Vicente (Vincente) de Cervantes (Ledrada, Salamanca España; 1755 - México; 1829) was a notable Spanish and

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

physician and

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 ...

Background

Don Vicente Cervantes was a contemporary of Martín Sessé y Lacasta and corresponded with Jean-Louis Berlandier, the French naturalist who botanized in Mexico and Texas as part of the Mexican Boundary Commission. He was also the first Professor of Botany in

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Am ...

, at the Royal Botanic Garden in Mexico City. It is after him that the magnificent

Odontoglossum ''Odontoglossum'', first named in 1816 by Karl Sigismund Kunth, is a genus of about 100 orchids. The scientific name is derived from the Greek words ''odon'' (tooth) and ''glossa'' (tongue), referring to the two tooth-like calluses on the base o ...

orchid, the "Cervantes Odontoglot" (''

Odontoglossum cervantesii ''Odontoglossum'', first named in 1816 by Karl Sigismund Kunth, is a genus of about 100 orchids. The scientific name is derived from the Greek words ''odon'' (tooth) and ''glossa'' (tongue), referring to the two tooth-like calluses on the base o ...

''), is named.

Juan Diego del Castillo Juan Diego del Castillo (1744–1793) was a Spanish pharmacist and botanist who joined Vicente Cervantes in Mexico. Castillo wrote ''Plantas descritas en el viaje de Acapulco''. He died in Mexico. Castillo had been a contemporary of Martín ...

(d. 1793) joined Cervantes in Mexico. Del Castillo left a large sum of money towards the printing of their projected book ''Flora Mexicana''. Cervantes named the genus ''

Castilla Castile, Castille or Castilla may refer to: Places Spain *Castile (historical region), a vaguely defined historical region of Spain covering most of Castile and León, all of the Community of Madrid and most of Castilla–La Mancha *Kingdom of ...

'', consisting of three large latex yielding trees, after him.M.J.R. Loadman, ''Tears of the Tree: The Story of Rubber –a Modern Marvel'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), 25.

Notes

Publications

*Vicente de Cervantes,

, in Gazeta de Literatura de México 1794, Suppl.: 7. (2 July 1794)

References

*"La realidad se ha convertido en una materia" ''Enciclopedia de México'', v. 2. Mexico City: 1987.

External links

Berlandier papers at Harvard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cervantes, Vicente 1755 births 1829 deaths People from the Province of Salamanca 18th-century Spanish botanists 19th-century Spanish botanists