Speaking of Linnaeus ....number of species described?

[Mary Barkworth]

Then again, Heywood and Davis may have used the number from Harderwijk
and simply failed to cite their source. It happens, particularly when
writing a readable book as opposed to a scientific paper. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Taxacom Discussion List [mailto:TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU]On
Behalf Of Paul van Rijckevorsel
Sent: Saturday, November 08, 2003 2:35 AM
To: TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU
Subject: Re: Speaking of Linnaeus ....number of species described?


The blurb text of  'The_compleat_naturalist' (1971, 2001):
"The Swedish scientist Linnaeus ... 
... distinguishing and naming 7,700 plants and 4,400 animals in his
lifetime."

Not sure how reliable a book this is. Going by the number of times it is
referred to it should be well regarded. However, it places the
University of Harderwijk in Holland, which is as close to blasphemy as
you can get in a geographic statement. It also badly mangles the
circumstances of the University's closing. 

I suppose the blurb text could well be more reliable than the book
itself. Anyway the numbers more or less accord with the figure given by
Heywood and Davis ("about 7700 species of Angiosperms"). Also with the
fact that animals were a lot less important to Linnaeus than plants.

Best,
Paul van Rijckevorsel, Utrecht