Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede tot Drakenstein
German, 1636 - 1691
Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede tot Drakenstein (1636-1691) was a Dutch nobleman and botanist who is best known for his work as the Governor-General of the Dutch East India Company's Malabar region, which encompassed much of present-day Kerala in India. During his time in India, Van Rheede tot Drakenstein was an avid collector of plants and animals, and he commissioned a team of Indian artists and scholars to create a comprehensive botanical encyclopedia known as the Hortus Malabaricus. This work, which was published in 12 volumes between 1678 and 1693, contained detailed descriptions and illustrations of over 700 species of plants that were native to the Malabar region, and it is considered one of the most important works in the history of botanical science. Van Rheede tot Drakenstein died before the final volumes of the Hortus Malabaricus were completed, but his contributions to the field of botany continue to be celebrated today.
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