George Engelmann and 19th Century Cactus Collection and Circulation

Erica Hannickel addresses the relationship between botanical exploration and developing ideas of climate in the writings of nineteenth-century taxonomist George Engelmann. Hannickel tracks the ways that Engelmann (1809-1884)... [ view full abstract ]

Erica Hannickel addresses the relationship between botanical exploration and developing ideas of climate in the writings of nineteenth-century taxonomist George Engelmann. Hannickel tracks the ways that Engelmann (1809-1884) embodied the scientific arm of U.S. national expansion through his monographs on cacti, conifers, and other western North American species, as well as acknowledging his notable contributions to meteorology, viticulture, and new scientific academies. Hannickel argues that Engelmann helped make St. Louis a significant contact zone for all major herbaria and botanical gardens in Europe and the United States. Focusing on Engelmann’s systematization of the prickly pear, a type of cactus that has enjoyed centuries of human use across several continents as food, medicine, dye, and livestock fodder, Hannickel maintains that Engelmann’s work actively shaped the social climate of international science between the United States, Mexico, and Western Europe.