Martin Bruce Bayer (30 June, 1935 – ), South African agricultural entomologist, botanist, and explorer, curator of the Karoo Botanical Garden (1973-87) in Worcester (South Africa). He has worked extensively with the Haworthia of southern Africa. [2]
This was near the start of my journey. Probably near Grunau in 1939 and the plant is probably the Stapelia dinteri sent to R.A. Dyer and noted in The Stapeliae of White and Sloane. A plant of H. tessellata from that era lived with us at least until 1957. I met up with H. coarctata and H. cymbiformis in 1942, wrote my first piece on Haworthia in 1961 after correspondence with Compton, Dyer and G G Smith.
Bruce Bayer lives in Fisherhaven*, Hermanus, Western Cape, South Africa.
*
Karoo Botanical Garden Living Plant Collections
Bruce Bayer, previously a technical assistant at the garden, was appointed as Curator in 1973 and really put the Karoo Desert Garden on the international succulent map. The scientific collections were increased, and local and international succulent taxonomists made use of the living specimens in the plant houses. Bruce Bayer is internationally known for his work on Haworthia, having published several books and numerous scientific publications on the subject. The floral displays in the garden were also extended, making the garden famous for its masses of colour in spring.
Some plants named in honour of Bayer’s work include:
- Anacampseros bayeriana SAHammer [9]
- Asparagus bayeri (Oberm.) Fellingham & NLMey. [5]
- Eriospermum bayeri PLPerry [8]
- Gasteria brachyphylla var.bayeri Van Jaarsveld [10]
- Haworthia bayerii JDVenter & SAHammer [3]
- Huernia bayeri LCLeach [4]
- Namaquanula bruce-bayeri Doblies [11]
- Tylecodon bayeri Van Jaarsveld [7]
References
- http://plants.jstor.org/person/bm000000518
- http://haworthia-gasteria.blogspot.com/2008/02/bayer-species-list.html
- Cact. Suc. J. (Los Angeles) 69 (2): 75 1997 (IK)
- Excelsa, Taxon. Ser. 4: 187 1988 (IK)
- Bothalia 25 (2): 206 1995 (IK)
- Veld & Flora, Volume 73, Issue 2, Jun 1987, p. 73
Some recollections … Pauline Perry - https://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.visual.nbgart0001944
- http://plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:904145-1
- https://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.nbg0132001-0
- G. brachyphylla var. bayeri van Jaarsveld (Aloe 29(1): 20, fig. 21 (p. 19), 1992).
- GrahamDuncan,The Amaryllidaceae of Southern Africa, 2016, Umdaus Press. p.500.
Books
(1976) Haworthia handbook. A guide to the species, with identification keys and illustrations. Kirstenbosch (ZA): National Botanic Gardens of South Africa.
(1982) The new Haworthia handbook. A revised guide to the literature of the genus, with discussion of the species, identification keys and colour illustrations. Kirstenbosch (ZA): National Botanic Gardens of South Africa.
(1999) Haworthia revisited. A revision of the genus. Hatfield (ZA): Umdaus Press.
(2006) Haworthia update. Essays on Haworthia. Volume 2. St. Michaels on Wyre (GB): Alsterworthia International / Harry Mays.
(2007) Haworthia update. Essays on Haworthia. Volume 3. Part 1 / Part 2. St. Michaels on Wyre (GB): Alsterworthia International / Harry Mays.
(2008) Haworthia update. Essays on Haworthia. Volume 4. St. Michaels on Wyre (GB): Alsterworthia International / Harry Mays.
(2009) Haworthia update. Essays on Haworthia, volume 5. Part 1 / Part 2. St. Michaels on Wyre (GB): Alsterworthia International / Harry Mays.
(2010) Haworthia update. Essays on Haworthia. Volume 6. St. Michaels on Wyre (GB): Alsterworthia International / Harry Mays.
(2012a) Haworthia update. Essays on Haworthia, Volume 7 (part 1 / 2 / 3 / 4). St. Michaels on Wyre (GB): Alsterworthia International / Harry Mays.
(2012b) Haworthia update. Essays on Haworthia, Volume 8. St. Michaels on Wyre (GB): Alsterworthia International / Harry Mays.
Bayer, M. B. & Manning, J. C. (2012) The Haworthia nomenclator: A list of accepted species with some guidelines for infraspecific names. Redditch (GB): Haworthia Society.
I am a new Haworthia collector from South Africa and would like to know where I can get hold of Updates Volumes 2 to 8 as well as the Haworthia nomenclator. Please would you be so kind as to inform me of the availability and price of these issues.
All are out of print.