Adolphe Theodore Brongniart
Encyclopedia
Adolphe-Théodore Brongniart (adɔlf teodɔːʁ bʁɔ̃ɲaːʁ) (14 January 1801 – 18 February 1876) was a French
botanist. He was the son of the geologist Alexandre Brongniart
and grandson of the architect, Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart
. Brongniart's pioneering work on the relationships between extinct and existing plants has earned him the title of father of paleobotany
. His major work on plant fossils was his Histoire des végétaux fossiles (1828–37). He wrote his dissertation on the Buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae
), an extant family of flowering plant
s, and worked at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
in Paris
until his death. In 1851, he was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Brongn. when citing
a botanical name
.
's discoveries of the fundamental difference between Gymnosperm
s and Angiosperm
s, the Cycadeae and Coniferae were placed in the new group the gymnosperms. In Brongniart's Histoire des végétaux fossiles attention was also directed to the succession of forms in the various geological periods, with the important result that in the Palaeozoic period the Pteridophyta
are found to predominate; in the Mesozoic
, the Gymnosperms; in the Cenozoic
, the Angiosperms, a result subsequently more fully stated in his Tableau des genres de végétaux fossiles. But the Histoire itself was not completed; the publication of successive parts proceeded regularly from 1828 to 1837, when the first volume was completed, but after that only three parts of the second volume appeared. Apart from his more comprehensive works, his most important palaeontological contributions are perhaps his observations on the structure of the treelike lycopod, Sigillaria
, an extinct plant related to the living club mosses
, and his researches (almost the last he undertook) on fossil seeds, of which a full account was published posthumously in 1880.
. Among his achievements in these directions the most notable is the treatise Sur la génération et le développement de l'embryon des Phanérogames ("On the geration and development of the spermatophyte embryo"). This is remarkable in that it contains the first account of any value of the development of the pollen
; as also a description of the structure of the pollen-grain
, the confirmation of Giovanni Battista Amici
's discovery in 1823 of the pollen-tube
, the confirmation of Robert Brown's
views as to the structure of the unimpregnated ovule
(with the introduction of the term "sac embryonnaire", or embryo sac); and in that it shows how nearly Brongniart anticipated Amici's subsequent (1846) discovery of the entrance of the pollen-tube into the micropyle
, fertilizing the female cell, which then develops into the embryo
.
Of his anatomical works, those of the greatest value are probably the "Recherches sur la structure et les fonctions des feuilles" ("research on the structure and function of leaves"), and the Nouvelles recherches sur 1'épiderme ("New research on the epidermis"), in which, among other important observations, the discovery of the cuticle
is recorded; and, further, the Recherches sur l'organisation des tiges des Cycadées ("Research on the organization of cycad
stems"), giving the results of the first investigation of the anatomy of those plants.
His systematic work is represented by a large number of papers and monographs, many of which relate to the flora
of New Caledonia
; and by his Énumération des genres de plantes cultivées au Musée d'histoire naturelle de Paris (1843), a catalogue of the plants in cultivation at the Musée d'histoire naturelle; it is a landmark in the history of classification in that it forms the starting-point of the classification system, modified successively by Alexander Braun
, August W. Eichler
and Adolf Engler
, which was not superseded until the development of DNA research.
In addition to his scientific and professorial labours, Brongniart held various important official posts in connection with the department of education, and interested himself greatly in agricultural
and horticultural
matters. With Jean Victoire Audouin
and Jean-Baptiste Dumas
, his future brothers-in-law, Brongniart founded the Annales des Sciences Naturelles, a peer-reviewed journal, in 1824. He also founded the Société Botanique de France in 1854, and was its first president.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
botanist. He was the son of the geologist Alexandre Brongniart
Alexandre Brongniart
Alexandre Brongniart was a French chemist, mineralogist, and zoologist, who collaborated with Georges Cuvier on a study of the geology of the region around Paris...
and grandson of the architect, Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart
Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart
Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart was a prominent French architect.Born in Paris, France. A prominent member of Parisian society, in 1767 he married Anne-Louise d'Egremont...
