Scientist of the Day - Tomitaro Makino

Linda Hall Library

Linda Hall Library

Linda Hall Library

Linda Hall Library

Linda Hall Library

Wikipedia

Wikipedia

Tomitaro Makino, a Japanese botanist, was born Apr. 24, 1862.  Makino is usually referred to as the father of Japanese botany, because he named and described so many plants, and because he applied Linnaean principles in his taxonomic work.  He published the Illustrated Flora of Japan in 1940, an encyclopedic work that describes and illustrates over 6000 plants, three to a page for over 1000 pages.  We have a second edition (1955) in the Library, from which the above images were taken, and we would like to add a first edition to our collections.

The color plates in the Flora (there are just a few) illustrate varieties that are named in Makino's honor, in this case a plum tree and an odoriferous Balanophora.  The two-page black-and-white spread depicts some typical entries in the Flora, these pages showing mallows and hibiscus.  The Flora is also the source of the portrait above.

The Makino Botanical Garden (sixth image) was constructed in Makino’s native Kochi City after his death in 1957 (at age 94!); a statue was erected as well (seventh image).

Dr. William B. Ashworth, Jr., Consultant for the History of Science, Linda Hall Library and Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Missouri-Kansas City. Comments or corrections are welcome; please direct to ashworthw@umkc.edu.