Hipólito Ruiz López (August 8, 1754 in Belorado,

Burgos Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populous municipality of the province of Burgos. Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of th ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

– 1816 in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

), or Hipólito Ruiz, was a Spanish botanist known for researching the floras of Peru and Chile during an expedition under Carlos III from 1777 to 1788. During the reign of Carlos III, three major botanical expeditions were sent to the New World; Ruiz and

José Antonio Pavón Jiménez José Antonio Pavón Jiménez or José Antonio Pavón (April 22, 1754 in Casatejada, Cáceres, Spain – 1840 in Madrid) was a Spanish botanist known for researching the flora of Peru and Chile. Biography During the reign of Charles III of ...

were the botanists for the first of these expeditions, to Peru and Chile.

Background

After studying Latin with an uncle who was a priest, at the age of 14 Ruiz López went to Madrid to study logic, physics, chemistry and pharmacology. He also studied botany at the Migas Calientes Botanical Gardens (now the Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid), under the supervision of Casimiro Gómez Ortega (1741–1818) and Antonio Palau Verdera (1734–1793). Ruiz had not yet completed his pharmacology studies when he was named the head botanist of the expedition. The French physician Joseph Dombey was named as his assistant, and the pharmacologist José Antonio Pavón y Jimenez was also appointed. Completing the expedition were the botanical illustrators Joseph Bonete and Isidro Gálvez.

The expedition

The expedition sailed from

Cádiz Cádiz ( , , ) is a city in Spain and the capital of the Province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula off the Atlantic Ocean separated fr ...

in 1777, arriving at

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

in April 1778. They explored throughout Peru and Chile for ten years (1778–1788), collecting specimens. The expedition collected 3,000 specimens of plants and made 2,500 life-sized botanical illustrations. When they returned to Spain they brought back a great many living plants. One of the medical remedies brought back by this expedition was the boiled spouts of the quisoar plant, ''

Buddleja incana ''Buddleja incana'' is a species of shrub or tree in the family ''Scrophulariaceae''. It is native to the Andes.Norman, E. M. (2000). Buddlejaceae. ''Flora Neotropica 81''. New York Botanical Garden, USA Description ''Buddleja incana'' is a dio ...

'', which was used to cure colds or, mixed with urine, to alleviate toothache. The collections arrived in Cádiz in good order (for the most part) in 1788, and were deposited in the Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid and in the Gabinete de Historia Natural, the precursor of the Museum of Natural History. The discoveries included about 150 new genera and 500 new species, which still retain the names given them by Ruiz and Pavón. Unfortunately, a part of the collection consisting of 53 crates with 800 illustrations, dried plants, seeds, resins and minerals was lost when the ship transporting it was wrecked on the coast of Portugal. Back in Spain, Ruiz finished his pharmacological studies, graduating in 1790. He was named a member of the Royal Academy of Medicine in 1794, and he published various works in that body's ''Memoires''. He and Pavón published ''Flora Peruviana et Chilensis'' in ten volumes, richly illustrated with engravings of the specimens. The first four volumes were published between 1798 and 1802. The last six volumes were published after the death of Ruiz. Before his death, Ruiz also published ''Quinología o tratado del árbol de la quina'' (Madrid, 1792). This work was soon translated into Italian (1792), German (1794) and English (1800).

Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 1769 – 6 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, natural history, naturalist, List of explorers, explorer, and proponent of Romanticism, Romantic philosophy and Romanticism ...

cited Ruiz when he published his own treatise on cinchona in 1821. The journals Ruiz produced for his exploration of South America during these years are remarkable for their breadth of ethnobotanical and natural history knowledge. Of particular interest to the Spanish Crown at the time was

pharmacological Pharmacology is the science of drugs and medications, including a substance's origin, composition, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, therapeutic use, and toxicology. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between ...

knowledge of New World plants such as '' Chinchona'', the source of the anti-malarial, quinine. In addition to detailed descriptions and paintings of the flora and fauna of Peru and Chile, Ruiz observed the geology and weather of the area, and included cultural information about the life of the Indians and the colonists of the area. He died in 1816 (some sources say 1815) in

Genera

Genera of plants first named by Ruiz & Pavón, or containing species named by them, include the following:Ruiz López, Hipólito (1754-1815)
''

International Plant Names Index The International Plant Names Index (IPNI) describes itself as "a database of the names and associated basic bibliographical details of seed plants, ferns and lycophytes." Coverage of plant names is best at the rank of species and genus. It inclu ...

''. Retrieved 22 August 2024. * ''

Abatia ''Abatia'' (synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''Raleighia'' George Gardner (botanist), Gardner) is a genus of about ten species of Central America, Central and South American trees in the family Salicaceae (following the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classif ...

