Formation and purpose
Founded: c. 1849
Based: Edinburgh and London
Duration: roughly 1849–1854
The Association was created by a small group of Scottish and English nurserymen and horticultural entrepreneurs who wished to avoid reliance on single commercial collectors (such as those employed by Veitch or Loddiges). Their aim was to:
Finance professional plant collectors in the Oregon Territory and western North America
Share the cost and risk of expeditions
Divide seeds and plants among members for propagation and sale
Secure exclusive or early access to novel ornamental and forestry plants
The OBA was a commercial venture, not a learned society, and it produced no formal publications.
Principal members
While records are fragmentary, the following individuals are consistently associated with the Association:
James McNab (1810–1878)
Curator of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Acted as an adviser and scientific intermediary
Helped identify, evaluate, and distribute material
A crucial link between commerce and botany
James Cunningham
Edinburgh nurseryman
Active organiser and financial supporter
Corresponded with collectors and other members
John Sadler (1837–1882)
(later involvement)
Assistant at RBGE
Helped work up herbarium material from OBA collections
Other nurserymen
Several Edinburgh and London nursery proprietors participated, though not all are securely documented
Membership appears to have been small (probably fewer than a dozen)
Notably, the Association did not employ gentleman botanists; it relied on skilled working collectors.
Collectors employed by the OBA
William Lobb (briefly, c. 1849–1850)
Initially associated with the OBA before entering Veitch’s service
His departure contributed to the Association’s decision to appoint its own long-term collector
John Jeffrey (1850–1854?)
The Association’s principal and most important collector
Travelled extensively in:
Oregon Territory
California
Sierra Nevada
Great Basin
Disappeared in the American Southwest and presumed dead
Jeffrey’s employment represented the core activity of the Association.
Activities of the Association
1.
Financing expeditions
Raised subscriptions among members
Paid for:
Passage to North America
Equipment and supplies
Modest wages for collectors
Chronic under-funding was a persistent problem
2.
Seed and plant collection
Primary focus was on:
Conifers (high commercial and estate value)
Hardy trees and shrubs
Alpine and herbaceous perennials
Seed was preferred over living plants due to:
Ease of transport
Higher survival rates
Faster multiplication in nurseries
3.
Introduction and distribution
Seeds were shipped back to Britain
Divided among members for propagation
Surplus plants sold commercially
Some material passed to botanic gardens for identification
Notable introductions associated with OBA collections include:
Pinus jeffreyi
Abies grandis
Improved accessions of Pseudotsuga menziesii
Numerous Californian shrubs and perennials
4.
Scientific contribution (indirect)
Although the OBA itself did not publish:
Specimens went to Kew, Edinburgh, and private herbaria
Taxa were described by later botanists
Many species bear the epithet jeffreyi as a result
Difficulties and decline
The Association faced several structural problems:
Financial instability
Long delays in communication
Losses of seed shipments
Jeffrey’s increasingly remote and dangerous travels
Lack of institutional backing
The disappearance of John Jeffrey around 1853–54 effectively ended the Association’s activities. Without a collector in the field and with limited capital, the OBA quietly dissolved.