Thilo Irmisch

Who was Thilo Irmisch?

Johann Friedrich Thilo Irmisch was a 19th-century German botanist.

Irmisch studied theology, philosophy and natural history at the University of Halle-Wittenberg. He received training in botany from professor D. von Schlechtendal, who later became his friend. From 1855, he taught at the high school in Sondershausen. At the same time, he published numerous larger and smaller papers and books on botanical subjects, in particular plant morphology, e.g. Beiträge zur vergleichenden Morphologie der Pflanzen, published in six volumes 1854-1878.

Two plant genera were named to his honour. His friend and former teacher von Schlechtendal named the genus Irmischia, which was soon synonymized with Metastelma. August Eichler then named the genus Thiloa for Thilo Irmisch.