Franz Josef Niedenzu

Who was Franz Josef Niedenzu?

Franz Josef Niedenzu was a German botanist born in Köppernig. He is remembered for his work with the botanical family Malpighiaceae.

For most of his career he was a professor and subsequently rector at the Lyceum Hosianum in Braunsberg, East Prussia. At Braunsberg, he established a botanical garden.

He was author of the chapter on Malpighiaceae in Adolf Engler's "Das Pflanzenreich", and contributed descriptions of nine plant families in Engler and Prantl's "Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien". He identified numerous new species, as well as six genera; Alcoceratothrix, Callyntranthele, Cordobia, Diaspis, Malpighiodes, and Sprucina.