Pier Antonio Micheli (1679–1737) and Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778)

Abstract

Although the Florentine botanist Pier Antonio Micheli and the Swedish physician and systematist Carl Linnaeus never met, they are linked through Micheli’s Nova Plantarum Genera (1729), of which Linnaeus was a great admirer. A recently located letter from Linnaeus, dating from 1736 when he was in the Netherlands, shows Linnaeus’s appreciation of Micheli’s understanding of groups of plants in which Linnaeus had little expertise. Linnaeus’s own works, notably his Species Plantarum (1753), cited extensively the descriptions and engravings published by Micheli and, as a consequence, many of them have subsequently been designated as lectotypes for Linnaean binomial names. Micheli also possessed an extensive collection of dried plants which, although not seen by Linnaeus, survives within the Micheli–Targioni herbarium at the Università degli Studi di Firenze. Taking as a sample those of Micheli’s engravings and descriptions that were cited by Linnaeus, this study explores the degree to which it is possible to associate specimens and engravings, and also the influence that Micheli’s work had on Linnaeus in comparison with that of other authors (particularly J.J. Dillenius).

Keywords:

• cryptogams
• engravings
• Florence
• Linnaean names
• Micheli–Targioni herbarium
• Nova Plantarum Genera
• Species Plantarum
• typification

Acknowledgements

Study of the Micheli–Targioni herbarium at the Università degli Studi di Firenze was supported by a NATO Collaborative Research Grant (0134/88). The staff of the Botany Section “Filippo Parlatore”, Museo di Storia Naturale were unfailingly helpful and supportive during my visits. Prof. Guido Moggi strongly encouraged this study in the first instance, and the curators Piero Cuccuini and Chiara Nepi kindly provided the necessary access and guided me through the collection. I am also grateful for the insight of Gianna Mazzi, who generously shared her knowledge of the herbarium from a more general perspective. Giorgio Padovani and Egildo Luccioli helped me in the herbarium in various ways, and Renzo Nelli assisted with access to Micheli’s manuscripts. I am also grateful to Mauro Raffaelli, Enio Nardi and the late Rodolfo Pichi-Sermolli for their interest and encouragement. A special mention must also go to Riccardo M. Baldini for his help in many ways, and the hospitality of colleagues and friends was memorable and generous. Beyond Florence, Fabio Garbari (Università di Pisa) and Giovanni Cristofolini (Università di Bologna) have been similarly supportive and hospitable. I am most grateful to Denis Lamy for drawing my attention to the existence of Linnaeus’s letter to Micheli, and to Philip Oswald for greatly improving my draft transcription and expertly translating it into English.