'' (1794) * '' Acaena'' (1798) * '' Acunna'' (1794) * ''

Aechmea ''Aechmea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bromeliaceae (subfamily Bromelioideae). The name comes from the Greek ''aichme'', meaning "spear". Suggested pronunciations include and . ''Aechmea'' comprises eight subgenera and aro ...

'' (1794) * '' Aextoxicon (1794) * '' Alonsoa'' (1794) * '' Aloysia'' (1794) * '' Alstromeria'' (1794) * '' Alzatea'' (1794) * '' Amaryllis'' (1802) * ''

Axinaea ''Axinaea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Melastomataceae. As of 2012, there are at least 42 species.Bussmann, R. W., & Zambrana, N. P. (2012)''Axinaea ninakurorum'' (Melastomataceae)− a new species from the northern Peruvian Mer ...

'' (1794) * '' Azara'' (1794) * '' Baccharis'' (1794) * '' Bowlesia'' (1794) * '' Brunellia'' (1795) * '' Calandrinia'' (1794) * '' Calceolaria'' (1798) * '' Campomanesia'' (1794) * '' Canna'' (1794) * ''

Capsicum ''Capsicum'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the Solanum, nightshade family Solanaceae, native to the Americas, cultivated worldwide for their edible fruit, which are generally known as "peppers" or "capsicum". Chili peppers grow on five s ...

'' (1794) * '' Carludovica'' (1794) * '' Cavanillesia'' (1794) * '' Cervantesia'' (1794) * '' Chaetanthera'' (1794) * '' Chondrodendron'' (1794) * ''

Cinchona ''Cinchona'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae containing at least 23 species of trees and shrubs. All are native to the Tropical Andes, tropical Andean forests of western South America. A few species are ...

'' (1794) * '' Clarisia'' (1794) * '' Clavija'' (1794) * '' Clethra'' (1794) * '' Collomia'' (1794) * '' Columellia'' (1794) * '' Cordia'' (1794) * ''

Cosmibuena ''Cosmibuena'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae.Ruiz López, Hipólito & José Antonio Pavón Jiménez. 1802. Florae Peruvianae, et Chilensis Prodromus 3: 2–3. The genus is native to Chiapas, Central America, and South Ame ...

'' (1794) * '' Crassula'' (1794) * ''

Cyperus ''Cyperus'' is a large genus of about 700 species of sedges, distributed throughout all continents in both tropical and temperate regions. Description They are annual or perennial plants, mostly aquatic and growing in still or slow-moving ...

'' (1794) * ''

Datura ''Datura'' is a genus of nine species of highly poisonous, Vespertine (biology), vespertine-flowering plants belonging to the nightshade family (Solanaceae). They are commonly known as thornapples or jimsonweeds, but are also known as devil's t ...

'' (1794) * '' Desfontainia'' (1794) * '' Eccremocarpus'' (1794) * '' Escallonia'' (1794) * '' Escobedia'' (1794) * '' Fabiana'' (1794) * '' Fortunatia'' (1794) * ''

Fuchsia ''Fuchsia'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants that consists mostly of shrubs or small trees. Almost 110 species of ''Fuchsia'' are recognized; the vast majority are native to South America, but a few occur north through Central America to Mex ...

'' (1794) * ''

Galinsoga ''Galinsoga'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North and South America and the West Indies, and naturalized in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. The name ''Galinsoga'' was dedicated to Ignacio Mariano ...

'' (1794) * '' Geophila'' (1794) * '' Gilia'' (1794) * '' Godoya'' (1794) * '' Gomortega'' (1794) * '' Gonzalagunia'' (1794) * '' Graffenrieda'' (1794) * '' Guatteria'' (1794) * ''

Guzmania ''Guzmania'' (tufted airplant) is a genus of over 120 species of flowering plants in the botanical family Bromeliaceae, subfamily Tillandsioideae. They are mainly stemless, evergreen, epiphytic perennials native to Brazil, southern Mexico, Cent ...

'' (1802) * '' Herreria'' (1794) * '' Heteranthera'' (1794) * '' Hippotis'' (1794) * '' Huertea'' (1794) * ''

Ipomoea ''Ipomoea'' () is the largest genus in the plant family Convolvulaceae, with over 600 species. It is a large and diverse group, with common names including morning glory, Ipomoea aquatica, water convolvulus or water spinach, sweet potato, ...

'' (1794) * '' Iriartea'' (1794) * '' Jaltomata'' (1794) * '' Jarava'' (1794) * '' Juanulloa'' (1794) * '' Kageneckia'' (1794) * ''

Krameria ''Krameria'' is the only genus in the Krameriaceae family, of which any of the approximately 18 species are commonly known as rhatany, ratany or rattany. Rhatany is also the name given to krameria root, a botanical remedy consisting of the dried ...

