Charles Plumier

Charles Plumier (* April 20, 1646 in Marseille, † November 20, 1704 in Santa Maria in Cadiz ) was a French botanist. Its official botanical author abbreviation is " Plum. ".

Life

Ever since he was 16, was Plumier to the religious orders of the Paulaner. In his role there, he not only got the opportunity to study mathematics at first and later in Rome botany, but also met with people who had at that time in the field of botany extensive knowledge. Among the most influential among his acquaintances whom he met after his return to France, was one of the botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort. In France, he put on his first large herbarium. The French king Louis XIV entrusted him with the first three major research trips to South America. There he resided in 1689, 1693 and 1695. The third journey took him to Brazil and to the islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique and Santo Domingo.

On the island of Santo Domingo in 1695 he discovered a new plant at that time, he brought with him to Europe. In honor of the German botanist and physician Leonhart Fuchs he gave her the name Fuchsia triphylla flore coccinea.

Besides Fuchsia described and illustrated Plumier in his travel reports yet another 219 American plants from 106 different species. Many were named by him after famous botanists. In addition to the fuchsias are, for example, the plant genera Bauhinia, Brunfelsia, Dioscorea, Gesneria, Lobelia, Magnolia and Matthiola.

He left behind 6,000 drawings, 4,300 of which represent plants.

Named after Plumier taxa

Joseph Pitton de Tournefort named in his honor the genus Plumeria plant family of the dogbane family ( Apocynaceae ). Linnaeus later took the name.

Works

• Description des plantes de l' Amérique. Paris 1693rd
• L' art de tourner. Lyon 1701.
• Nova plantarum genera Americanarum. Paris 1703.
• Traite de l' Amerique de fougères. Paris 1705.