George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English
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 ...
, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studied law, but had a fascination with botany from an early age, which he soon pursued, becoming president of the
Linnaean Society
The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature colle ...
in 1861, and a fellow of the
Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
in 1862. He was the author of a number of important botanical works, particularly flora. He is best known for his taxonomic
classification of plants
Plant taxonomy is the science that finds, identifies, describes, classifies, and names plants. It is one of the main branches of taxonomy (the science that finds, describes, classifies, and names living things).
Plant taxonomy is closely allied ...
in collaboration with
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (30 June 1817 – 10 December 1911) was a British botanist and explorer in the 19th century. He was a founder of geographical botany and Charles Darwin's closest friend. For twenty years he served as director of t ...
, his ''Genera Plantarum'' (1862–1883). He died in London in 1884.
Life
Bentham was born in
Stoke, Plymouth
Stoke, also referred to by its earlier name of Stoke Damerel, is a parish, that was once part of the historical Devonport, England; this was prior to 1914. In 1914, Devonport and Plymouth amalgamated with Stonehouse: the new town took the nam ...
, on 22 September 1800.
[Jean-Jacques Amigo, « Bentham (George) », in Nouveau Dictionnaire de biographies roussillonnaises, vol. 3 Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, Perpignan, Publications de l'olivier, 2017, 915 p. ()] His father, Sir
Samuel Bentham
Sir Samuel Bentham (11 January 1757 – 31 May 1831) was a noted English mechanical engineer and naval architect credited with numerous innovations, particularly related to naval architecture, including weapons. He was the only surviving siblin ...
, a
naval architect This is the top category for all articles related to architecture and its practitioners.
{{Commons category, Architecture occupations
Design occupations
Architecture, Occupations ...
, was the only brother of
Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham (; 15 February 1748 Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._4_February_1747.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. 4 February 1747">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.htm ...
to survive into adulthood. His mother,
Mary Sophia Bentham
Mary Sophia Bentham ( 1765 – 1858) was a British botanist and author.
Bentham was daughter of chemist George Fordyce (1736–1802), wife of mechanical engineer Samuel Bentham (1757–1831), and mother of botanist George Bentham
George Be ...
, was a
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 ...
and author.
Bentham had no formal education but had a remarkable linguistic aptitude. By the age of seven, he could speak French, German and Russian, and he learned
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
during a short residence in Sweden while still a child. The family made a long tour through France, staying two years at
Montauban
Montauban (, ; oc, Montalban ) is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, region of Occitania, Southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, an ...
, where Bentham studied
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
and mathematics in the Protestant Theological School. They eventually settled near
Montpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
where Sir Samuel bought a large estate.
While studying at
Angoulême
Angoulême (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Engoulaeme''; oc, Engoleime) is a communes of France, commune, the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Charente Departments of France, department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern Franc ...
, Bentham came across a copy of
A. P. de Candolle
Augustin Pyramus (or Pyrame) de Candolle (, , ; 4 February 17789 September 1841) was a Swiss botanist. René Louiche Desfontaines launched de Candolle's botanical career by recommending him at a herbarium. Within a couple of years de Candolle ...
's ''Flore française'', and became interested in the analytical tables for identifying plants. He immediately tested them on the first plant he saw. The result was successful and he applied it to every plant he came across. In London in 1823, he met English botanists. His uncle pushed him to study law at
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincoln ...
. He was
called to the bar
The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...
and in 1832 held his first and only
legal brief
A brief (Old French from Latin "''brevis''", short) is a written legal document used in various legal adversarial systems that is presented to a court arguing why one party to a particular case should prevail.
In England and Wales (and other Comm ...
.
However, his interest in botany never flagged and he became secretary of the
Horticultural Society of London
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...
from 1829 to 1840.
In 1832, he inherited the property of his uncle,
Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham (; 15 February 1748 Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._4_February_1747.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. 4 February 1747">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.htm ...
. Having inherited his father's estate the previous year, he was now sufficiently well off to do whatever he wanted, which was
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 ...
,
jurisprudence
Jurisprudence, or legal theory, is the theoretical study of the propriety of law. Scholars of jurisprudence seek to explain the nature of law in its most general form and they also seek to achieve a deeper understanding of legal reasoning a ...
and
logic
Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from premises ...
.
Bentham married Sarah Jones (1798–1881), daughter of
Sir Harford Jones Brydges
Sir Harford Jones-Brydges, 1st Baronet, DL (12 January 1764 – 17 March 1847), born Harford Jones, was a British diplomat and author.
