Dr. Ding Hou 80 years young

5 Pages·2001·0.81 MB·English

by  Baas, Pieter

BLUMEA 46 (2001) 201-205
Dr. Ding Hou 80 years young
ElevenOctober2001isthe80thbirthdayofDr.DingHou,muchappreciated Honorary
StaffMemberofour NationaalHerbariumNederland.Timetoreflecton thelifeand
careerofthismodestbuthighly productive andtalentedbotanist.
Ding Hou was bornin 1921 in Hsingkan, Kiangsi Province, China.From 1941—
1945hestudied Botany forhisBSc degree attheNationalChung-Cheng University
in Kiangsi, where he spent anothertwo years as BotanicalAssistant. From 1947-
1951heheldasimilarposition atthe NationalTaiwanUniversity inTaipei. Hethen
movedto theUnitedStatesofAmericawhereheearnedanMAinPlantTaxonomy at
theWashington University in St.Louis, Missouriin 1952,andhis PhDonarevision
of thegenus Celastrusin 1955under supervision ofRobert E.Woodson,Jr. Healso
heldresearch assistantships inSt.Louis, from 1951-1952inthe MissouriBotanical
Garden,and from 1954-1955in theMO Herbarium.In 1955 hewas appointed as
Botanist at the ArnoldArboretumofHarvard University, but in 1956he was lured
away to Leiden by C.G.G.J, van Steenis who attachedhim to his then externally
fundedFloraMalesianaTeam.In 1960hisappointment as SeniorScientificOfficerat
the Rijksherbarium securedhim tenure until his retirementin 1986. However, that
retirementdatedidnot change Ding's dailypattern ofwork inthe herbariumwhich
will hopefully continueuntillong afterhis 80thbirthday.
202 BLUMEA Vol. 46, No. 2, 2001
Ding Hou's importanceforMalesianBotanyis formidable.Single-handedly here-
visedtheCelastraceae (including Hippocrateaceae), Centrolepidaceae, Rhizophora-
ceae, Anacardiaceae,Thymelaeaceae, Aristolochiaceae, andjointlywiththeLarsens
thespeciose Caesalpiniaceae. Withabout600 goodspecies revised, manymorenames
reducedto synonymy, almost 50 species newly described forbotanicalscience, and
one new genusdiscovered during his only substantial fieldtripin Malaysia in 1966
(Sarawakodendron intheCelastraceae),his contributionsrankhimamongstthemost
productive taxonomists inthe FloraMalesianafamily such as Ashton, Kostermans,
Leenhouts,Sleumer, Soepadmo, andDeWilde.Thisproductivity can only beunder-
stoodbecause heallows himselflittletime fordiversions away fromthetaxonomic
grindstone, although heisvery interestedincytologicalandanatomicalaspects, gleaned
frommaterialgrownby himselfinthewindowsillsofthevariousofficesheoccupied
intheherbarium.It was agreatpleasure foroneofus (PB)andtwo MScstudents to
work withhim on thesystematic leafanatomy oftheCelastraceaein theseventies.
Many colleagues, including large numbersofoverseas visitors have experienced
Ding's helpful, friendly and hospitable personality. That friendlinessfar transcends
Qing Dynasty politeness butisrealandtruly charitable.Closeto hiseighties now, he
still looks a few decades youngerthan his age. His young looks were already the
cause ofthe BeadleofLeiden University to mistakehim for a studentat an MSc
degree ceremonyin 1967,12yearsafterhisownPhD,andtowishhimgood luckfor
the day when his graduation would come. Currently he is still actively revising a
numberofPapilionoid generaforFloraMalesiana,preparingatreatmentofCelastra-
ceaefortheFloraofThailand,andassistingour instituteinscientific collectionman-
agement.Twoofhis hobbies,photography and working withcomputers arealsoput
in theserviceofhiswork. His splendid Rafflesia pictures of 1966evenmadeitinto
theTime-LifeBooks.
