Alice Pegler facts for kids
Alice Marguerite Pegler (born 21 July 1861 in Keiskammahoek, died 17 June 1929 in Umtata) was a South African teacher who became a famous collector of plants. She is remembered for her detailed work studying the natural world around her.
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Early Life and Challenges
Alice Pegler grew up in South Africa. She was the daughter of S. Mackin Pegler. She went to school at the Dominican Convent in King William's Town. Even though she trained to be a teacher, she decided not to continue that job. Instead, she moved to Kentani. There, she took care of and taught her nieces. Alice faced many health problems during her life. She often had trouble with her eyesight.
A Passion for Collecting
While living in Kentani, Alice began collecting plants. She gathered every type of plant she could find within about 8 kilometers (5 miles) of the village. Her careful collecting led her to write letters to many important botanists. These included Peter MacOwan, Harry Bolus, HHW Pearson, Selmar Schonland, and Illtyd Buller Pole-Evans. Alice kept very detailed notes about the plants in Kentani. She wrote about how they changed throughout the different seasons. These notes were later published in a scientific paper in 1918.
Beyond Plants
Alice didn't just collect plants. She also gathered other interesting things from nature. These included beetles, gall flies, spiders, and scorpions. In 1903, she traveled to the Transvaal region of South Africa. There, she collected specimens between Rustenburg and Johannesburg. As her health got worse, she focused on collecting algae and fungi. Her collection of fungi from the Kentani area (1911-1914) was also published in 1918.
Recognition and Legacy
Harry Bolus, a famous botanist, praised Alice's work in his book Orchids of South Africa (1911). He said she was "indefatigable," meaning she never gave up exploring the plants in her area, even with her delicate health. In 1912, Alice Pegler received a special honor. She was made a member of the Linnaean Society. This is a very old and respected group for naturalists. Sadly, in the last seven years of her life, Alice became very ill and couldn't move much. She passed away on 17 June 1929. Alice collected about 2,000 plant and fungi samples. These valuable specimens were given to the South African National Botanical Institute in Pretoria.
Species Named After Her
Many plants and fungi have been named in honor of Alice Pegler. This is a way to remember her important contributions to science. Some of these include:
- Aloe peglerae
- Chironia peglerae
- Chionanthus peglerae
- The fungi Puccinia pegleriana
- Ravenalia peglerae
- Uromyces peglerae
- Ustilago peglerae
See also
In Spanish: Alice Pegler para niños