Life
Born on 12 January 1764, Sir Harford Jones-Brydges was the son of Harford Jones of Presteign, Ra ...
, on 11 April 1833; they did not have children.
Bentham died at his London home on 10 September 1884, aged 83.
He was interred in
Brompton Cemetery
Brompton Cemetery (originally the West of London and Westminster Cemetery) is a London cemetery, managed by The Royal Parks, in West Brompton in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries. Estab ...
.
Career
Views on evolution
Bentham's life spanned the Darwinian revolution, and his young colleague
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (30 June 1817 – 10 December 1911) was a British botanist and explorer in the 19th century. He was a founder of geographical botany and Charles Darwin's closest friend. For twenty years he served as director of t ...
was
Darwin's closest friend and one of the first to accept Darwin's ideas. Until then, Bentham unquestioningly believed that species were fixed. In 1874 he wrote that "Fifteen years have sufficed to establish a
theory of evolution by natural selection
Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. It is a key mechanism of evolution, the change in the heritable traits characteristic of a population over generations. Charle ...
". Bentham's conversion to the new line of thought was complete, and included a change from
typology in taxonomy to an appreciation that "We cannot form an idea of a species from a single individual, nor of a genus from a single one of its species. We can no more set up a typical species than a typical individual."
Honours and awards
Bentham was awarded the
Royal Medal
The Royal Medal, also known as The Queen's Medal and The King's Medal (depending on the gender of the monarch at the time of the award), is a silver-gilt medal, of which three are awarded each year by the Royal Society, two for "the most important ...
of the
Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
in 1859 and elected a
Fellow
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
in 1862.
He served as president of the
Linnean Society of London
The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature colle ...
from 1861 to 1874.
He was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...
in 1866.
He was appointed
CMG (Companion of St Michael & St George) in 1878. His foreign awards included the
Clarke Medal
The Clarke Medal is awarded by the Royal Society of New South Wales, the oldest learned society in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere, for distinguished work in the Natural sciences.
The medal is named in honour of the Reverend William Bran ...
of the
Royal Society of New South Wales
The Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney, Australia. The Governor of New South Wales is the vice-regal patron of the Society.
The Society was established as the Philosophical Society of Australasia on 27 June ...
in 1879.
Works
Bentham's first publication was his ''Catalogue des plantes indigènes des Pyrénées et du Bas Languedoc'' (Paris 1826), the result of a careful exploration of the
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...
in company with
G. A. Walker Arnott (1799–1868), afterwards professor of botany in the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
. In the catalogue Bentham adopted the principle from which he never deviated, of citing nothing at second-hand. This was followed by articles on various legal subjects: on
codification, in which he disagreed with his uncle, on the laws affecting larceny and on the
law of real property. But the most remarkable production of this period was the ''Outline of a new system of logic, with a critical examination of Dr Whately's Elements of Logic'' (1827). In this the principle of the
quantification of the predicate was first explicitly stated. This
Stanley Jevons
William Stanley Jevons (; 1 September 183513 August 1882) was an English economist and logician.
Irving Fisher described Jevons's book ''A General Mathematical Theory of Political Economy'' (1862) as the start of the mathematical method in eco ...
declared to be undoubtedly the most fruitful discovery made in abstract logical science since the time of
Aristotle
Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...
. Before sixty copies had been sold the publisher became bankrupt and the stock went for wastepaper. The book passed into oblivion, and it was not until 1873 that Bentham's claims to priority were finally vindicated against those of Sir
William Hamilton by
Herbert Spencer
Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820 – 8 December 1903) was an English philosopher, psychologist, biologist, anthropologist, and sociologist famous for his hypothesis of social Darwinism. Spencer originated the expression "survival of the fittest" ...
.
In 1836 he published his ''Labiatarum genera et species''. In preparing this work he visited, between 1830 and 1834, every European herbarium, several more than once. The following winter was passed in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, where he produced his ''Commentationes de Leguminosarum generibus'', published in the annals of the Vienna Museum. In 1842 he moved to
Pontrilas
Pontrilas ('' en, Bridge over Three Rivers'') is a village in south Herefordshire, England, half a mile from the border with Wales. It is in the parish of Kentchurch and lies midway between Hereford and Abergavenny. In 2011 the main village conta ...
in Herefordshire. His chief occupation for the next few years was his contributions to the ''
Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis
''Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis'' (1824–1873), also known by its standard botanical abbreviation ''Prodr. (DC.)'', is a 17-volume treatise on botany initiated by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. De Candolle intended it as a summa ...
