Naming all species was man's lifelong passion

Ever since college botany I have been fascinated by the work of Carl Linnaeus, the 18th century Swedish scientist who created a system for naming plants and animals.

I was blown away by the immensity of his vision and work. Just imagine tackling the job of naming all the plants and animals in such a way that like species would be grouped together.

Linnaeus used a simple two-word scientific name consisting first of the genus, or category, followed by the species, or basic unit. For example, the beautiful Siberian iris is correctly named Iris sibirica L. Its close relative, the Virginia iris, is named Iris virginica L. By the way, both of these plants were named by Linnaeus himself, hence the capital L after the species name. Linnaeus named about 12,000 plants and animals in his lifetime. Perhaps it's my library background, but I really appreciate Linnaeus' achievement in both creating this system which endures today and applying it so widely during his life.

Linnaeus was born on May 23, 1707, to a rather poor clergyman and his wife. A year later, the family moved into the rectory at Stenbrohult, Sweden, where he enjoyed his father's garden and the whole area which seemed, "as if adorned by Flora herself." The story is told that the father grew more varieties of plants in his garden than anyone else for miles around. Later Linnaeus was to write, "This garden inflamed my mind from infancy onward with an unquenchable love of plants."

Apparently, little Linnaeus was always pestering his father for the names of the plants. When told, he often forgot and had to ask again. Finally, his exasperated father told him that he would not be given any other names until he was able to remember the ones that had already been told him. Thus began Linnaeus' life-long preoccupation with the naming of plants and animals. It is probably no accident that he created a system that was simple and easy to use.

This year we celebrate Linnaeus' 300th birthday. From what I have read, his legacy is amazing. He is credited with establishing the Linnaean era; a time characterized by an ambition to catalog and name the whole natural world.

Many of his followers spread out around the world to find and apply the naming structure he had created. Some even died in the effort.

Linnaeus also helped astronomer Anders Celsius design the modern thermometer. He wrote books about physiology, history and economics. On a personal level, Linnaeus was passionate about what he ate. He cared about where food came from, how to prepare and serve it, and the effects of eating various foods on health.

If you live in the area you might have seen the magnificent (and large) bronze statue of Linnaeus at the Chicago Botanic Garden. He is shown in what must have been a typical pose -- reaching out toward plants. Leora Siegel, director of the Lenhardt Library at the Garden, told me that a special crown of flowers was placed on Linnaeus' head on his birthday this year.

See my Web site www.sarahlong.org to listen to my podcast with Siegel for more information on Linnaeus as well as the Lenhardt Library. Also, check out my visit to the Chicago Botanic Garden which will air in January on our award-winning cable TV show, "What's New in Libraries?" Go to www.whatsnewinlibraries.org for channels and times in your area.