Francesco Cupani

Francesco Cupani ( born January 21, 1657 Mirto, † January 19, 1710 in Palermo ) was an Italian physician, theologian and botanist.

Life

Francesco Cupani initially studied medicine and later theology. In 1681 he entered the Franciscan Order. In Palermo he taught theology. However, after a meeting with Paolo Boccone he spent most of his time with the study of plants, animals and minerals from Sicily.

On behalf of Duke Giuseppe del Bosco he laid out in 1692 one of the first botanical gardens in Europe, the Botanical Garden of Misilmeri. This task brought him into contact with many botanists of Europe, such as Joseph Pitton de Tournefort, Caspar Commelin, William Sherard, James Petiver, Johann Georg Volckamer, Felice viali (1638-1722) and Giovanni Battista Triumfetti.

Ehrentaxon

Charles Plumier named in his honor, the genus of the plant family Cupania the Soapberry ( Sapindaceae ). Linnaeus later took the name. In addition, about 25 other plant species are named after Cupani, for example Cupanis saffron ( Colchicum cupanii ).

Writings (selection )

• Catalogus Plantarum Sicularum noviter adinventarum. Palermo 1692nd
• Syllabus Plantarum Sicilae nuper detectarum. Palermo 1694th
• Hortus Catholicus seu Illustrissimi et Excellentissimi Principis Cathlicae Ducis Misilmeris. Naples to 1696.
• Supplementum ad alterum Hortum Catholicum. Palermo in 1697.
• Pamphyton siculum seu Historia naturalis de animalibus, stripibus, fossilibus, quae in Silicia, vel in circuito eius, inveniuntur. Palermo in 1713 ( posthumously ).