Carl Adolph Agardh (23 January 1785 in Båstad, Sweden – 28 January 1859 in Karlstad) was a Swedish botanist specializing in algae, who was eventually appointed bishop of Karlstad.
Carl Adolph Agardh | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | 12 January 1859 Karlstad, Sweden | (aged 73)
Known for | Biological Classification, Systema algarum |
Awards | Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Botany, Church (bishop) |
Institutions | Lund University, Karlstad |
Author abbrev. (botany) | C. Agardh |
In 1807 he was appointed teacher of mathematics at Lund University, in 1812 appointed professor of botany and natural sciences,[1] and was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1817, and of the Swedish Academy in 1831.
He was ordained a clergyman in 1816, received two parishes as prebend, and was a representative in the clerical chamber of the Swedish Parliament on several occasions from 1817. He was rector magnificus of Lund University 1819-1820 and was appointed bishop of Karlstad in 1835, where he remained until his death.[2] He was the father of Jacob Georg Agardh, also a botanist.[1]
The Classes Plantarum[3] has nine primary divisions into which his classes and natural orders are grouped. These are, with class numbers;
Each class then contains a number of orders (families). For instance, Liliiflorae contains 11 orders;
He devoted considerable attention to political economy and as "a leading liberal", he "succeeded in improving and raising the standards of education in Sweden".[4] He also wrote on theological and other subjects, but his reputation chiefly rests on his botanical works, especially Systema algarum, Species algarum rite cognitae and Classes plantarum[3] on biological classification, and Icones Algarum (1824, 1820–28, and 1828–35). The greatest part of his Manual of Botany (2 vols., Malmoe, 1829–32) has been translated into German.[1]