Anyone who thinks that a certain level of scientific genius imparts dignity might want to take a look at this incident in the life of Carl Linnaeus. He was a polymath, the father of modern biology, ...

Carl Linnaeus is a scientific figure rarely taught about in either history or science courses. Known as the “father of classification”, Linnaeus reformed the systems used to identify and name plants ...

But in the 1730s, the self-proclaimed “prince of botany” made a contribution to taxonomy that, at the time, was just as profound as any of his other achievements. After realizing that floral sex parts ...

Carl Linnaeus also held private lectures in his home. A steady stream of colleagues and distinguished guests, even royalty, came and went. The home became an extension of the university and was ...

God, the Bible tells us, gave Adam the job of naming the animals. But it was Carl Linnaeus who figured out a good way to do it. Linnaeus, also known as Carolus Linnaeus or Carol von Linne, was the ...

Rudbeckia hirta. Solanum lycopersicum. Acer saccharum. Have you ever seen these names on plant tags or seed packets and wondered where they came from? We can thank Carl Linnaeus for taxonomy, the ...

There are places on the moon named after him. His face appears on Swedish currency, and an era of scientific history bears his name. But Carl Linnaeus is best known for creating the system of ...

A gardener friend of ours used to object to calling a plant by its Latin name. She heard it as pretense and obfuscation. But after the sage incident, she conceded that there was some point to it.