Friedrich Wilhelm von Leysser

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Friedrich Wilhelm von Leysser (* March 7, 1731 in Magdeburg , † October 10, 1815 in Halle (Saale) ) was a royal Prussian official and a recognized botanist . His botanical author abbreviation is “ Leyss. "

Live and act

The son of Polycarp Friedrich von Leyser (1690–1767) and Christiane Charlotte Dreyssig (1708–1780) as well as the grandson of Magdeburg syndic Friedrich Wilhelm Leyser initially aspired to a legal career, as did his father and grandfather. As a Prussian civil servant, like his father, he was promoted to the war and domain council, as well as director of the salt office in Halle.

In line with his inclinations, however, he decided early on for additional training in botany . Already between 1758 and 1765 in Halle he appeared as a lecturer in this field. His focus was on the research of algae , bryophyta (leaf moss), fungi (mushrooms), lichen (lichens) and spermatophyta (seed plants). In addition, he made an important reputation as a mineralogist and was active as a mineral collector , especially on behalf of the Margravine of Baden, Karoline Luise von Hessen-Darmstadt . His own mineralogical collection, which he had compiled over a period of around 60 years, at times comprised more than 10,000 copies and was later bought from him. After that she was considered lost.

Leysser was in a lively exchange of letters and opinions with the Swedish scientist Carl von Linné . In his main work " Flora Halensis ", Leysser published the biodiversity of the native flora , where he was the first to use the Linnaeus nomenclature , although he did not use the binary short forms known today, which Linnaeus himself referred to as a trivial name and regarded as a stopgap solution for practical use but the original and detailed long names. Of the more than 100 plants described by Leysser in this work, around 40 were assigned to the Halle flora for the first time, around 40 more were listed as a variety and almost 20 corrections were made to existing plant descriptions. The abbreviation "Leyss." Was used for Leysser's own discoveries.

In the meantime, Leysser joined the Society of Natural Scientists in Berlin and was elected the first president of the " Natural Research Society of Halle ", which was founded on July 3, 1779 . After Leysser's death, Albrecht Wilhelm Roth continued his botanical studies.

Honors

The plant genera Leysera L. and Oreoleysera K.Bremer from the sunflower family (Asteraceae) have been named after him. Leysera occurs in three ways. One species ( Leysera leyseroides (Desf.) Maire ) occurs from North Africa to the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East as well as in Spain and Pakistan (Baluchistan), whereas the other two species are only native to the Capensis .

Works (selection)

  • Botanica in originali, seu, Herbarium vivum,… , Johann Hieronymus Kniphof , FW v. Leysser, Halle / Magdeburg, 1757–67
  • Flora Halensis, exhibens plantas circa halam salicam crescentes secvndvm systema sexvale Linneanvm distribvtas , Halae Salicae: Taeubel, 1761
  • Mineralogical tables, designed according to Richard Kirwan's mineralogy, with an appendix of fossils , Halle: Hemmerde, 1787
  • Directory of the minerals he collected. With mineralogical remarks . Halle, Hendel 1806

Plants described by Leysser (selection)

literature

  • Gaston Mayer: Friedrich Wilhelm von Leysser (1731–1815) as mineralogist and mineral supplier to Margravine Caroline Louise von Baden (1773). In: The opening. 28, 1977, pp. 157-158.
  • G. Schmid: Linné and Leysser. In: Journal of Natural Sciences. 88, no. 6, 1928, pp. 191-266.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Linnaeus-Leysser correspondence
  2. ↑ The Natural Research Society in Halle (Eng.)
  3. ↑ Description of the Leyssera (Eng.)
  4. ↑ Lotte Burkhardt: Directory of eponymous plant names . Extended Edition. Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin, Free University Berlin Berlin 2018. [1]
personal data
SURNAME Leysser, Friedrich Wilhelm von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Leyser, Friedrich Wilhelm von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German war and domain council, mine director and botanist
DATE OF BIRTH March 7, 1731
PLACE OF BIRTH Magdeburg
DATE OF DEATH October 10, 1815
Place of death Halle (Saale)