A tribute to Ted Henty (1915-2002)

Ted Henty, noted for his work in the Papua New Guinea National Herbarium (LAE), died aged 86 at East Keilor, near Melbourne on 23 February 2002 after an illness of 6-8 months. Those dealing with New Guinea plants will know of his extensive collections in the NGF and subsequent LAE series from all over the country. The new Composite genus Piora from the alpine grasslands on Mt Piora was just one discovery made in 1963 with S. Carlquist. Those who knew Ted will consider him a fine field botanist, arguably one of the finest that has worked in Papua New Guinea. Not one to involve himself with revisionary studies, he was more concerned with the dissemination of floristic, practical and economic knowledge to the wider user (although with the intensive exploration of Papua New Guinea the opportunities were abundant, Ted never described a new taxon). [The only new combination I know of was made inadvertently: Digitaria microbachne Henrard var. calliblepharata (Henrard) Henrard ex Henty, Bot. Bull., Lae 1 (1969) 77. Ed.] He preferred to call himself a ‘didiman’ (agronomist). He specialised in grasses and weeds, logical as his home life surrounded the farming of cattle and growing tropical fruit up the Markham Valley from Lae. Nevertheless, his knowledge of the broader flora of Papua New Guinea was vast.