The Anatolian Plant Collection of Hikmet Birand (1904-1972)

Asuman Baytop

Prof. Dr. Hikmet Birand, was professor of botany at the Faculty of Science, Ankara University. He has also been dean and rector in the same University. He was interested in plant geography and plant sociology. His researches were mainly on steppes and steppe plants. He traveled in Anatolia, collected plant specimens and deposited them in the herbarium of his Department, the Herbarium Turcicum and later ANK. He was also renowned as author of popular science books and papers. He is a graduate of the Higher School of Agriculture of Halkalı in Istanbul. He obtained his Dr. degree at Bonn University in Germany. Returned to Turkey, he was appointed in 1933, in Higher Institute of Agriculture, Ankara, as assistant to Prof. Kurt Krause. He is nominated later in 1948, professor of botany in the Faculty of Science of Ankara University, founded in the same year. Hikmet Birand passed on in 1972.

The eleven volumes of Flora of Turkey (1965-2000) cite 267 specimens of Birand. In Plantae Turcicae are found 582 specimen citations of him. According to these citations, Birand has collected in 1927-1959. He traveled with K. Krause in 1931-1939. He was accompanied in 1952 by B. Kasaplıgil. In 1953 he collected with M. Zohary. In 1956, on 11 May-1 June, he was with A. Huber-Morath. Again in 1956, he traveled with K. Karamanoğlu. He collected in 46 provinces, mainly in Inner Anatolia and in some coastal provinces of the Black Sea, Aegean Sea and Mediterranean Sea. We evaluate his Anatolian collection to not less than 4000 specimens, but believe that accurate results may only be obtained after researches made in ANK, where his original collection is lodged. Birand has also specimens in E and Hb. Hub.-Mor. He has collected 6 type specimens between 1852-1956 from Inner Anatolia. 6 specimens are named after him. He has at least 26 publications and 4 translations from German to Turkish.

Key words: Turkish flora, botanical collections, collectors, Hikmet Birand, history of botany.