Adolf Engler: The Botanist Who Gave Us Plant Families

Heinrich Gustav Adolf Engler, a prominent German botanist.

The Natural Plant Families March 25, 1844 Today is the birthday of the German botanist Adolf Engler. Adolf developed a system for plant classification now called the Engler System that is still used in some specialty areas today. His masterpiece was Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien (“The Natural Plant Families”). The concept of Plant Families is useful…

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Mathias de l’Obel: The Flemish Botanist Who Distinguished Monocots and Dicots

Matthias de l'Obel (also known as Mathias de l'Obel or Matthaeus Lobelius), a prominent Flemish physician and botanist.

Lovely Lobelia March 3, 1616 Today is the birthday of the  Flemish physician and botanist Mathias de l’Obel (“ma-TEE-us dew Lew-bell”). Mathias practiced medicine in England. And among his accomplishments, Mathias was the first botanist to recognize the difference between monocots and dicots. Today we remember Mathias de l’Obel (“LEW-bell”) with the Lobelia plant. Before…

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Plant Families by Ross Bayton

Plant Families by Ross Bayton

As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: Plant Families by Ross Bayton This book came out in 2017, and the subtitle is A Guide for Gardeners and Botanists (aka Green Thumb’s Guide to Plant Family Trees.) If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a garden, overwhelmed by the sheer variety of plants, you’re not alone. Plant…

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