His goal was Brazil, but Ekman was given an assignment from professors Ignatius Urban (from Berlin) and C. Lindman (from Stockholm) to make short stops on Cuba (one month) and Hispaniola (eight months), to collect specimens for Urban's Symbolae Antillanae botanical project.
Ekman's objective was Brazil, but he was tasked by professors Ignatius Urban from Berlin and C. Lindman from Stockholm to make brief visits to Cuba for a month and Hispaniola for eight months in order to gather plant specimens for Urban's Symbolae Antillanae project.