Haiti is one part of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. Originally a French colony it gained independence in 1804, the earliest country in Latin America to do so. Although poorly known today, the flora was one of the first in the New World to be recorded due to the efforts of Charles Plumier, a French missionary and naturalist who visited the Caribbean in the late 17th century. He produced a manuscript with illustrations of over 6000 plants and animals that he encountered.

Paul Hoxey will report on a trip he made to Haiti in January 2017 to investigate the flora and especially the xerophytic vegetation including cacti, following in the footsteps of Plumier. He will illustrate the talk with some of Plumier’s illustrations together with photographs taken during the expedition.

Talks this term will be presented by zoom and will start at 7:30 p.m.

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