Johannes Burman
Encyclopedia
Johannes Burman was a Dutch botanist and physician. Burman specialized in plants from Ceylon, Amboina and Cape Colony
. The name Pelargonium
was introduced by Johannes Burman.
Johannes Burman was the eldest son of the theologian Frans Burman (1671-1719) and his wife Elizabeth Thierens. His brother was the theologian Frans Burman (1708-1793). He started his studies in Leiden in 1722 under Herman Boerhaave
, and qualified in 1728 as a doctor of medicine, after which he practiced in Amsterdam. After the death of Frederik Ruysch
he was appointed Professor of Botany in Amsterdam. Johannes Burman was married to Adriana van Buuren. Their son Nicolaas Laurens Burman
was also a botanist and studied under Linné in Uppsala
.
Carl Linnaeus, in 1735 on a trip through Holland, was invited by Burman, carrying a letter of recommendation from Herman Boerhaave. Burman was impressed by the young man and offered him accommodation in his home on Keizersgracht. Linnaeus was employed by Burman almost six weeks to complete a flora of the plants of Ceylon.
Burman introduced Linnaeus to George Clifford III
and Clifford showed them a fantastic book. It was not in Burman's collections and Clifford said he could have it in exchange for Linnaeus who was employed to survey the gardens and the menagerie
at Hartekamp
. Burman was later commemorated by Linné in the genus Burmannia
and family Burmanniaceae
.
Burmann published his book with plants from the Cape Colony
based on a collection by Nicolaes Witsen
, the work of Caspar Commelin and Simon van der Stel
? In his book on Amboinese plants he used the work of Rumphius. For research and as illustrations on plants from the West-Indies he used the work of the French botanist Charles Plumier
.
a botanical name
. Burman's published works include:
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
. The name Pelargonium
Pelargonium
Pelargonium is a genus of flowering plants which includes about 200 species of perennials, succulents, and shrubs, commonly known as scented geraniums or storksbills. Confusingly, Geranium is the correct botanical name of a separate genus of related plants often called Cranesbills. Both Geranium...
was introduced by Johannes Burman.
Johannes Burman was the eldest son of the theologian Frans Burman (1671-1719) and his wife Elizabeth Thierens. His brother was the theologian Frans Burman (1708-1793). He started his studies in Leiden in 1722 under Herman Boerhaave
Herman Boerhaave
Herman Boerhaave was a Dutch botanist, humanist and physician of European fame. He is regarded as the founder of clinical teaching and of the modern academic hospital. His main achievement was to demonstrate the relation of symptoms to lesions...
, and qualified in 1728 as a doctor of medicine, after which he practiced in Amsterdam. After the death of Frederik Ruysch
Frederik Ruysch
Frederik Ruysch was a Dutch botanist and anatomist, remembered for his developments in anatomical preservation and the creation of dioramas or scenes incorporating human parts...
he was appointed Professor of Botany in Amsterdam. Johannes Burman was married to Adriana van Buuren. Their son Nicolaas Laurens Burman
Nicolaas Laurens Burman
Nicolaas Laurens Burman was a Dutch botanist.He was the son of Johannes Burman . He succeeded his father to the chair of botany at the University of Amsterdam., and at the Hortus Botanicus. He continued the correspondence with Carolus Linnaeus, joining him at the University of Uppsala in 1760...
was also a botanist and studied under Linné in Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
.
Carl Linnaeus, in 1735 on a trip through Holland, was invited by Burman, carrying a letter of recommendation from Herman Boerhaave. Burman was impressed by the young man and offered him accommodation in his home on Keizersgracht. Linnaeus was employed by Burman almost six weeks to complete a flora of the plants of Ceylon.
Burman introduced Linnaeus to George Clifford III
George Clifford III
George Clifford III was a wealthy Dutch banker and one of the directors of the Dutch East India Company. He is known for his keen interest in plants and gardens...
and Clifford showed them a fantastic book. It was not in Burman's collections and Clifford said he could have it in exchange for Linnaeus who was employed to survey the gardens and the menagerie
Menagerie
A menagerie is/was a form of keeping common and exotic animals in captivity that preceded the modern zoological garden. The term was first used in seventeenth century France in reference to the management of household or domestic stock. Later, it came to be used primarily in reference to...
at Hartekamp
Hartekamp
Hartekamp, or Hartecamp, is the name of a villa in Heemstede, the Netherlands, on the Bennebroek border. It was once the summer home of George Clifford, who employed Linnaeus in 1737 to write his Hortus Cliffortianus, a detailed description of the gardens of Hartecamp.-History:The house was built...
. Burman was later commemorated by Linné in the genus Burmannia
Burmannia
Burmannia is a genus of moths of the Crambidae family....
and family Burmanniaceae
Burmanniaceae
Burmanniaceae is a botanical name of a family of flowering plants, consisting of about a hundred species of herbaceous plants in roughly a dozen genera. Often they are quite remarkable plants, more often red than green, without much leaf area and not growing very big in any way.The APG II system,...
.
Burmann published his book with plants from the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
based on a collection by Nicolaes Witsen
Nicolaes Witsen
Nicolaas or Nicolaes Witsen was mayor of Amsterdam thirteen times, between 1682-1706. In 1693 he became administrator of the VOC. In 1689 he was extraordinary-ambassador to the English court, and became Fellow of the Royal Society. In his free time he was cartographer, maritime writer, and an...
, the work of Caspar Commelin and Simon van der Stel
Simon van der Stel
Simon van der Stel was the last Commander and first Governor of the Cape Colony, the Dutch settlement at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.-Background:...
? In his book on Amboinese plants he used the work of Rumphius. For research and as illustrations on plants from the West-Indies he used the work of the French botanist Charles Plumier
Charles Plumier
Charles Plumier was a French botanist, after whom the Frangipani genus Plumeria is named. Plumier is considered one of the most important of the botanical explorers of his time...
.
Publications
The standard author abbreviation Burm. is used to indicate this individual as the author when citingAuthor 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...
. Burman's published works include:
- Thesaurus zeylanicus, exhibens plantas in insula Zeylana nascentes (Amsterdam, 1737).
- Rariorum Africanarum plantarum (Amsterdam, deux parties, 1738-1739).
- Herbarium Amboinense, plurimas complectens arbores, frutices, herbas..., réédition de l’herbier de Georg Eberhard Rumphius (1628-1702) (Amsterdam, six volumes, 1741-1750).
- Plantarum Americanarum fasciculus primus (Amsterdam, 1755-1760).
- Auctuarium (1755).
- Vacendorfia (1757).
- De ferrariae charactere (1757).
- Flora malabarici (1769).