The daughter of S. Mackin Pegler, Alice was educated at the Dominican Convent in King William's Town. Although trained as a teacher, she abandoned this career and settled at Kentani where she raised and educated her nieces. She suffered health problems throughout her life and endured chronic trouble with her eyesight.
While in Kentani she started an extensive collection of all flora within a radius of 5 miles of the village. Her collecting led to a regular correspondence with botanists such as Peter MacOwan, Harry Bolus, HHW Pearson, Selmar Schonland and Illtyd Buller Pole-Evans. Her meticulous notes on the Kentani plants throughout the seasons were published in Ann. Bol. Herb. 5: 1-32 (1918). She did not confine herself to the flora, but also collected beetles, gall flies, spiders, and scorpions. In 1903, she travelled to the Transvaal and collected between Rustenburg and Johannesburg. Her failing health eventually caused her to specialise in algae and fungi. An enumeration of the fungi she collected in 1911-14 in the Kentani district was published in Ann. Bol. Herb. 2: 184-93 (1918). Bolus paid tribute to her collecting in Vol. 2 of his Orchids of South Africa (1911) and described her as someone "who, in spite of delicate health, has been indefatigable in exploring the flora of her neighbourhood." In the seven years preceding her death, she became a helpless invalid. Her specimens which numbered 2 000 were donated to the South African National Botanical Institute in Pretoria.
In 1912, she was paid the exceptional honour of being made a member of the Linnaean Society.[1] She was commemorated in Aloe peglerae, the genus Peglera Bolus (which became a synonym for Nectaropetalum Engl.),[2]Chironia peglerae Prain, Chionanthus peglerae (C.H. Wr.) Stearn, and the fungi Puccinia pegleriana Doidge, Ravenalia peglerae Pole-Evans, Uromyces peglerae Pole-Evans, Ustilago peglerae Bubak & Syd., and many more.[3]
Referencesedit
^"Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London. (One Hundred and Twenty-Fourth Session, 1911-1912.) November 2nd, 1911, to June 20th, 1912". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London. 124 (1): 1–70. 1912. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.1912.tb00020.x. ISSN 0370-0461.
^. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
Biography of Alice Pegler at the S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science
April 12, 2024
alice, pegler, alice, marguerite, pegler, july, 1861, june, 1929, south, african, teacher, botanical, collector, born, 1861, july, 1861keiskammahoekdiedjune, 1929, 1929, aged, umtataoccupation, teacher, botanistthe, daughter, mackin, pegler, alice, educated, d. Alice Marguerite Pegler 21 July 1861 17 June 1929 was a South African teacher and botanical collector Alice PeglerAlice PeglerBorn 1861 07 21 July 21 1861KeiskammahoekDiedJune 17 1929 1929 06 17 aged 67 UmtataOccupation s Teacher botanistThe daughter of S Mackin Pegler Alice was educated at the Dominican Convent in King William s Town Although trained as a teacher she abandoned this career and settled at Kentani where she raised and educated her nieces She suffered health problems throughout her life and endured chronic trouble with her eyesight While in Kentani she started an extensive collection of all flora within a radius of 5 miles of the village Her collecting led to a regular correspondence with botanists such as Peter MacOwan Harry Bolus HHW Pearson Selmar Schonland and Illtyd Buller Pole Evans Her meticulous notes on the Kentani plants throughout the seasons were published in Ann Bol Herb 5 1 32 1918 She did not confine herself to the flora but also collected beetles gall flies spiders and scorpions In 1903 she travelled to the Transvaal and collected between Rustenburg and Johannesburg Her failing health eventually caused her to specialise in algae and fungi An enumeration of the fungi she collected in 1911 14 in the Kentani district was published in Ann Bol Herb 2 184 93 1918 Bolus paid tribute to her collecting in Vol 2 of his Orchids of South Africa 1911 and described her as someone who in spite of delicate health has been indefatigable in exploring the flora of her neighbourhood In the seven years preceding her death she became a helpless invalid Her specimens which numbered 2 000 were donated to the South African National Botanical Institute in Pretoria In 1912 she was paid the exceptional honour of being made a member of the Linnaean Society 1 She was commemorated in Aloe peglerae the genus Peglera Bolus which became a synonym for Nectaropetalum Engl 2 Chironia peglerae Prain Chionanthus peglerae C H Wr Stearn and the fungi Puccinia pegleriana Doidge Ravenalia peglerae Pole Evans Uromyces peglerae Pole Evans Ustilago peglerae Bubak amp Syd and many more 3 References edit Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London One Hundred and Twenty Fourth Session 1911 1912 November 2nd 1911 to June 20th 1912 Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London 124 1 1 70 1912 doi 10 1111 j 1095 8312 1912 tb00020 x ISSN 0370 0461 Nectaropetalum information from NPGS GRIN Archived from the original on 11 October 2012 Retrieved 21 June 2011 Gunn amp Codd 1981 p 277 Gunn Mary Codd L E W 1981 Botanical Exploration Southern Africa CRC Press ISBN 978 0 86961 129 6 External links editBiography of Alice Pegler at the S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alice Pegler amp oldid 1213629662, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
