Henri Guillaume Galeotti
Encyclopedia
Henri Guillaume Galeotti (10 September 1814 – 1858) was a French-Belgian botanist and geologist
of Italian parentage who was born in Paris
. He specialized in the study of the family Cactaceae.
He studied geology
and natural history
at the Etablissement Géographique de Bruxelles, where he graduated in 1835 with an award-winning dissertation on the geology of Brabant. After graduation, he spent the next five years in Mexico performing geological and botanical research. Here he collected numerous new species of plants, particularly cacti
.
In 1840 Galeotti was offered a position teaching botany at the University of Brussels, but turned down the offer, preferring to work at his nursery outside of Brussels
, where he imported Mexican flora for sell in Europe. During this time he also collaborated with botanist Martin Martens
(1797-1863), involving scientific study of specimens that were collected in Mexico. In 1853 he became director of the Jardin botanique de Bruxelles (Botanical Garden of Brussels
).
In 1852 he became editor of the Journal d'Horticulture Pratique, and in 1857 created the Bulletin de la Société Royale d’Horticulture de Belgique et du Jardin botanique de Bruxelles. After Galeotti's death in 1858, his personal Mexican herbarium
was purchased from his widow by the Jardin botanique de Bruxelles.
In August 1838, while in Mexico, he and a group of other botanists explored the slopes of Pico de Orizaba
, the tallest mountain in Mexico. The genus Galeottia of the family Orchidaceae
is named in his honor.
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
of Italian parentage who was born in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He specialized in the study of the family Cactaceae.
He studied geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
and natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
at the Etablissement Géographique de Bruxelles, where he graduated in 1835 with an award-winning dissertation on the geology of Brabant. After graduation, he spent the next five years in Mexico performing geological and botanical research. Here he collected numerous new species of plants, particularly cacti
Cacti
-See also:* RRDtool The underlying software upon which Cacti is built* MRTG The original Multi Router Traffic Grapher from which RRDtool was "extracted".* Munin -External links:******...
.
In 1840 Galeotti was offered a position teaching botany at the University of Brussels, but turned down the offer, preferring to work at his nursery outside of Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, where he imported Mexican flora for sell in Europe. During this time he also collaborated with botanist Martin Martens
Martin Martens
Martin Martens was a Belgian botanist who was born in Maastricht, Netherlands.Martens was a professor of chemistry and botany at the Catholic University of Louvain who specialized in the study and classification of Pteridophyta...
(1797-1863), involving scientific study of specimens that were collected in Mexico. In 1853 he became director of the Jardin botanique de Bruxelles (Botanical Garden of Brussels
Botanical Garden of Brussels
The Botanical Garden of Brussels stands on Rue Royale, near the Northern Quarter financial district in Brussels.Originally founded in 1826 and partly designed by architect Tilman-François Suys, the main orangery is composed of a central rotunda with a dome, and two side aisles with windows at the...
).
In 1852 he became editor of the Journal d'Horticulture Pratique, and in 1857 created the Bulletin de la Société Royale d’Horticulture de Belgique et du Jardin botanique de Bruxelles. After Galeotti's death in 1858, his personal Mexican herbarium
Herbarium
In botany, a herbarium – sometimes known by the Anglicized term herbar – is a collection of preserved plant specimens. These specimens may be whole plants or plant parts: these will usually be in a dried form, mounted on a sheet, but depending upon the material may also be kept in...
was purchased from his widow by the Jardin botanique de Bruxelles.
In August 1838, while in Mexico, he and a group of other botanists explored the slopes of Pico de Orizaba
Pico de Orizaba
The Pico de Orizaba, or Citlaltépetl , is a stratovolcano, the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in North America. It rises above sea level in the eastern end of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, on the border between the states of Veracruz and Puebla...
, the tallest mountain in Mexico. The genus Galeottia of the family Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
The Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...
is named in his honor.