Peter Thonning

Peter Thonning ( born October 9, 1775 in Copenhagen, † January 29, 1848 in Konferentstraad ) was a Danish botanist. Its official botanical author abbreviation is " Thonn. ".

Life

After studying medicine Thonning went in 1799 by Danish Guinea (now Ghana ) in order to devote himself to the plantations, as well as studies of natural resources and dye plants. He collected numerous new species described evidence of West African plants, on the basis in particular the Copenhagen Professors Martin Vahl and Heinrich Christian Friedrich Schumacher.

Was destroyed as Thonnings private collection during the British bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807, he turned away from the botanical research and was a customs officer.

Ehrentaxon

The plant genus Thonningia Vahl from the family of Balanophoraceae in the order of sandalwood ( Santalales ) has been named after him.