B. Papp szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 38. 2007 (Budapest, 2007)

Barina, Zoltán: Pál Kitaibel was born 250 years ago. (3 February 1757, Nagymarton - 13 December 1817, Pest)

sent out to botanical gardens, together with their exact descriptions and occasionally with copperplate engravings. Many of the plant descriptions by Kitaibel and Waldstein were published in works of Willdenow (e.g. Acer obtusatum, Achillea distans, Hieracium racemosum, Lotus tenuis), Schuhes (e.g. Corispermum canescens, Dianthus diutinus), Hornemann (Hieracium bifidum), and others in publications by Kanitz, Reichenbach, Nyman, Rochel, Steudel, Boissier, De Candolle, Sadler and others (see JÁVORKA 1957). Kitaibel was blessed in his life-time by a general appreciation of his knowledge and life-work: his achievements were broadly acknowledged by the contemporaries. He is also held in high esteem by all succeeding generations. Both his house of birth and grave fell victims to urban growth, as it happened with the botanical garden he developed into a rich collection; thus not much remained for botanical pilgrimage. However, several public institutions, programmes and a botanical journal "Kitaibelia" keep his name even in these days. On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of his birth and 190th anniversary of his death we not only remember his grand life-work, but also feel our obligation to make his collections more accessible to the professional public in any form that fits the modern age of botany. REFERENCES ANDRÁSSY, P. (1994): A Kitaibel Pál tevékenységéhez kapcsolódó irodalom bibliográfiája 1957-tól. [Bibliography on the literature connected to the life and activity of Pál Kitaibel from 1957.] - In: ANDRÁSSY, P., CSAPODY, I. and HORTOBÁGYI, T. (eds): Kitaibel Pál és a Kitaibel Pál középiskolai biológiai tanulmányi verseny. - Echo Pr. Kft., Veszprém, pp. 52-55. ANDRÁSSY, P. (1997): A Kitaibel Pálról szóló forrásmunkák bibliográfiája (1993-1996). [The bibliography of the literature sources on Pál Kitaibel (1993-1996).] Kitaibelia 2(1): 140-141. ANDRÁSSY, P. (2004): Két évszázad távolából: Kitaibel az Északi-Kárpátokban. [After two hundred years: Kitaibel in the northern Carpathians.] - Természetbúvár 59(2): 32-33. GÉCZI, J. (2003): Kitaibel Pál: Desciptiones et icones plantarum rariorum Hungária. Magyar Pedagógia 103(4): 527-530. GOMBOCZ, E. (1936): Kitaibel Pál. [Pál Kitaibel.] - In: GOMBOCZ, E.: A magyar botanika története. [The history of Hungarian botany.] MTA, Budapest, pp. 254-354. GOMBOCZ, E. (1938): Kitaibel gyűjtötte népies magyar növénynevek. [Hungarian vernacular names collected by Kitaibel.] - Bot. Közlem. 35(5-6): 278-283.