Joseph Decaisne (7 March 1807 – 8 January 1882) was a French

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 agronomist. He became an ''aide-naturaliste'' to Adrien-Henri de Jussieu (1797-1853), who served as the chair of rural

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 ...

. It was during this time that he began to study plants brought back by various travelers like those of Victor Jacquemont (1801-1832) from Asia. Decaisne used

applied research Applied science is the use of the scientific method and knowledge obtained via conclusions from the method to attain practical goals. It includes a broad range of disciplines such as engineering and medicine. Applied science is often contrasted ...

, most notably on the

agronomy Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants by agriculture for food, fuel, fiber, chemicals, recreation, or land conservation. Agronomy has come to include research of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and ...

of the

madder ''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae family of flowering plants, which also contains coffee. It contains around 80 species of perennial scrambling or climbing herbs and subshrubs native to the Old World. The genus and its best-known spe ...

, the yam and the ramie. He was also interested in

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

Biography

Although born in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, Belgium, he exercised his activity exclusively in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. He entered in 1824 as a gardener at the ''

Muséum national d'histoire naturelle The French National Museum of Natural History, known in French as the ' (abbreviation MNHN), is the national natural history museum of France and a ' of higher education part of Sorbonne Universities. The main museum, with four galleries, is loc ...

'' (French museum of natural history) and became, in 1832, head of the ''carré des semis'' section. He also worked at the '' Jardin des Plantes'' and collaborated with

Asa Gray Asa Gray (November 18, 1810 – January 30, 1888) is considered the most important American botanist of the 19th century. His ''Darwiniana'' was considered an important explanation of how religion and science were not necessarily mutually excl ...

. In 1847 he chaired Statistical Agriculture department in the College de France. In 1850, Decaisne followed Charles-François Brisseau de Mirbel (1776-1854) as the chair of

horticulture Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

at the Museum. In 1854 he participated in the creation of the ''

Société botanique de France The Société botanique de France (SBF) is a French learned society founded on 23 April 1854. At its inaugural meeting it stated its purpose as "to contribute to the progress of botany and related sciences and to facilitate, by all means at its di ...

''. The genera ''

Decaisnea :''Decaisnea Lindl. is a synonym of Tropidia (plant), an orchid genus.'' ''Decaisnea'' Hook.f &Thomson, (猫儿屎属 mao er shi shu) known commonly as dead man's fingers, blue bean plant or blue sausage fruit, is a genus of flowering plant in ...

'' Hook.f. & Thomson (Lardizabalaceae), ''Decaisnea'' Brongn.

syn. The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnae ...

of '' Prescottia''

Lindl. 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 ...

, ''

Decaisnina ''Decaisnina'' is a genus of semi- parasitic shrubs (mistletoes) that occur in Australia. The type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is consid ...

'' Tiegh. (

Loranthaceae Loranthaceae, commonly known as the showy mistletoes, is a family of flowering plants. It consists of about 75 genera and 1,000 species of woody plants, many of them hemiparasites. The three terrestrial species are ''Nuytsia floribunda'' (the W ...

), ''

Decaisnella ''Decaisnella'' is a genus of fungi in the family Massariaceae. The genus name of ''Decaisnella'' is in honour of Joseph Decaisne (1807–1882), who was a French botanist and agronomist An agriculturist, agriculturalist, agrologist, or agrono ...

'' (

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 ...

of fungi in the family

Massariaceae The Massariaceae are a family of fungi in the order Pleosporales. It contains 3 genera and 33 species. Taxa in the family have a cosmopolitan distribution, but are better known in more temperate zones. Although the family is poorly known, it has ...

,) and ''Decaisnea'' Lindl. syn. of '' Tropidia'' Lindl. (

Orchidaceae Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

), were named in his honour. He died in Paris on 8 January 1882.

Contributions to plant taxonomy

He described the following genera of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s: ''Capanea'' (now part of '' Kohleria'') and ''

Chrysothemis In Greek mythology, Chrysothemis or Khrysothemis (; grc, Χρυσόθεμις, "golden law") is a name ascribed to several characters. ''Female:'' * Chrysothemis, may refer to known as the attributes of the golden harvest as an agricultural demi ...

'' of the family

Gesneriaceae Gesneriaceae, the gesneriad family, is a family of flowering plants consisting of about 152 genera and ca. 3,540 species in the tropics and subtropics of the Old World (almost all Didymocarpoideae) and the New World (most Gesnerioideae), with ...

