Biography

French bryologist in Charleville who studied the mosses of many regions of the world, including Antarctica. Jules Cardot was born in Stenay (Lorraine) and, on completion of his studies in classics, became interested in botany. Beginning with botany in general, he toured his home region of Meuse, the Ardennes and some of Belgium and began to study mosses, publishing his first work on the subject in 1882. A few years later he became acquainted with F. Renauld and the pair developed a productive working relationship. Cardot was particularly interested in the flora of exotic countries and studied plant specimens from Japan, Taiwan, west Africa, Madagascar, Mexico and Antarctica, publishing extensive accounts including La flore bryologique des terres magellaniques (1908) and Mousses de Madagascar (1916).

Between 1915 and 1917 Cardot spent much of his time in the phanerogamic section at the National Museum in Paris, under the direction of Prof. Lecante, but his home for some time had been in Charleville. His impressive herbarium, rich in types, was tragically lost from this house in 1919 during German occupation. Far from an accident of warfare, he arrived home to find furniture smashed, books torn and specimens either lost or in ruins on the floor. Care had been taken to remove all manuscripts that did not bear Cardot's signature so that they might not be traced to their owner if recovered at a later date. Included in those specimens missing or destroyed were unstudied examples from Japan, Juan Fernandez and Sandwich islands, no doubt containing undescribed species. Following this he decided to sell his remaining specimens to the National Museum and, when they were unable to come up with the money, several British and American bryological associates contributed financially to the cause and enabled the herbarium in Paris to purchase them. His bryophyte specimens deposited at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, (K) in 1892 were transferred to the Natural History Museum (BM) under the terms of the Morton Agreement after 1961.

Vowing to abandon botany altogether Cardot returned to Paris where he had been employed by the Economic Bureau of the Indo-Chinese government since 1917. He remained in this position until 1931 and during this time produced some publications on the products of Indo-China, including rice, rubber, silk and perfume. He found, however, that this was not his calling and soon returned to bryology. In total Cardot named 40 genera and 1,200 species during his life. In between periods of research into exotic flora he had also published monographic treatments of many different taxa. The most important of these were his accounts of the Fontinalaceae and the Leucobryaceae (for which he was awarded the Montagne Prize in 1900). He also specialised in the Rosaceae. In 1923 he was named knight of the Legion of Honour for his contributions to science in his country.

Sources:
Anon, 1919, "Miscellaneous notes", The Bryologist, 22(3): 29-30
Anon, 1919, "Cardot's collections ravaged", The Bryologist, 22(1): 11-12
E.G. Britton et al, 1919, "Resolutions upon the Loss of the Collections and Library of M. Jules Cardot", The Bryologist, 22(6): 87-88
I. Theriot, 1874, "Jules Cardot (1860-1934)", Revue Bryologique et Lichénologique, 8: 5-13
.

Biography

French bryologist in Charleville who studied the mosses of many regions of the world, including Antarctica. Jules Cardot was born in Stenay (Lorraine) and, on completion of his studies in classics, became interested in botany. Beginning with botany in general, he toured his home region of Meuse, the Ardennes and some of Belgium and began to study mosses, publishing his first work on the subject in 1882. A few years later he became acquainted with F. Renauld and the pair developed a productive working relationship. Cardot was particularly interested in the flora of exotic countries and studied plant specimens from Japan, Taiwan, west Africa, Madagascar, Mexico and Antarctica, publishing extensive accounts including La flore bryologique des terres magellaniques (1908) and Mousses de Madagascar (1916).

Between 1915 and 1917 Cardot spent much of his time in the phanerogamic section at the National Museum in Paris, under the direction of Prof. Lecante, but his home for some time had been in Charleville. His impressive herbarium, rich in types, was tragically lost from this house in 1919 during German occupation. Far from an accident of warfare, he arrived home to find furniture smashed, books torn and specimens either lost or in ruins on the floor. Care had been taken to remove all manuscripts that did not bear Cardot's signature so that they might not be traced to their owner if recovered at a later date. Included in those specimens missing or destroyed were unstudied examples from Japan, Juan Fernandez and Sandwich islands, no doubt containing undescribed species. Following this he decided to sell his remaining specimens to the National Museum and, when they were unable to come up with the money, several British and American bryological associates contributed financially to the cause and enabled the herbarium in Paris to purchase them. His bryophyte specimens deposited at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, (K) in 1892 were transferred to the Natural History Museum (BM) under the terms of the Morton Agreement after 1961.

