BRANDEGEE, Townshend Stith
BRANDEGEE, Townshend Stith (1843-1925), Connecticut-born Yale graduate and self-trained botanist of the western United States and Baja, California. Carrying out a commission to obtain specimens of certain rare western timbers, he visited Santa Cruz Island in 1886 that turned his attention to the fascination of the biology of islands.
Brandegee added about 80 taxa to the Santa Cruz Island list compiled by E. L. Greene. Brandegee became an authority on the flora of Baja California and the adjacent islands.
“ 1889-1902. Townshend Stith Brandegee. Mr. Brandegee has done more than any other botanist, both by field work and in oubkished results, to make known the flora of Lower California. Most of his field work was carried on in connection with expeditions of the California Academy of Sciences, which he accompanied at his own expense. In addition to these expeditions, detailed elsewhere, he visited the coast region adjacent to Magdalena Bay in January, 1890, working from Matancita to Todos Santos and thence to the Dierra de la Laguna and La Paz, where the journey ended in February...In February, 1897, he cruised with A. W. Anthony in a schooner along the west coast and adjacent islands. The topped at Ensenada, and then in turn at the islands of Todos Santos, San Martin, San Geronimo, Guadalupe, San Benito, Cedros and Natividad, and at San bartolome Bay... The Brandegee collection of plants is now in the herbarium of the University of California.” [Nelson 1921]
In 1889, Brandegee married the curator of the herbarium of the California Academy of Sciences, Dr. Mary Katharine Layne Curran. For their honeymoon, they walked from San Diego to San Francisco on a botanical collecting trip.
The Santa Cruz Island endemic monkey flower, Mimulus brandegei is named in his honor. Brandegee also collected plants on Santa Catalina Island in 1884, 1889, 1890 and 1899, but most of these specimens were lost in the 1906 San Francisco fire at the California Academy of Sciences. Some duplicates survived in other herbaria. Brandegee returned to collect on Santa Catalina Island May 17-25, 1916. These specimens are at the University of California herbarium.
Brandegee collected plants on:
- SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND (1894)
- SANTA CATALINA ISLAND (1884, 1889, 1890, 1899, 1916)
- SANTA CRUZ ISLAND (1881, 1888, 1889, 1896)
- SANTA ROSA ISLAND (1888)
————
- ISLA GUADALUPE (1896, 1897)
- ISLA SAN MARTIN (1897)
- 1888. Brandegee, T. S. Flora of the Santa Barbara Islands Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 2nd series 1(part 2):201-226, 1888
- 1890 Brandegee, T. S. Convolvulus occidentalis, Gray. Zoe 1(3):85-86, May 1890
- 1890 Brandegee, T. S. Flora of the Californian Islands Zoe 1(5):129-148
In the News~
August 1, 1888 [SBMP]: “Natural History Society. The Society of Natural History held a meeting at their rooms on Saturday afternoon. Some specimens of local interest were added to the museum... Mrs. Bingham gave some account of the work of Mr. T. S. Brandegee, in this vicinity; he collected plants upon the islands of Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa, also at various points on the Santa Ynez range of mountains with a view of comparing flora of the two regions...”
April 18, 1897 [NYT]: “California Island life… A story of some foxes without tails, cunning ravens with a fondness for chickens, bald eagles in plenty… The flora of these islands is singular and has induced a botanist, Professor T. S. Brandegee, to say: ‘It has been suggested that these islands are the remnants of a Western Atlantis.’ The botanical arguments in favor of the theory are drawn principally from the flora of Santa Cruz Island and consist mainly of new species…”
September 4, 1917 [TI/Avalon]: “Over 400 different plants are found on Santa Catalina Island, many that are rare on the mainland. Professor T. S. Brandegee says: ‘It has been suggested that these islands are the remnants of a western Atlantis. The botanical arguments in favor of the theory are drawn principally from the flora of Santa Cruz Island, and consist mainly of numerous new species’…”
Island Collections~
https://ucjeps.cspace.berkeley.edu/ucjeps_project/public/publicsearch/
SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND
8/25/1894 NMNH plants
| ISLAND | COLLECTOR | INSTITUTION | DATE | NUMBER | SPECIMEN | |
| San Clemente Island | T. S. Brandegee | UC | 1894 | UC-91201 | Artemisia nesiotica | Plants |
| San Clemente Island | T. S. Brandegee | UC | August 24, 1892 | UC-88735 | Encilia californica | Plants |
| San Clemente Island | T. S. Brandegee | UC | August 24, 1894 | UC-103538 | Castilleja grisea | Plants |
| San Clemente Island | T. S. Brandegee | UC | August 25, 1894 | UC-103991 | Solanum douglasii | Plants |
| San Clemente Island | T. S. Brandegee | UC | August 25, 1894 | UC-194676 | Deinandra clementina | Plants |
| San Clemente Island | T. S. Brangdegee | SD | August 25, 1894 | SD-129827 | Dudleya virens subsp. virens | Plants |
| San Clemente Island | T. S. Brangdegee | UC | August 25, 1894 | UC-115256 | Dudleya virens subsp. virens | Plants |
SANTA CATALINA ISLAND
May 13, 1890 FMNH
