Linnaeus Publishes “Species Plantarum” (1753)

Taxonomy as we know it began on May 1, 1753.  Before then, the naming and description of species was a free-for-all.  Species were described by long, cumbersome Latin names that were given randomly by different observers.  A single species might have several names that the originator changed at will.  The common wild briar rose, for example, was called Rosa sylvestris inodora seu canina by one botanist and Rosa sylvestris alba cum rubore, folio glabro by another.  From now on, that would be different.

Linnaeus is a name familiar to anyone who has taken a biology course.  Carl von Linne, or as we know him, Carolus Linnaeus, was born in 1707 in Sweden, studied medicine and became a prominent Swedish doctor, eventually serving as the physician to the Swedish royal family.  His family name was taken from the linden tree, a favorite of his father, a minister.

Statue of Linnaeus as a young student of botany (photo by Larry Nielsen)

Like his father, Linnaeus loved plants.  At the time, studying plants was part of studying medicine, because doctors needed to know which plants to prescribe as drugs for their patients’ ailments.  But Linnaeus’ interest went much farther.  He explored the agricultural and economic uses of plants, including creating gardens and indoor growing environments in which he hoped to produce varieties of tropical plants that could grow in Sweden.  He wasn’t particularly successful in that work.

He was successful, however, in figuring out a way to organize plant identification that was simple and standard.  He created the binomial system we use today, designating a plant’s identification by a genus name and a species name, both in Latin so that common names wouldn’t confuse botanists and the public.  He worked on this gradually over years, eventually publishing Species Plantarum on May 1, 1753.  He named the wild briar rose Rosa canina.

Cover of Species Plantarum, at Linnaeus Museum, Uppsala, Sweden (photo by Larry Nielsen)

Species Plantarum inventoried and classified every known plant at the time, 6,000 species in all.  The book immediately became the standard way to classify organisms, marking its publication as the historical beginning of modern taxonomy.  His innovation allowed much better communication among scientists and also allowed the public to participate in botanical exploration and discovery.

Linnaeus followed up his botanical treatise with a complete binomial taxonomy of known plants and animals in 1758, the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae.  The biological basis of his classification was challenged because he used only sexual characteristics in his ordering of plants—some considered it too restrictive, and others thought it was obscene.  But his system of classification—genus and species—has become standard.

Some also consider Linnaeus a pioneer in ecology.  He understood that the relationship between a plant and its environment was crucial to its success.  That is why he was so convinced that he could breed plants with traits that were more adapted to the cold environment of Sweden.

Garden at Linnaeus home in Uppsala, Sweden, showing his plantings of botanical specimens in their natural habitats (photo by Larry Nielsen)

So, next time you complain about having to learn the two-name scientific identification of a plant or animal, stop and thank Linnaeus that you can describe a species in two words–instead of a paragraph of nonsense!

References:

Encyclopedia Britannica.  Species Plantarum.  Available at:  https://www.britannica.com/topic/Species-Plantarum.  Accessed April 30, 2018.

University of Aberdeen.  Carolus Linnaeus, Species Plantarum.  Available at:  https://www.abdn.ac.uk/special-collections/carolus-linnus-species-plantarum-458.php.  Accessed April 30, 2018.

University of California Museum of Paleontology.  Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778).  Available at:  http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/linnaeus.html.  Accessed April 30, 2018

This Month in Conservation

September 1
Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon, Died (1914)
September 2
President Roosevelt Dedicated Great Smoky National Park (1940)
September 3
Wilderness Act passed (1964)
September 4
Fort Bragg, Home of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Established (1918)
September 5
UNESCO Established First World Heritage Sites (1978)
September 6
Alcide d’Orbigny, French Naturalist, Born (1802)
September 7
Edward Birge, Father of Limnology, born (1851)
September 8
UN Millennium Declaration ratified (2000)
September 9
First “Bug” Found in Computer (1945)
September 10
Henry Hardtner, Father of Southern Forestry, Born (1870)
September 11
World Wildlife Fund Began Operations (1961)
September 12
Canyonlands National Park Established (1964)
September 13
Walter Reed born (1851)
September 14
Marc Reisner, Author of Cadillac Desert (1948)
September 15
Darwin reaches the Galapagos Islands (1835)
September 16
Ed Begley Jr., Environmental Advocate, born (1949)
September 17
Edgar Wayburn, Wilderness Advocate, Born (1906)
September 18
Grey Owl, Pioneering Conservationist in Canada, Born (1888)
September 19
Urmas Tartes, Estonian Nature Photographer, born (1963)
September 20
AAAS Founded (1848)
September 21
Assateague Island National Seashore Created (1965)
September 22
Peace Corps becomes law (1961)
September 23
Rose Selected as U.S. National Flower (1986)
September 24
President Kennedy Dedicated Pinchot Institute (1963)
September 25
Pope Francis Addressed the UN on the Environment (2015)
September 26
Johnny Appleseed Born (1774)
September 27
“Silent Spring” Published (1962)
September 28
National Public Lands Day
September 29
Steinhart Aquarium opens (1923)
September 30
Hoover Dam Dedicated (1935)
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