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Stephan Ladislaus Endlicher also known as Endlicher István László (24 June 1804, Bratislava (Pozsony) – 28 March 1849,
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
) was an Austrian botanist, numismatist and
Sinologist Sinology, or Chinese studies, is an academic discipline that focuses on the study of China primarily through Chinese philosophy, language, literature, culture and history and often refers to Western scholarship. Its origin "may be traced to the e ...
. He was a director of the Botanical Garden of Vienna.


Biography

Endlicher studied theology and received minor orders. In 1828 he was appointed to the
Austrian National Library The Austrian National Library (german: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek) is the largest library in Austria, with more than 12 million items in its various collections. The library is located in the Neue Burg Wing of the Hofburg in center of ...
to reorganize its manuscript collection. Concurrently he studied natural history, in particular botany, and East-Asian languages. In 1836, Endlicher was appointed keeper of the court cabinet of natural history, and in 1840 he became professor at the
University of Vienna The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich h ...
and director of its
Botanical Garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
. He wrote a comprehensive description of the plant kingdom according to a natural system, at the time its most comprehensive description. As proposed by Endlicher, it contained images with text. It was published together with the reissue of Franz Unger's ''Grundzüge der Botanik'' (Fundamentals of Botany). Endlicher was fundamental in establishing the Imperial Academy of Science (german: link=no, Akademie der Wissenschaften), but when contrary to his expectations the Baron Joseph Hammer von Purgstall was elected its president in his stead, he resigned. He presented his library and herbaria to the state, and passed several hours every week for 10 years in the society of the Emperor Ferdinand, but he received no other reward than the title of councillor (german: link=no, Regierungsrath). In 1842, he was elected as a member of the
American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communi ...
. As a known liberal, Endlicher was asked to act as mediator during the revolution of 1848, but eventually was forced to leave Vienna for a time. In 1848 he also became a member of the
Frankfurt Parliament The Frankfurt Parliament (german: Frankfurter Nationalversammlung, literally ''Frankfurt National Assembly'') was the first freely elected parliament for all German states, including the German-populated areas of Austria-Hungary, elected on 1 Ma ...
and the assembly at Kremsier (Kroměříž).


Works

Endlicher made valuable contributions to the science of old German and classic literature, and pointed out new sources of Hungarian history, publishing ''Fragmenta Theotisca Versionis antiquissimae Evangelii Matthaei'' (edited with
Hoffmann von Fallersleben August Heinrich Hoffmann (, calling himself von Fallersleben, after his hometown; 2 April 179819 January 1874) was a German poet. He is best known for writing "Das Lied der Deutschen", whose third stanza is now the national anthem of Germany, an ...
, 1834), an edition of two poems of
Priscian Priscianus Caesariensis (), commonly known as Priscian ( or ), was a Latin grammarian and the author of the ''Institutes of Grammar'', which was the standard textbook for the study of Latin during the Middle Ages. It also provided the raw materia ...
(1828), and ''Anonymi Belæ Regis Notarii de Gestis Hungarorum Liber'' (1827). His linguistic publications comprise ''Analecta Grammatica'' (with Eichenfeld, 1836), and ''Anfangsgründe der chinesischen Grammatik'' (Foundations of Chinese grammar; 1845). His ''Verzeichniss der japanesischen und chinesischen Münzen des kaiserlichen Münz- und Antikencabinets'' (Catalog of Japanese and Chinese coins in the imperial coin and antique collections; 1837) and ''Atlas von China nach der Aufnahme der Jesuitenmissionäre'' (Atlas of China after the arrival of the Jesuit missionaries; 1843) are finely executed, and deserve mention as specimens of his great liberality. He wrote several works in conjunction with other scholars, and many of his minor writings are scattered among the periodicals of his time, especially in the ''Annalen des Wiener Museums''.


