Philip Barker-Webb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Philip Barker Webb
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| Born | 10 July 1793 |
| Died | 31 August 1854 (aged 61) Paris, France
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| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Botanist |
Philip Barker Webb (born July 10, 1793 – died August 31, 1854) was an English botanist. A botanist is a scientist who studies plants. Philip Barker Webb was known for traveling to many places to collect and study different kinds of plants.
Contents
His Life and Adventures
Philip Barker Webb was born into a rich family in England. His father was a lord in the areas of Witley and Milford. Philip went to good schools, including Harrow School and Christ Church, Oxford university.
He loved to travel and collect plants. He explored countries like Italy, Spain, and Portugal. He was also the first person to collect plants in the Tetuan Mountains in Morocco.
One of his biggest adventures was a trip he planned to Brazil. On his way, he decided to make a quick stop at the Canary Islands. But he loved the islands so much that he stayed there for a long time! He only left to go to Brazil later, and then he came back to the Canary Islands.
Studying Plants in the Canary Islands
Philip Barker Webb worked with another person named Sabin Berthelot. Sabin had lived on the Canary Islands for a while. Together, they collected many plant samples between 1828 and 1830.
Their hard work resulted in a huge, nine-volume book called Histoire Naturelle des Iles Canaries. This means "Natural History of the Canary Islands." It took them 20 years to finish writing all the information for this book!
Specialists, like Pierre-Justin-Marie Macquart, helped write different parts of the book.
His Plant Collection and Later Life
Philip Barker Webb had a large collection of dried plant samples, which is called a herbarium. He gave this amazing collection to the Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze in Florence, Italy.
He lived in Paris for some time. Later in his life, he moved back to Italy. Sadly, he became sick while traveling in Europe and passed away in England in August 1854.
What He Contributed
Philip Barker Webb made important contributions to the study of plants. Because of his work, two types of plant genera (groups of related plants) were named after him. These are Barkerwebbia and Webbia. This is a special way for scientists to honor someone's work.
