Taxonomist - Bogumił Pawłowski (1898-1971)

Bibliogr. s. 251-253

Despite a signifi cant progress in the development of taxonomic research methods which are presently dominated by molecular methods, it is the specifi c man’s talent which is decisive for work quality in the fi eld of taxonomy. The variety in the world of vascular plants is enormous and it is diffi cult to fi nd the genetically established differences between the populations. It requires a well developed sense of observation and the ability of segregation of multi-trait systems. Professor Bogumił Pawłowski was exactly such a taxonomist showing that specifi c talent. Floristic research in Beskid Sądecki was his school where he recognized the variety of plants in their natural habitats. He was engaged very early by his master Władysław Szafer in creating large works which were necessary for the botany in Poland. He becomes a co-author of the fi rst edition of “Polish Plants” and then he gets engaged in describing subsequent families in the multi-volume “Flora of Poland” which was initiated by Marian Raciborski. He also carries out intensive phytosociological research in the Tatra Mountains, along with his master and colleagues. It gives him the opportunity to recognize the fl ora of those mountains and to discover new species for them. After the II World War he becomes the main initiator of preparations for the second edition of “The Polish Plants”, i.e. the work which was rather new as it covered the post-war territory of Poland, whereby most of the book must have been changed and supplemented. At nearly the same time he works at the probably most important work of his life, i.e. “Flora of the Tatra Mountains” whose fi rst volume covering Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms, is published in mid fi fties. Unfortunately, the work ended at that point, although the Professor had gathered materials for that during his whole life. In the beginning he is a coeditor, jointly with Władysław Szafer, of subsequent volumes of “The Flora of Poland”, then he becomes its editor himself, and he edits the fi nal volumes together with his disciple Adam Jasiewicz. He works out the whole families or genera for particular volumes. His greatest contribution covers the works on Alchemilla genus, where he is a highly esteemed monographer in the European scale. Those research works were carried out not only in Poland but also in other mountain ranges of our continent. Professor’s position in the fi eld of the European systematics made the editors of “Flora Europaea” engage him as their regional associate, where he works out some particular genera for the fi rst three volumes. Professor Bogumił Pawłowski showed wide interests in the fi eld of taxonomy. He published a number of works, mainly in Polish magazines, in the Latin language which he had mastered perfectly. It is worthwhile to mention the rich herbarium collections in the context of his achievements in the fi eld of systematics. It is a taxonomist’s workshop and, in principle, it will be possible to fully appreciate the Professor’s contribution in the development of taxonomy both in Poland and worldwide, as soon as they have been newly elaborated.