Paul Frédéric Culmann


Paul Frédéric Culmann was a Swiss physicist known for contributions made in the field of bryology.

Biography

From 1878 to 1882 he studied physics at the Eidgenössischen Polytechnikum in Zurich, then continued his education in Berlin, where he earned his PhD in 1885. Following graduation, he was employed at the "Maison Bréguet" in Paris, and later worked as an instructor of physics and mathematics at the Technikum Winterthur. Afterwards, he returned to Paris, where he was associated with work done at the "Maison Carl Zeiss".

Research

Culmann was considered one on the leading Swiss bryologists during the early part of the 20th century. He collected thousands of moss specimens in Switzerland, mostly in the cantons of Zurich and Berne. During his career, he also collected extensively in France. In regards to the canton of Zurich, he published a directory of its mosses, and later issued a listing of liverworts native to the canton. Furthermore, he was the author of numerous papers on findings from the Bernese Oberland, the canton of Ticino and also from France. As a taxonomist he described more than 20 species, subspecies and varieties that were new to science.
The moss species Bryum culmannii is named after him, being circumscribed by Karl Gustav Limpricht in 1892.

Partial bibliography

With Jules Amann and Charles Meylan, he was co-author of Flore des mousses de la Suisse,.