Linnaeus in the Garden
April 28 – July 29, 2007
Botanical Center
New exhibit marks 300th birthday of the influential Swedish botanist
To mark the 300th anniversary of Carl Linnaeus’ birth, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens is mounting a small exhibition of rare books drawn from its own remarkable holdings, major works from the Scott Eric Jordan Collection, and items from the Torbjörn Lindell Collection of Sweden.
Titled “Linnaeus in the Garden,” the exhibit will include, among other highlights, the first edition of Species plantarum, the foundation for modern plant nomenclature, and the 1740 edition of Systema naturae, which set the standard for the two-part scientific names -- genus and species. “Linnaeus in the Garden” will be on view in The Huntington’s Botanical Center from April 28 through July 29.
Carl Linnaeus is one of those naggingly familiar, and yet somehow shadowy, historical figures of science. Many people who recognize his name (or his given name, Carl von Linné) probably couldn’t say why Linnaeus is remembered or how he is important.
Born on May 23, 1707 in Stenbrohult, Sweden, Carl Linnaeus is credited with creating order out of chaos -- the chaos of naming and identifying plants. Before Linnaeus, no system existed for giving workable, reliable names to plants, and thus no global capability for scientists and others who studied plants to communicate about them.
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Species Plantarum by Carl Linneaus, 1753. Huntington Library. |
Linnaeus created the mechanism to do so -- a universal system for organizing plants by their shared reproductive characteristics. Moreover, he institutionalized the concept of a two-part formal name (a grouping name known as the genus and a specific name known as the species that applies only to the specific kind of plant) – the same format used to give scientific names to all plants and animals today. Magnolia grandiflora L., for example, is the scientific name he gave to southern magnolia.
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In Linnaeus, an overwhelming obsession with names and descriptions of plants and animals was matched by a genius for recalling and organizing myriad facts into patterns.
Most sensationally, Linnaeus brought plant sexuality to the forefront. It was an aspect of plants that had only been discovered a few years before his birth. Using male and female characteristics as the basis for organizing thousands of kinds of plants, he created utility and meaning, as well as a popular parlor game and intellectual fad.
In the end, the pure notoriety of the Linnaean system in both scientific and popular culture drove new standards for how scientists would come together to give names to plants. By international accord, the foundation for all valid plant names rests on Linnaeus’ 1753 publication, Species plantarum. His legacy resides in the simple abbreviation “L.” that follows the nearly 7,000 plant species he named.
The exhibition is being presented in conjunction with the Swedish Consulate of Los Angeles and Beyond Blond 2007, a consulate program promoting Sweden and Swedish lifestyle. More information can be found online at www.beyondblond.org
The exhibition is made possible in part through a grant from the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation.
Events and Programming
Continuing Education
Naturalist Skills Series: Plant Identification
May 9 (Wednesday) 2 – 5 p.m.
Learn the basic structures and terminology that will help you identify plants. Participants will work in the lab to create and use taxonomic keys with biologist Paul Meyers of Pierce College and conservation specialist Sean Lahmeyer of The Huntington. Members: $25. Non-members: $35. Registration: 626-405-2128. This series is presented in conjunction with the exhibition “Linnaeus in the Garden,” on view in the Botanical Center.
Naturalist Skills Series: Taking a Closer Look
May 16 (Wednesday) 2 – 5 p.m.
Take your botanical knowledge to a deeper level by observing plant anatomy up close. In this class led by Huntington research botanist Deb Folsom, participants will make slides and use hand lenses and microscopes to examine plants from the garden. Members: $25. Non-members: $35. Registration: 626-405-2128.
Naturalist Skills Series: Flowers’ Sexual System
May 30 (Wednesday) 2 – 5 p.m.
Uncover the secrets of plant sexuality as Jim Folsom, the Marge and Sherm Telleen Director of the Botanical Gardens, leads a class in classifying flowers using the Linnaean sexual system. Members: $25. Non-members: $35. Registration: 626-405-2128.
Naturalist Skills Series: Collection Ethics & Protocols
June 6 (Wednesday) 2 – 5 p.m.
Before you collect in the wild, know where permits are required and how to collect ethically and sustainably. Naomi Fraga of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden will lead a discussion about relevant laws and regulations. Members: $25. Non-members: $35. Registration: 626-405-2128.
Naturalist Skills Series: Archiving your Plant Collection
June 13 (Wednesday) 2 – 5 p.m.
Learn how to preserve your plant collections with Sean Lahmeyer, Huntington plant conservation specialist. Participants will create their own plant press and herbarium sheets. Members: $25. Non-members: $35. Registration: 626-405-2128.
Naturalist Skills Series: Knowing Your Site
June 20 (Wednesday) 2 – 5 p.m.
To build a meaningful plant collection, you have to know where to go and where you’ve been. Gordon Pratt from the University of California, Riverside, will teach about local biogeography, basic map reading, and how to document collection locations using GPS data. Members: $25. Non-members: $35. Registration: 626-405-2128.
Children and Families
Flower Lab
June 2 (Saturday) 9 – 11:30 a.m.
Step into the botany lab to examine plants through microscopes and learn how to dissect flowers with instructor Tara Gomez. Kids will also learn about Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus (born 300 years ago) and his clever system for classifying plants—still in use today. Ages 7 and up, with one accompanying adult. Members: $20. Non-members: $25. Registration: 626-405-2128.
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The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108 Tel: 626-405-2100
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