176 MEMOIR OF C. F. P. VOX MARTIUS. 



Martins will not be forgotten ! " Certain specialties embraced in this 

 large work were treated by skillful co-laborers : the anatomy, by H. von 

 Mohl ; the fossil palms, by linger ; and a part of the morphology by 

 Alexander Branu and O. Sendtner. 



While the preceding works were commenced and in i^rogress, Martins 

 entered ui)on another literary undertaking of still larger extent, namely, 

 the systematic enumeration and description of the wliolc flora of Brazil. 

 But as a labor of such magnitude could not be carried out without the 

 assistance of persons in high stations, the patronage of King Ludwig I, 

 of Bavaria, and of the Emperor of Austria, Ferdinand I, was success- 

 fully solicited, and the work commenced nnder their auspi(;es.* The 

 Emperor Dom Pedro II, of Brazil, afterward nnited his aid to that of the 

 two German sovereigns. At the outset Martins had secured the co- 

 operation of competent botanists, each of whom was to take charge of a 

 certain portion of the work ; and their nnited eftbrts resulted in the 

 publication of the Flora Brasiliensis^] one of the greatest literary achieve- 

 ments of our time. The work was commenced in 1840, and though yet 

 far from completion, already consists of forty-seven parts, with more 

 than eleven hundred plates in folio. jSTotwithstanding the ample mate- 

 rial which Martins had at his command, the researches necessary to 

 arrive at full and satisfactory results extended over many botanical col- 

 lections of Europe, and everything in the shape of manuscripts and 

 drawings bearing on the subject was critically examined and used when 

 found available. The immense work connected with the editing of the 

 Flora i^revented Martins from participating conspicuously in the botan- 

 ical labors themselves; yet he has furnished two entire monographs 

 (Anonacese and Agaveae) and many highly valuable additions relating 

 to the geographical distribution and the use of the plants described. 

 In view of the important bearing of this publication upon the develop- 

 ment of the vegetable resources of Brazil, the ambassador from that 

 country to the court of Vienna lately spent some time at Munich, in 

 order to confer with Professor Von Martins concerning the completion 

 of the work. The Brazilian government agreed to pay 100,000 florins 

 for that purpose ; but as Martins was already far advanced in years, he 

 thought it expedient to appoint, in the person of Dr. Eichler, a successor 

 to superintend the publication in case of his decease. Thus the work 

 will suffer no interruption.^ 



* It must not be left unnoticed that the patronage of the Emperor of Austria in this 

 case was owing to the influence of Prince Metteruich. This much-ahused statesman, 

 it is well known, took a lively interest in the promotion of science. His letters to A. 

 von Humboldt, contained in the corresj)ondence between Humboldt and Varnhagen 

 von Ense, bear witness to the fact. 



t Flora BrasiUensis, s. Enmneratio riantarum in Brasilia liacfemis detectariim quae 



ediderunt C. F. Ph. de Martins et St. L. Endlicher. Vindoi. et Lips., 1840-'69, fasc. 1-47, 

 folio . The iirst nine parts were edited by Martius and Endlicher ; the rest, after 

 Endlicher's death, by Martius alone. 



t Of Martius' numerous less extensive publications relatmg to botany we will men- 

 tion only the following: 



Rerbariiim Fierce BrasiUensis. Monacliil, 18S7-iO.—Sijstema Materia Medico; Vcgctabilis 

 BrasiUensis. (8° : Leipzig, 1843.) This is a systematically arranged enumeration of the 

 plants used for medicinal purxioses by the inhabitants of Brazil. The preparation, 

 manner of application, and effects are carefully described. This work has been trans- 

 lated into the Portuguese language by H. Velloso d'Oliveira. Eio de Janeiro, 1854. 



Specimen Maicrice Medicce BrasiUensis (in vol. ix, of the Memou's of the Academy of 

 Sciences.) A number of articles likewise relating to the medicinal j^lants of Brazil and 

 their uses were published in Buchnefs Ilepertorium der Fharmacie. 



Worthy of especial mention is a publication on the potato-rot : Die Kartoffd-Epidemie 

 der letzten Jahre (Munich, 1843. 4°. With plates.) Martius was the first who noticed 

 in the diseased fruit a microscopic fungus, called by him Fusisporium solani. He 

 accounted for the spreading of the rot by the transmission of the spores of that fungus 

 to sound potatoes. 



