> [!cite] BHL link: this entry starts at [page 911](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33334050) of TL-2 Vol. V > Author links: [IPNI](https://www.ipni.org/a/10125-1) LSID 10125-1, [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q967040) QID Q967040 > Support pages: [[Abbreviations|abbreviations]], [[Layout key|layout key]], [[Cite TL-2|cite TL-2]] ### Author Steven, Christian von (1781-1863), Finnish botanist; studied at Turku, St. Petersburg 1795-1797, Jena 1797-1798; Dr. med. St. Petersburg 1798; inspector of silk production in the Caucasus with headquarters in Kislar 1800-1805; in Finland 1805-1806; assistant inspector for Southern Russia with Marschall von Bieberstein 1806-1826, at Simferopol (living there until his death), travelling extensively in Southern Russia; established the Nikita Botanical Garden in the Crimea 1812; travelled in Central Europe 1820-1821; retired from the directorship of the Botanical Garden in 1827; general inspector of the silk industry for the whole of Russia 1826-1841; general inspector for S. Russian agriculture 1841-1850. **Abbreviated name**: *Steven* \[standard form in IPNI: *Steven*\] #### Herbarium and types [[Collection H|H]] (see I. Kukkonen and K. Viljamaa 1971); other material in [[Collection BR|BR]], [[Collection CGE|CGE]], [[Collection E|E]], [[Collection FI|FI]], [[Collection G|G]], [[Collection GOET|GOET]], [[Collection K|K]], [[Collection KIEL|KIEL]], [[Collection LE|LE]], [[Collection LZ|LZ]] (destr.), [[Collection M|M]], [[Collection MW|MW]], [[Collection OXF|OXF]], [[Collection TBI|TBI]], [[Collection UPS|UPS]] (Thunberg herb.), [[Collection W|W]], [[Collection WAG|WAG]]. – A mss. catalogue of the herbarium, 1852, is at [[Collection H|H]]. – *Letters* at [[Collection G|G]]. #### Bibliography and biography AG 3: 19; Backer p. 550; Barnhart 3: 327 (b. 19 Jan 1781, d. 18/30 Apr 1863); BM 5: 2019; Bossert p. 383; Clokie p. 249; Collander Hist. p. 21-22, 104, 114; CSP 5: 827, 8: 1013; Frank 3 (Anh.): 100; Hegi 3: 563; Herder p. 201, 312, 315, 324, 394; Hortus 3: 1204; IH 1 (ed. 6): 364, (ed. 7): 343, 2: (files); Lasègue p. 584 \[index\]; MW p. 472; PR 8968-8969, ed. 1: 9926; Rehder 5: 824; RS p. 143; Saelan p. 477; TL-2/see D. Bouchet, F.W.H.A. v. Humboldt, G.N. Robert, J.B. Rupreecht; TR 1370-1381; Tucker 1: 234, 668, 3: 295; Urban-Berl. p. 314, 401; Zander ed. 10, p. 721. #### Biofile - Anon., Bibliogr. Index of works of the State Nikita Botanical Garden from 1812 to 1960. Jalta 1962, 164 p. (n.v.); Lotos 13: 112. 1863 (d.); Österr. bot. Z. 11: 264. 1861 (has donated herb. and bot. libr. to Univ. Helsinki), 13: 262. 1863 (d.). - Basiner, T., Bull. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 23(2): 645-677. 1850 (jubilee). - Bourdeille, de Montresor, Bull. Sci. Imp. Natural. Moscou ser. 2. 7: 459-460. 1894 (bibl. nos. 431-435). - Candolle, A.P. de, Mém. souvenirs 410. 1862. - Candolle, Alph. de, Phytographie 452-453. 1880 (coll.). - Dawson, W.R., Smith papers 89. 1934 (letters to J.E. Smith at LINN). - Dwulff, E.V., Arkh. Ist. Nauk. Tekh. 3: 139-149. 1934 (on letters to Steven). - Hiitonen, I., Luonnon Tutkija 54: 15-19. 1950; Mem. Soc. Fauna Fl. fenn. 40: 178-187. 1964 (biogr., portr.). - K., Gartenflora 12: 270-271. 1863 (obit.). - Kukkonen, I., Dendrologian Seuran Tiedotuksia 11: 60-65. 1980. - Kukkonen, I. & K. Viljamaa, Herbarium of Chistian Steven. Pamphlet no. 4, issued by the Botanical Museum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 1971, 109 p., 5 pl. (bibl.; list coll. herb., samples handwr.). - Lindberg, S.O., Förteckning öfver mossor, samlade vid Tiflis Jan. och Febr. 1805 af Steven, Öfvers. Finska Vet.-Soc. Förh. 10: 4-5. 1868. - Lindemann, E. v., Bull. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 61(1): 73-74. 1886 (material M). - Lipschitz, S.J., Bot. Zhurn. 3: 252-267. 1938. - Lowden, R.M., Taxon, Index pers. names vols. 1-30. 703. 1985. - Maleev, O.F., J. Govt. Bot. Gard. Nikita, Yalta, Crimea 17(1): 1-34. 1931 (on Steven at Nikita B.G. 1812-1824). - Nordmann, A. v., Bull. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 38(1): 101-161. 