; '' Sautiera'' ( Acanthaceae); ''

Lepinia ''Lepinia'' is a genus of plant in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1849. It is native to various islands in the Pacific Ocean. ;Species # '' Lepinia marquisensis'' Lorence & W.L.Wagner - Fatu Hiva in the Marquesas # '' Lepi ...

'', ''

Rhazya ''Rhazya'' is a genus of plant in family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1835. It is native to Egypt and to southwestern Asia from Yemen to India. ;Species * '' Rhazya greissii'' Täckh. & Boulos - Kharga Oasis The Kharga Oasis (A ...

'' (

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (from ''Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison Members of the ...

); ''

Vancouveria ''Vancouveria'' () is a small group of plants belonging to the barberry family described as a genus in 1834. The three plants in this genus are known generally as inside-out flowers, and they are endemic to the West Coast of the United States. T ...

'' (with C.Morren) ( Berberidaceae); ''

Ostryopsis ''Ostryopsis'' is a small genus of deciduous shrubs belonging to the birch family Betulaceae. The species have no common English name, though hazel-hornbeam has been suggested, reflecting their similarities to the closely related hazels and h ...

'' ( Betulaceae); ''

Dipterygium ''Cleome'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cleomaceae, commonly known as spider flowers, spider plants, spider weeds, or bee plants. Previously, it had been placed in the family Capparaceae, until DNA studies found the Cleomaceae ge ...

'' (

Capparidaceae The Capparaceae (or Capparidaceae), commonly known as the caper family, are a family of plants in the order Brassicales. As currently circumscribed, the family contains 33 genera and about 700 species. The largest genera are '' Capparis'' (about ...

); '' Brassaiopsis'', ''

Cuphocarpus ''Cuphocarpus'' is an obsolete genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. Mabberley (2008) treated it as a synonym of '' Polyscias'',David J. Mabberley. 2008. ''Mabberley's Plant-Book'' third edition (2008). Cambridge University Pre ...

''*, '' Dendropanax''*, ''

Didymopanax ''Didymopanax'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae, native to southern Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. It was resurrected from ''Schefflera'' in 2020. Species The following species are accepted: * ...

''*, '' Fatsia''*, ''

Oreopanax ''Oreopanax'' is a genus of shrubs and trees in the family Araliaceae, comprising circa 85 species native to the Americas. Distribution ''Oreopanax'' species' range extends from Mexico and the Antilles to Argentina and Brazil, with most species ...

''*, '' Stilbocarpa''*, (* with Planch.) (

Araliaceae The Araliaceae are a family of flowering plants composed of about 43 genera and around 1500 species consisting of primarily woody plants and some herbaceous plants. The morphology of Araliaceae varies widely, but it is predominantly distinguisha ...

); ''

Berneuxia ''Berneuxia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Diapensiaceae. Its native range is Southeastern Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is ...

'' (

Diapensiaceae Diapensiaceae is a small family of flowering plants, which includes 15 species in 6 genera. The genera include '' Berneuxia'' Decne. (1 species), '' Diapensia'' L. (5 species), ''Galax'' Sims (1 species), '' Pyxidanthera'' Michx. (2 species), '' ...

); '' Scyphogyne'' ( Ericaceae); ''

Akebia ''Akebia'' is a genus of five species of flowering plant, within the family Lardizabalaceae. The scientific name, ''akebia'', is a Latinization of the Japanese language, Japanese name for species Akebia quinata: . Species There are five species: ...

'', ''

Boquila ''Boquila'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Lardizabalaceae, native to temperate forests of central and southern Chile and Argentina. The sole species is ''Boquila trifoliolata'' (DC.) Decne., called ''pilpil, voqui, voqui ...

'' (

Lardizabalaceae Lardizabalaceae is a family of flowering plants. The family has been universally recognized by taxonomists, including the APG II system (2003; unchanged from the APG system of 1998), which places it in the order Ranunculales, in the clade eudic ...

); '' Galtonia'' (

Liliaceae The lily family, Liliaceae, consists of about 15 genera and 610 species of flowering plants within the order Liliales. They are monocotyledonous, perennial, herbaceous, often bulbous geophytes. Plants in this family have evolved with a fair ...

s.l. or

Hyacinthaceae Scilloideae (named after the genus ''Scilla'', "squill") is a subfamily of bulbous plants within the family ''Asparagaceae''. Scilloideae is sometimes treated as a separate family Hyacinthaceae, named after the genus '' Hyacinthus''. Scilloideae o ...

