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Pierre Edmond BoissierSwiss botanist, traveler and mathematician
Date of Birth: 10.05.1810
Country:  Sweden |
Content:
Edmond Boissier
Edmond Boissier, a renowned Swiss botanist, traveler, and mathematician, was born on May 26, 1810, in Geneva, Switzerland. He was a brilliant student who studied under renowned botanists Augustin Pyrame de Candolle and Philip Barker Webb.
Botanical Explorations
In 1836, Boissier embarked on his first expedition to Spain, where he conducted extensive botanical research. His findings were published in 1838 in "Elenchus plantarum novarum minusque cognitarum," which described over 200 new species.
In the years that followed, Boissier traveled widely throughout Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. His travels took him to Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Arabia, Syria, Palestine, the Pyrenees, the Alps, Germany, Austria, England, Norway, Denmark, Italy, Algeria, and Russia.
"Flora Orientalis"
Boissier's most significant work was "Flora Orientalis," a monumental five-volume publication that he began in 1867 and completed in 1884. It is a comprehensive encyclopedia of the plants of the Eastern Mediterranean region, describing over 11,876 species.
Legacy
Boissier described a total of 3,602 new plant species, and another 2,338 in collaboration with others. He also established 103 new plant genera on his own and 28 in collaboration. His publications spanned 18,496 species and included 347 plates depicting 378 species.
In addition to his botanical contributions, Boissier was also an avid gardener and horticulturalist, pursuing these interests in his gardens near Geneva. He died in Pregny-Chambésy, Switzerland, on April 25, 1885.
Edmond Boissier's botanical legacy continues to inspire and inform generations of botanists and naturalists worldwide. His extensive explorations and detailed descriptions of plant species have significantly contributed to our understanding of the diversity and distribution of plants in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
