Johan Fredrik Wallenius – Demonstrator in Botany at old Åbo Akademi

Authors

• Henry Väre University of Helsinki, Finnish Museum of Natural History (Botany)

Abstract

Wallenius was the Demonstrator in Botany (1800–1805) at Åbo Akademi. His main duty was to instruct medical students on the subject of medicinal plants. In his own thesis supervised by Professor Carl Niclas Hellenius was introduced surrogate food to compensate grain due to the repeated years of crop failures in 18th century. That theme was repeated by him also in some publications. He supervised six theses with botanical content, of which two provided important historical information of Åbo Akademi Botanical Gardens. In thesis of genus Ammi one species is described as new to science, Ammi boerberi Höckert. This neglected name is synonymous to A. majus L. Höckert was third one in Finland who described a new species to science.