Albrecht Wilhelm Roth (6 January 1757 – 16 October 1834) was a physician and

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

born in

Dötlingen Dötlingen is a municipality in the district of Oldenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 6 km northeast of Wildeshausen, and 25 km southeast of Oldenburg at the Hunte river. It's one of Germany's richest villag ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. He studied medicine at the Universities of Halle and

Erlangen Erlangen (; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Erlang'', Bavarian language, Bavarian: ''Erlanga'') is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district Erlangen-Höchstadt (former administrative d ...

, where he received his doctorate in 1778. After graduation, he practiced medicine in Dötlingen, and shortly afterwards relocated to

Bremen-Vegesack Vegesack is a northern district of the city of Bremen. Geography ''Vegesack'' is located about north from the centre of Bremen-city at the mouth of the river Lesum, beside the river Weser (). Abutting the district of Vegesack to the northwest i ...

. Roth is remembered for his influential scientific publications, particularly in the field of

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

. His botanical research and writings came to the attention of

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as trea ...

(1749–1832), who recommended Roth to a position at the botanical institute at the

University of Jena The University of Jena, officially the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (german: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, abbreviated FSU, shortened form ''Uni Jena''), is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany. The un ...

. Two of his better written works were ''Tentamen florae germanica'' (a treatise on German flora), and ''Novae plantarum species praesertim Indiae orientalis'' (a book of Indian flora). The latter work is primarily based on botanical specimens collected by Moravian missionary Benjamin Heyne (1770–1819). The botanical

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

'' Rothia'' from the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Fabaceae is named after him. Linnaeus-Obelisk - Bremen - 2011

Selected writings

* ''Anweisung für Anfänger Pflanzen zum Nutzen und Vergnügen zu sammlen und nach dem Linneischen System zu bestimmen'', 1778. * ''Beyträge zur Botanik'', 1782–1783 * ''Tentamen florae germanicae'', 1788–1800 * ''Catalecta botanica'' (with Franz Carl Mertens), 1797–1806 * ''Anweisung Pflanzen zum Nutzen und Vergnügen zu sammlen und nach dem Linneischen Systeme zu bestimmen'', 1803. * ''Novae plantarum species praesertim Indiae orientalis'', 1821.Google Books
Novae plantarum species praesertim Indiae orientalis * ''Enumeratio plantarum phaenogamarum in Germania sponte nascentium'', 1827 * ''Manuale botanicum'', 1830

References

External links

* 1757 births 1834 deaths 18th-century German physicians 19th-century German botanists People from Oldenburg (district) University of Halle alumni University of Erlangen-Nuremberg alumni {{Germany-botanist-stub