe. Description The genera are characterised by leaves in opposite pairs (rarely whorled or ...

) ''

Fendlera ''Fendlera'' is a genus of shrubs in the Hydrangeaceae. They are most commonly known as fendlerbush. The name fendlerbush is also used for the closely related genus ''Fendlerella ''Fendlerella'' is a genus of plants in the family Hydrangeacea ...

Engelm. George Engelmann, also known as Georg Engelmann, (2 February 1809 – 4 February 1884) was a German-American botanist. He was instrumental in describing the flora (plants), flora of the west of North America, then very poorly known to Europeans; ...

& A.Gray * (

) ''

Fendlerella ''Fendlerella'' is a genus of plants in the family Hydrangeaceae native to the region spanning from Colorado, USA to Northeast Mexico. It has four species. Taxonomy Publication The genus ''Fendlerella'' was first described by Amos Arthur Heller ...

'' (

Greene Greene may refer to: Places United States *Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Greene, Iowa, a city * Greene, Maine, a town ** Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene * Greene (town), New York **Greene (village), New York, in the to ...

) A.Heller

Species

* (

Adiantaceae Vittarioideae is a subfamily of the fern family Pteridaceae, in the order Polypodiales. The subfamily includes the previous families Adiantaceae (adiantoids or maidenhair ferns) and Vittariaceae (vittarioids or shoestring ferns). Description The ...

) '' Argyrochosma fendleri'' (

Kunze Kunz, Künz, or Kunze is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Kunz (singer) (Marco Kunz, born 1985), Swiss singer *Adrian Kunz (born 1967), Swiss international footballer *Alfred Kunz (Catholic priest) (1931–1998), American murder ...

) Windham * (

Annonaceae The Annonaceae are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants consisting of trees, shrubs, or rarely lianas commonly known as the custard apple family or soursop family. With 108 accepted genera and about 2400 known species, it is the largest ...

) ''

Annona fendleri ''Annona'' or Anona (from Taíno ''annon'') is a genus of flowering plants in the pawpaw/sugar apple family, Annonaceae. It is the second largest genus in the family after ''Guatteria'', containing approximately 166

'' (

R.E.Fr. (Klas) Robert Elias Fries (11 July 1876, Uppsala – 29 January 1966, Stockholm), the youngest son of Theodor Magnus Fries (1832–1913) and grandson of Elias Magnus Fries (1794–1878) and an expert on mushrooms. A Swedish botanist who was a me ...

) H.Rainer * (

Apiaceae Apiaceae () or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus ''Apium,'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot, or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering p ...

) ''

Tiedemannia fendleri ''Tiedemannia'' is a small genus of flowering plants in the carrot family known as cowbanes and dropworts. Species in this genus have been formerly classified in the genera ''Conium'', '' Oenanthe'', and ''Oxypolis''. , Kew's Plants of the Worl ...

'' J.M.Coult. &

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...

* (

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (, from '' Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison. Notable mem ...

) '' Amblyanthera fendleri'' Müll.Arg. * (

Araceae The Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe (or leaf-like bract). Also ...

) '' Monstera fendleri''

Engl. Engl or Engl. may refer to: *England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more ...

* (

Araliaceae The Araliaceae are a family of flowering plants composed of about 43 genera and around 1500 species consisting of primarily woody plants and some herbaceous plants commonly called the ginseng family. The morphology of Araliaceae varies widely ...

) ''

Dendropanax fendleri ''Dendropanax'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae, consisting of 92 species of evergreen trees and shrubs, first described by Joseph Decaisne & Jules Émile Planchon in 1854.Decaisne, J. & Planchon, J.E. (1854) Rev. Hort. ar ...

'' Seem. * (

Asclepiadaceae The Asclepiadoideae are a subfamily of plants in the family Apocynaceae. Formerly, it was treated as a separate family under the name Asclepiadaceae, e.g. by APG II, and known as the milkweed family. They form a group of perennial herbs, twinin ...

) '' Funastrum fendleri''

Schltr. Friedrich Richard Rudolf Schlechter (16 October 1872 – 16 November 1925) was a German taxonomist, botanist, and author of several works on orchids. He went on botanical expeditions in Africa, Indonesia, New Guinea, South and Central America an ...

* (

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

) '' Heteropleura fendleri'' ( Sch.Bip.) Rydb. (GCI) * (

Blechnaceae Blechnaceae is a family of ferns in the order Polypodiales, with a cosmopolitan distribution. Its status as a family and the number of genera included have both varied considerably. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PP ...

) '' Spicanta fendleri'' (

Hook. Sir William Jackson Hooker (6 July 178512 August 1865) was an English botanist and botanical illustrator, who became the first director of Kew when in 1841 it was recommended to be placed under state ownership as a botanic garden. At Kew he ...

) Kuntze * (

Cactaceae A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...

) '' Echinocereus fendleri'' (

) Sencke ex J.N.Haage * (

Malvaceae Malvaceae (), or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include Theobroma cacao, cacao, Cola (plant), cola, cotton, okra, Hibiscus sabdariffa, ...

) ''

Sphaeralcea fendleri ''Sphaeralcea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae). There are about 40-60 species, including annuals, perennials, and shrubs. Most originate in the drier regions of North America, with some known from South America. ...

'' A.Gray * (

Orthotrichaceae Orthotrichaceae is the only family of mosses in the order Orthotrichales. Many species in the family are epiphytic. Genera Accepted genera include:Orthotrichaceae in GBIF Secretariat (2023). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi. ...

) '' Macromitrium fendleri'' Müll.Hal. * (

Ranunculaceae Ranunculaceae (, buttercup or crowfoot family; Latin "little frog", from "frog") is a family (biology), family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide. The largest genera are ''Ranunculus'' (600 spec ...

) ''

Thalictrum fendleri ''Thalictrum fendleri'' is a species of flowering plant in the Ranunculaceae, buttercup family known by the common name Fendler's meadow-rue. It is named in honor of Augustus Fendler. The plant is native to western North America, including much ...

ex A.GrayThalictrum fendleri at SEINet
/ref> * (

Selaginellaceae ''Selaginella'', also known as spikemosses or lesser clubmosses, is a genus of lycophyte. It is usually treated as the only genus in the family Selaginellaceae, with over 750 known species. This family is distinguished from Lycopodiaceae (the ...

) '' Selaginella fendleri'' (

Underw. Lucien Marcus Underwood (October 26, 1853 – November 16, 1907) was an American botanist and mycologist of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Early life and career He was born in New Woodstock, New York. He enrolled at Syracuse University in 18 ...

) Hieron.

Publications

*Fendler, Augustus
The Mechanism of the Universe, and Its Primary Effort-Exerting Powers. The Nature of Force and the Constitution of Matter.
Commercial Printing Co., 1874.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fendler, Augustus 1813 births 1883 deaths Natural history collectors Prussian emigrants to the United States