Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin

Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin (February 16, 1727 – October 26, 1817) was an Austrian scientist who studied medicine, chemistry and botany.

He was born in Leiden in the Netherlands, where he studied medicine, but later moved first to Paris and later Vienna.

Between 1755 and 1759 Jacquin was sent to the West Indies and Central America by Francis I to collect plants for the Schönbrunn Palace, and amassed a large collection of animal, plant and mineral samples.

In 1762, Jacquin became Professor of Minerals and Mining at the Mining Academy in Schemnitz (now Banska Stiavnica in Slovakia). In 1768 he was appointed Professor of Botany and Chemistry and became Director of the Botanical Gardens of the University of Vienna.

Jacquin's publications included Selectarum Stirpium americanarum (1763), Flora Austriaca (1773-1778) and Icones plantarum rariorum (1781-1793).

He was succeeded at the University of Vienna by his son, Joseph Franz von Jacquin.