Briquet, John, 1870-1931

John Isaac Briquet (13 March 1870 in Geneva – 26 October 1931 in Geneva) was a Swiss botanist, director of the Conservatoire Botanique at Geneva. He received his education in natural sciences at Geneva and Berlin, and studied botany with Simon Schwendener, Adolf Engler, Marc Thury, Johannes Müller Argoviensis, and Alphonse de Candolle. In 1896 he became a curator at the Conservatoire Botanique, later serving as its director (1906–1931). From 1912 to 1921, he was president of the Swiss Botanical Society. Between 1895 and 1917, with Émile Burnat, he participated in a number of botanical trips, journeying to Corsica, Dalmatia, the Maritime Alps (France and Italy), Montenegro, et al. Besides his floristic work, he had a particular interest in the genus Galeopsis, and family Lamiaceae (Labiatae). He is especially remembered for his contributions to the "Rules of Nomenclature", the precursors of the modern International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, with which he took a leading role from 1900, at a time when four sets of rules were competing for acceptance:... for more than 30 years [he] was to take de Candolle's place as the leader in nomenclatural matters and ... by his clear-headedness, good nature, and judicial attitude was to contribute much to the solution of their problems.