Johannes Gessner

Johannes Gessner (18 March 1709 – 6 May 1790) was a Swiss mathematician, physicist, botanist, mineralogist and physician.

Gessner was born and died in Zürich, where he trained under the physician Johannes von Muralt.

There he became friendly with Albrecht von Haller, with whom he made a grand tour to Paris to finish their medical studies.

Gessner produced publications on Swiss flora, and, as a follower of Carl Linnaeus, conceived the idea of creating illustrations which portrayed the Linnaean plant families.

With the help of the painter and engraver Christian Gottlieb Geissler, he produced the 24-part Tabulae Phytographicae, which first appeared in 1795.