Romanus Adolf Hedwig (1772 – 1806), sometimes styled as Romano Adolpho Hedwigio or simply R.A.H., was a German

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 ...

best known for his studies into

pteridophytes A pteridophyte is a vascular plant (with xylem and phloem) that disperses spores. Because pteridophytes produce neither flowers nor seeds, they are sometimes referred to as "cryptogams", meaning that their means of reproduction is hidden. Ferns, ...

spermatophytes A spermatophyte (; ), also known as phanerogam (taxon Phanerogamae) or phaenogam (taxon Phaenogamae), is any plant that produces seeds, hence the alternative name seed plant. Spermatophytes are a subset of the embryophytes or land plants. They inc ...

mycology Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy and their use to humans, including as a source for tinder, traditional medicine, food, and entheogens, as ...

, and

bryology Bryology (from Greek , a moss, a liverwort) is the branch of botany concerned with the scientific study of bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, and hornworts). Bryologists are people who have an active interest in observing, recording, classifying or ...

. He is the son of notable bryologist

Johann Hedwig Johann Hedwig (8 December 1730 – 18 February 1799), also styled as Johannes Hedwig, was a German botanist notable for his studies of mosses. He is sometimes called the "father of bryology". He is known for his particular observations of sexual r ...

. Romanus worked closely with his father, illustrating the publication ''Filicum genera et species recentiori methodo accomodatae analytice descriptae'' in 1799. Following in his late father's footsteps, he was appointed as the Professor of Botany at the

University of Leipzig Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 Decemb ...

in 1801. Romanus became good friends with

Augustin Pyramus 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 Candoll ...

, and the two would often send correspondences and exchange specimens. Romanus was personally thanked for his contributions in de Candolle's publication Upon the death of Romanus in 1806, his personal herbarium was sold with some material being incorporated into his father's collection.Stafleu, Frans A., et al. Taxonomic Literature: a Selective Guide to Botanical Publications and Collections with Dates, Commentaries and Types. Bohn, Scheltema & Holkema, 1979. Petromarula pinnata - Blüten

Published works

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hedwig, Romanus Adolf 1772 births 1806 deaths 18th-century German botanists Bryologists Leipzig University faculty