1865, repr. Moskau 60 p. as Christian Steven, Nestor der Botaniker (biogr.). - Radde, G., Grundz. Pfl.-Verbr. Kaukasusländer 20. 1899. - Rubtsov, N.I., Byull. Gos. Nikit. Bot. Sada 1(44): 5-9. 1981 (n.v.), 2(18): 19-24. 1972 (on S.'s contr. Crimean fl.), n.v. - Rubtsov, N.I. & I.V. Kryokova, Byull. Mosk. Obshch. Isp. Prir., Biol. 87(2): 126-131. 1982 (n.v.). - Schlechtendal, D.F.L. von, Bot. Zeit. 21: 207. 1863 (obit. not.). - Schmid, G., Chamisso als Naturforscher 10, 173, nos. 175, 178, 346. 1942. - Skhijan, A.S., Vestn. Gruzinsk. Bot. Obšc. 2: 101-105. 1967 (itin. journeys Caucasus 1800-1828) (n.v.). - Stankov, S.S., Mosk. obsestv. ispyt. prir. 1805-1940. Ser. hist. 10: 1-45. 1940 (biogr., bibl., portr.). - Steven, N.A., Byull. Gos. Nikit. Bot. Sada 1(44): 10-15. 1981 (n.v.). - Trautvetter, E.R. von, Bull. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 36(2): 574-578. 1863 \[i.e. 1864\] (obit., bibl.) (also as reprint, 7 p. Einige Nachrichten über Chr. von Steven). - Wagenitz, G., Index coll. princ. herb. Gott. 161. 1982. - Wittrock, V.B., Acta Horti Berg. 3(2): 176. 1903 (on portr.). - Wulff, E., Bull. Soc. nat. Amis nat. Crimée 3: 1-8. 1913 (commemoration; n.v.); Zap. Krymsk. O-va estestvoispyt. ljubit. prir. 3: 53-60. 1913; Vestn. russk. flory 3(1): 55-77. 1917. #### Handwriting Webbia 32: 37. 1977; Candollea 33: 407-408. 1978; see also Kukkonen & Viljamaa 1971. #### Main bibliography see Kukkonen & Viljamaa 1971, p. 8-12 (includes also contributions by Steven to composite works). #### Eponymy *Stevenia* Adams ex F. Fischer (1817); *Steveniella* Schlechter (1918); *Stevenorchis* Wankow et Kränzlin (1931). #### Note - (1) The entry on Steven is partly based on data and texts supplied by P. Isoviita. - (2) The bibliographic treatment and dating of Steven's papers poses various complicated problems; see e.g. the notes under *Stirpes* and *Observ. pl. ross.* below. Many of his early papers were published in Mém. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 2-9 (1809-1834), and extracts or reprints, usually without identification and printed date, exist at H. In the absence of further copies and other evidence it is difficult to decide whether they represent normal separates or rather preprints, as in the case of *Observ. pl. ross.* (2). Also, it is not impossible that parts of the journal volumes involved were, at least locally, distributed before the completion of the volumes (a practice which holds for Bull. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou, the publication channel of Steven's taxonomic papers in 1832-1857). Part of the information given below is based on assumptions rather than facts, but it may still be of some value if supporting evidence can be found elsewhere \[P.I.\]. ### Publications ##### n.13.058. Decas plantarum **Title** *Decas plantarum*, nondum descriptarum Iberiae et Rossiae meridionalis... \[Mém. Soc. Imp. natural. Moscou 2, 1809\]. Qu. **Notes** *Publ*.: 1809, p. \[173\]-183, *pl. 11.* – Tearsheet copy at H from Mém. Soc. natural. Moscou 2: \[173\]-183, *pl. 11.* 1809. – Publication in completed journal volume after Nov 1809 (see p. xlviii). – We have seen no copy of the second edition (1830) of this volume, mentioned by BPH p. 584. "Iberia" stands for Caucasus. ##### n.13.059. Catalogue des plantes rares **Title** *Catalogue des plantes rares* ou nouvelles, observées pendant un voyage autour du Caucase oriental. Qu. **Notes** *Note*: contains *Stirpes rariores in itinere Caucasico* A. 1810 lectae, p. 250-270 (for its Continuatio see below). *Publ*.: Mém. Soc. Imp. natural. Moscou 3: 244-270. 1812. A reprint, p. \[1\]-52, exists at M; this includes on p. 29-52 the text of the Stirpes, Cont. 1813, q.v. – This reprint is undated and has no imprint. – BPH p. 584 mentions an ed. 2 (1830) of this journal volume, but Saelan does not cite Steven's paper from it. ##### n.13.060. Stirpes rariores in itinere Caucasico **Title** *Stirpes rariores in itinere Caucasico* A. 1810 lectae a C. Steven. (Continuatio a T. III. p. 270). \[Mém. Soc. Imp. natural. Moscou 4. 