. Brongniart's pioneering work on the relationships between extinct and existing plants has earned him the title of father of paleobotany
Paleobotany
Paleobotany, also spelled as palaeobotany , is the branch of paleontology or paleobiology dealing with the recovery and identification of plant remains from geological contexts, and their use for the biological reconstruction of past environments , and both the evolutionary history of plants, with a...
. His major work on plant fossils was his Histoire des végétaux fossiles (1828–37). He wrote his dissertation on the Buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae
Rhamnaceae
Rhamnaceae, the Buckthorn family, is a large family of flowering plants, mostly trees, shrubs and some vines.The family contains 50-60 genera and approximately 870-900 species. The Rhamnaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are more common in the subtropical and tropical regions...
), an extant family of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s, and worked at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle is the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France.- History :The museum was formally founded on 10 June 1793, during the French Revolution...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
until his death. In 1851, he was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Brongn. when citing
Author citation (botany)
In botanical nomenclature, author citation refers to citing the person who validly published a botanical name, i.e. who first published the name while fulfilling the formal requirements as specified by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature...
a botanical name
Botanical name
A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and, if it concerns a plant cultigen, the additional cultivar and/or Group epithets must conform to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants...
.
Brongniart's works
Brongniart was an indefatigable investigator and a prolific writer of books and memoirs. As early as 1822 he published a paper on the classification and distribution of fossil plants. This was followed by several papers chiefly bearing upon the relation between extinct and existing forms - a line of research which culminated in the publication of the Histoire des vegetaux fossiles ("History of fossil plants"), which has earned for him the title of "father of paleobotany." This classification arranged fossil plants with their nearest living allies; it formed the basis of much subsequent work in paleobotany. It is of especial botanical interest, because, in accordance with Robert BrownRobert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
's discoveries of the fundamental difference between Gymnosperm
Gymnosperm
The gymnosperms are a group of seed-bearing plants that includes conifers, cycads, Ginkgo, and Gnetales. The term "gymnosperm" comes from the Greek word gymnospermos , meaning "naked seeds", after the unenclosed condition of their seeds...
s and Angiosperm
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s, the Cycadeae and Coniferae were placed in the new group the gymnosperms. In Brongniart's Histoire des végétaux fossiles attention was also directed to the succession of forms in the various geological periods, with the important result that in the Palaeozoic period the Pteridophyta
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
are found to predominate; in the Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
, the Gymnosperms; in the Cenozoic
Cenozoic
The Cenozoic era is the current and most recent of the three Phanerozoic geological eras and covers the period from 65.5 mya to the present. The era began in the wake of the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous that saw the demise of the last non-avian dinosaurs and...
, the Angiosperms, a result subsequently more fully stated in his Tableau des genres de végétaux fossiles. But the Histoire itself was not completed; the publication of successive parts proceeded regularly from 1828 to 1837, when the first volume was completed, but after that only three parts of the second volume appeared. Apart from his more comprehensive works, his most important palaeontological contributions are perhaps his observations on the structure of the treelike lycopod, Sigillaria
Sigillaria
Sigillaria is a genus of extinct, spore-bearing, arborescent plants which flourished in the Late Carboniferous period but dwindled to extinction in the early Permian period. It was a lycopodiophyte, and is related to the lycopsids, or club-mosses, but even more closely to quillworts, as was its...
, an extinct plant related to the living club mosses
Lycopodium
Lycopodium is a genus of clubmosses, also known as ground pines or creeping cedar, in the family Lycopodiaceae, a family of fern-allies...
, and his researches (almost the last he undertook) on fossil seeds, of which a full account was published posthumously in 1880.
Other pursuits
He was active in many branches of botany, including anatomy and the taxonomy of seed-producing plantsSpermatophyte
The spermatophytes comprise those plants that produce seeds. They are a subset of the embryophytes or land plants...
. Among his achievements in these directions the most notable is the treatise Sur la génération et le développement de l'embryon des Phanérogames ("On the geration and development of the spermatophyte embryo"). This is remarkable in that it contains the first account of any value of the development of the pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
; as also a description of the structure of the pollen-grain
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
, the confirmation of Giovanni Battista Amici
Giovanni Battista Amici
Giovanni Battista Amici was an Italian astronomer and microscopist.Amici was born in Modena, Italy. After studying at Bologna, he became professor of mathematics at Modena, and in 1831 was appointed inspector-general of studies in the Duchy of Modena...
