Carl Christian Mez
Encyclopedia
Carl Christian Mez was a German
botanist and university professor. He is denoted by the author abbreviation Mez when citing
a botanical name
.
. He was a grandchild of the entrepreneur and politician Karl Christian Mez (1808–1877). As a high-school student he was interested in botany, and wrote a technical paper regarding a hybrid Inula
.
He first studied at the university in his hometown from 1883 to 1884, and then moved to Berlin
for one semester before returning in 1886 to Freiburg. He wrote his thesis at Berlin, on the Lauraceae
(the Laurel family), and received his Ph.D. from there.
After completing his degree, Mez worked briefly at the Berlin Botanical Museum, then moved to Breslau where he worked as a private lecturer. In 1900, Mez became Professor of Systematic Botany and Pharmaceutical Studies in Halle
, and in 1910 he became Professor of Plant-physiology and Director of the Botanical Gardens near Königsberg
. He was made Professor Emeritus in 1935.
Mez was founder of the Botanical Archives, and, until 1938, publisher as well.
His main areas of research were systematics and physiology. He continued to study the taxonomy and morphology of the Lauraceae, and introduced the use of serology
as a method of studying plant relationships. Also, he studied mycology
, and wrote about dry rot
.
The plant genera Mezia
Schwacke ex Niedenzu and Meziella Schindler, were named in his honor.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
botanist and university professor. He is denoted by the author abbreviation Mez 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...
.
Life and work
Mez came from a family of industrialists in Freiburg im Breisgau, BadenGrand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden was a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918.-History:...
. He was a grandchild of the entrepreneur and politician Karl Christian Mez (1808–1877). As a high-school student he was interested in botany, and wrote a technical paper regarding a hybrid Inula
Inula
Inula is a large genus of about 90 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe, Asia and Africa. The genus is thought by some to be paraphyletic, based on the study of the different phenolic compounds the various species have.They are mostly perennial herbs that vary...
.
He first studied at the university in his hometown from 1883 to 1884, and then moved to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
for one semester before returning in 1886 to Freiburg. He wrote his thesis at Berlin, on the Lauraceae
Lauraceae
The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. The family contains about 55 genera and over 3500, perhaps as many as 4000, species world-wide, mostly from warm or tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia and South America...
(the Laurel family), and received his Ph.D. from there.
After completing his degree, Mez worked briefly at the Berlin Botanical Museum, then moved to Breslau where he worked as a private lecturer. In 1900, Mez became Professor of Systematic Botany and Pharmaceutical Studies in Halle
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
, and in 1910 he became Professor of Plant-physiology and Director of the Botanical Gardens near Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
. He was made Professor Emeritus in 1935.
Mez was founder of the Botanical Archives, and, until 1938, publisher as well.
His main areas of research were systematics and physiology. He continued to study the taxonomy and morphology of the Lauraceae, and introduced the use of serology
Serology
Serology is the scientific study of blood serum and other bodily fluids. In practice, the term usually refers to the diagnostic identification of antibodies in the serum...
as a method of studying plant relationships. Also, he studied mycology
Mycology
Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals , food and entheogens, as well as their dangers, such as poisoning or...
, and wrote about dry rot
Dry rot
Dry rot refers to a type of wood decay caused by certain types of fungi, also known as True Dry Rot, that digests parts of the wood which give the wood strength and stiffness...
.
The plant genera Mezia
Mezia
Mezia is a genus in the Malpighiaceae, a family of about 75 genera of flowering plants in the order Malpighiales. Mezia comprises 10 species of woody vines and lianas native to South America, with one species extending into Panama....
Schwacke ex Niedenzu and Meziella Schindler, were named in his honor.
Writings (selected)
- Lauraceae Americanae, monographice descripsit / - Berlin, 1889. Jahrbuch des königlichen botanischen Gartens und des botanischen Museums; Bd. 5
- Das Mikroskop und seine Anwendung : ein Leitfaden bei mikroskopischen Untersuchungen für Apotheker, Aerzte, Medicinalbeamte, Techniker, Gewerbtreibende etc.- 8., stark verm. Aufl. - Berlin : 1899
- Myrsinaceae. Leipzig [u.a.] 1902.
- Mikroskopische Untersuchungen, vorgeschrieben vom Deutschen Arzneibuch : Leitfaden für das mikroskopisch-pharmakognostische Praktikum an Hochschulen und für den Selbstunterricht - Berlin : 1902
- Theophrastaceae - Leipzig [u.a.] : 1903
- Der Hausschwamm und die übrigen holzzerstörenden Pilze der menschlichen Wohnungen : ihre Erkennung, Bedeutung und Bekämpfung. Dresden 1908.
- Die Haftung für Hausschwamm und Trockenfäule: eine Denkschrift für Baumeister, Hausbesitzer und Juristen .... Berlin 1910.
- Zur Theorie der Sero-Diagnostik - Berlin: Dt. Verl.-Ges. für Politik und Geschichte, 1925
- Drei Vorträge über die Stammesgeschichte der Pflanzenwelt mit 1 Stammbaum des Pflanzenreichs / 1925
- Theorien der Stammesgeschichte - Berlin : Deutsche Verl.-Ges für Politik und Geschichte, 1926
- Versuch einer Stammesgeschichte des Pilzreiches. Halle (Saale) 1928.
- Bromeliaceae. Leipzig 1935.
External links
- Literature about and by Carl Christian Mez in the catalog of the Deutschen Nationalbibliothek
- List of plants described by Carl Christian Mez (IPNI)