Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck (14 February 1776 – 16 March 1858) was a prolific German botanist, physician, zoologist, and natural philosopher. He was a contemporary of Goethe and was born within the lifetime of Linnaeus. He described approximately 7,000 plant species (almost as many as Linnaeus himself). His last official act as president of the German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina was to admit Charles Darwin as a member. He was the author of numerous monographs on botany and zoology and majority of his best-known works deal with

fungi A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

Biography

Nees von Esenbeck was born in Schloss Reichenberg near Reichelsheim (Odenwald) in Hesse, Germany. He showed an early interest in science and, after receiving his primary education in Darmstadt, went on to the University of Jena and obtained his degree in biology (natural history) and medicine in 1800. He practiced as a physician for Francis I (Erbach-Erbach), but he had developed a great interest in botany during his university studies which caused him to return to academia. In 1816, he joined the Leopoldina Academy, which was one of the most prestigious institutions in Europe. In 1817, he was appointed professor of botany at the University of Erlangen. Three years later, he became professor of natural history at the University of Bonn, where he established the

Botanische Gärten der Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn The Botanische Gärten der Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn (6.5 hectares open to public, 3 hectares private), also known as the Botanischer Garten Bonn, is a botanical garden and arboretum maintained by the University of Bonn. It is located ...

. In 1831, he was appointed as a chair of botany department at the

University of Breslau A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

. In 1818, he was elected president of the Leopoldina Academy. He continued as president of the academy for the rest of his life. In botany he achieved notoriety for his contributions to the families

Acanthaceae Acanthaceae () is a Family (biology), family (the acanthus family) of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species. Most are Tropics, tropical Herbaceous plant, herbs, shrubs, or twining vines; some are epip ...

and

Lauraceae Lauraceae, or the laurels, is a plant Family (biology), family that includes the bay laurel, true laurel and its closest relatives. This family comprises about 2850 known species in about 45 genus (biology), genera worldwide. They are dicotyled ...

. He also became politically active in the

German revolutions of 1848–1849 The German revolutions of 1848–1849 (), the opening phase of which was also called the March Revolution (), were initially part of the Revolutions of 1848 that broke out in many European countries. They were a series of loosely coordinated p ...

. In 1851, due to conflicts with the government, he was deprived of his professorship and pension at Breslau. Seven years later, Nees von Esenbeck died essentially penniless in Breslau. He was an older brother to botanist

Theodor Friedrich Ludwig Nees von Esenbeck Theodor Friedrich Ludwig Nees von Esenbeck (26 July 1787 – 12 December 1837) was a German botanist and pharmacologist, who was born in Schloss Reichenberg near Reichelsheim (Odenwald). He was a younger brother to naturalist Christian Gottfried ...

(1787–1837).

Eponyms

Wilhelm Kirschstein Wilhelm Kirschstein (2 October 1863 - 1946 in Groß Behnitz bei Nauen) was a German schoolteacher and mycologist. During his career, he taught classes in Rathenow and Berlin-Pankow.Myconeesia ''Myconeesia'' is a genus of fungi in the family Xylariaceae. The genus name of ''Myconeesia'' is in honour of Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck (1776–1858), who was a prolific German botanist, physician, zoologist, and natural phi ...

'' in 1936, a genus of

in the family

Xylariaceae The Xylariaceae are a family of mostly small ascomycetous fungi. It is one of the most commonly encountered groups of ascomycetes and is found throughout the temperate and tropical regions of the world. They are typically found on wood, seeds, f ...

. *

Robert Knud Friedrich Pilger Robert Knud Friedrich Pilger (3 July 1876, Helgoland – 1 September 1953, Berlin) Neesiochloa ''Neesiochloa'' is a genus of Brazilian plants in the grass family. The only known species is ''Neesiochloa barbata''. It is native to eastern Brazil (Bahia, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Piauí). The genus name of ''Neesiochloa'' is in honour of ...

