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 madder, 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.[1]
In 1847 he chaired Statistical Agriculture department in the College de France.[2]
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 collaboration with Emmanuel Le Maout] English edition 1873.[5]
Mexicanas plantas (Plants of Mexico, 1872–1886 [in collaboration with others]. (available at Botanicus.org)
References
^Dupree, A. Hunter (1988). Asa Gray, American Botanist, Friend of Darwin. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 84–85. ISBN978-0-801-83741-8.
^Lumbsch T. H., Huhndorf S. M. (December 2007). "Outline of Ascomycota – 2007". Myconet. 13. Chicago, USA: The Field Museum, Department of Botany: 1–58. Archived from the original on 2009-03-18.
