My favorite Sites
Paris: Jardin des plantes
Botanical garden at Lund (S)
Lusigny: Lac d'Orient
Haute Provence
Why "Jardinage"?
For this?
Yes, but probably for much more!
Some time ago I visited Paris for the weekend. And of
course I went to the "Jardin des Plantes". There you
also find the magnificent statues of the great
naturalist "Buffon" and the botanists "Lamarck" and
"de Jussieu". At the same place I discovered a small
shop where I bought a very interesting book
"La Botanique redécouverte"(1997) by Aline
Raynal-Roques. I read it with great interest.
It became clear to me that nature had found its own
special way to evolve, and that it has not been guided.
As a discoverer of minor planets I had the opportunity to propose some new names in relation with botany.
Here they follow:
Famous botanists: (9364) Clusius; (9365) Chinesewilson ...
Trees: (8643) Quercus; (8644) Betulapendula; (8647) Populus; (8648) Salix; (8649) Juglans; (8652) Acacia ...
With thanks to my friend anthropologist Dr Don Villeneuve California) for giving me this book as a present. It has guided me for choosing the specific trees.
The proposals have been accepted (March 1999) by the SBNC (Small Bodies Naming Committee) in Massachusetts.
New names of "celestial" trees
The future of mankind is indissolublely linked with plants, the acknowledged partners not only of human progress, but also of the entire animal life, of our accomplishments and of all users of oxygen and energy.
Aline Raynal-Roques
The first figure shows us a kind of parallel evolution
of the algues, ferns, gymnosperms (conifers,
naked-seeded) and angiosperms (broadleaves, seeds
protected). Interesting to note is
the apparition of the cellstructure about1 billion
year ago.
Life appeared on earth about 3.5 year ago and from
astronomical considerations we must assume that the
earth has been formed out of the sun about 4.5
billion years ago. Another important thing to draw
attention to is the apparition of the vascular system
and the "discovery" of the grain by the plant (about
400 million year ago).
Reproduced by kind
permission of the Editions Belin (Paris).
The second figure shows us the evolution of the
"pteridophytes" during the history of the earth. These
plants have dominated the earth during the first
geological period (from 570 to 225 million years
ago) and they were the first species to occupy the
emerged land. Some ferns tried to evolve by forming
grains, but they didn't succeed (about 250 million
years ago).
Reproduced by kind permission
of the Editions Belin (Paris).
The third figure shows us the evolution of the
gymnosperms and angiosperms during geological time.
The gymnosperms (grains not covered) have dominated
the second geological period, but soon they were
outnumbered by the angiosperms, which protect their
grains in fruits.
Reproduced by kind permission
of the Editions Belin (Paris).
Pictures and citations (translation by Eric Elst) from "La botanique redécouverte" by Aline Raynal-Roques
Editions Belin, Paris
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