| ISLAND | COLLECTOR | INSTITUTION | DATE | NUMBER | SPECIMEN | |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | HUH | May 1889 | A-345095 | Lyonothamnus floribundus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | HUH | May 1889 | A-349827 | Ceanothus megacarpus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | HUH | May 1889 | A-362510 | Arctostaphylos | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | HUH | 1889 | A-362689 | Comarostaphylis diversifolia subsp. planifolia | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | HUH | May 1889 | A-367882 | Ceanothus arboreus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | CAS | May 1889 | CAS-281 | Eschscholzia elegans | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | CAS | May 1889 | CAS-335424 | Eschscholzia caespitosa | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | CAS | 1889 | CAS-466198 | Comarostaphylis diversifolia subsp. planifolia | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | CAS | May 1889 | CAS-466218 | Arctostaphylos catalinae | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | CAS | May 1889 | CAS-54888 | Ceanothus arboreus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | DS | May 1889 | DS-105296 | Acmispon argophyllus var. argenteus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | DS | May 1889 | DS-113768 | Arctostaphylos catalinae | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | DS | May 1889 | DS-32142 | Ceanothus megacarpus var. megacarpus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | DS | 1889 | DS-32421 | Ceanothus megacarpus var. megacarpus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | DS | May 1889 | DS-32559 | Ceanothus arboreus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | DS | May 1889 | DS-32681 | Rhamnus pirifolia | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | DS | May 1889 | DS-37854 | Lyonothamnus floribundus subsp. floribundus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | DS | May 1889 | DS-37856 | Lyonothamnus floribundus subsp. floribundus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | DS | May 1889 | DS-72982 | Lyonothamnus floribundus subsp. floribundus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | DS | 1889 | DS-91856 | Comarostaphylis diversifolia subsp. planifolia | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | GH | May 1889 | GH-345086 | Lyonothamnus floribundus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | GH | May 1889 | GH-345092 | Lyonothamnus floribundus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | GH | May 1889 | GH-349817 | Ceanothus megacarpus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | GH | May 1889 | GH-350322 | Arctostaphylos glandulosa | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | GH | 1889 | GH-362663 | Comarostaphylis diversifolia | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | GH | May 1889 | GH-367876 | Ceanothus arboreus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | POM | May 1889 | POM-69656 | Lycium brevipes var. hassei | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | RSA | May 1889 | RSA-69656 | Ceanothus arboreus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | RSA | May 1889 | RSA-261705 | Ceanothus megacarpus var. insularis | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | SBBG | March 30, 1889 | SBBG-112909 | Calystegia macrostegia subsp. intermedia | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | SD | May 1889 | SD-8404 | Lyonothamnus floribundus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | SEINET | 1889 | SEINET-3155019 | Mentzelia micrantha | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 1889 | UC-103860 | Lycium brevipes var. hassei | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 1889 | UC-107099 | Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. chrysanthemifolia | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 1889 | UC-11007 | Thysanocarpus laciniatus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 1889 | UC-78285 | Amsinckia spectabilis | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 1, 1889 | UC-78286 | Amsinckia microsperma | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 1889 | UC-78665 | Cryptantha clevelandii | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 1889 | UC-79799 | Ceanothus arboreus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 1889 | UC-79863 | Ceanothus megacarpus var. insularis | Plants |
| ~ trip ~ | ||||||
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 1890 | UC-91281 | Achillea millefolium | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 12, 1890 | UC-78275 | Amsinckia intermedia | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 12, 1890 | UC-101624 | Astragalus gambelianus | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 12, 1890 | UC-107702 | Camissonia californica | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 14, 1890 | UC-89408 | Madia gracilis | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 15, 1890 | UC-107482 | Phacelia lyonii | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 16, 1890 | UC-88843 | Ambrosia chamissonis | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 16, 1890 | UC-121470 | Aristida adscensionis | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 20, 1890 | UC-121354 | Agrostis pallens | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 20, 1890 | UC-79500 | Cryptantha maritima | Plants |
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 21, 1890 | UC-115108 | Juncus acutus subsp. leopoldi | Plants |
| ~ trip ~ | ||||||
| Santa Catalina Island | T. S. Brandegee | UCB | May 1916 | UC-1983926 | Silvetia compressa | Plants |
SANTA CRUZ ISLAND
1881; 4/1888; 1889 SBBG
| ISLAND | COLLECTOR | INSTITUTION | DATE | NUMBER | SPECIMEN | |
| ~ trip ~ | ||||||
| Santa Cruz Island | T. S. Brandegee | CAS | July 1896 | DS-127170 | Hazardia detonsa | Plants |
| Santa Cruz Island | T. S. Brandegee | CAS | 1896 | POM-359367 | Hazardia detonsa | Plants |
ISLA SANTA ROSA
| ISLAND | COLLECTOR | INSTITUTION | DATE | NUMBER | SPECIMEN | |
| Santa Rosa Island | T. S. Brandegee | HUH | April 1888 | GH | Lyonothamnus floribundus subsp. aspleniifolius | Plants |
| ~ trip ~ | ||||||
| Santa Rosa Island | T. S. Brandegee | UC | June 1, 1888 | UC-91944 | Acourtia microcephala | Plants |
| Santa Rosa Island | T. S. Brandegee | UC | June 1, 1888 | UC-118935 | Pinus torreyana | Plants |
| Santa Rosa Island | T. S. Brandegee | CAS | June 1888 | CAS-95301 | Pinus torreyana | Plants |
| Santa Rosa Island | T. S. Brandegee | HUH | June 1888 | A-357244 | Pinus torreyana | Plants |
ISLA SAN MARTIN
| ISLAND | COLLECTOR | INSTITUTION | DATE | NUMBER | SPECIMEN | |
| Isla San Martin | T. S. Brandegee | NMNH | March 12, 1897 | NMNH-694735 | Chenopodium flabellifolium | Plants |
