Scientist John Kunkel Small 1839-1938

Small, John Kunkel, (1869-1938). N.Y. Botanical Garden, New York, Botanist, authority on the flora of the Southeastern United States. His total works on botanical subjects included more than 450 books and papers. He made many expeditions to collect plants and was much interested in Native American Irises, collecting them in many localities and it is really through him that others were able to find and, unfortunately exploit them without giving credit to the original finder. He was very anxious they should not be destroyed and disappear and through his inspiration conservation Society was formed to prevent this. Since his death a memorial in the form of the Louisiana Iris Study Field has been founded by the Louisiana Iris Conservation Society in Audubon Park, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Names he authored or co-authured include:

'Acleantha', R. 1931; 'Alabamensis', R. 1932; 'Albispiritis', R. 1928; 'Alticristata', R. 1932; 'Atrocyanea', R. 1929; 'Atroenantha', R. 1931; 'Auralata', R. 1931; 'Bazeti', R. 1945; 'Bifurcata', R. 1931; 'Brevipes', R. 1932; 'Chlorolopha', R. 1931; 'Chrysaeola', 1929; 'Chrysolopha', R. 1932; 'Chrysophoenicia', 1929; 'Citricristata', R. 1931; 'Citriviola', R. 1931; 'Cyanochrysea', R. 1932; 'Dewinkeleri', R. 1931; 'Elephantina', R. 1931; 'Flexicaulis', 1927; 'Fluviatilis', R. 1932; 'Fourchiana', R. 1931; 'Fulvaurea', 1931; 'Fumifulva', R. 1931; 'Fuscaurea', R. 1931; 'Fuscirosea', R. 1931; 'Fuscisanguinea', R. 1931; 'Fuscivenosa', R. 1931; 'Gentilliana', R. 1931; 'Iochroma', R. 1931; 'Iocyanea', R. 1931; 'Kimballiae', R. 1924; 'Ludoviciana', R. 1931; 'Miraculosa', R. 1928; 'Moricolor', R. 1931; 'Oenantha', R. 1931; 'Parvirosea', R. 1931; 'Phoenicis', R. 1932; 'Pseudocristata', R. 1931; 'Purpurissata', R. 1931; 'Regalis', R. 1931; 'Rhodochrysea', R. 1931; 'Rivularis', 1927; 'Rosiflora', R. 1931; 'Rubicunda', R. 1931; 'Salmonicolor', R. 1931; 'Savannarum', 1924; 'Shrevei'; 1927; 'Subfulva', R. 1931; 'Thomasii', R. 1931; 'Tyriana', R. 1931; 'Vernamont', 1932; 'Vinicolor', R. 1927; 'Violipurpurea', R. 1929; 'Violivenosa', R. 1931; 'Viridvinea', R. 1931; 'Wherryana', R. 1931;

Although he made enormous contributions to taxonomy some of this work was later discredited. Irises were his loss of fame. He had described many Iris species in the Louisiana group and most were later shown to be natural hybrids. Recently some have suggested that a few of the Irises renamed as hybrids may be species afterall.

His iris publications are:

Small, J. K., (1924), Iris carolina, in Addisonia vol. 9: 4, plate 313, p.49-50, Dec. 1924.

Small, J. K., (1924), Iris hexagona, in Addisonia vol. 9: 4, plate 314, p.51-52, Dec. 1924.

Small, J. K., (1924), Iris foliosa, in Addisonia vol. 9: 4, plate 315, p.53-54, Dec. 1924.

Small, J. K., (1924), Iris versicolor, in Addisonia vol. 9: 4, plate 316, p.55-56, Dec. 1924.

Small, J. K., (1924), Iris savannarum, in Addisonia vol. 9: 4, plate 317, p.57-58, Dec. 1924.

Small, J. K., (1924), Iris kimballiae, in Addisonia vol. 9: 4, plate 318, p.59-60, Dec. 1924.

Small, J. K., (1924), Iris lacustris, in Addisonia vol. 9: 4, plate 319, p.61-62, Dec. 1924.

Small, J. K., (1924), Iris cristata, in Addisonia vol. 9: 4, plate 320, p.63-64, Dec. 1924

Small, J. K., (1927), Iris vinicolor, in Addisonia vol. 12: 1, plate 385, p.1-2, March 1927

Small, J. K., (1927), Iris pseudacorus, in Addisonia vol. 12: 1, plate 386, p.3-4, March 1927

Small, J. K., (1927), Iris tripetala, in Addisonia vol. 12: 1, plate 387, p.5-6, March, 1927

Small, J. K., (1927), Iris fulva, in Addisonia vol. 12: 1, plate 388, p.7-8, March 1927

Small, J. K., (1927), Iris flexicaulis, in Addisonia vol. 12: 1, plate 389, p.9-10, March 1927

Small, J. K., (1927), Iris rivularis, in Addisonia vol. 12: 1, plate 390, p.11-12, March 1927

Small, J. K., (1927), Iris shrevei, in Addisonia vol. 12: 1, plate 391, p.13-14, March 1927

Small, J. K., (1927), Iris prismatica, in Addisonia vol. 12: 1, plate 392, p.15-16, March 1927

Small, J. K., (1929), Iris violipurpurea, in Addisonia vol.14: 1, plate 449, p.1-2, 1929

Small, J. K., (1929), Iris albispiritis, in Addisonia vol. 14: 1, plate 450 , p.3-4, March 1929

Small, J. K., (1929), Iris giganticaerulea, in Addisonia vol. 14: 1, plate 451, p. 5-6, March 1929

Small, J. K., (1929), Iris chrysophoenicia, in Addisonia vol. 14: 1, plate 452, p.7-8, March 1929

Small, J. K., (1929), Iris miraculosa, in Addisonia vol. 14: 1, plate 453, p.9-10, March 1929

Small, J. K., (1929), Iris chrysaeola, in Addisonia vol. 14: 1, plate 454, p.11-12, March 1929

Small, J. K., (1929), Iris atrocyanea, in Addisonia vol. 14: 1, plate , p.13-14, March 1929

Small, J. K., (1929), Iris verna, in Addisonia vol. 14: 1, plate 456, p.15-16, March 1929

Small, J. K., (1930), Iris Studies in the Gulf States. Journal of the New York Botanical Garden 31: 237-244.

Small, J. K., (1931), Iris verna, in Addisonia vol. 16: 1, plate 520, p.87-88, 1931

-- BobPries - 2012-05-18