Pierre Edmond Boissier | |
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| Born | May 25, 1810 Geneva, Switzerland |
| Died | September 25, 1885 (aged 75) Valeyres-sous-Rances, Switzerland |
| Alma mater | Academy of Geneva |
| Spouse | Lucile Butini |
| Children | Caroline Barbey-Boissier |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Botany, Mathematics |
| Academic advisors | Augustin Pyramus de Candolle |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Boiss. |
Pierre Edmond Boissier (25 May 1810 Geneva – 25 September 1885 Valeyres-sous-Rances) was a Swiss prominent botanist, explorer and mathematician.[ citation needed ] He was the son of Jacques Boissier (1784-1857) and Caroline Butini (1786-1836), daughter of Pierre Butini (1759-1838) a well-known physician and naturalist from Geneva. With his sister, Valérie Boissier (1813-1894), he received a strict education with lessons delivered in Italian and Latin. Edmond's interest in natural history stemmed from holidays in the company of his mother and his grandfather, Pierre Butini at Valeyres-sous-Rances. His hikes in the Jura and the Alps laid the foundation of his zest for later exploration and adventure. He attended a course at the Academy of Geneva given by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle.
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Edmond Boissier collected extensively in Europe, North Africa and western Asia, on occasion accompanied by his daughter, Caroline Barbey-Boissier (1847-1918) and her husband, William Barbey (1842-1914), who collected in their own right for their Herbier Barbey-Boissier in Geneva. Edmond Boissier covered countries such as France, Greece, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Balearic Islands, Switzerland, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Armenia, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. His specimens are held at the following herbaria: AK, AWH, B, BERN, BM, BORD, BP, BR, C, CAS, CGE, CN, DBN, E, E-GL, F, FABR, FI, FR, G, GE, GH, GOET, H, HAL, JE, K, KIEL, L, LAU, LE, LY, LZ, M, MA, MANCH, MEL, [1] MICH, MO, MPU, NY, OXF, P, P-CO, PH, PI, STR, TCD, TO, W, WAG, WB (see List of herbaria). [2]
He was the first to describe Allochrusa , Sclerocephalus , Jancaea , Prolongoa , Psychrogeton , Heteroderis , Myopordon , Aphanopleura , Ammiopsis , Crenosciadium , Diplotaenia , Ducrosia , Margotia , Lisaea , Ormosciadium , Polylophium , Microsciadium , Rhabdosciadium , Smyrniopsis , Stenotaenia , Thecocarpus , Trigonosciadium , Rhizocephalus , Coluteocarpus , Diceratella , Didymophysa , Eremobium , Graellsia , Heldreichia , Nasturtiopsis , Parlatoria , Physoptychis , Tchihatchewia , Paracaryum , Podonosma , Dorycnopsis , Erophaca , Acantholimon , Goniolimon and many more plant genera and taxa. [3]
