Joseph Decaisne


Joseph Decaisne was a French botanist and agronomist.
He became an aide-naturaliste to Adrien-Henri de Jussieu, who served as the chair of rural botany. It was during this time that he began to study plants brought back by various travelers like those of Victor Jacquemont from Asia.
Dacaisne used applied research, most notably on the agronomy of the madder, the yam and the ramie. He was also interested in algae.

Biography

Although born in Brussels, Belgium, he exercised his activity exclusively in Paris. He entered in 1824 as a gardener at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle and became, in 1832, head of the carré des semis section. He also worked at the Jardin des Plantes and collaborated with Asa Gray.
In 1847 he chaired Statistical Agriculture department in the College de France.
In 1850, Decaisne followed Charles-François Brisseau de Mirbel as the chair of horticulture at the Museum. In 1854 he participated in the creation of the Société botanique de France.
The genera Decaisnea Hook.f. & Thomson, Decaisnea Brongn. syn. of Prescottia Lindl., Decaisnina Tiegh., and Decaisnea Lindl. syn. of Tropidia Lindl., were named in his honour.
He died in Paris on 8 January 1882.

Contributions to plant taxonomy

He described the following genera of flowering plants: Capanea and Chrysothemis of the family Gesneriaceae; Sautiera ; Lepinia, Rhazya ; Vancouveria ; Ostryopsis ; Dipterygium ; Brassaiopsis, Cuphocarpus*, Dendropanax*, Didymopanax*, Fatsia*, Oreopanax*, Stilbocarpa*, ; Berneuxia ; Scyphogyne ; Akebia, Boquila ; Galtonia ; Treculia Decne. ex Trecul ; Ephippiandra ; Pseudais ; Allardia, Lecocarpus, Wollastonia DC. ex Decne. ; Gymnotheca ; Bougueria ; Docynia ; Seetzenia R.Br. ex Decne.; Deherainia ; Lopholepis ; Asterostemma, Atherandra, Baeolepis Decne. ex Moq., Barjonia, Blepharodon, Calostigma, Camptocarpus,
Decabelone, Decanema, Dictyanthus, Glossonema, Gongronema Decne., Harpanema, Hemipogon, Hoodia Sweet ex Decne., Ibatia, Macropetalum Burch. ex Decne., Melinia, Mitostigma, Nautonia, Nephradenia, Orthosia, Pentopetia, Peplonia, Periglossum, Pherotrichis, Polystemma, Ptycanthera, Pycnoneurum, Pycnostelma Bunge ex Decne.,
Rhyssostelma, Riocreuxia, Tacazzea, Tassadia, Trichosandra ; Amorphophallus Blume ex Decne. and Leptopus.

Works