In 1957he marriedSu-Ying Liu, afellowbotanistwhom hemet intheUSA,but
whocontinuedhercareer inHollandas aChinese language teacher.Shesharesapas-
sionwithDing forflowershows andotherhorticulturalandfruticulturalevents,and
hosted manymemorabledinnerparties in theirhomeinLeiderdorp. We wishthem
both manymore healthy, happy, andproductive years.
Pieter Baas &Frits Adema
Eponymy
Aristolochia dinghouiFavio Gonzalez&Poncy —In:Brittonia 51 (4) 1999:452
Hippocrateading-houiChakrab. & Gang.—In: J.Econ. Taxon. Bot. 14(1) 1990: 119
Thottea dinghouiSwarupan.—In:Blumea 28 (2) 1983: 407
BibliographyDing Hou 203
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF DING HOU
by C.W.J. Lut
1950
A newspecies ofGanoderma from Taiwan. —Quart.J.Taiwan Mus. 3 (2): 101-105.
The Celastraceae ofTaiwan.—Taiwania 1 (2-4): 169-195.
TheBoraginaceaeofTaiwan.—Taiwania 1(2-4): 197-222.
The classification oftheGanoderma ofTaiwan. Taipeh:29 pp.
1955
Arevision ofthegenusCelastrus.—WashingtonUniversity. Thesis (PhD): 1-118 (alsopublished
in:Ann. Missouri Bot.Gard. 42: 215-303).
1957
Aconspectus ofthe genusBruguiera(Rhizophoraceae).—NovaGuinean.s. 8 (1): 163-171.
Centrolepidaceae.—Flora Malesiana I, 5 (4):421-428 [published: 1958],
1958
Aconspectus ofthe genusBhesa (Celastraceae).—Blumea,Suppl. 4: 149-153.
Rhizophoraceae.—Flora Malesiana I,5(4):429-493.
1959
Rhizophoraceae.—Identification Lists ofMalaysianSpecimens4: 47-62.
1960
Anewspecies ofCarallia Roxb. (Rhizophoraceae).—NovaGuinea (Botany) 4: 21-23.
Areview ofthegenusRhizophorawithspecialreference tothePacific species. —Blumea 10(2):
625-634.
Thymelaeaceae.—Flora Malesiana I, 6(1): 1-48.
Thymelaeaceae.—Identification ListsofMalaysianSpecimens9: 130-140.
1961
Bookreview: E.H.Walker,ABibliographyofEasternAsiatic Botany- Suppl. 1.—Blumea 11
(1): 229-230.
1962
(with:R.C. Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr. & C.G.G.J, vanSteenis)Proposal to conserve4621
Microtropis Wall, ex Meisn. 1837 againstMicrotropis E. Mey. 1835.—Taxon 11(7): 225-
226.
1963
Celastraceae I.—FloraMalesiana I,6 (2):227-291.
FloraeMalesianae precursores. XXXIV: Notes on somegenera ofCelastraceae in Malaysia. —
Blumea 12(1):31-38.
Two additional Asiatic speciesofGlyptopetalum(Celastraceae).—Blumea 12 (1):57-60.
1964
Celastraceae II.—Flora Malesiana I,6 (3):389-421.
NotesonsomeAsiaticspecies ofAquilaria(Thymelaeaceae).-—Blumea 12(2): 285-288.
204 BLUMEA Vol. 46, No. 2, 2001
1965
Bookreview: S.Kitamura,G. Murata &T.Koyama. Coloured Illustrations ofHerbaceous Plants
ofJapan(III)(Monocotyledoneae).—Blumea 13(1): 174.
Celastraceae (incl. Hippocrateaceae). —Identification Lists ofMalaysian Specimens24: 322-
361.
Studiesin theFloraofThailand. 30:Rhizophoraceae.— DanskBotan. Ark. 23: 189-190.
1966
NotesonsomeAsiatic species ofMicrotropis(Celastraceae).—Blumea 13(2):405-408.
Reportofastudy-triponAnacardiaceae toMalaysiaandSingaporein 1966.Leiden: 23pp.[mimeo-
graphed].
