Thanks a lot for sharing this. Even in Orchid world he is well known as his was one of the first comprehensive orchid treatise from India on Orchids of Bombay. Many orchids were first described by him from western Ghats most of which hopefully still lies at the BLATTER herbarium. Best regards Pankaj
On Thursday, 6 December 2012 00:56:16 UTC+8, [email protected] wrote: > > Dear all, > > I have just been informed by a good friend from Spain that today is the > 109th birth anniversary of Father Santapau. My friend Miguel's uncle, also > a Jesuit and serious plant aficionado, knew him very well and both of them > shared the same birthplace in north-east Spain. > > In addition to his diverse publications in English, Father Santapau also > wrote about Indian flora in his native Spanish and these papers were > published in journals of the Madrid Botanical Garden, the Antonio José > Cavanilles Institute of Botany et al. I have been reading some of his > Spanish writings on the flora of Bombay, Saurashtra, Khandala, > Mahabaleshwar etc. - an absorbing mix of monograph, travelogue and > anecdotes punctuated with his own line drawings of maps and plant parts. > > The affectionate kinship and the deep sense of belonging with which he > introduced the plants and the forests of India to the native readers of his > motherland suggest that the flora of India had naturalized him long before > he became a formal Indian citizen. Concurrently, his love for the country > of his birth and youth prompted him to liken the red-yellow-red flowers of > *Gloriosa superba* as the most vivid manifestation of the Spanish > national flag in nature! > > Have attached an article on Father Santapau by Prof. PV Bole. Miguel had > sent me some Spanish newspaper clippings of Father Santapau's interviews > from the 1950s and one of these is also attached. > > Best wishes, Viplav > > "I suppose my birth along the banks of the river Ebro endowed me with an > innate love for plants. I come from the charming village of La Galera near > Tortosa. But, above all, I think I found my calling for flowers in the > beautiful mountains of Kurseong when I was studying theology in India." - > Hermenegildo Santapau, S. J. [in conversation with Antonio T. Nicolas, S. > J., 1956] > > > ---------- Mensaje original ---------- > De: Miguel Garriga <[email protected] <javascript:>> > Fecha: 5 de diciembre de 2012 17:12 > Asunto: 109 Aniversario del nacimiento del Padre Santapau > Para: Viplav Gangar <[email protected] <javascript:>> > > > Hola Viplav, > > Te gustaría saber que hoy es el día de cumpleaños de Padre Santapau y te > echamos de menos en la reunión con vino, buñuelos y un montón de recuerdos > del Padre que está evocando tío Joaquin ... los cuales le gustaría poder > volver a vivir ;-) Vendremos a Khandala en enero ... te voy a telefonear > pronto. La pintura indígena es sumamente preciosa, ya he puesto en un marco > y colgado en la sala! Por acá te mandan saludos Manolo, Cristina y Isabel > tambien. > > Hasta pronto ... Miguel > > --
