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Interview
with Professor Jorge Fontella Pereira, Herbarium Bradeanum director. Graduated in Natural History (UERJ) and titular professor at National Museum - UFRJ |
ON: Fontella, could you tell about your companionship with Pabst and the travels you took together? |
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Brade has been a very important person to Pabst and to HB Fontella: Brade encouraged the foundation of the herbarium and donated many plants collections, included his collection of pteridophyta. That is why Pabst named Herbarium Bradeanum and adopted a pteridophyta as a symbol. |
Pabst wanted work exclusively to HB, did he do it? Fontella: He died before, exactly when he retired. HB really suffered with this loss because he was a kind of person that put his soul into the work and got a lot thing for the herbarium. Herbarium Bradeanum is his work, the dream of his life and to it, Pabst did everything. And nowadays, how is the HB maintained? Fontella: As I said, the herbarium is placed UERJ campus, due to a convention and we have had another conventions that allowed us to carry out many things. |
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Elton Leme, who has been practically Edmundo's disciple and is one of the supports of the institution, succeeds in getting many help. When the current direction has been named in l995, he brought a letter from Boavista Bank's president where he promised to give financial support in order to help HB. Thus we succeeded in doing a big repair, bought bookshelves, new containers ,etc. However, unfortunately, we have already lost many plants. |
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What
do you point out as one of the most important thing in HB? Fontella: The publication of Bradea although it not a regular publication, we do not have a predetermined annual number. Sometimes we have 1 or 2, sometimes we have 10, 12. However, we have some another treasures and a very true preciosity is the original card-index by Pabst. There are almost 30.000 cards, written down, with drawings, sometimes, we find the own pressed flower. A typical index car for orchids, with all information, original works, works that we do not have here in Brazil but Pabst got and took note of everything Another treasure is the orchids collections with many types. The collection of bromeliards is also very well represented with many types. Edmundo Pereira worked a lot with them and Elton Leme registers here all his types. |
Last year, we received back a collection of 4.000 types of pteridophyta that was in São José do Rio Preto University because we did not have room enough to keep it. When we got a suitable place to put it, Dr. Paulo, the responsible gave it back to HB. The most three important collection are orchids, bromeliards and pteridophyta besides the other collections that are very important in the point of scientific view. When the researches come to Rio, they are always interested in visiting HB and study the collections. The library has many rare works that other libraries in Rio de Janeiro do not have it. HB is very rich in scientific information and we need exactly the financial support to pay people to take care of our patrimony, to maintain it. That is our great preoccupation. HB promotes some courses, such scientific illustrations, as the one given by the professor Glória Gonçalves. She gives lesson on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 5 o'clock in the evening until 8h30. I think we should form another group as there are a lot of people interested in. The organization is hard and HB receives part of the payment. This is a way to help and make HB known. So, now the situation is more stable? Fontella: I think it has been worth but nowadays the material situation is better, not ideal, but better. Researches can be done, for example, now there is someone working here. The more complicated is to lend plants because it is very expensive, we should pack and send by post and all those things are expensive. Even to send abroad a bulletin like ours is not cheap. At this moment, I can not send any material abroad so if people write me asked for something, I just can say: Unfortunately, I can. Why? because money does not exist. I do not have means to do it. That is another survival difficulty. Could you tell us what does Index Herbariorum mean and what is its importance? It is a publication that lists all herbariums around the world which are registered at the IAPT (International Association for Plant Taxonomy). This Index has the main information about them: full name, institution, staff, number of the plants, names of the collectors, address, e-mail, telephone number, etc. Herbarium Bradeanum is included in Index Herbariorum, as well as the herbariums coming from other Brazilian institutions. The importance is to know if the herbarium does interchanges, what is its staff, address, etc. A publication of a new species in Bradea is officially recognized since this description is according to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature's requirements. This Code establishes the necessary rules to rules to the validation of species, not only those published as new ones. To be brief, it is not enough publishing, Bradea should be send to national and foreign institutions and as a indexed bulletin, it is one of the most known all around the world. The last International Code of Botanical Nomenclature is date from this year (2000) and has been debated and elaborated during the 16th International Congress of Botany, which took place in St Louis, Missouri, USA, between July and August. In every international congress of Botany, the Code is re-discussed and modified, then it is published again. The preceding code has been published in l994, and resulted of the International Congress of Botany realized. in Tokyo City, Japan. |
Is there anything you want point out? Fontella: I would like point out the support given by UERJ. The convention is very accessible, it requires the participation of teaches and students, if there is any course or activities, the priority is always teaches and students from UERJ. This convention benefits us very much, we have a very good space, much better than we had in 11th floor, the rooms have better illumination, computers connected with UERJ network, two telephone extensions line. In order to compensate, we started the project "Flora da Ilha Grande" together with the University. There was a scientific study of the isle and we offered to do the survey of the flora included under phytosociological point of view. We are trying to get from FAPERJ grants to scientific initiation and technical support in order to accomplish other parts of the project.. What we should do to become an associate? In what way, we can help? Fontella: You have just to contact us, fill up a form and pay an annual tax of R$ 50,00. You can also buy the whole collection of Bradea bulletin or just detached numbers or our bromeliards post-cards with wonderful photos. |
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Address: UERJ Herbarium Bradeanum Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, Pavilhão João Lyra Filho, bloco E, 2o andar. Rio de Janeiro - RJ 20031-970 Brazil Phones 587-7982 e 587-7979. E-mail: herbarium@bol.com.br |