Carl Ludwig Willdenow

Carl Ludwig Willdenow (22 August 1765 – 10 July 1812) was a notable German botanist, pharmacist, and plant taxonomist. He is considered one of the founders of phytogeography, the study of the geographic distribution of plants.

Early Life and Education

Willdenow was born in Berlin, Germany. He showed an early interest in plants and began to collect and classify them from a young age. He studied pharmacy and botany at the University of Halle under the guidance of renowned botanist Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber.

Career

After completing his studies, Willdenow opened a pharmacy in Berlin. His pharmacy, known as the "King of Portugal," became a center for botanical exchange and attracted many budding botanists. He also began to teach botany and was appointed as a professor of botany at the University of Berlin in 1801.

Willdenow's primary contribution to botany was his study of the geographic distribution of plants. He was the first to incorporate the effects of climate and geography on the distribution of species in his taxonomic work. His most significant work, Species Plantarum, was a continuation of Linnaeus's work of the same name and included many new species and genera.

Legacy

Willdenow's work laid the foundation for the field of biogeography and influenced many future botanists, including Alexander von Humboldt. The plant genus Willdenowia is named in his honor.

See Also

• List of botanists by author abbreviation (W)
• Phytogeography
• Species Plantarum

External Links

• Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem - Carl Ludwig Willdenow