Jonathan Carl Zenker

Life & Legacy

Jonathan Carl (or Karl) Zenker (1 March 1799 – 6 November 1837) was a German naturalist born in Sundremda, located in the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district. The standard author abbreviation Zenker is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.
Originally a student of theology at the University of Jena, he subsequently devoted his energies to science and medicine. From 1823 he lived in Dresden, later returning to Jena, where on the basis of his dissertation "Batrachomyologia", he became a privat-docent of natural history. In 1828 he became an associate professor of botany and natural history, followed by a full professorship in 1836 (one year prior to his death at the age of 38).
A genus of grasses called Zenkeria is named in his honour. Also, he named the genus of fossil broad-leaf trees Credneria in honor of Karl August Credner.