Alexander Moritzi

{{Short description|Swiss naturalist (1806–1850)}} '''Alexander Moritzi''' (1806–1850) was a Swiss naturalist and early proponent of evolution.<ref>[https://plantmorphology.org/portfolio-item/alexander-moritzi/ "Alexander Moritzi (1806-1850)"]. The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.</ref>

Moritzi born in Chur, Graubünden. His ''Réflexions sur l'espèce en histoire naturelle'', which means "Reflections on Species in Natural History," was published in 1842 and republished in 1934. This book, which contains many observations on animals and plants, advocated transmutation of species and is considered a forerunner of the theory of evolution developed by Charles Darwin. However, the book was ignored and did not make an impact like Darwin's.<ref>De Beer, Gavin. (1969). ''Streams of Culture''. Lippincott. p. 29</ref>

Snow dock was first discovered by Moritzi in 1836 in the Swiss Alps.<ref>{{Cite journal|journal=Annals of Horticulture: And Year-book of Information on Practical Gardening|title=The Oseille des Neiges, or Rumex nivalis: A New Sorrel|publisher=Houlston and Stoneman|date=1850|page=559|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tF8CAAAAYAAJ}}</ref>

In 1840, DC. ex Meisn. published ''Moritzia'' a genus of flowering plants from South America, belonging to the family Boraginaceae in Moritzi's honour.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Moritzia'' DC. ex Meisn. {{!}} Plants of the World Online {{!}} Kew Science |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:4692-1 |website=Plants of the World Online |access-date=18 May 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

Alexander Moritzi cooperated with the Swiss botanist Heinrich Zollinger and supported him with the issue and selling of his two series of specimens which superficially resemble exsiccatae, namely ''Plantae Javanicae 1843–1847'' and ''Plantae Japonicae 1847''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Plantae Javanicae 1843–1847: IndExs ExsiccataID=407752192 |website=IndExs - Index of Exsiccatae |publisher=Botanische Staatssammlung München |url=https://www.botanischestaatssammlung.de/DatabaseClients/IndExs/Exsiccatae_IndExs_Details.jsp?ExsiccataID=407752192 |access-date=28 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Plantae Japonicae 1847: IndExs ExsiccataID=1503524735 |website=IndExs - Index of Exsiccatae |publisher=Botanische Staatssammlung München |url=https://www.botanischestaatssammlung.de/DatabaseClients/IndExs/Exsiccatae_IndExs_Details.jsp?ExsiccataID=1503524735 |access-date=28 September 2024}}</ref>

==Selected publications== *''Réflexions sur l'espèce en histoire naturelle'' (1842)

==References== {{reflist}}

==Further reading==

*Arnold Lang. (1906). [https://www.e-periodica.ch/cntmng?var=true&pid=ngs-003:1904:3::412 ''Alexander Moritzi, Ein schweizerischer Vorläufer Darwins'']. C. Gassmann.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moritzi, Alexander}} Category:1806 births Category:1850 deaths Category:Proto-evolutionary biologists Category:Swiss naturalists Category:Taxon authorities Category:People from Chur