); ''

Treculia ''Treculia'' is a genus of trees in the plant family Moraceae that is native to west and central Africa and Madagascar. The best-known member of the genus, ''Treculia africana'', commonly known as the African breadfruit, is used as a food plant. ...

'' Decne. ex Trecul ( Moraceae; ''

Camptotheca ''Camptotheca'' (happy tree, cancer tree, or tree of life) is a genus of medium-sized deciduous trees growing to tall, native to southern China and Tibet. The genus is usually included in the tupelo family Nyssaceae, but sometimes included (with ...

'' ( Nyssaceae or

Cornaceae The Cornaceae are a cosmopolitan family of flowering plants in the order Cornales. The family contains approximately 85 species in two genera, ''Alangium'' and ''Cornus''. They are mostly trees and shrubs, which may be deciduous or evergreen, alt ...

); '' Ephippiandra'' ( Monimiaceae); '' Pseudais'' (

Thymelaeaceae The Thymelaeaceae are a cosmopolitan family of flowering plants composed of 50 genera (listed below) and 898 species.Zachary S. Rogers (2009 onwards)A World Checklist of Thymelaeaceae (version 1) Missouri Botanical Garden Website, St. Louis. It ...

); ''

Allardia ''Allardia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family described as a genus in 1841. ''Allardia'' is native to Tibet and Central Asia. ; Species * '' Allardia lasiocarpa'' (G.X.Fu) K.Bremer & Humphries - Tibet * '' Allardia transalaic ...

'', ''

Lecocarpus ''Lecocarpus'' is a plant genus in the family Asteraceae, native to Galápagos Islands, part of Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecua ...

'', '' Wollastonia''

DC. 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 ...

ex Decne. (

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

); ''

Gymnotheca Saururaceae is a plant family comprising four genera and seven species of herbaceous flowering plants native to eastern and southern Asia and North America. The family has been recognised by most taxonomists, and is sometimes known as the "liza ...

'' ( Saururaceae); ''

Bougueria ''Plantago nubicola'' is a plant found in Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area o ...

'' (

Plantaginaceae Plantaginaceae, the plantain family, is a large, diverse family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales that includes common flowers such as snapdragon and foxglove. It is unrelated to the banana-like fruit also called "plantain." In older cl ...

); ''

Docynia ''Docynia'' (栘𣐿属, ''yí yī shǔ'') is a genus of flowering trees, evergreen or semi-evergreen, in the family Rosaceae. The fruit is a pome. The tree is endemic to Southeast Asia, including Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: U ...

'' (

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are ''Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorbus ...

); ''

Seetzenia ''Seetzenia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Zygophyllaceae. Its native range is the Sahara to north-eastern Tropical Africa (in Algeria, the Cape Provinces, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Niger, Somalia, Sudan and the W ...

'' R.Br. ex Decne.( Zygophyllaceae); '' Deherainia'' ( Theophrastaceae); '' Lopholepis'' (

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

); '' Asterostemma'', '' Atherandra'', '' Baeolepis'' Decne. ex Moq., ''

Barjonia ''Barjonia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1844. They are native to South America.Wood, J. R. I., F. Mamani M., P. Pozo, J. D. Soto & D. Villarroel Segarra. (eds.) 2011. Guía Darwin de la ...

'', ''

Blepharodon ''Blepharodon'' is a genus of plant in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1844. They are native primarily to South America, with one species extending into Central America and Mexico.Steyermark, J. A. 1995. Flora of the Venezue ...

'', ''

Calostigma ''Oxypetalum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described with this name in 1810. The genus is native to South America.Funk, V. A., P. E. Berry, S. Alexander, T. H. Hollowell & C. L. Kelloff. 2007. Checklist of the ...

'', '' Camptocarpus'', '' Decabelone'', ''

Decanema ''Decanema'' is a small genus in the dogbane family Apocynaceae (from ''Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, be ...

'', ''

Dictyanthus ''Dictyanthus'' is a genus of plant in family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1844. It is native to Mexico and Central America.Nelson, C. H. 2008. Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares de Honduras 1–1576. Secretaria de Recursos Natural ...

'', ''

Glossonema Glossonema is a plant genus in the family Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (from ''Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, ...

'', ''

Gongronema ''Gongronema'' is a genus of plants first described as a genus in 1844. Some of the species are native to Africa, with others in South Asia, South and Southeast Asia. ;Species accepted ;formerly included References

Asclepiadoideae Ap ...

'' (Endl.) Decne., '' Harpanema'', '' Hemipogon'', ''

Hoodia ''Hoodia'' (; known locally as "ghaap" or "bobbejaanghaap") is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, under the subfamily Asclepiadoideae, native to Southern Africa. One species of ''Hoodia'' in particular, ''Hoodia gordonii'', ...

