The wise children are making preparations today for all the other storm needs; buying supplies, filling gas tanks, trimming trees, removing debris so at the eleventh hour all efforts can be concentrated on what is truly important: protecting our orchids (read broms) and other familial loved ones”.

        

A Historical Note

Mulford Foster 1889 - 1978

A 20^th of November, 28 years ago in 1978, an outstanding leader of the bromeliad world passed away after a life

dedicated to the exploration of nature. Since early in life he was interested in the fruits of nature. He was barely 14 and he had made his name known as a herpetologist through his knowledge of North American reptiles about which he lectured widely until he was 21 years old. Then he became an expert on trees and their diseases and he quickly decided his place was in Florida. So he moved where he could be surrounded by tropical flora. First, he focused on succulents but soon bromeliads became his overwhelming interest. He set up himself near Orlando naming his property Bromel-La, his own Shangri-La where he lived with his close collaborator, his wife Racine. Admired for his vast knowledge and his vitality he left many friends and associates among which Eloise Beach, of Apopka, was probably close to being his disciple.

His contribution spans many decades when he became the dominant international figure in all aspects of the bromeliad field. He did not consider himself a grower but was bent on collecting, identifying and hybridizing them. Shortly after the BSI was started he became the editor of the Journal a position he held for many years. He kept a large herbarium and painstakingly described the species collected, identified them and provided them with names. It is said that he identified nearly three hundred new plants. Numerous plants have been named after him (Mulfordiis, Fosterianums) or after his wife (Racinae ) or his son (Bert).

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