'' (1794) * ''

Lapageria ''Lapageria'' is a genus of flowering plants with only one known species, ''Lapageria rosea'', commonly known as Chilean bellflower or copihue (''copeewueh'', from Mapudungun ''kopiwe''). ''Lapageria rosea'' is endemic to Chile and it is the Flo ...

'' (1802) * '' Lardizabala'' (1794) * '' Leonia'' (1794) * '' Llagunoa'' (1794) * '' Luzuriaga'' (1802) * '' Malesherbia'' (1794) * '' Margyricarpus'' (1794) * '' Mecardonia'' (1794) * ''

Miconia ''Miconia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the glory bush family, Melastomataceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas. The species are mostly shrubs and small to medium-sized trees up to 15 m tall. The generic name ...

'' (1794) * '' Mollinedia'' (1794) * '' Monnina'' (1798) * '' Montiopsis'' (1794) * '' Moscharia (1794) * ''

Munnozia ''Munnozia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It is centered in the Andes.Pruski, J. F. (2012)Studies of Neotropical Compositae – V. ''Munnozia ortiziae'' (Liabeae), a new species from the Andes of Pasco, Peru.Phyton ...

'' (1794) * '' Myoschilos'' (1794) * '' Myrospermum'' (1794) * '' Nama'' (1794) * ''

Navarretia ''Navarretia'' is a genus of flowering plants related to the phloxes and the gilias. This is one genus of plants, among others, which are sometimes called pincushion plants. It includes 45 species native to the Americas. In North America they r ...

'' (1794) * ''

Neea ''Neea'' is a genus of plants in family Nyctaginaceae from the Caribbean region, Central America, Central and South America. Members of the genus are commonly called ''Nia'', ''Neea'', or ''saltwood''. The genus was named by botanists José Anto ...

'' (1794) * '' Olmedia'' (1794) * '' Peperomia'' (1794) * ''

Phytelephas ''Phytelephas'' is a genus containing six known species of dioecious Arecaceae, palms (family (biology), family Arecaceae), occurring from southern Panama along the Andes to Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, northwestern Brazil, and Peru. They are com ...

'' (1794) * '' Pineda (1794) * '' Piper'' (1794) * ''

Plazia ''Plazia'' is a genus of South American plants in the family Asteraceae. ; Species Versioned wiki page: 2014-01-31, version 41320, http://species-id.net/w/index.php?title=Plazia&oldid=41320, contributors (alphabetical order): Pensoft Publishers. ...

'' (1794) * '' Polylepis'' (1794) * '' Porcelia'' (1794) * ''

Porlieria ''Porlieria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the caltrop family, Zygophyllaceae. Species within this genus are shrubs or small trees of dry subtropical regions of South America. The generic name honours Spanish ambassador Don Antonio Porlier d ...

'' (1794) * ''

Pouteria ''Pouteria'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees in the gutta-percha family (biology), family, Sapotaceae. The genus is widespread throughout the tropical Americas, with outlier species in Cameroon and Malesia. It includes the canistel ...

'' (1794) * '' Psammisia'' (1794) * ''

Psychotria ''Psychotria'' is a large genus of flowering plants in the coffee family Rubiaceae, with over 1,600 species. The genus has a pantropical distribution and members of the genus are small understorey trees in tropical forests. Some species are endan ...

'' (1794) * '' Renealmia'' (1794) * '' Rhynchotheca'' (1794) * '' Richardella'' (1794) * '' Salpiglossis'' (1794) * '' Sanchezia'' (1794) * '' Saracha'' (1794) * '' Sarmienta'' (1794) * '' Schizanthus'' (1794) * '' Sessea'' (1794) * '' Sobreyra'' (1794) * '' Soliva'' (1794) * '' Spermacoce'' (1794) * '' Sphaeradenia'' (1794) * ''

Stipa ''Stipa'' is a genus of 141 species of large Perennial plant, perennial hermaphrodite, hermaphroditic grasses collectively known as feather grass, needle grass, and spear grass. They are placed in the subfamily Pooideae and the tribe Stipeae, w ...

'' (1794) * '' Tessaria'' (1794) * '' Thibaudia'' (1794) * ''

Tillandsia ''Tillandsia'' is a genus of around 650 species of evergreen, perennial plant, perennial flowering plants in the family (biology), family Bromeliaceae, native to the forests, mountains and deserts of the Neotropical realm, Neotropics, from northe ...