'' Sweet ex Decne., ''

Ibatia ''Ibatia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Apocynaceae. Its native range is Panama to Tropical America. Species: *''Ibatia aristeguietae'' *''Ibatia boliviensis'' *''Ibatia ciliata'' *''Ibatia cordata'' *''Ibatia cu ...

'', '' Macropetalum'' Burch. ex Decne., ''

Melinia ''Philibertia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1819. It is native to South America.Holm, R. W. 1950. The American species of ''Sarcostemma'' R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae). Annals of the Missouri ...

'', ''

Mitostigma ''Mitostigma'' is a genus of plants in the Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1844. It contains only one accepted species, ''Mitostigma castillonii'', native to Jujuy Province in northwestern ArgentinaPontiroli, A. 1983. Asclepiadaceae. 1 ...

'', ''

Nautonia ''Nautonia'' is a group of plants in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1844. It contains only one known species, ''Nautonia nummularia'', native to Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Bra ...

'', '' Nephradenia'', ''

Orthosia ''Orthosia'' is a genus of moths of the family Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because man ...

'', ''

Pentopetia ''Pentopetia'' is a plant genus in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1844.Choux, P. 1931. Asclepiadaceae. Catalogue des Plantes de Madagascar, Asclepiadaceae 1(9): 5–24. The genus should not be confused with the related gen ...

'', ''

Peplonia ''Peplonia'' is a group of plants in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1844. The entire genus is endemic to Brazil.Forzza, R. C. 2010. Lista de espécies Flora do Brasil http://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/2010 . Jardim Botânico ...

'', ''

Periglossum ''Periglossum '' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1844. It is native to southern Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both ...

'', ''

Pherotrichis ''Pherotrichis'' is a plant genus in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1838. It is native to Mexico and Arizona. ;Species # '' Pherotrichis leptogenia'' B.L.Rob. - Jalisco # '' Pherotrichis mixtecana'' Brandegee - Oaxaca # ' ...

'', ''

Polystemma ''Polystemma'' is a genus of flowering plants of the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1844. It is native to Mexico and Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boun ...

'', '' Ptycanthera'', '' Pycnoneurum'', '' Pycnostelma'' Bunge ex Decne., '' Rhyssostelma'', '' Riocreuxia'', '' Tacazzea'', '' Tassadia'', ''

Trichosandra ''Trichosandra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Apocynaceae. Its native range is Mascarenes The Mascarene Islands (, ) or Mascarenes or Mascarenhas Archipelago is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean east of Madagas ...

'' (

Asclepiadaceae The Asclepiadoideae are a subfamily of plants in the family Apocynaceae. Formerly, they were treated as a separate family under the name Asclepiadaceae, e.g. by APG II, and known as the milkweed family. They form a group of perennial herbs, twin ...

or Apocynaceae s.l.); ''

Amorphophallus ''Amorphophallus'' (from Ancient Greek , "without form, misshapen" + ''phallos'', "penis", referring to the shape of the prominent spadix) is a large genus of some 200 tropical and subtropical tuberous herbaceous plants from the ''Arum'' family ...

'' Blume ex Decne. ( Araceae) and ''

Leptopus ''Leptopus'', the maidenbushes, are a genus of plants in the family Phyllanthaceae native to southern Asia from the Caucasus east to China and Maluku. The plants are monoecious herbs and shrubs with simple, entire leaves and small, green flo ...

'' ( Euphorbiaceae s.l. or Phyllanthaceae).

Works

* ''Le jardin fruitier du Museum'' (The fructiferous garden of the Museum) in 9 volumes (1858-1875) * ''Traité général de botanique descriptive et analytique'' (General Treatise of descriptive and analytic botany), Paris, Firmin-Didot, 1876 n collaboration with Emmanuel Le Maout">Emmanuel_Le_Maout.html" ;"title="n collaboration with Emmanuel Le Maout">n collaboration with Emmanuel Le MaoutEnglish edition 1873. * ''Mexicanas plantas'' (Plants of Mexico, 1872-1886 [in collaboration with others].
available at Botanicus.org

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Decaisne, Joseph 1807 births 1882 deaths Scientists from Paris 19th-century French botanists French agronomists Members of the French Academy of Sciences Botanists active in Europe Botanists with author abbreviations Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Corresponding members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences Members of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences Foreign Members of the Royal Society Burials at Montmartre Cemetery