Jan Commelin
January Commelin, actually John Commelin ( born April 23 1629 in Leiden, † January 19, 1692 in Amsterdam; , Jan Commelijn ) was a Dutch botanist and plant dealer. Its official botanical author abbreviation is " J.Commelijn ".
Life
January Commelin was the son of Isaac Commelin and Cornelia Bouwer ( 1607-1641 ). His father owned jointly with his brother Jacob Commelin (1600-1647) a book publisher. 1641 the family moved to Amsterdam. He married twice (1652 and 1675).
From 1655 he worked as an independent trader; he conducted a wholesale business for medicinal plants, which he delivered to hospitals and pharmacies in Amsterdam, but also in other cities of Holland, in particular to Gouda. In 1672 he was elected as an alderman in the City Council ( vroedschap ) of Amsterdam, and thus become an influential member of society.
His first book Nederlantze Hesperides ( 1676 ) deals with the cultivation of citrus fruits in the Netherlands, and is illustrated with 27 plates by Cornelis Kick. From 1678 until his death he worked as editor of eleven of the twelve volumes of Hortus Indicus Malabaricus by Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede dead Draakenstein, the first volume of John Caesarius and Arnold Being was responsible.
On November 12, 1682, the magistrate of Amsterdam decided to establish a medicinal plants garden and commissioned in January 1683 Commelin and Joan van Huydecoper Maarsseveen in running this Hortus Medicus.
Under the title Catalogus plantarum indigenarum Hollandiae Commelin published in 1683 the first Flora of the Netherlands.
The publication of his most extensive work Catalogus horti medici plantorum Amstelodamensis rariorum, in which the plants of the Amsterdam Hortus Botanicum, in the scheme of John Ray described, he did not live. Frederik Ruysch and Franz Kiggelaer edited the first volume, and gave him 1697 out posthumously. His nephew Caspar Commelin, also a botanist, completed the second part and released it 1701. The work contains 223 plates, most of which were drawn by Johan and Maria Moninckx.
Ehrentaxon
Charles Plumier named the Commelins in honor of the genus Commelina the plant family of Commelina family ( Commelinaceae ). Linnaeus later took the name.
Writings (selection )
- Nederlantze Hesperides. Of 1676.
- Catalogus plantarum indigenarum Hollandiae. In 1683.
- Horti medici Amstelodamensis rariorum ... 1697-1701.