'' (1794) * '' Tovaria'' (1794) * '' Triglochin'' (1794) * '' Triptilion'' (1794) * '' Tropaeolum'' (1794) * '' Vestia'' (1794) * ''

Wigandia ''Wigandia'' is a genus of flowering plants within the waterleaf subfamily, Hydrophylloideae. They are found mainly in Central America and South America, though one or two species are found as far north as the United States. Some are grown as ...

'' (1794) * ''

Vallesia ''Vallesia'' is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1794. It is native to South America, Central America, Mexico, Florida, the Galápagos Islands, and the West Indies. ;Species * ''Vallesia antillana'' Woods ...

'' (1794) * ''

Verbena ''Verbena'' (), also known as vervain or verveine, is a genus in the family Verbenaceae. It contains about 150 species of annual and perennial herbaceous or semi-woody flowering plants. The majority of the species are native to the Americas ...

'' (1794) * '' Xyris'' (1794)

Orchids

* '' Anguloa'' (1794) * ''

Bletia ''Bletia'' is a genus of about 30 species of orchids (family Orchidaceae), almost all of which are terrestrial; some are occasionally lithophytic or epiphytic. It is named after Spanish botanist and pharmacist Don Luis Blet. The genus is wides ...

'' (1794) * ''

Cattleya ''Cattleya'' () is a genus of orchids from Costa Rica south to Argentina. The genus is abbreviated C in trade journals. Description Epiphyte, Epiphytic or terrestrial orchids with cylindrical rhizome from which the fleshy noodle-like roots ...

'' (1794) * ''

Epidendrum ''Epidendrum'' , abbreviated Epi in the horticultural trade, is a large neotropical genus of the orchid family. With more than 1,500 species, some authors describe it as a mega-genus. The genus name (from Greek language, Greek ''επί, epi'' an ...

'' (1794) * '' Fernandezia'' (1794) * '' Gongora'' (1794) * '' Lycaste'' (1798) * ''

Masdevallia ''Masdevallia'', abbreviated Masd in horticultural trade, is a large genus of flowering plants of the Pleurothallidinae, a subtribe of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). There are over 500 species, grouped into several subgenera. The genus is na ...

'' (1794) * ''

Maxillaria ''Maxillaria'', abbreviated as Max in the horticultural trade, is a large genus of orchids (family Orchidaceae). This is a diverse genus, with very different morphological forms. Their characteristics can vary widely. They are commonly called ...

'' (1794) * '' Rodriguezia'' (1794) * '' Sobralia'' (1798)

Other expeditions

The four expeditions authorized by King Carlos III to the Spanish colonies were those of Ruiz and Pavón to Peru and Chile (1777–88);

José Celestino Mutis José Celestino Bruno Mutis y Bosio (6 April 1732 – 11 September 1808) was a Spanish people, Spanish priest, botanist and mathematician. He was a significant figure in the Spanish American Enlightenment, whom Alexander von Humboldt met with ...

to New Granada (1783–1808); Juan de Cuéllar to the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

(1786–97); and

Martín Sessé y Lacasta Martín Sessé y Lacasta (December 11, 1751 – October 4, 1808) was a Spanish botanist, who relocated to New Spain (now Mexico) during the 18th century to study and classify the flora of the territory. Background Sessé studied medicine in ...

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...

(1787–1803). He has been honoured in the naming of 2 plant genera, in 1786, botanist Cav. published '' Ruizia'', a genus of

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 the island of

Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...

, belonging to the family

Malvaceae Malvaceae (), or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include Theobroma cacao, cacao, Cola (plant), cola, cotton, okra, Hibiscus sabdariffa, ...

. Then in 1936, R.E.Fr. published '' Ruizodendron'', 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 ...

s from South America belonging to the family

Annonaceae The Annonaceae are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants consisting of trees, shrubs, or rarely lianas commonly known as the custard apple family or soursop family. With 108 accepted genera and about 2400 known species, it is the largest ...

Notes

References

*''The Journals of Hipólito Ruiz: Spanish Botanist in

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

1777-1788'', translated by Richard Evans Schultes and María José Nemry von Thenen de Jaramillo-Arango, Timber Press, 1998.

External links

Short biography

"Flora Peruviana et Chilensis" Vols. I-III available online at Botanicus.org website

"Systema vegetabilium florae peruvianae et chilensis" available online at Digital Library of Madrid Botanical Garden site

"Flora peruvianae, et chilensis prodromus" available online at Digital Library of Madrid Botanical Garden site

"Suplemento á la Quinologia" available online at Digital Library of Madrid Botanical Garden site

Hipólito Ruiz López. Polymath Virtual Library, Fundación Ignacio Larramendi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruiz, Hipolito Lopez 18th-century Spanish botanists 1754 births 1816 deaths 19th-century Spanish botanists