Pierre Sonnerat

Pierre Sonnerat (* August 18, 1748, † March 31, 1814 ) was a French naturalist and explorer. Its official botanical author abbreviation is " Sundays. ".

Life

His father was Claude Sonnerat, who was married since January 29, 1736 Benoîte Poivre ( 1714-1787 ). Both had four more children Jeanne Sonnerat (1746-1809), Alexandre Sonnerat (* 1749), Benoîte Sonnerat Elisabeth (* 1751 ) and Pierrette Sonnerat (* 1753). Sonnerat was a nephew of the botanist Pierre Poivre

He made ​​several trips: 1769-1772 to Southeast Asia, where he visited the Philippines and Moluccas, and from 1774 to 1781 to India and China. Among other things, he was the first to describe the South China Litschibaums.

In addition to natural observations Sonnerat gave back what he learned about history, society and mythology of the countries visited. He described the Indian caste system, the practice of widow burning and sacrificial rituals. At his mention of ravanastron, a simple Indian spike fiddle, the view goes back that string instruments in India had been invented.

Ehrentaxon

To him, the genus Sonneratia was in honor of L. F. the plant family Lythraceae ( Lythraceae ) named.

Works

• Voyage à la Nouvelle- Guinée. , 1776.
• Voyage aux Indes orientales et à la Chine, fait depuis 1774 jusqu'à, 1781., 1782.