Edmund Russow
Encyclopedia
Edmund August Friedrich Russow (24 February 1841 – 11 April 1897) was a Baltic German
biologist
born in Tallinn
.
and Berlin. In 1867 he became an associate professor at Dorpat, where from 1874 to 1897 he served as a full professor. In 1895-97 he was president of the Estonian Naturalists' Society
. Russow was at the forefront of nature conservation in Estonia
, and associated with the work of Hugo Conwentz (1865-1922), a founder of nature conservation efforts throughout Europe.
(sphagnum mosses
) and remembered for his research in plant anatomy
and histology
, in particular studies of the plant family
Marsileaceae
(aquatic and semi-aquatic ferns
). The plant genus Russowia
is named in his honor, as is Sphagnum russowii (Russow's sphagnum).
Baltic German
The Baltic Germans were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today form the countries of Estonia and Latvia. The Baltic German population never made up more than 10% of the total. They formed the social, commercial, political and cultural élite in...
biologist
Biologist
A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
born in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
.
Academic career
Son of a military engineer, Edmund Russow studied at the Universities of DorpatUniversity of Tartu
The University of Tartu is a classical university in the city of Tartu, Estonia. University of Tartu is the national university of Estonia; it is the biggest and highest-ranked university in Estonia...
and Berlin. In 1867 he became an associate professor at Dorpat, where from 1874 to 1897 he served as a full professor. In 1895-97 he was president of the Estonian Naturalists' Society
Estonian Naturalists' Society
Estonian Naturalists' Society is the oldest Estonia-based society of naturalists. It was founded in 1853, and since establishing has been the major scientific organisation focusing on natural history of Estonia....
. Russow was at the forefront of nature conservation in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, and associated with the work of Hugo Conwentz (1865-1922), a founder of nature conservation efforts throughout Europe.
Botanical work
Russow was an authority on SphagnaceaeSphagnaceae
The Sphagnaceae is a family of moss with only one living genus Sphagnum....
(sphagnum mosses
Sphagnum
Sphagnum is a genus of between 151 and 350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. A distinction is made between sphagnum moss, the live moss growing on top of a peat bog on one hand, and sphagnum peat moss or sphagnum peat on the other, the...
) and remembered for his research in plant anatomy
Plant anatomy
Plant anatomy or phytotomy is the general term for the study of the internal structure of plants. While originally it included plant morphology, which is the description of the physical form and external structure of plants, since the mid-20th century the investigations of plant anatomy are...
and histology
Histology
Histology is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of plants and animals. It is performed by examining cells and tissues commonly by sectioning and staining; followed by examination under a light microscope or electron microscope...
, in particular studies of the plant family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Marsileaceae
Marsileaceae
The Marsileaceae are a small family of heterosporous aquatic and semi-aquatic ferns, though at first sight they do not physically resemble other ferns. The group is commonly known as the "pepperwort family" or as the "water-clover family" because the leaves of the genus Marsilea superficially...
(aquatic and semi-aquatic ferns
Ferns
Ferns can refer to:* Fern, any of many groups of Pteridophyta in the plant kingdom* Ferns, County Wexford, a small historic town in north County Wexford, Ireland* The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns* The Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin...
). The plant genus Russowia
Russowia
Russowia is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family....
is named in his honor, as is Sphagnum russowii (Russow's sphagnum).
Written works
- Histologie und Entwicklungsgeschichte der Sporenfrucht von Marsilia. Dissertation. Dorpat (1871)
- Betrachtungen uber das leitbundel- und grundgewebe aus vergleichend morphologischem und phylogenetischem geschichtspunkt (1875).