Vowing to abandon botany altogether Cardot returned to Paris where he had been employed by the Economic Bureau of the Indo-Chinese government since 1917. He remained in this position until 1931 and during this time produced some publications on the products of Indo-China, including rice, rubber, silk and perfume. He found, however, that this was not his calling and soon returned to bryology. In total Cardot named 40 genera and 1,200 species during his life. In between periods of research into exotic flora he had also published monographic treatments of many different taxa. The most important of these were his accounts of the Fontinalaceae and the Leucobryaceae (for which he was awarded the Montagne Prize in 1900). He also specialised in the Rosaceae. In 1923 he was named knight of the Legion of Honour for his contributions to science in his country.

Sources:
Anon, 1919, "Miscellaneous notes", The Bryologist, 22(3): 29-30
Anon, 1919, "Cardot's collections ravaged", The Bryologist, 22(1): 11-12
E.G. Britton et al, 1919, "Resolutions upon the Loss of the Collections and Library of M. Jules Cardot", The Bryologist, 22(6): 87-88
I. Theriot, 1874, "Jules Cardot (1860-1934)", Revue Bryologique et Lichénologique, 8: 5-13
.

Biography

French bryologist in Charleville who studied the mosses of many regions of the world, including Antarctica. Jules Cardot was born in Stenay (Lorraine) and, on completion of his studies in classics, became interested in botany. Beginning with botany in general, he toured his home region of Meuse, the Ardennes and some of Belgium and began to study mosses, publishing his first work on the subject in 1882. A few years later he became acquainted with F. Renauld and the pair developed a productive working relationship. Cardot was particularly interested in the flora of exotic countries and studied plant specimens from Japan, Taiwan, west Africa, Madagascar, Mexico and Antarctica, publishing extensive accounts including La flore bryologique des terres magellaniques (1908) and Mousses de Madagascar (1916).

Between 1915 and 1917 Cardot spent much of his time in the phanerogamic section at the National Museum in Paris, under the direction of Prof. Lecante, but his home for some time had been in Charleville. His impressive herbarium, rich in types, was tragically lost from this house in 1919 during German occupation. Far from an accident of warfare, he arrived home to find furniture smashed, books torn and specimens either lost or in ruins on the floor. Care had been taken to remove all manuscripts that did not bear Cardot's signature so that they might not be traced to their owner if recovered at a later date. Included in those specimens missing or destroyed were unstudied examples from Japan, Juan Fernandez and Sandwich islands, no doubt containing undescribed species. Following this he decided to sell his remaining specimens to the National Museum and, when they were unable to come up with the money, several British and American bryological associates contributed financially to the cause and enabled the herbarium in Paris to purchase them. His bryophyte specimens deposited at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, (K) in 1892 were transferred to the Natural History Museum (BM) under the terms of the Morton Agreement after 1961.

Vowing to abandon botany altogether Cardot returned to Paris where he had been employed by the Economic Bureau of the Indo-Chinese government since 1917. He remained in this position until 1931 and during this time produced some publications on the products of Indo-China, including rice, rubber, silk and perfume. He found, however, that this was not his calling and soon returned to bryology. In total Cardot named 40 genera and 1,200 species during his life. In between periods of research into exotic flora he had also published monographic treatments of many different taxa. The most important of these were his accounts of the Fontinalaceae and the Leucobryaceae (for which he was awarded the Montagne Prize in 1900). He also specialised in the Rosaceae. In 1923 he was named knight of the Legion of Honour for his contributions to science in his country.

Sources:
Anon, 1919, "Miscellaneous notes", The Bryologist, 22(3): 29-30
Anon, 1919, "Cardot's collections ravaged", The Bryologist, 22(1): 11-12
E.G. Britton et al, 1919, "Resolutions upon the Loss of the Collections and Library of M. Jules Cardot", The Bryologist, 22(6): 87-88
I. Theriot, 1874, "Jules Cardot (1860-1934)", Revue Bryologique et Lichénologique, 8: 5-13
.