Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
In the twelfth century
AD
, Albertus Magnus, a Bavarian
bishop trained in botany, is thought to have introduced
many plants to Padua in Italy after travels abroad. In
the sixteenth century, Francisco Hernandez, a doctor
to King Philip II of Spain, brought back many new plant
species from Mexico.
From the end of the sixteenth century, the intensity
of plant collecting increased considerably. This
was the new age of world travel as well as the
renaissance of learning in Europe. Many devoted
botanists and explorers, demonstrating exceptional
persistence in the face of extreme climates,
loneliness, disease and personal danger, were able
to find, transport, name and propagate newly found
species.
Below is a selected list of some of the better-known
collectors.
John Tradescant the Younger
(1608-1662). John
Tradescant was the son of a famous 'gardener father'.
He was born in Kent. Like his father, he was a botanist
and gardener, travelling to Virginia, possibly several
times from 1628 onwards. He was responsible for
importing several genera such as
Taxodium
,
Magnolia
,
Liriodendron
,
Phlox
and
Aster
into Britain and Ireland
.
On his father's death, Tradescant succeeded him as
head gardener to King Charles I.
(a)
(b)
Figure 2.12
(a)
Liriodendron tulipferae
tree; (b)
tulip-shaped fl ower - this species was brought to
Britain and Ireland by John Tradescant the younger;
(c)
Gingko biloba
, an unusual tree unrelated to any
living plant, originates from China. Its fi rst record by a
European was in 1690 by Engelbert Kaempfer
(c)