Joseph Gottfried Mikan
Encyclopedia
Joseph Gottfried Mikan was an Austrian-Czech botanist born in Böhmisch-Leipa (Česká Lípa
). He was the father of zoologist Johann Christian Mikan
(1769-1844).
He was a student in Dresden
, Prague
and Vienna
, and served as a spa physician in Teplitz. In 1773 he became an associate professor, and two years later was appointed a full professor of botany and chemistry
at the University of Prague
. In 1798 he became rector
of the university.
He was the author of Catalogus plantarum omnium (1776), which he dedicated to the Prague Botanical Garden
. The plant genus Mikania
from the family Asteraceae
is named after him.
Ceská Lípa
Česká Lípa a district seat and the largest city of the district bearing the same name. Česká Lípa can be reached easily from the north via Dresden, Bautzen, and the border crossing at Seifhennersdorf / Varnsdorf. Together with Liberec, being a higher administrative region, it is a part of Nisa...
). He was the father of zoologist Johann Christian Mikan
Johann Christian Mikan
Johann Christian Mikan, was an Austrian-Czech botanist, zoologist and entomologist. He was the son of Joseph Gottfried Mikan....
(1769-1844).
He was a student in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and served as a spa physician in Teplitz. In 1773 he became an associate professor, and two years later was appointed a full professor of botany and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
at the University of Prague
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
. In 1798 he became rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the university.
He was the author of Catalogus plantarum omnium (1776), which he dedicated to the Prague Botanical Garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
. The plant genus Mikania
Mikania
Mikania is a genus of about 450 species in the family of Asteraceae.The name honors the Czech botanist Johann Christian Mikan. Members of the genus are stem twiners and lianas and are common in the neotropical flora. Mikania originates from South America...
from the family Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
is named after him.