De L'Ecluse was
a Frenchman also known as Carolus Clusius. Clusius studied
at various universities and traveled extensively with
botany his principal interest. He wrote and translated
for Dodoens and other botanists and acted as tutor to
sons of important persons. He rose above personal misfortunes,
including ill health. Clusius knew eight languages and
was acquainted with a number of fields of knowledge. He
was Director of the Botanical Garden in Vienna, which
was part of the Imperial Gardens for 14 years. He finally
became Professor of Botany at the University of Leiden.
His great work was Rariorum Plantarum
historia (1601). De L'Ecluse introduced the potato
into Germany, Austria, France and the Low Countries.
Through his connections with the Mediterranean region
and the Near East, he brought a number of species into
cultivation including various kinds of Ranunculus,
Anemone, Iris, and Narcissus, as well as other bulbous
and tuberous plants. He was the chief founder of the
bulb culture which has become so much a part of the
Netherlands.
He was not a practicing physician, although he
obtained a degree in medicine in 1553. He was little
interested in the medical aspects of botany. He is
said to have added over 600 plants to the
literature.
