Charles Plumier

The father Charles Plumier , born the April 20th 1646 with Marseilles and dead the November 20th 1704 with Santa Maria close to Cadiz, is a Botaniste and a traveller French.

Birth and studies

Charles Plumier was born in Marseilles on April 20th, 1646 from Jean Plumier and Madeleine Roussel, simple craftsmen. After a good secondary education, it enters the order of tiny at 16 years and makes its profession of faith on December 22nd, 1663. It is devoted to the study of the Mathématiques and of the Physique, it is also excellent a painter.

It continues its studies in Toulon near the Magnan father; he learns the geometry and the way of polishing the lenses of the optical instruments. Pencil box is sent to Rome with the monastery of Trinità dei Monti. He studies botany under the direction of two members of his congregation, in particular of Paolo Silvio Boccone (1633-1704). On its return in France, it is named with the convent of Bormes and herborizes in the islands of Hyères, the South and the Dauphine one. It becomes acquainted with Pierre Joseph Garidel which makes known to him Tournefort (1656-1708) and accompanies it at the time of its botanical excursions. It explores also only the coasts of the Provence and the Languedoc.

The traveller

First voyage

Louis XIV had charged Michel Bégon with finding a scientist naturalist for a voyage of exploration in Americas. Indeed Bégon knew these areas since he had been intendant of the islands of Americas of 1682 to 1685. Bégon, then intendant of the galères in Marseilles, proposes Joseph-Donat de Surian (pharmacist, chemist, herbalist and doctor of Marseilles). But this last which had great knowledge in chemistry and a gift to herborize did not have however enough knowledge in the field of botany. It thus associates Charles Plumier who was also a skilful draftsman. The departure takes place in 1689. Pencil box acquita extremely well of its mission by constituting an enormous mass of drawings and a remarkable herbarium.

Second voyage

The king, very satisfied with work completed, named Plumier botanist of the king and returns it into 1693 to the Antilles. With the return of this mission, it makes publish its first book: " Description of the plants of Amérique".

Third voyage

It realizes in 1695 a troisème voyage which will lead it in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Domingue and in Brazil. Of return in 1703, it will publish " Nova plantarum americanerum genesa " where it describes 106 new kinds.

Fourth voyage

This fourth voyage will be fatal for him. Fagon, doctor of the king, wishing better to know the Quinquina of America to the Peru, charges it with a new mission. It goes to Sainte-Marie meadows of Cadiz to join Los Rios, vice king of Peru. Weakened by its preceding voyages, he dies on November 16th, 1704. He is buried in a convent of the tiny meadows of Cadiz. In 1706, after its death, its " will appear; Treaty of the fougères".

The botanist

Pencil box is a specialist in the flora of the Antilles and its discoveries are considerable. It is him which it first gave to the plants the name various personalities: The begonia for Bégon, the fuchsia for Leonhart Fuchs, the lobélia for Mathias de Lobel, the magniolia for Pierre Magnol… It gave cochineal of Mexico a beautiful description: " the cochineal sticks against various kinds of trees, the Indians cultivate them on the plants which one names oppontium". But, it is Garidel with Emeric, doctor, who will highlight in an experimental way and with a very scientific rigor the true nature of the Kermès which will be classified among the Insecte S because hitherto one believed that the red dye that one drew from the cochineal came from the plant.

It leaves behind him many manuscripts and more than 6.000 drawings, including 4.000 of plants (the remainder representing American fauna).

Its fish illustrations of the Martinique are used by the count de Lacépède (1756-1825) and by Marcus Elieser Bloch (1723-1799).

Its naturalists publications are worth the admiration of its contemporaries to him in particular that of Georges Cuvier (1769-1832). Tournefort and Linné (1707-1778) dedicates the kind to him Plumeria of the family of the Apocynacée S.

Homages

the town of Marseilles has gave him the name of a street.
the town of Rochefort also gave the name of a street where a center of conservation of the begonia is. Indeed Bégon, after its departure of Marseilles, was named intendant of the navy in Rochefort.

Random links: