> [!cite] BHL link: this entry starts at [page 614](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33120745) of TL-2 Vol. I > Author links: [IPNI](https://www.ipni.org/a/2099-1) LSID 2099-1, [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1385980) QID Q1385980 > Support pages: [[Abbreviations|abbreviations]], [[Layout key|layout key]], [[Cite TL-2|cite TL-2]] ### Author Delessert, Jules Paul Benjamin, baron (1773-1847), French industrialist, banker, philanthropist and amateur botanist. **Abbreviated name**: *Deless.* \[standard form in IPNI: *Deless.*\] #### Herbarium and types Delessert had one of the most considerable private herbaria of his time. It was given to the town of Genève in 1869 and became the nucleus of the general herbarium of the present *Conservatoire botanique* ([[Collection G|G]]). It is now integrated with the other major collections at G. A. P. de Candolle's types of the *Icones selectae* are at [[Collection G|G]] in the general herbarium, except where otherwise indicated. Delessert placed his herbarium liberally at the disposal of scientists, notably Auguste-Pyramus De Candolle. The herbarium was started with Delessert's own collections and those of his elder brother Étienne, from France, Switzerland and Great Britain. It became of exceptional importance with the purchase, in 1803, of the Lemonnier herbarium. From that moment onward the herbarium grew rapidly. The successive curators of the herbarium were Achille Richard (1817-1827), J. B. A. Guillemin (1827-1842) and Antoine Lasègue (1793-1873). The herbarium was left by Benjamin's youngest brother François († 1865) to his daughters who gave it to the town of Genève. The Delessert library (including the herbaria in book-form such as the Thesaurus zeylanicus herbarium) went to the Institut de France. The Delessert herbarium is fully described by Lasègue (1845). The main collections, constituting the basis of the Delessert herbarium are (with dates of acquisition): (1) The L. G. Lemonnier (1803) herbarium which contained a great many Commerson plants, the Syrian collections of Labillardière, many of the N. African plants of Desfontaines, and many of André Michaux's collections in addition to numerous other collections of minor importance; (2) the Burman herbaria; (3) a herbarium from Japan by Thunberg; (4) the entire Ventenat herbarium (1809); (5) the Palisot de Beauvois herbarium (1820); (6) the Thuillier herbarium (1827); (7) a considerable part of the Lambert herbarium (1842). In addition Delessert acquired considerable parts of the collections made by La Billardière, Gaudichaud, Dumont d'Urville, Perrottet, Sieber and many others. A full list is given by Lasègue. *Ref*.: IH 2: 157, Lasègue 1845. - Delessert, Fr., Bot. Zeit. 5: 359. 1847, also *in* Duchartre, Revue Bot. 2: 475-477. 1847. - Baehni, Taxon 9: 61-63. 1960. - Lourteig, Taxon 15: 23-25. 1966 (Hermann herb.) - Stafleu, Taxon 19: 920-936. 1970 and as introduction to facsimile reprint 1970 of Lasègue, Musée botanique (1845). #### Bibliography and biography AG 6(2): 724; Barnhart 1: 438; BM 1: 438; Bossert p. 98; CSP 2: 226-227; Jackson p. 117, 421; Langman p. 238; MW p. 94; NI p. 44, no. 461; PR 2126. - Argout, Notice sur la vie de Benjamin Delessert, \[Genève\] 1847. *Copy*: G. - Candolle, Alph. de, Notice sur B.D., Genève 1847, 31 p., repr. from Biblioth. univ. Sep 1847. - Duchartre, Revue bot. 2: 385-386, 475-477. 1847. - Pritzel, Erinnerungen, Grenzboten 1847. (*Copy*: G). - Anon., Flora 30: 164.14 Mar 1847. - Hooker, London J. Bot. 6: 206. 1847. - G.P., Bot. Zeit. 5: 246-248, 359-360. 1847. - Dupln, Ch., Travaux et bienfaits de B. Delessert. Paris 1848. - Anon., Proc. Linn. Soc, London 1: 339-341. 1849. - Flourens, Éloge historique de B. Delessert, Paris 1850, 48 p. (bibl.), also in Éloges hist. 2: 325-382. 1857. - Cap, Benjamin Delessert, Paris 1850, 48 p. - Candolle, Mémoires et souvenirs 63-67, 76, 90, 106, 107, 110, 121, 123, 132, 133, 136, 193, 239, 252, 334, 370, 467, 587. 1862. - Anon., Proc. Linn. Soc. London 1888/90: 35. 1891. - De Lessert, Gaston, Famille de Lessert, souvenirs et portraits. Genève \[1902\], (portr.) - Magnin, Ann. Soc. bot. Lyon 31: 45. 1906. - Milner, Cat. Portr. Kew 36. 1906. - Briquet, Annuaire Cons. Jard. bot. Genève 1909/10: *pl. 2.* - Moebius, Gesch. Bot. 433. 1937. - Bord, Aesculape Mai 1938: 3 (portr.), 8-10. - Briquet, Bull. Soc. bot. Suisse 50a: 296-299. 1940 (bibl.) - Stafleu, Boissiera 11: xiii-xv. 1965 (portr.) - Stafleu, Taxon 19: 920-937. 1970 and as intr. to reprint Lasègue, Mus. Bot. Benj. Delessert, Lehre 1970. - Stafleu et al., Regn. veg. 71: 461 \[index\]. 1970. - Stafleu, *in* Daniels and Stafleu, Taxon 23(4): 540. 1974 (portr.) #### Eponymy *Delesseria* \[sic\] J. V. F. Lamouroux (1813, *nom. cons.*); *Delesseriopsis* \[sic\] K. Okamura (1931); *Delesserites* \[sic\] (A. T. Borngniart) Sternberg (1833); *Delesserites* \[sic\] Ruedemann (1925); *Lessertia* A. P. de Candolle (1802, *nom. cons.*) #### Handwriting Taxon 19: 924. 1970. #### Postage stamps France 75 c (1935) yv. 303. ### Publications ##### n.1351. Icones selectae plantarum **Title** *Icones selectae plantarum* quas in systemate universali ex herbariis Parisiensibus, praesertim ex Lessertiano descripsit Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. Paris 1820-1846, 5 vols. Qu. and Fol. **Abbreviated title**: *Icon. sel. pl.* **Notes** |vol. |pages |*plates* |dates t.p. |actual dates| |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- | |1 |\[i\*\], \[i\]-vi, \[1\]-26 |1-100 |1820 |Feb 1821| |2 |\[i\*\], \[i\]-iv, \[1\]-28 |1-100 |1823 |Feb 1824| |3 |\[i\*\], \[iii\*\], \[i\]-viii, \[1\]-70 |1-100 |1837 |Feb 1838| |4 |\[i\*\], \[i\]-iii, \[1\]-52 |1-100 |1839 |5 Feb 1840| |5 |\[i\*\] \[iii\*\], \[i\]-iv, \[1\]-55 |1-100 (93 A, B.) |1846 |Jun 1846| *Copies*: BR, G, HU, MO, NY. – The above dates are based on the dates of the reviews in the *Bibliographie de la France*, the *Annales des Sciences naturelles* and on the dates of receipt by the *Académie des sciences*. Lasègue informs A. P. de Candolle on 5 Feb 1840 (letter at G) that volume 4 has just been published. The book was published in three issues, one in quarto on vellum, one id. on "fine paper" and one in folio on vellum. The plates of the first two volumes were by Turpin, the text by de Candolle. For the authorship of the new taxa described in vol. 3, see p. iii and iv of that volume. The text of vols. 4 & 5 is again entirely by de Candolle. For a list of artists see Nissen (461). *Imprints*: (1-4) none on engr. t.p. but publ. Paris, London, Strasbourg (Treuttel & Würz), 5: Paris (Fortin, Masson & Co.) *Ref*.: BM 1: 438; DU 89; GF p. 54; HL 2199; Jackson p. 117; NI 461; Plesch p. 194; PR 2126; RS p. 79; IDC 655. - Grisebach, GGA 1838: 1929-1938. 6 Dec 1838 (review of vol. 3).