Posts Tagged ‘Taxonomy’
Naming Nature’s Dance: Carl Linnaeus and the Birth of Modern Taxonomy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 23, 1707 On this day, dear readers, we celebrate the birth of a man whose name is whispered reverently in gardens and herbaria across the globe – Carl Linnaeus (books about this…
Read MoreThe Humble Farewell of Linnaeus: The Man Who Named the Onion and the World of Plants
by Bill Laws Linnaeus was a modest man and stipulated rules for his funeral arrangements: “Entertain nobody …and accept no condolences.” But when he died in January 1778, his instructions were ignored. Even the King of Sweden came to pay his respects at the funeral of the man who gave a name to the onion…
Read MorePlant Taxonomy and Country Charm Collide in this Little Story From 1916
A Rose by any Name Smells as Sweet December 16, 1916 Today, a humorous little garden story was shared in the Star Phoenix out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. A famous botanist was pacing slowly along a country road, his eyes, as usual, roaming from side to side for new plants to study. Suddenly an eager look…
Read MoreDecember 16, 2020 Madagascar Vanilla, Marshall Pinckney Wilder, Albert Spear Hitchcock, David Hall, Hal Borland, The Catskills Farm to Table Cookbook by Courtney Wade and a Plant Called Higgenses
Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Curated News How Did Madagascar Become the World’s Biggest Producer of Vanilla? | Atlas Obscura | Dan Nosowitz Botanical History On This Day 1886 Marshall Pinckney Wilder,…
Read MoreCarl Linnaeus: The Father of Taxonomy and Botanical Order
The Orderer November 1, 1783 Today is the anniversary of the death of Carl Linnaeus. Thirty years earlier, on May 1st, 1753, the publication of his masterpiece Species Plantarum changed plant taxonomy forever. Linnaeus earned the moniker Father of Taxonomy; his naming system is called binomial nomenclature. Binomial means “two names,” which in the naming…
Read MoreJan Gronovius: Botanist, Taxonomy Pioneer, and Plant Namer
The Twinflower Today is the birthday of the Dutch botanist Jan Gronovius. Gronovius’s story is inextricably bound to the Virginia botanist John Clayton. Clayton botanized Virginia. In the early 1700s, Clayton sent specimens to Gronovius both directly and indirectly through the English naturalist Mark Catesby. Gronovius was a little in over his head as he…
Read MoreThe Rhodum Sidus: A Charming Tale of Taxonomy and Plant Humor
“An amusing story… describes how a country nurseryman made a large sum out of sales of a simple little flower that he sold under the name of Rhodum sidus.” September 20, 1910 On this day, The Rutland Daily Herald out of Vermont shared this utterly charming story about a little-known flower called the Rhodum sidus: …
Read MoreCloves Botanical Brilliance and Classification: Celebrating Patrick Browne’s
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. August 29, 1790 My dearest garden companions, today marks the anniversary of the death of the Irish botanist and friend of Linnaeus, Patrick Browne, who departed this earthly garden on this day in…
Read MoreBrushstrokes of Botany: Magnus Hallman’s Portraits of Linnaeus
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. August 16, 1745 On this day, dear horticultural enthusiasts, we find ourselves transported to the lush landscapes of Östergötland County, Sweden. For it was on this very date that Magnus Hallman, a painter…
Read MoreThe Biography of Indiana Botanist Charles Clemon Deam by Robert Kriebel
“Suddenly, Charlie quickly opened the drawer, pulled out the gun, and fired two or three shots through the open window, making some disparaging comments about the “canine ancestry of a rabbit,” which had been terrorizing his garden.” July 16, 1987 On this day, The Indianapolis Star announced that the biography of Charles Clemon Deam, the…
Read MorePlant Explorers Ynes Mexia’s Adventures and Botanical Legacy
“Once she realized such posterity was possible, it was almost as if Ynes was scrambling to ensure her legacy. Today, fifty species have been named in her honor.” May 24, 1870 On this day, the Mexican-American botanist Ynes Mexia, was born. When researching Ynes, I learned she loved having plants named in her honor.…
Read MoreBlooms and Binomials: Celebrating Carl Linnaeus’ Botanical Legacy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 23, 1707 On this day, a babe was born who would grow to become the most meticulous gardener in history. Not content with merely tending to plants, he would go on to…
Read MoreCarl Linnaeus: The Poet-Naturalist Who Made Creation Sing in Taxonomy’s Garden
Today’s Garden Words were featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. Carl Linnaeus Johan August Strindberg (1849-1912), a prominent Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter. Samuel Taylor Coleridge May 23, 1707…
Read MoreClassifying the Centuries: Gustavus Adolphus College Honors Linnaeus
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 25, 2007 On this day, dear readers and fellow devotees of botanical classification, Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota held its second Linnaeus Symposium, a grand affair titled “Linnaeus @ 300.” Can you…
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