1813\]. Qu. **Notes** *Publ*.: 1813 (t.p. journal volume), p. \[29\]-52 (cf. the preceding entry). *Copy*: H (abundantly corrected and annotated by Steven). – Reprinted and to be cited from Mém. Soc. Imp. natural. Moscou 4: 49-72. 1813. – The text in the journal shows the same errors and omissions as in the reprint corrected by Steven. *Re-publ*.: Saelan p. 477, no. 4, mentions an "ed. sec. ibid. 1830, s. 89-112" (cf. BPH p. 584). *Notes*: (*1*) There are many difficulties in dating the papers published in the Mémoires of 1812 and 1813; in part they are associated with the circumstances resulting from the occupation by the Napoleonic army of Moscow, and the great fire of the town in Sep 1812. According to Fischer (Mém. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 5: iii. 1817), the first four volumes of the Mémoires were destroyed by fire in 1812. It is not known whether copies of, and/or reprints from vol. 3, perhaps even of some parts of vol. 4, were distributed before Oct 1812, but this possibility of prepublication cannot be excluded either. In the journal kept at H-UB the text of vol. 3 and p. 1-120 of vol. 4 have been printed on bluish, fairly soft paper not used in the serial elsewhere or in the Steven reprints seen by us. This might indicate new printing (in 1813?) to replace the original stock of vols. 3 and 4 destroyed by fire. However, only a very limited number of copies of such an assumed re-issue can have been produced; a new edition of all four volumes was published in 1830 (e.g. BPH p. 584), evidently with changes in contents and pagination. On the other hand, the possibility remains that the copy at H of the *Stirpes* is merely a proof kept by Steven for himself; if this is true, it could be supposed that the proof returned to the publisher was lost in the fire and, therefore, the numerous misprints were not corrected. - (2) Many new species first described in the *Stirpes* (1812, 1813) were provided with a reference "*Mem. de la Soc. de Gorenki* (*ined.*) *cum icone*". Probably because of the difficult situation following the fire of Moscow, these detailed descriptions and illustrations were published elsewhere; description of nine new species of plants from Caucasus occured in Trans. Linn. Soc. London 11 (2): 408-418, *pl. 31-39.* 24 Jan 1816 ("1815"). Only *Orchis mutabilis* Steven, which replaces *O. formosa* Steven 1813, is new in this paper). \[P.I.\]. ##### n.13.061. Observationes in Saxifragas **Title** *Observationes in Saxifragas* taurico-caucasicas auctore C. Steven. \[Mém. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 4. 1813\]. Qu. **Notes** *Publ*.: 1813 (t.p. journal vol.), p. \[53\]-62. *Copy*: H (joint reprint with *Stirpes*; abundantly corrected by Steven). – Reprinted and to be cited from Mém. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 4: 73-82. 1813. See note (1) under *Stirpes*. *Re-publ*.: Saelan p, 477, no. 5, mentions an "ed. sec. ibid. 1830, s. 113-122" (cf. BPH p. 584). Booknr. 13.062 has not been used. ##### n.13.063. Observationes in plantas rossicas **Title** *Observationes in plantas rossicas* et descriptiones specierum novarum, propositae a C. Steven. \[Mém. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou\]. Qu. **Abbreviated title**: *Observ. pl. ross.* **Notes** \[*1*\]: 1817 (t.p. journal vol.), after 12/24 Dec 1817 (p. iv of journal vol.), p. \[2\]-24. *Copies*: H (2, on very soft paper). – Reprinted and to be cited from Mém. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 5: 334-356. 1817. \[*2*\]: possibly 1824, in any case before Sep 1828 (see note 1), p. \[61\], \[63\]-83, (77-83 erroneously marked as 67-73), *pl. 12-16* (with identification "Acta Mosquensia. Tom. VII", uncol.). *Copies*: FI, G, H(2), HH, M. – Preprinted from Mém. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 7 (= Nouv. Mém. 1): 257-279, *pl. 12-16.* 1829 (publ. after 24 Jan/5 Feb 1829, p. viii of journal vol.). *Notes* (1): The paper is ususally cited as of 1829 (date of journal publ.), sometimes 1824. The latter date may be correct: on the t.p. of a copy at H appears an old inscription "Moscou 1824" presumably drawn by a Russian hand, and on the inside cover appears Steven's dedication to de la Biliardière, "Simféropol 22 \[or 27\] août 1828" (old style?). Similar problems are met with in dating the papers preceding Steven's article in the same volume of the Mémoires. These include: C.A. von Meyer's *Nov. pl. sp.