Joaquim José da Silva (c. 1755–1810): his life, natural history collecting activities, and involvement in the so-called first scientific expedition in the interior of Angola

Abstract

Abstract Figueiredo, E. & G.F. Smith (2021). Joaquim José da Silva (c. 1755–1810): his life, natural history collecting activities, and involvement in the so-called first scientific expedition in the interior of Angola. Candollea 76: 125–138. In English, English abstract. The Portuguese naturalist Joaquim José da Silva (c. 1755–1810) was sent to Angola in the late 18th century to collect natural history specimens, as part of the “viagens philosophicas”, a series of expeditions funded by the Portuguese state to its overseas territories. Silva arrived in Angola in 1783 and remained in the country until his death 27 years later. An account of Silva's life and activities is provided. His travel itineraries in Angola are mapped and a list of his collections that could be located is presented. The little-known expedition to the Cunene River in which he participated is discussed. It was the first expedition to the interior of Angola during which plants were collected for deposition in a herbarium. His plant collections are recorded in the literature as numbering over 200 specimens that are held in the Herbarium of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris (P), after they were removed from Lisbon, Portugal, by Étienne Geoffroy St. Hilaire (1772–1844) during the Napoleonic War, in 1808. The Silva collections served as original material for describing at least 24 names. However, the Silva specimens at P lack collector's name and date and are difficult to trace. Only about 20% of these collections have been located in P. Received: January 15, 2021; Accepted: February 10, 2021; First published online: May 20, 2021