'' in 1940 as a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

ian plants in the

grass family Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in ...

. * Margaret Rutherford Bryan Levyns in 1947 published ''

Neesenbeckia ''Neesenbeckia'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Cyperaceae. The only species is ''Neesenbeckia punctoria''. It is native to the Western Cape in South Africa. Taxonomy The genus name of ''Neesenbeckia'' is in ...

'', a

monotypic genus In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s from South Africa, belonging to the family

Cyperaceae The Cyperaceae () are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as wikt:sedge, sedges. The family (biology), family is large; botanists have species description, described some 5,500 known species in about 90 ...

Works

* ''Die Algen des süßen Wassers, nach ihren Entwickelungsstufen dargestellt (1814) * ''Das System der Pilze und Schwämme'' (1816) * ''Vorlesungen zur Entwickelungsgeschichte des magnetischen Schlafs und Traums'' (1820) * ''Handbuch der Botanik. Band 1'' (1820
Digital edition
by the

University and State Library Düsseldorf The University and State Library Düsseldorf (, abbreviated ULB Düsseldorf) is a central service institution of Heinrich Heine University. Along with Bonn and Münster, it is also one of the three State Libraries of North Rhine-Westphalia. ...

* ''Handbuch der Botanik. Band 2'' (1821
Digital edition
by the

* ''Bryologia germanica'' (with

Christian Friedrich Hornschuch Christian Friedrich Hornschuch (21 August 1793 – 24 December 1850) was a German botanist. Biography Hornschuch was born in Rodach, Bavaria. In 1808 he started his career as an apprentice at a pharmacy in Hildburghausen. In 1813 he moved to Reg ...

und

Jacob Sturm Jacob Sturm (21 March 1771 – 28 November 1848) was a leading engraver of entomology, entomological and botany, botanical scientific publications in Germany at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century. He was born and lived in Nur ...

, 1823–31, 2 Bände mit 43 Tafeln) * ''Plantarum, in Horto medico Bonnensi nutritarum, Icones selectae'' (1824
Digital edition
by the

* ''Agrostologia brasiliensis'' (1829) * ''Genera Plantarum Florae Germanicae'' (1831–1860) * ''Genera et species Asterearum'' (1833) * ''Naturgeschichte der europäischen Lebermoose mit Erinnerungen aus dem Riesengebirge'' (1833-38, 4 Bände) * ''Hymenopterorum Ichneumonibus affinium monographiae'' (1834, 2 Bände) * ''System der spekulativen Philosophie'', Band 1 *'' Systema Laurinarum'' (1836) * ''Florae Africae australioris illustration monographicae Gramineae'' (1841) * ''Die Naturphilosophie'' (1841) * ''De Cinnamomo disputatio'' (1843) * ''Synopsis hepaticarum'' (with

Carl Moritz Gottsche Carl Moritz Gottsche (3 July 1808 – 28 September 1892) was a German physician and bryology, bryologist born in Altona, Hamburg, Altona. He was the father of geologist Carl Christian Gottsche (1859-1909). Gottsche was a leading authority of Hepat ...

und Johann Lindenberg, 1844–1847) *''Die allgemeine Formenlehre der Natur'' (1852)

References

External links

* http://www.nees-von-esenbeck.de/ (German language site devoted to Nees von Esenbeck; includes extensive biography) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nees von Esenbeck, Christian Gottfried Daniel 1776 births 1858 deaths People from Odenwaldkreis German untitled nobility German religious humanists Members of the Prussian National Assembly German taxonomists Agrostologists German bryologists German pteridologists German entomologists German mycologists German phycologists 19th-century German botanists 19th-century German zoologists Botanists with author abbreviations University of Jena alumni Academic staff of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg Academic staff of the University of Bonn Academic staff of the University of Breslau Presidents of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina 01 18th-century German botanists

Biography

Eponyms

Works

References

Further reading

External links