Physiological Plant Anatomy
Physiological Plant Anatomy (original German title: Physiologische Pflanzenanatomie) is a botany book first published in 1884 by Gottlieb Haberlandt (1854–1945).
The textbook focuses on the investigation of each plant tissue layer and the final analysis of their physiological performance regarding the previous.
[1] At the end of the 19th century, the Austrian botanist Gottlieb Haberlandt (1854–1945) was well-known for his work regarding physiological plant anatomy.
[3] One year after his PhD, in 1877 he went to Tübingen to Simon Schwendener, a Swiss botanist who shared some of the same visions about plant anatomy as Haberlandt.
[3] There he started his own research regarding the evolution of the mechanical tissue systems (published as a book, Die Entwicklungsgeschichte des mechanischen Gewebesystems) which led to Schwendener calling him one of his best students and offering him a position as his successor as the chair of general botany in Berlin.
[3] It was the beginning of Haberlandt’s deep dive into the physiological aspects of plant anatomy, which later also led him in the publication of the book.
[3] The anatomy of plants is a key element for scientific classifications, which, in the 18th century with Carl von Linné, became the beginning of structure-based taxonomy.
[5] Haberlandt mentions in the prelude that he tried to be careful with his references and that he tried his best to hold back his own opinion and write from a neutral perspective.
Chapter 5-10: Haberlandt describes how a plant absorbs organic and inorganic substances, and how the assimilation of cells and chloroplast work.
His botanical illustrations serve the idea of showing all parts of the plant in scientific accuracy to support the study and understanding of them.
This book included twelve years of detailed research and was then thought to be the possible final statement on plant anatomy.
[5] Haberlandt was a young botanist with a new vision at the time, suggesting a connection between anatomy and physiology that cannot even be fully demonstrated through experiments.
[3] After the first publications, Haberlandt's fellow scientists described the book as a botany novel and wanted to keep it away from their students to prevent heretical thoughts.
The critics felt that it was too teleologically based and the author explained his distance from every form of vitalism multiple times.
[7] He took a point of view that was different to the standard procedures of other scientists; broad knowledge and his interest in the subject helped him receive acknowledgement after the publication of Physiologische Pflanzenanatomie.
[7] In a review paper published in 1905, the author points out the scarcity of literature of the same quality as Haberlandt's in the English language.
[8] For others, Haberlandt's use of his anatomy knowledge and the way he combined it with the field of botany was unique; it was one of the main points that set him apart from other writers.
[3] Otto Haertel described Haberlandt as being known for his visionary approach, which was balanced between speculation and traditional inductive reasoning.
For example, the third edition of the book Physiologische Pflanzenanatomie can be found in the Maastricht University Library; it is part of the special collection.