* (Mém. 7: 135-143, *pl. 3-4*; TL-2/5899 as of 1829) and A.A. von Bunge's *Consp. gen. Gentianae... 1824* (Mém. 7: 197-256, *pl. 8-11*; e.g. PR 1360 cites the reprint as "Mosquae 1824", while some other sources give its date as 1829). If one accepts that the Steven paper was published before 1829, one may conclude that Meyer's and Bunge's papers must also have been published as preprints, in 1824 or, at the latest, 1828. - (2) The curious new pagination, 61-83, of the Steven preprint may be a direct continuation of the preprint pagination of Bunge's *Conspectus* which precedes Steven's *Observationes* in the journal. \[P.I.\]. \[*3*\]: 1834 (t.p. journal vol.), p. \[93\], \[95\]-107, *pl. 6-8* (with identification "N. Mémoires vol. III", partially col. *Copies*: H (t.p. with old inscription "1834 Moscou"), HH. – Reprinted, without change of pagination, and to be cited from Nouv. Mém. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 3 (= Mém. 9): 93-107, *pl. 6-8.* 1834. *First publ*.: Bull. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 4: 250-269. 1832 (identical contents but no plates). ##### n.13.064. Monographia pedicularis **Title** *Monographia pedicularis*. Auctore C. Steven. \[Mém. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 1823\]. Qu. **Notes** *Publ*.: 1823, *in* Mém. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 6: 1-60, 311 \[err.\], *pl. 1-17* (uncol. Gebmayer, A. Sudakow, A. Poiret, L.C. Richard). – Offprints of p. 1-60 of the journal publication, with *pl. 1* used as t.p. exist (*copies*: B, G, H, WU. – Plate 1 has a bottom line "Ad Acta Soc. Caes. Naturae Scrutatorum. Tom. vi. 1822", hence the reference to these offprints as of "Mosquae 1822". See also G. Schmid (1942) no. 178. The journal was published 1823. – The presence on p. 311 of a set of errata might imply that the offprints were indeed preprints of 1822 because Steven (then at Simferopol?) may have seen the printed text well before the closing of the volume (P. Isoviita). ##### n.13.065. Annotationes botanicae **Title** *Annotationes botanicae* \[Extrait du Bullet. de la Soc. Impér. des Natural. de Moscou. Tome xxi. 1848\]. Oct. **Notes** *Publ*.: 1848 (after 22 Jun, see date on p. 266 of journal), p. \[1\]-20. *Copies*: G, H. – Reprinted and to be cited from Bull. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 21(3): 267-284. 1848. *Reprint*: Dec 1849, Ann. Sci. nat. Bot. ser. 3. 12: 368-380. ##### n.13.066. Observationes in Asperifolias taurico-caucasicas **Title** *Observationes in Asperifolias taurico-caucasicas* auctore Chr. Steven. \[Extrait du Bull. de la Soc. Impér. des Natural. de Moscou, tome xxiv. 1851\]. Oct. **Notes** *Publ*.: 1851 (journal publ. after Jun 1851, see p. 698-699), p. \[1\]-54. *Copies*: G, H. – Reprinted and to be cited from Bull. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 24(2): 558-609. 1851. ##### n.13.067. Xiphocoma et Gampoceras **Title** *Xiphocoma et Gampoceras*... Mosquae (typis Universitatis caesareae) 1852. Oct. **Notes** *Publ*.: 1852 (prob. Jul-Dec; part 1 of journal issued after Mar 1851), p. \[i-ii\], \[1\]-8, *pl. 7* (uncol.). *Copies*: G, H, LC. – Reprinted and to be cited from Bull. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 25(2): 537-544. 1852. ##### n.13.068. Verzeichniss der auf der taurischen Halbinsel wildwachsenden Pflanzen **Title** *Verzeichniss der auf der taurischen Halbinsel wildwachsenden Pflanzen*... Moskau (in der Buchdruckerei der kaiserlichen Universität) 1857. Oct. **Notes** *Publ*.: Dec 1857 (as reprint; 1856-1857 in journal; p. ii reprint 23 Nov 1857), p. i-ii, \[1\]-412, \[413-414, err.\], *pl. 1* (uncol.). *Copies*: B-S, G, H-UB; IDC 1048. – Reprinted and to be cited from Bull. Soc. Imp. Natural. Moscou 29(2): 234-334. 30 Apr 1856, 29(3): 121-186. Nov-Dec 1856, 29(4): 339-418. 25 Nov 1856, 30(2): 325-398. 1857, 30(3): 65-160, *pl. 2.* 12 Nov 1857. *Ref*.: L.E.T., Bot. Zeit. 17: 6-7. 1859 (rev.).