The botanist buccaneer
21.08.2023 - 11:57
/ theunconventionalgardener.com
/ Emma Doughty
Ahoy there, me hearties! ‘Tis the day of the year when land lubbers talk like ye scurvy dog pirate of old, shiverin’ their timbers, and the like.
Whilst it’s true that the word ‘pirate’ tends to bring to mind rugged, peg-legged individuals with a parrot, an eye patch and a penchant for treasure, the botanical world has its fair share of plunderers, whose route to fame and fortune came via smuggling botanical riches from one country to another. The whole history of plant hunting is filled with daring adventures, and would now have to be written off as bio-piracy, convening numerous international treaties intending to ensure that countries benefit from their natural wealth.
The world – and our dinners – would look very different if it weren’t for them. The stories of how sugar, tea, rubber and cotton (amongst others) came to travel the world make for fascinating reading. I cover some of the history of plant hunting in my latest book, Jade Pearls and Alien Eyeballs, and it’s intriguing to discover how some of the foods we now consider everyday staples ended up on our plates.
One historical character, now largely forgotten, could rightfully claim the title of both pirate and botanist. I first came across William Dampier when I visited the Oxford University herbarium in 2011, as it holds some of the botanical specimens he brought back from his travels:
In the intervening time I haven’t learned a lot more about him, but on International Talk Like a Pirate day he seems to be a worthwhile topic to return to
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