Johannes von Hanstein
Encyclopedia
Johannes Ludwig Emil Robert von Hanstein (May 15, 1822 - August 27, 1880) was a German botanist who was a native of Potsdam
.
He attended classes at the Gärtnerlehranstalt (Institute of Horticulture
) in Potsdam
, and later studied sciences in Berlin
, attaining his doctorate in 1848. In 1855 he was a lecturer of botany at the University of Berlin, and six years later became curator
of the royal herbarium
. In 1865 he was appointed professor of botany at the University of Bonn
and director of the botanical garden
.
Hanstein is remembered for his research in plant anatomy
and morphology
. In 1868 he introduced the "histogen
theory" to explain shoot apex
behaviour in plants. The plant genus Hansteinia of the family Acanthaceae
is named after him.
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
.
He attended classes at the Gärtnerlehranstalt (Institute of Horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
) in Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
, and later studied sciences in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, attaining his doctorate in 1848. In 1855 he was a lecturer of botany at the University of Berlin, and six years later became curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of the royal 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...
. In 1865 he was appointed professor of botany at the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
and director of the botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
.
Hanstein is remembered for his research in plant anatomy
Plant anatomy
Plant anatomy or phytotomy is the general term for the study of the internal structure of plants. While originally it included plant morphology, which is the description of the physical form and external structure of plants, since the mid-20th century the investigations of plant anatomy are...
and morphology
Plant morphology
Plant morphology or phytomorphology is the study of the physical form and external structure of plants. This is usually considered distinct from plant anatomy, which is the study of the internal structure of plants, especially at the microscopic level...
. In 1868 he introduced the "histogen
Histogenesis
Histogenesis is the formation of different tissues from undifferentiated cells. These cells are constituents of three primary germ layers, the endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm...
theory" to explain shoot apex
Meristem
A meristem is the tissue in most plants consisting of undifferentiated cells , found in zones of the plant where growth can take place....
behaviour in plants. The plant genus Hansteinia of the family Acanthaceae
Acanthaceae
The family Acanthaceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species....
is named after him.
Selected publications
- Untersuchungen über den Bau und die Entwickelung der Baumrinde (Studies on the Construction and Development of Tree Bark) (1853)
- Die Milchsaftgefässe und die verwandten Organe der Rinde, (1864)
- Die Scheitelzellgruppe im Vegetationspunkt der Phanerogamen (The CortexCortex (botany)In botany, the cortex is the outer layer of the stem or root of a plant, bounded on the outside by the epidermis and on the inside by the endodermis. It is composed mostly of undifferentiated cells, usually large thin-walled parenchyma cells of the ground tissue system. The outer cortical cells...
Cell Group in the Growth-Point of Phanerogams), (1869) - Die Entwicklung des Keimes der Monokotylen und Dikotylen (The Development of Germination of Monocotyls and Dicots), (1870),
- Botanische Abhandlungen aus dem Gebiete der Morphologie und Physiologie (Botanical Treatises from the Areas of Morphology and Physiology), (1870-82)