Alex Drum Hawkes facts for kids

Alex Drum Hawkes (1927–1977) was an American botanist (someone who studies plants) and cookbook author. He lived in Coconut Grove, Florida and Kingston, Jamaica. Alex was an expert in many types of plants, including orchids, bromeliads, palm trees, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

He even named some groups of orchids, like Flickingeria and Paraphalaenopsis. From the 1940s to the 1970s, he traveled a lot, especially around the Caribbean and Latin America. He collected many different plants and learned about real local recipes from these regions.

Honoring Alex D. Hawkes

Many plants and plant groups were named either by Alex D. Hawkes or in his honor. This is a special way to remember important botanists and their discoveries.

Plants and Groups Named by Alex D. Hawkes

Alex D. Hawkes named several groups of orchids, which are called genera. These include:

• Flickingeria
• Grafia
• Helleriella
• Hellerorchis
• Katherinea
• Mendoncella
• Paraphalaenopsis

He also helped name specific plant species, often with other scientists. Some examples include:

• Dendrobium garayanum (with A.H.Heller, 1957)
• Epidendrum hellerianum (1966)
• Helleriella nicaraguensis (1966)
• Vanilla helleri (1966)

Plants Named in His Honor

Other scientists named plants after Alex D. Hawkes to celebrate his contributions to botany. These include:

• The bromeliad Neoregelia 'Alex D. Hawkes' (named by Flickinger, 1960)
• The orchid Encyclia 'Alex Hawkes' (named by Moir, 1969)
• The orchid Renanthera 'Alex Hawkes' (named by Moir, 1954)
• The orchid Dendrobium hawkesii (named by A.H.Heller, 1957)
• The orchid Epidendrum hawkesii (named by A.H.Heller, 1966)

See Also

In Spanish: Alex Drum Hawkes para niños