Charles Russell Orcutt

Charles Russell Orcutt (* April 27, 1864 in Hartland (Vermont ); † August 24, 1929 in Haiti ) was an American naturalist and plant hunter who dealt in particular with succulents. Its collections form the basis for the San Diego Natural History Museum. Its official botanical author abbreviation is " Orcutt ".

Life and work

Charles Russell Orcutt was the first son of Herman Chandler Orcutt and Eliza Eastin Gray Orcutt. He had four siblings. In 1879 his family moved from Vermont to San Diego. Herman Orcutt was one of the pioneers of America and opened a horticultural nursery near the ruins of Mission San Diego de Alcalá on El Camino Real.

Charles Russell acquired his education largely independently and had from his youth a keen interest in science, especially zoology and botany. He accompanied his father on trips around San Diego and made in 1882 with his father and the botanist Charles Christopher Parry an expedition to Ensenada, where he, although employed as expedition driver, the collection and preparation of plant learned intensely as he stressed life itself.

With his growing interest in plants and their horticultural value of the radius of his excursion area grew. He constantly looked for not yet described species. He explored the southern California, Baja California, Mexico, Central America and finally the Caribbean with the West Indies. Since he paid particular attention to cactus and many new species discovered he was soon nicknamed The Cactus Man.

His areas of interest and his passion for collecting made ​​him an important member of the San Diego Society of Natural History. Many herbarium specimens of his discoveries he bequeathed this company. 1893, 1902 and 1903 he was a member of its board.

In the late 1920s left Orcutt San Diego to settle in Jamaica and Haiti and conduct research there. When he died at age 65, he was buried according to his testamentary wish to Haiti.

Honors

Charles Orcutt was elected on June 5, 1885 lifelong member of the San Diego Society of Natural History. Many plant species, fossil and recent mollusks and reptiles perpetuate his name in their epithets.