Joseph Decaisne (7 March 1807 – 8 January 1882) was a French botanist and agronomist. He became an aide-naturaliste to Adrien-Henri de Jussieu (1797–1853), who served as the chair of rural botany. It was during this time that he began to study plants brought back by various travelers like those of Victor Jacquemont (1801–1832) from Asia. Decaisne used applied research, most notably on the agronomy of the Rubia tinctorum, the yam and the ramie. He was also interested in algae.
Biography
Although born in
Brussels, Belgium, he exercised his activity exclusively in
Paris. He entered in 1824 as a gardener at the
Muséum national d'histoire naturelle (French museum of natural history) and became, in 1832, head of the
carré des semis section. He also worked at the
Jardin des Plantes and collaborated with
Asa Gray.
In 1847 he chaired Statistical Agriculture department in the College de France.
In 1850, Decaisne followed Charles-François Brisseau de Mirbel (1776–1854) as the chair of horticulture at the Museum. In 1854 he participated in the creation of the Société botanique de France.
The genera Decaisnea Hook.f. & Thomson (Lardizabalaceae), Decaisnea Brongn. syn. of Prescottia Lindl., Decaisnina Tiegh. (Loranthaceae), Decaisnella (genus of fungi in the family Massariaceae
He died in Paris on 8 January 1882.
Contributions to plant taxonomy
He described the following genera of
:
Capanea (now part of
Kohleria) and
Chrysothemis of the family
Gesneriaceae;
Sautiera (
Acanthaceae);
Lepinia,
Rhazya (
Apocynaceae);
Vancouveria (with C.Morren) (
Berberidaceae);
Ostryopsis (
Betulaceae);
Dipterygium (
Capparidaceae);
Brassaiopsis,
Cuphocarpus*,
Dendropanax*,
Didymopanax*,
Fatsia*,
Oreopanax*,
Stilbocarpa*, (* with Planch.) (
Araliaceae);
Berneuxia (
Diapensiaceae);
Scyphogyne (
Ericaceae);
Akebia,
Boquila (
Lardizabalaceae);
Galtonia (
Liliaceae s.l. or
Hyacinthaceae);
Treculia Decne. ex Trecul (
Moraceae;
Camptotheca (
Nyssaceae or
Cornaceae);
Ephippiandra (
Monimiaceae);
Pseudais (
Thymelaeaceae);
Allardia,
Lecocarpus,
Wollastonia DC. ex Decne. (
Asteraceae);
Gymnotheca (
Saururaceae);
Bougueria (
Plantaginaceae);
Docynia (
Rosaceae);
Seetzenia R.Br. ex Decne.(
Zygophyllaceae);
Deherainia (
Theophrastaceae);
Lopholepis (now a synonym of
Perotis )(
Poaceae);
Asterostemma,
Atherandra,
Baeolepis Decne. ex Moq.,
Barjonia,
Blepharodon,
Calostigma,
Camptocarpus,
Decabelone,
Decanema,
Dictyanthus,
Glossonema,
Gongronema (Endl.) Decne.,
Harpanema,
Hemipogon,
Hoodia Sweet ex Decne.,
Ibatia,
Macropetalum Burch. ex Decne.,
Melinia,
Mitostigma (now part of
Philibertia),
Nautonia,
Nephradenia,
Orthosia,
Pentopetia,
Peplonia,
Periglossum,
Pherotrichis,
Polystemma,
Ptycanthera,
Pycnoneurum,
Pycnostelma Bunge ex Decne.,
Rhyssostelma,
Riocreuxia,
Tacazzea,
Tassadia,
Trichosandra (
Asclepiadaceae or Apocynaceae s.l.);
Amorphophallus Blume ex Decne. (
Araceae) and
Leptopus (
Euphorbiaceae s.l. or
Phyllanthaceae).
Works
-
Le jardin fruitier du Museum (The fructiferous garden of the Museum) in 9 volumes (1858–1875)
-
Traité général de botanique descriptive et analytique (General Treatise of descriptive and analytic botany), Paris, Firmin-Didot, 1876 in English edition 1873.
-
Mexicanas plantas (Plants of Mexico, 1872–1886 in. ( available at Botanicus.org)
Bibliography