's discovery in 1823 of the pollen-tube
Pollen tube
The pollen tubes is the male gametophyte of seed plants that acts as a conduit to transport the male sperm cells from the pollen grain, either from the stigma to the ovules at the base of the pistil, or directly through ovule tissue in some gymnosperms .After pollination, the pollen tube...
, the confirmation of Robert Brown's
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
views as to the structure of the unimpregnated ovule
Ovule
Ovule means "small egg". In seed plants, the ovule is the structure that gives rise to and contains the female reproductive cells. It consists of three parts: The integument forming its outer layer, the nucellus , and the megaspore-derived female gametophyte in its center...
(with the introduction of the term "sac embryonnaire", or embryo sac); and in that it shows how nearly Brongniart anticipated Amici's subsequent (1846) discovery of the entrance of the pollen-tube into the micropyle
Micropyle
A micropyle is small opening in the surface of an ovule, through which the pollen tube penetrates, often visible as a small pore in the ripe seed....
, fertilizing the female cell, which then develops into the embryo
Embryo
An embryo is a multicellular diploid eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, hatching, or germination...
.
Of his anatomical works, those of the greatest value are probably the "Recherches sur la structure et les fonctions des feuilles" ("research on the structure and function of leaves"), and the Nouvelles recherches sur 1'épiderme ("New research on the epidermis"), in which, among other important observations, the discovery of the cuticle
Plant cuticle
Plant cuticles are a protective waxy covering produced only by the epidermal cells of leaves, young shoots and all other aerial plant organs without periderm...
is recorded; and, further, the Recherches sur l'organisation des tiges des Cycadées ("Research on the organization of cycad
Cycad
Cycads are seed plants typically characterized by a stout and woody trunk with a crown of large, hard and stiff, evergreen leaves. They usually have pinnate leaves. The individual plants are either all male or all female . Cycads vary in size from having a trunk that is only a few centimeters...
stems"), giving the results of the first investigation of the anatomy of those plants.
His systematic work is represented by a large number of papers and monographs, many of which relate to the flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
of New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
; and by his Énumération des genres de plantes cultivées au Musée d'histoire naturelle de Paris (1843), a catalogue of the plants in cultivation at the Musée d'histoire naturelle; it is a landmark in the history of classification in that it forms the starting-point of the classification system, modified successively by Alexander Braun
Alexander Braun
Alexander Carl Heinrich Braun was a German botanist from Regensburg, Bavaria.He studied botany in Heidelberg, Paris and Munich. In 1833 he began teaching botany at the Polytechnic School of Karlsruhe, staying there until 1846...
, August W. Eichler
August W. Eichler
August Wilhelm Eichler, also known under his Latinized name, Augustus Guilielmus Eichler , was a German botanist who modified the classification system to better reflect the relationships between plants...
and Adolf Engler
Adolf Engler
Heinrich Gustav Adolf Engler was a German botanist. He is notable for his work on plant taxonomy and phytogeography, like Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien , edited with Karl A. E...
, which was not superseded until the development of DNA research.
In addition to his scientific and professorial labours, Brongniart held various important official posts in connection with the department of education, and interested himself greatly in agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and horticultural
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
matters. With Jean Victoire Audouin
Jean Victoire Audouin
thumb|Victor AudouinJean Victoire Audouin , sometimes Victor Audouin, was a French naturalist, an entomologist, ornithologist and malacologist.Audouin was born in Paris and studied medicine...
and Jean-Baptiste Dumas
Jean-Baptiste Dumas
Jean Baptiste André Dumas was a French chemist, best known for his works on organic analysis and synthesis, as well as the determination of atomic weights and molecular weights by measuring vapor densities...
, his future brothers-in-law, Brongniart founded the Annales des Sciences Naturelles, a peer-reviewed journal, in 1824. He also founded the Société Botanique de France in 1854, and was its first president.