Percy-Lancaster, Alan

This biography was kindly provided by Alan's daughter Annabel Graham.

Alan was born on 19 June 1944 in New Delhi, India.

He completed his schooling at Ellis Robins High School in Salisbury (now Harare) in 1961 and was a keen student of succulent plants. His interest in plants stems from the fact that his father (Alick), grandfather (Sydney) and great grandfather (Percy) were horticulturists.

His interests extended beyond succulents into exotic orchids, hybrids of Amaryllis L. as well as the genus Aloe L.

Alan immigrated to Southern Africa with his parents and brothers in the 1950's. While travelling around Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and South Africa he was able to spend much time in the bush and his field trips subsequently led to the discovery of new localities of species such as Euphorbia halipedicola L.C. Leach and Polystachya golungensis Rchb. f.

He discovered a few new species such as Brachystelma gemmeum R.A. Dyer, Ceropegia L., Raphionacme Harv. and a new variety of Euphorbia lydenbergensis Schweick & Letty. He collected approximately 2 000 plants of which some specimens are housed at the National Botanical Gardens in Harare (Zimbabwe) and Pretoria (South Africa).

He is commemorated in the plant names Pachycymbium lancasteri Lavranos and Brachystelma lancasteri Boele, both species of the Asclepiadaceae.

After completing his schooling Alan joined the British South African Police. This was followed by nine years with the Veterinary Department - Rhodesian Government (at various stations throughout Zimbabwe). In 1979 Alan and his family immigrated to South Africa.

Alan passed away on 3 June 1995 in Polokwane, South Africa.

Journal publications

Percy-Lancaster, A. (1973) The varieties and some of the forms of aloe chabaudii. Excelsa 3 90-92.

Percy-Lancaster, A. (1976) Notes on aloe suffulta. Excelsa 6 103-104.

Percy-Lancaster, A. (1977) The Genus Euphorbia. Excelsa 7 9-20.

Percy-Lancaster, A. (1979) The maculate aloes of Zimbabwe with thoughts on the status of a few allied species. Excelsa 9 24-28.

Percy-Lancaster, A. (1982) The succulent Euphorbias of the Northern and Eastern Transvaal. Excelsa 10 59-79.

Percy-Lancaster, A. (1988) Brachystelma in Zimbabwe. Excelsa 13 63-77.

Percy-Lancaster, A. (1989) Succulents in habitat in the Northern and Eastern Transvaal. Excelsa 14 115-116.

Percy-Lancaster, A. and Richards, D. (1991) A provisional checklist of Zimbabwean succulents, caudiciforms and pachycauls. Excelsa 15 69-79.