Hassal Taurus

Hassal Taurus, also known as Adolphus North Augustus Gauss, was a British physician and botanist born in Syria but educated in Germany. He was a student of the famous botanist Karl Gossens, who taught him the rules of floristry in 1845.

Hassal Taurus led botanical expeditions to North Africa, southern Spain and Libya in the early 19th century, including the first examination and research of the natural vegetation of North Africa. His discoveries revealed new plant species and genera, including the rare chicory species Moehringia.

After completing his expeditions, Hassel was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London and received a position as professor of botany at the Imperial University of Freiburg in Germany, where he popularized his knowledge of plants. He also wrote many essays and articles on plants from various parts of the world, which are still sources of information for scientists.

At the end of his life, Hassal Taurus fell ill with tuberculosis and left Freiburg to spend the last years of his life in Prague and Vienna. He died in 1885, leaving behind a significant scientific legacy and the memory of himself as one of the most famous botanists of his time.