Mariano Lagasca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mariano Lagasca y Segura
(Mariano la Gasca) |
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Statue by Ponciano Ponzano in the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid
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| Born | 4 October 1776 |
| Died | 23 June 1839 (aged 62) |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | botanist, doctor, writer |
| Known for | improvement of the Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid (Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid) |
Mariano Lagasca y Segura (1776–1839), also known as Mariano la Gasca, was a Spanish botanist, writer, and doctor. He is famous for his work at the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid, where he became the director. He helped improve the garden and studied many new plants.
Contents
Early Life and Studies
Mariano Lagasca y Segura was born on October 4, 1776. His hometown was Encinacorba in Spain. He came from a wealthy family.
He went to elementary school first. Later, he continued his studies in Tarragona. There, he became very interested in medicine and plants.
After finishing his studies in Tarragona, he traveled a lot. He then began studying medicine. He studied in Zaragoza, then in Valencia, and finally in Madrid.
A Career in Botany
In 1800, Mariano Lagasca moved to Madrid. There, he met Antonio José Cavanilles, a famous botanist and doctor. Mariano became his student and worked with him.
In Madrid, he also worked with José Demetrio Rodriguez. In 1801, they published a book together. It was called Description of certain plants of the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid.
In 1802, he worked with Simón de Rojas Clemente y Rubio. They published a book with articles about medicine and plants.
Leading the Royal Botanical Garden
After José Cavanilles passed away in 1807, Mariano Lagasca got an important job. He became the vice-director of the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid. During this time, he also taught botany at the University of Madrid.
In 1815, after a big war called the Peninsular War, he was made the director of the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid.
In 1816, he published a very important book. It was called Genera et species plantarum, quae aut novae sunt aut nondum recte cognoscuntur. This book listed 364 names of plants.
Exile and Return
Mariano Lagasca became well known in Spain for his work. But in 1823, he had to leave Spain. This was because of his ideas about how the government should work. These ideas were called "liberal political views."
He spent the next eleven years in London. In 1834, he was able to return to Spain. He got his job back as the director of the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid.
Mariano Lagasca died five years later, on June 23, 1839. He passed away in Barcelona.
See also
In Spanish: Mariano Lagasca para niños
- Taxa named by Mariano Lagasca
