Who Discovered Gerbera Species and How Did the Flower Get Its Name?

Updated

The gerbera genus was not discovered by one person. Different species were collected and described by several botanists over time, and the genus name Gerbera honors Traugott Gerber, a German doctor and botanist who did not discover the plant. The scientific naming follows the system established by Carl Linnaeus, who was born on 23 May 1707 and developed the basis for today's taxonomy.

The people behind the gerbera

Gerbera.org lists a "Persons of interest" section covering who discovered the different gerbera species, who gave them their names, and why the flower is called after a German doctor who did not discover it. The site names two figures in particular:

  • Carl von Linné (Carolus Linnaeus) — born 23 May 1707 in Sweden. He was the natural scientist who developed the basis for today's taxonomy, the system that gives plants their two-part scientific names.
  • Ernest Galpin — mentioned as a person of interest in connection with the discovery and naming of gerbera species.

The site frames the naming question directly: the gerbera is called after a German doctor who did not discover the plant. That is the key point to understand about the name.

Why the flower is named after Traugott Gerber

The genus name Gerbera is a commemorative name, not a description of the plant or its discoverer. In Linnaean taxonomy, plants are often named to honor a person — frequently a botanist, collector, or patron — rather than the person who first found the species in the wild. Traugott Gerber was a German doctor, and the genus was named in his honor. The fact that he did not discover the plant is not an inconsistency in the naming; it reflects how botanical names are assigned.

How gerbera species got their names

The naming of individual gerbera species follows the same taxonomic framework Linnaeus established:

  1. A botanist collects and describes a plant.
  2. The plant is placed in a genus — here, Gerbera.
  3. A species name is added, forming the two-part scientific name.
  4. The genus name honors a person (Gerber); the species name may describe the plant, its origin, or honor another person.

Gerbera.org notes that the site covers both natural species and hybrids, and that the genus includes multiple species rather than a single plant.

Where to read more

Gerbera.org organizes this material under its "Persons of interest" and "Species" sections, alongside pages on diseases, places of interest, and a frequently asked questions page. The site states it will be updated and added to regularly, so the species and history pages are the place to check for further detail on individual discoverers and name origins.