Heinrich Karl Hermann Hoffmann (April 22, 1819 – October 26, 1891) was a German botanist and mycologist born in Rödelheim.

He studied medicine at the University of Giessen

University of Giessen

The University of Giessen is officially called the Justus Liebig University Giessen after its most famous faculty member, Justus von Liebig, the founder of modern agricultural chemistry and inventor of artificial fertiliser.-History:The University of Gießen is among the oldest institutions of...

, and in 1839 furthered his education in 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...

 as a student of physiologist Johannes Peter Müller

Johannes Peter Müller

Johannes Peter Müller , was a German physiologist, comparative anatomist, and ichthyologist not only known for his discoveries but also for his ability to synthesize knowledge.-Early years and education:...

. In 1842 he earned his habilitation at Giessen, where he worked as a private lecturer. During this time his focus turned exclusively to botany, and in 1853 he became a professor of botany and director of the botanical gardens at Giessen. He maintained these positions until his death in 1891.

Hoffmann was a pioneer of botanical phenology

Phenology

Phenology is the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events and how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate...

 (plant climatology

Climatology

Climatology is the study of climate, scientifically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of time, and is a branch of the atmospheric sciences...

), and performed important studies on the physiology and geography

Geography

Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...

 of plants. He conducted research involving the biological aspects of fungi in relation to fermentation

Fermentation (biochemistry)

Fermentation is the process of extracting energy from the oxidation of organic compounds, such as carbohydrates, using an endogenous electron acceptor, which is usually an organic compound. In contrast, respiration is where electrons are donated to an exogenous electron acceptor, such as oxygen,...

, putrefaction

Putrefaction

Putrefaction is one of seven stages in the decomposition of the body of a dead animal. It can be viewed, in broad terms, as the decomposition of proteins, in a process that results in the eventual breakdown of cohesion between tissues and the liquefaction of most organs.-Description:In terms of...

 and disease, and also performed early investigations in the field of bacteriology

Bacteriology

Bacteriology is the study of bacteria. This subdivision of microbiology involves the identification, classification, and characterization of bacterial species...

.

Published works

• Schilderung der deutschen Pflanzenfamilien vom botanisch-deskriptiven u. physiologisch-chemischen Standpunkt (Portrayal of German Plant Families from a Botanical-descriptive and Physiological-chemical Standpoint), (Gießen 1846);
• Untersuchungen über den Pflanzenschlaf (Investigations involving "plant sleep"), (Gießen 1851)
• Pflanzenverbreitung u. Pflanzenwanderung (Plant Spread and Migration), (Darmstadt 1852)
• Witterung und Wachstum, oder Grundzüge der Pflanzenklimatalogie (Weather and Growth, Main Features of Plant Climatology), (Leipzig 1857)
• Lehrbuch der Botanik (Textbook of Botany), (Darmstadt 1857)
• Icones analyticae fungorum (Gießen 1861-65)
• Index fungorum (Leipzig 1863)
• Untersuchungen zur Bestimmung des Wertes von Spezies und Varietät (Examinations to determine the Value of Species and Variety), (Gießen 1869)
• Mykologische Berichte (Mycological Reports), (1870-73, 3 parts)
• Resultate der wichtigsten pflanzenphänologischen Beobachtungen in Europa (1885)