Botany

The majority and the most valuable of his works are on botany. Foremost among them are his: ''Genera Plantarum'' (1831–1841), in which he lays down a new system of classification; ''Grundzüge einer neuen Theorie der Pflanzenerzeugung'' (Foundations of a new theory of plant breeding; 1838); and ''Die Medicinalpflanzen der österreichischen Pharmakopöe'' (Medicinal plants in the Austrian pharmacopoeia; 1842). His other principal botanical works are: ''Ceratotheca'' (1822), ''Flora Posoniensis'' (1830), ''Diesingia'' (1832), ''Atacta Botanica'' (1833), ''Iconographia Generum Plantarum'' (1838), ''Enchiridium Botanicum'' (1841) and ''Synopsis Coniferarum'' (1847). Endlicher established the botanical journal ''Annalen des Wiener Museums der Naturgeschichte'' (1835 and on). He began the work '' Flora Brasiliensis'' with
Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius Carl Friedrich Philipp (Karl Friedrich Philipp) von Martius (17 April 1794 – 13 December 1868) was a German botanist and explorer. Life Martius was born at Erlangen Erlangen (; East Franconian: ''Erlang'', Bavarian: ''Erlanga'') is a Mid ...
. He also published early works on the flora of Australia, including the plants collected by Carl von Hugel and Ferdinand Bauer. Endlicher described many new plant
genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial ...
, including the genus ''Sequoia'', and also its only extant species ''Sequoia sempervirens'' (California coast redwood). Although Endlicher never offered an explanation for the name, later writers speculated that he must have been inspired by the achievements of the American
Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...
Indian linguist
Sequoyah Sequoyah (Cherokee: ᏍᏏᏉᏯ, ''Ssiquoya'', or ᏎᏉᏯ, ''Se-quo-ya''; 1770 – August 1843), also known as George Gist or George Guess, was a Native American polymath of the Cherokee Nation. In 1821, he completed his independent crea ...
. John Davis credited Endlicher with naming the new species of Sierra redwood ''Sequoyah gigantea'' in 1847, the present day ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'' (California giant redwood), to honor Sequoyah's invention of the Cherokee syllabary.Davis, John B. ''Chronicles of Oklahoma''. Vol. 8, Number 2. "The Life and Work of Sequoyah." June 1930. Retrieved 4 April 201

/ref> Recent scholarship supports this hypothesis; Endlicher appears to have combined the Latin ''sequi'' (meaning ''to follow'') with his admiration of Sequoyah and coined "Sequoia" because the number of seeds per cone in the newly classified genus fell in mathematical sequence with the other four genera in the suborder. . The genus '' Endlicheria'' of the family
Lauraceae Lauraceae, or the laurels, is a plant family that includes the true laurel and its closest relatives. This family comprises about 2850 known species in about 45 genera worldwide (Christenhusz & Byng 2016 ). They are dicotyledons, and occur m ...
was named in his honour.


