J. N. Labat
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Name
J.-N Labat
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Dates
23 Dec 1959 - 9 Jan 2011
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Specialities
Spermatophytes
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Roles
Determiner, Collector, Author
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Movement Details
France, Malagasy Republic
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Notes
Collector Notes: Madagascar (1990): NY, P (orig.)
In email from Germain Rouhan (herb. P), dated 13 Jan 2011, on death of J.-N. Labat:
It is with great regret that the Paris Herbarium staff wishes to inform
you of the recent passing away, at the age of 51, of our esteemed
colleague and friend, the Pr. Jean-Noël LABAT, Chief Scientific Curator
of the Paris Herbarium, Museum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN –
Paris, P & PC).
Jean-Noël was an enthusiast botanist and the scientific Head of the
National Herbarium. After completing his PhD on wild Mexican oaks and
the flora of Michoacan, he was recruited as Assistant-Professor in 1989
at the Muséum, then as Professor in 2005. Jean-Noël initiated the
databasing and digitization projects at the Herbarium while conducting
botanical research, mainly in Madagascar and Comoros, but also in
New-Caledonia and other tropical areas. He collaborated with many
colleagues worldwide, supervising students and inviting researchers to
work on the Paris collections. He also led large scale inventories,
facilitated the implementation of newly established herbaria, described
many new taxa, and co-authored the major work, “The Leguminosae of
Madagascar”.
Jean-Noël was strongly involved in collective duties; he was also the
vice-president of the Scientific council for the Muséum, the National
University Committee, the “Sud-Expert Plantes” initiative, the AETFAT
organisation committee and various other structures in which he always
emphasized the crucial importance of keeping the link alive between
research and collections.
He always acted humanely as a colleague, friend and advisor; he was
always willing to involve himself in the everyday life of the botany
department, and of the MNHN in general. He has left a gaping void, both
human and scientific. -
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