It was just in the sixties that Colombia began to explore its potential as a flower provider for the world . But long before this happened , almost 200 year before , its flowers were already considered something extraordinary .
It was 1782 and the nation was part of a Spanish colony call off the Viceroyalty of New Granada . Jose Celestino Mutis , a Spanish priest who was also a botanist and mathematician , was eager to study and classify the natural marvel of Colombia . With the blessing of King Charles III of Spain , Mutis assembled a team of botanists , geographers and Felis concolor , and be active to Santafe de Bogota , the same region that today produce Colombia ’s most desired flush .
The squad classified the flora of the New Granada following the criterion go down by Carl Linnaeus . They would glean the sample and write detailed descriptions include possible medical or industrial uses . Perhaps , the most beautiful part of the cognitive operation was the scientific illustration of each specie : a double-dyed histrionics of the seed , the means its roots exposit , the growth of the root , the reach of its farewell and the flavor of its flower in full staring peak . A single image that captured all the moments in a plant ’s life sentence . An absolute man of art .
The gift of a flowerIn a way , phytologist from this period saw heyday as a significant present . But it was more than picking up a few from the township markets , their giving would usually last much longer .
Alexander Von Humboldt , view “ the father of the modernistic universal geographics ” , ( also a naturalist , explorer and scientist ) visited Mutis in 1801 and the caput of the Botanical Expedition gave him 100 of those precious illustrated specimens of the Americas . Humboldt was so astonished by this workplace that he returned the gift by dedicate his first volume on phytology to Jose Celestino Mutis .
“ The forefather of innovative taxonomy ” , Carl Linneus , was also Jose Celestino Mutis ’ mentor . Before the showtime of the outing , the non-Christian priest station him samples of American plants that Linneus found so astounding , he decided to honor his pupil through a particular gift : by call a flower after him . And so , Mutisia clematis became the scientific name of a aboriginal vine with beautiful red blossom and curved petals .
This was not the only way Mutis was immortalized through his namesake bloom . The lead painter of the despatch , Salvador Rizo , celebrated the man responsible for this challenging task by painting a monogram with the initial JMC as if they were forge from the vine of Mutisia Clematis . This figure remains today as one of the most iconic illustration from this initiative .
At least 6,000 new metal money were studied and classified by these remarkable phytologist and painters . Their work is preserved by the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid , as a piece of scientific story and as a gift to everyone who knows and do it flowers .
If you want to see the whole assembling , you’re able to explore ithere .
Source : Flowers of Colombia