Endlicher System

Endlicher's system for plant classification is laid out as follows in his ''Genera Plantarum'', with a hierarchy of ''Regio'', ''Sectio'', ''Cohors'', ''Classis'', ''Ordo'', with further subdivisions (and finally ''Genus''), using a sequential numbering system, as shown for some taxa; ;Outline * Thallophyta ** Protophyta ** Hysterophyta * Cormophyta ** Acrobrya ** Amphibrya ** Acramphibrya ;Conspectus * Regio I. THALLOPHYTA ** Sectio I. Protophyta *** Classis I. Algae **** Ordo I. Diatomaceae ***** I. Diatomeae ****** a. Frustulieae (Gen. 1–12) ****** b. Hydrolineae (Gen. 13–18) ***** II. Dermidieae ****** a. Micrasterieae (Gen. 19–21) ****** b. Echinelleae (Gen. 22–24) **** Ordo II. Nostochinae **** Ordo III. Confervaceae **** Ordo IV. Characeae **** Ordo V. Ulvaceae **** Ordo VI. Floridae **** Ordo VII. Fucaceae *** Classis II. Lichenes ** Sectio II. Hysterophyta *** Classis III. Fungi * Regio II. CORMOPHYTA ** Sectio III. Acrobrya *** Cohors I. Anophyta **** Classis IV. Hepitacea **** Classis V. Musci *** Cohors II. Protophyta **** Classis VI. Equiseta **** Classis VII. Filices **** Classis VIII. Hydropterides **** Classis IX. Selagines **** Classis X. Zamiae *** Cohors II. Hysterophyta **** Classis XI. Rhizanthaea ** Sectio IV. Amphibrya *** Classis 12. Glumaceae *** Classis 13. Enantioblastae *** Classis 14. Helobiae *** Classis 15. Coronariae **** Ordo 51. Juncaceae **** Ordo 52. Philydreae **** Ordo 53. Melanthaceae **** Ordo 54. Pontederaceae **** Ordo 55. Liliaceae **** Ordo 56. Smilaceae **** Ordo 57. Dioscoreae **** Ordo 58. Taccaceae *** Classis 16. Artorhizae *** Classis 17. Ensatae *** Classis 18. Gynandrae *** Classis 19. Scitamineae *** Classis 20. Fluviales *** Classis 21. Spadiciflorae *** Classis 22. Principes. ** Sectio IV. Acramphibrya *** Cohors I. Gymnosperma **** Classis 23. Coniferae *** Cohors II. Apetalae ****Classis 24. Piperitae ****Aquaticae ****Juliflorae ****Oleraceae ****Thymeleae **** Classis 29. Serpentariae *** Cohors III. Gamopetala ****Plumbagines **** Classis 32. Campanulinae ****Contortae ****Tubiflorae **** Classis 31. Aggregatae ****Caprifolia ****Kuculiferae ****Personatae ****Petalantheae **** Classis 39. Bicornes *** Cohors IV. Dialypetala **** Classis 40. Discanthae **** Classis 41. Corniculatae ****Polycarpicae ****Rhoeades ****Nelumbea ****Parietales ****Peponiferae ****Opuntiae ****Caryophyllinae **** Classis 49. Columniferae ****Guttiferae ****Hesperides ****Acera **** Classis 54. Polygalinae ****Frangulaceae ****Tricoccae ****Terebinthinae ****Gruinales **** Classis 59. Calycifiorae ****Myrtiflorae ****Rosiflorae **** Classis 62. Leguminosae


Taxonomy


Standard author abbreviation


Important works

* ''Flora Brasiliensis'' * ''Genera Plantarum Secundum Ordines Naturales Disposita'' (1836–50) * ''Synopsis Coniferarum'' (1847) * ''Die Medicinal-Pflanzen der österreichischen Pharmakopöe: ein Handbuch für Ärzte und Apotheker''. Gerold, Wien 1842 * '' Enumeratio plantarum quas in Novae Hollandiae ora austro-occidentali ad fluvium Cygnorum et in sinu Regis Georgii collegit Carolus Liber Baro de Hügel'' * ''Prodromus Florae Norfolkicae'' (Flora of
Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together w ...
), available online a
Project Gutenberg ebooks
* ''Stirplum Australisicum''


Tribute

The African fish '' Polypterus endlicheri'' Heckel, 1847 was named in honor of Endlicher, who apparently discovered the species in the fish collection at the Naturhistorisches Museum (Vienna).


See also

* :Taxa named by Stephan Endlicher


References


External links

*
View digitized titles by Endlicher in ''Botanicus.org''Comprehensive bibliography on WorldCat
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Endlicher, Stephan Ladislaus 19th-century Austrian botanists Austrian mycologists 1804 births 1849 deaths Bryologists Pteridologists Phycologists Paleobotanists Botanists with author abbreviations Austrian numismatists Austrian orientalists Austrian sinologists Austrian people of Hungarian descent 19th-century Hungarian botanists Hungarian mycologists Hungarian orientalists Scientists from Bratislava Members of the Frankfurt Parliament Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class) Austrian Roman Catholics 19th-century Austrian politicians