'', which was being carried on by his friend,
A. P. de Candolle
Augustin Pyramus (or Pyrame) de Candolle (, , ; 4 February 17789 September 1841) was a Swiss botanist. René Louiche Desfontaines launched de Candolle's botanical career by recommending him at a herbarium. Within a couple of years de Candolle ...
. In all these dealt with some 4,730 species.
In 1844, he provided the botanical descriptions for ''The Botany of the Voyage of H.M.S. Sulphur''. The editor,
Richard Brinsley Hinds
Richard Brinsley Hinds FRCS (11 October 1811, Aldermaston, England25 May 1846, Swan River, Western Australia) was a British naval surgeon, botanist and malacologist. He sailed on the 1835–42 voyage by HMS ''Sulphur'' to explore the Pacific O ...
, had been
surgeon
In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...
on
HMS ''Sulphur'' 1835-41 while she explored the
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
coast of the
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
.
In 1854 he found the maintenance of a herbarium and library too expensive. He, therefore, offered them to the government on the understanding that they should form the foundation of such necessary aids to research in the
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. An internationally important botanical research and education institution, it employs 1,100 ...
. At the same time, he contemplated the abandonment of botanical work. However, he yielded to the persuasion of Sir
William Jackson Hooker
Sir William Jackson Hooker (6 July 178512 August 1865) was an English botanist and botanical illustrator, who became the first director of Kew when in 1841 it was recommended to be placed under state ownership as a botanic garden. At Kew he ...
,
John Lindley
John Lindley FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist.
Early years
Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley w ...
and other scientific friends. In 1855 he took up his residence in London, and worked at Kew for five days a week, with a brief summer holiday, from this time onwards until the end of his life.
In 1857, the government sanctioned a scheme for the preparation of a series of Floras or descriptions in the English language of the indigenous plants of British colonies and possessions. Bentham began with the ''Flora Hongkongensis'' in 1861, which was the first comprehensive work on any part of the little-known flora of China and Hong Kong, including
Hong Kong croton
''Croton hancei'' Benth., the Hong Kong croton, is a shrub or small tree, a species of '' Croton'' which is endemic to Tsing Yi Island, Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, it is listed in the book ''Rare and precious Plants of Hong Kong''.Hu, Qi-ming, Nian ...
. This was followed by the ''
Flora Australiensis
''Flora Australiensis: a description of the plants of the Australian Territory'', more commonly referred to as ''Flora Australiensis'', and also known by its standard abbreviation ''Fl. Austral.'', is a seven-volume flora of Australia published be ...
'', in seven volumes (1863–1878), the first flora of any large continental area that had ever been finished. His greatest work was the ''Genera Plantarum'', begun in 1862, and concluded in 1883 in collaboration with
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (30 June 1817 – 10 December 1911) was a British botanist and explorer in the 19th century. He was a founder of geographical botany and Charles Darwin's closest friend. For twenty years he served as director of t ...
. His most famous work, however, was the ''Handbook of the British flora'', begun in 1853 and first published in 1858. This was used by students for over a century, running into many editions. After his death, it was edited by Hooker, and was known simply as ''Bentham & Hooker''.
He is most famous for his extensive and excellent classification of plants, especially angiosperms, along with Hooker, forming the "
Bentham & Hooker system
A taxonomic system, the Bentham & Hooker system for seed plants, was published in Bentham and Hooker's ''Genera plantarum ad exemplaria imprimis in herbariis kewensibus servata definita'' in three volumes between 1862 and 1883.
George Bentham (18 ...
", which was published in three volumes as ''Genera Plantarum'' between 1862 and 1883.
Selected publications
*
*
*
*
Legacy
![Benthamiella patagonica 150418](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Benthamiella_patagonica_150418.jpg)
The following plants have been named in his honour:
Genera
*''
Benthamia
''Benthamia'' is a genus of orchids. It contains 29 recognized species, all native to Madagascar, Mauritius and Réunion.
List of species
#'' Benthamia bathieana'' Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 33: 25 (1924).
#'' Benthamia calc ...
''
A.Rich.
Achille Richard was a French botanist, botanical illustrator and physician (27 April 1794 in Paris – 5 October 1852).
Biography
Achille was the son of the botanist Louis-Claude Marie Richard (1754–1821). He was a pharmacist in the Frenc ...