1967
Botanizingin Malaysia (April-September 1966).Leiden: 23pp.
Sarawakodendron,anewgenusofCelastraceae. — Blumea 15(1): 139-143.
1968
Crossostylis in the Solomon Islands and the NewHebrides (Rhizophoraceae).— Blumea 16(1):
129-132.
1969
Pollen ofSarawakodendron (Celastraceae)and somerelated genera, with notes ontechniques.—
Blumea 17(1):97-120.
1970
Rhizophoraceae.—Flora ofThailand 2(1): 5-15.
1971
Chromosome numbers ofTrigonobalanusverticillataForman (Fagaceae).—Acta Bot.Neerl. 20
(5): 543-549.
1972
Anewspecies ofMangifera(Anacardiaceae).—Reinwardtia 8(2): 323-327.
Celastraceae. Addenda,corrigendaet emendanda. —Flora Malesiana I,6 (6): 930-932.
Germination,seedling, and chromosome number ofScyphostegiaborneensis Stapf(Scyphoste-
giaceae). —Blumea 20 (1): 88-92.
Thymelaeaceae:Aquilarioideae& Thymelaeoideae.Addenda,corrigendaet emendanda.—Flora
Malesiana I,6(6): 982.
1975
AnewspeciesofEuonymus(Celastraceae)from Australia. — Blumea 22 (2): 271-274.
(withG.Edwin)Flora ofPanama VI:Family 103.Celastraceae. —Ann. Missouri Bot.Gard. 62:
45-56.
1978
Anacardiaceae. —Flora Malesiana I, 8(3): 395-548.
Rhizophoraceae.Addenda,corrigendaet emendanda. —FloraMalesiana I,8(3):550-551
Florae Malesianae praecursores. LVI:Anacardiaceae. —Blumea 24 (1): 1-41.
1979
Anacardiaceae. —Identification Lists ofMalesian Specimens57: 1021-1074.
BibliographyDing Hou 205
1981
FloraeMalesianae praecursores. LXII: On the genusThottea (Aristolochiaceae). —Blumea 27
(2): 301-332.
1983
FloraeMalesianae praecursores. LXIII:New species ofMalesian Aristolochiaceae. —Blumea28
(2): 343-352.
FloraeMalesianae praecursores. LXV:Notes onAristolochiaceae. —Blumea 29 (1): 223—249.
1984
Aristolochiaceae. —FloraMalesiana I, 10(1):53-108.
Aristolochiaceae. —Identification Lists ofMalesian Specimens64: 1207-1215.
1991
Rhizophoramucronata Poiret. —In:R.H.M.J. Lemmens & N. Wulijami-Soetjipto (eds.), Dye
andtannin-producingplants. PROSEA3: 110-112.
1994
StudiesinMalesian Caesalpinioideae(Leguminosae).I:The generaAcrocarpus,Afzelia,Copaifera,
and Intsia. —Blumea 38 (2): 313-330.
1995
Copaifera(Leguminosae)and Swintonia (Anacardiaceae).—In:R.H.M.J. Lemmens,I. Soeria-
negara & W.C.Wong(eds.),Timber trees: Minorcommercial timbers. PROSEA 5 (2): 144-
147;435-441.
1996
(withS.F. Huang)Aristolochiaceae. —Flora ofTaiwan 2, 2nd ed.: 636- 651.
(withK.Larsen &S.S.Larsen)Caesalpiniaceae(Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae).—FloraMale-
siana I, 12 (2):409-730.
1998
Carallia &Pellacalyx (Rhizophoraceae),Pleiogynium&Semecarpus(Anacardiaceae),Pleurostylia
(Celastraceae)andSympetalandra(Leguminosae).—In:M.S.M.Sosef,L.T.Hong&S.Prawiro-
hatmodjo (eds.), Timbertrees: Lesser known timbers. PROSEA 5 (3): 134-137;433-435;
457-459;520-522;542-543.
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Auxiliaryplants. PROSEA 11: 220-223.
2000
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Sabah andSarawak 3: 119-180.