Organisation(s)
CAL (main), PAD (main), A, B, BM, BR, CUH, DBN, E, FI, G, HK, K, L, LE, M, MEL, MO, NA, P, SING, U, UC, US
Biography
Italian priest and naturalist who travelled in Australia and India. Father Benedetto Scortechini is a largely forgotten figure despite his important role as a pioneer priest in 19th century Queensland, where he made many contributions to the knowledge of the flora. He probably arrived in Queensland in 1871, brought out to serve in the new Diocese of Brisbane. After brief stints in Stanhope and Roma he was stationed at Gympie between 1873 and 1875, and then at Logan for the rest of his time in Australia. In addition to his pastoral duties he spent much time studying the botany of the area, collecting specimens alongside the colonial botanist F.M. Bailey. About 90 specimens collected by Scortechini are found in the Queensland Herbarium (BRI).
After leaving Australia early in 1884 Scortechini worked with fellow priest-scientist Rev. Julian Tenison-Woods documenting plant life in the Straits Settlements (Malaysia), where he was appointed Government Botanist at Perak. Leaving the region in 1886 he began making his way to London, via India, to publish his results. While in Calcutta, however, he began suffering from a fever, possibly malaria, and died in November. His collections were given to the Calcutta herbarium (CAL) and hundreds more Scortechini specimens are deposited at BM, K, SING and elsewhere. A member of the Linnean Societies of New South Wales and London, Scortechini published many papers in scientific journals and was a founding member of the Royal Society of Queensland. The genus Scortechinia Hook.f. was named for him and many species also bear his name including Hoya scortechinii King & Gamble and Strychnos scortechinii A.W.Hill.
Sources:
M.J. van Steenis Kruseman, "Cyclopedia of Collectors", Flora Malesiana, online edn:
http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/FMCollectors/S/ScortechiniB.htm, accessed 11 November 2010
J. Tynan, 1989, Pioneer priest and botanist: the life-story of Father Benedetto Scortechini (1845-1886)
Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria, Austalian Plant Collectors and Illustrators:
http://www.anbg.gov.au/biography/schortechini-benedetto.html.
References
Brummitt, R.K. & Powell, C.E., Authors Pl. Names (1992): 579; Jackson, B.D., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew (1901): 59; Vegter, H.I., Index Herb. Coll. S (1986): 841;