* ''
Benthamiella
''Benthamiella'' is a genus of plants in the family Solanaceae, native to Patagonia in southern South America. Its species have been described as "attractive, small, cushion plants".
Description
All the species of ''Benthamiella'' are low-growi ...
''
Speg.
Carlo Luigi Spegazzini, in Spanish Carlos Luis Spegazzini (20 April 1858 – 1 July 1926), was an Italian-born Argentinian botanist and mycologist.
On the 1881/1882 expedition led by Giacomo Bove to explore Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, th ...
Species
*''
Acanthocephalus benthamianus
''Acanthocephalus benthamianus'' is a species of plant in the family Asteraceae and is found in Asia specifically Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tadzhikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, ...
''
Regel
*''
Andropogon benthamianus
''Andropogon benthamianus'' is a species of grass in the family Poaceae.
It is found only in Ecuador, where it is known from only a single collection. It has been listed as critically endangered, and is feared extinct
Extinction is the ter ...
''
Steud.
Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel (30 May 1783 – 12 May 1856) was a German physician and an authority on grasses.
Biography
Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel was born at Esslingen am Neckar in Baden-Württemberg.
He was educated at the University of Tübinge ...
*''
Gardenia benthamianus''
F.Muell.
Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Victo ...
*''
Croton benthamianus''
Müll.Arg.
*''
Distemonanthus benthamianus
''Distemonanthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Dialioideae. It contains a single species, ''Distemonanthus benthamianus'', a deciduous tree, which occurs widely but sparsely in the forest reg ...
''
Baill.
Henri Ernest Baillon was a French botanist and physician. He was born in Calais on 30 November 1827 and died in Paris on 19 July 1895.
Baillon spent his professional life as a professor of natural history, and he published numerous works on ...
*''
Garcinia benthamiana''
( Planch. & Triana) Pipoly
*''
Nicotiana benthamiana
''Nicotiana benthamiana'', colloquially known as benth or benthi, is a species of ''Nicotiana'' indigenous to Australia. It is a close relative of tobacco.
A synonym for this species is ''Nicotiana suaveolens'' var. ''cordifolia'', a descrip ...
''
Domin
Karel Domin (4 May 1882, Kutná Hora, Kingdom of Bohemia – 10 June 1953, Prague) was a Czech botanist and politician.
After gymnasium school studies in Příbram, he studied botany at the Charles University in Prague, and graduated in 1906 ...
*''
Pinus ponderosa ssp. benthamiana''
Hartw.
*''
Thelymitra benthamiana
''Thelymitra benthamiana'', commonly called the leopard sun orchid or blotched sun orchid, is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae and is endemic to Australia. It has a single leathery leaf and up to ten yellowish green flowers with bro ...
''
Rchb.f.
Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach (Dresden, 3 January 1823 – Hamburg, 6 May 1889) was a botanist and the foremost German orchidologist of the 19th century. His father Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach (author of ''Icones Florae Germanicae et Helve ...
*''
Verbascum sinaiticum''
See also
*
Bentham & Hooker system
A taxonomic system, the Bentham & Hooker system for seed plants, was published in Bentham and Hooker's ''Genera plantarum ad exemplaria imprimis in herbariis kewensibus servata definita'' in three volumes between 1862 and 1883.
George Bentham (18 ...
*
Bentham's taxonomic arrangement of Adenanthos
*
Bentham's taxonomic arrangement of Banksia
George Bentham's taxonomic arrangement of ''Banksia'' was published in 1870, in Volume 5 of Bentham's ''Flora Australiensis''. A substantial improvement on the previous arrangement, it would stand for over a century. It was eventually replaced by ...
*
:Taxa named by George Bentham
References
Citations
Sources
* Jean-Jacques Amigo, « Bentham (George) », in Nouveau Dictionnaire de biographies roussillonnaises, vol. 3 Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, Perpignan, Publications de l'olivier, 2017, 915 p. ()
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
*
*
"Bentham, George"at ''Botanicus'' Missouri Botanical Garden Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bentham, George
English botanists
English taxonomists
1800 births
1884 deaths
British pteridologists
Botanists active in Kew Gardens
Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George
Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Fellows of the Royal Society
Fellows of the Zoological Society of London
Presidents of the Linnean Society of London
Botany in Australia
Environment of Hong Kong
Scientists from Plymouth, Devon
Royal Medal winners
19th-century British botanists
19th-century English people
Burials at Brompton Cemetery