Carl Linnaeus

Carl Linnaeus made it his life’s work to develop and refine a way to classify and name all life on Earth.

Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) He was one of the most influential scientists of his time. His theory of classication allowed for clear and easy descriptions of plants, animals and minerals. It is so straightforward that his new naming system, is still used by scientists today. Linnaeus was born in 1707. His father was a keen amateur botanist and had created the finest garden in the province. The garden inspired Carl’s love for plants a by the age of eight he was known as ‘the little botanist’

Linnaeus initially studied medicine; medicine at this time was based on herbalism so it meant he also studied plants Sponsored by the University of Uppsala, Linnaeus travelled to Lapland during 1732 to report on its natural history and economy. In 1735 he went to Holland to obtain his medical doctorate at the university in Harderwijk, and then moved to Leiden, where he gained a number of wealthy patrons. For most of this period he stayed with George Clifford, a wealthy merchant with a magnificent botanical garden of which Linnaeus became superintendent. Linnaeus’ work was prolific during his three years in Holland. He understood that contemporary methods of classification could not accommodate the number of new plants that were being discovered. The first edition of Systema naturae, one of Linnaeus’ most infleuential works, was published in 1735 and outlined his new system for classifying or grouping the natural world. Over the years, Linnaeus tirelessly added to the 11-page pamphlet, resulting in a substantial two-volume tenth edition in 1758. In the early eighteenth century, scientific names for species were already in Latin, but were often long and unwieldy. For example, the tomato had a name that was nine words long. Linnaeus’ idea was to divide nature into groups based on shared physical characteristics. Firstly the three kingdoms of plants, animals and minerals. Kingdoms were divided into classes and then into orders, which were divided into genera (singular: genus) and then species (singular: species). Linnaeus gave all the plants known at that time a simpler Latin name in two parts, known as a binomial. The first part was the genus, followed by the species. Using this system, the tomato became the more manageable Solanum lycopersicum. He gave binomial names to animals five years later and, between 1753 and his death, he named thousands of plants and animals in this way. This binomial system was adopted by other scientists and became the standard way of naming organisms.

Although Linnaeus was a respected Professor of Medicine his main focus remained his reform of botany. In 1751 he published Philosophia botanica, which dealt with the theory of botany and the laws and rules the botanist must follow in order to describe and name plants correctly. Linnaeus bought a country estate in Hammarby and in the same year, 1758, was made a Knight of the Polar Star. Further honors followed.

Forced to retire from teaching in 1774 by a stroke, he suffered a further stroke and eventually died in 1778.

Linnaeus’ influence has been huge. His system of classification allowed for clear and easy descriptions of plants, animals and minerals and still forms the basis for modern classification.