Hussey, Jessie Louisa (Louise) (1862 - 1899)

Born in Goolwa, South Australia, on 5 June 1862, died in Port Elliot, South Australia, on 16 March 1899.

Initially recruited by Mueller to collect marine algae in the Encounter Bay area of South Australia in 1893, she sent large numbers of both algae and terrestrial vascular plants to him, and algae to Agardh and other overseas phycologists. On her death, about 2000 of her specimens were deposited in the South Australian Museum, and these are (since 1957) in AD. Extensive collections are also in MEL, with others in BM, HBG, K and L.

Source: Extracted from: A.E.Orchard (1999) A History of Systematic Botany in Australia, in Flora of Australia Vol.1, 2nd ed., ABRS. [consult for source references]
Portrait Photo: http://www.portelliot.org.au/Hussey_Jessie.pdf

See also: Kraehenbuehl, D.L. (1981) 'Jessie Louisa Hussey' in People and Plants in Australia ed. Carr, D.J., p.338-398

Born at Port Elliot, SA, one of nine children, to settlers Henry Allen Hussey (c.1833-1899) and Harriet Ada née Webb (c.1837-1914). The family lived at Goolwa in the early 1850s where Jessie's father opened the first store. In 1880, the family moved to Port Elliot where Jessie's father established another general store, invested in real estate, and was elected the member of parliament for Encounter Bay.

Jessie collected (numbered) MEL specimens (including algae) at Port Elliot, 1891, 1893-1896, 1898; Encounter Bay, 1893-1896; Murray River, 1893-1895; River Hindmarsh 1893; and near Adelaide 1895.

She collected types of:

Dasythamnion setosum J.Agardh (1894),
Chrysymenia husseyana J.Agardh (1894), named for her,
Plantago coronopus var. husseyana F.Muell. (1895), named for her,
Erythrostachys prolifera J.Agardh ex J.White (1912), and
Pimelea husseyana F.Muell. ex Ewart (1921), named for her.

Jacob Agardh identified Jessie's algal specimens for Mueller.

Jessie sold booklets containing specimens of 'flowers of the sea' for charity.

After Mueller's death, Jessie continued to collect for Agardh, Anna Weber van Bosse and other overseas botanists, and her specimens are at AD, BM, HBG, K, L, NSW, PC and PERTH.

Jessie was a member of the Field Naturalists' section of the Royal Society of SA, and an honorary member of the Mueller Botanic Society, WA.

She did not marry, and died in 1899 in Port Elliot aged 37.

Forty letters (or lists of identifications) from Mueller to Jessie survive, and eight letters from Jessie to Mueller.

Source: extracted from: Maroske, Sara and Vaughan, Alison (2014) 'Ferdinand Mueller's female plant collectors: a biographical register', Muelleria Vol.32 [consult for source references]
Portrait Photo: http://www.portelliot.org.au/Hussey_Jessie.pdf

Collecting localities for 'Hussey, J.L.' from AVH (2021)

Data from 879 specimens

Note: this seems far fewer records than the 2,000 mentioned in Orchard (1999) above.