Gert Cornelius Nel

Gert Cornelius Nel ( born April 6, 1885 in Greytown, Natal, † February 16, 1950 in Stellenbosch ) was a South African botanist. Its official botanical author abbreviation is " Nel ".

Life and work

Gert Cornelius Nel defended on February 11, 1914 in Berlin under Adolf Engler and Gottlieb Haberlandt his dissertation. With special consideration of the African plant species he worked in the plant families of the Amaryllis and Hypoxidaceae. He provided numerous original descriptions of species of the genera Forbesia, Janthe, Hypoxis and Rhodohypoxis.

From 1921 to 1950 he was professor of botany at the University of Stellenbosch. Adolar Gottlieb Julius Herre (1895-1979), curator of the University, awakened in him an interest in succulent plants.

Nel 1946 published the first book on the genus Lithops.

Ehrentaxon

Gustav Schwantes named in his honor, the genus of the plant family of Nelia Mesembryanthemum plants ( Aizoaceae ).

Numerous succulent plant species are named after him, eg:

  • Braunsia nelii
  • Conophytum nelianum
  • Euphorbia nelii
  • Gasteria neliana
  • Gibbaeum nelii
  • Glottiphyllum nelii
  • Hereroa nelii
  • Herrea nelii
  • Stapelia neliana

Works

  • Studies of the Amaryllidaceae Hypoxideae, with special emphasis on African species. In: Botanical yearbooks for systematics, plant history and geography of plants. Leipzig, 1914
  • Junior Sertifikaat biology, Cape Town, 1938 - CS Grobbelaar
  • Senior Sertifikaat biology, Cape Town, 1938 - CS Grobbelaar
  • Genera et species fungorum ex herb. P. A. van der Byl, Stellenbosch. Cape Town, 1941
  • Species novae vel minus cognitiae: Lithops et Caralluma. Cape Town, 1943
  • Lithops. 1946
  • The Gibbaeum Handbook. 1953 - Published by Jordaan and Shurley
Natal Province Martin Heinrich Gustav Schwantes International Plant Names Index Name Authority File
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