Launch of a new edition of Linnaeus’ Musa Cliffortiana (1736), with an English translation by Stephen Freer (translator of Philosophia Botanica)
Sponsored by the International Association for Plant Taxonomy

Programme

Introduction: Prof David Cutler, President, the Linnean Society

The IAPT and Linnaeus: Prof Tod Stuessy, Secretary-General, The International Association for Plant Taxonomy

Comments by the translator: Stephen Freer FLS

The scientific importance of Musa Cliffortiana: “Linnaeus and the Banana: Sexuality, Economy, and the Natural System” – Dr Staffan Müller-Wille, FLS, Egenis, University of Exeter

Dr Müller-Wille, who wrote a scholarly introduction to the book, will speak for about 30 minutes.

Abstract

Musa Cliffortiana (1736) is a remarkable publication which combines baroque eloquence, taxonomic rigor, and biological reasoning. It was one of the first publications of Linnaeus, but already defined the themes that would occupy him throughout his career. He will discuss the historical significance of the Musa Cliffortiana for the development of biology, as well as the cultural context that gave rise to this work.

Staffan Müller-Wille completed an MSc in geology and paleontology at the Free University Berlin in 1992. He became interested in problems of classification and concept formation. A three-year grant from the German Science Foundation and an additional one-year grant from the Max Planck Institute lead to his PhD in philosophy from the University of Bielefeld in 1997. In his current position at Egenis Staffan is pursuing the project on the history of biological heredity into the 20th century and strengthening its philosophical and sociological dimensions within a new interdisciplinary context.

Presentation of a copy of the book to the Linnean Society

Reception

Copies of the book will be available for sale, signed, if so desired, by the translator et al