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Zinnia |
Johann Gottfried Zinn
Johann Gottfried Zinn (1727–1759) was a German anatomist and botanist and a member of the Berlin Academy.
Considering his short life span, Zinn made a great contribution to the study of anatomy. In his book Descriptio Anatomica Oculi Humani, he provided the first detailed and comprehensive anatomy of the human eye.
In addition to his medical career, Zinn was also an ardent botanist. Perhaps because of his interest in the human eye, in 1750, the German Ambassador to Mexico sent Zinn some seeds of mal de ojos, which was considered a weed in Mexico. The plant (Kalanchoe daigremontiana), also known as Mother of Thousands, is used in many cultures as an ingredient in a potion to "ward off the evil eye" (mal de ojo).
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Epipactis gigantea image courtesy Wikipedia.org |
It was Botanist Carolus Linnaeus who designated a genus of flowers in the family Asteraceae, native to Mexico, as Zinnia in his honor.
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Carolus Linnaeus |
Information on Johann Zinn from wikipedia.org.
how interesting, I love learning how plants got their names
ReplyDeleteThanks, Helen! I also find it fascinating, especially when the lives of some of the people whose names were given to the plants are so rich and interesting!--Joe
ReplyDeleteI agree. It's so fascinating where plants get their names. I'm intrigued by the lives many of them lived with multiple interests/talents/careers. Thanks Joe, I love the history you teach us!
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