Karl Gustav Sanio
Prussian botanist (1832-1891)

Karl Gustav Sanio (5 December 1832 – 3 February 1891) was a Prussian botanist and served as a professor of botany at the University of Königsberg. He observed patterns in the growth of plant vasculature and wrote several articles on the organization of wood and cambium. He examined patterns in the size distribution of the xylem vessels in five statements known as Sanio's laws was also among the first to describe the formation of compression wood by conifers.
Life
Sanio was born in Lyck in a wealthy family and became interested in nature in the vast family estate. He studied botany under Ernst Meyer at the University of Königsberg and then moved to study medicine. He published his first note at the age of 24 on the spores of Equisetum. Unhappy with medical studies, he moved back to study botany at Berlin under Alexander Braun and Nathanael Pringsheim. He received a doctorate in 1858 and then taught botany after moving back to Königsberg. He suffered from a stroke on January 28, 1891 and was unconscious until his death on February 3.
Sanio's laws
In 1872 he published a series of observations on a pattern in the size of xylem tracheids, increasing in size from the top of a tree to a certain height after which they decrease again to the base of the tree.
The public source identifies “Karl Gustav Sanio” as prussian botanist (1832-1891). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Karl, Gustav and Sanio.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Karl Gustav Sanio”, the useful work is to connect “prussian botanist (1832-1891)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 12, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q3813045. The first chronological checks are 1832, 1891, 1858 and 1872.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Karl Gustav Sanio”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Karl Gustav Sanio primary sources, Karl Gustav Sanio archive and Karl research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Karl Gustav Sanio”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Karl Gustav Sanio” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.