José de Anchieta Díaz, Spanish-born Brazilian Jesuit writer, cronist and naturalist (San Cristóbal de La Laguna Municipality, Santa Cruz de Tenerife Province, Canary Islands 19 March 1534 – Anchieta, Espirito Santo State 09 June 1597)

From Basque father and Jewish ancestry from maternal side

Authored Arte da gramática da língua mais usada na Costa do Brasil (1595), the first study on Tupi language

ACHIEVEMENTS

Described the haemorrhagic effect of Bothrops jararaca venom

Identified that the neurotoxic venom of rattlesnake as responsible by double vision of bite victims (1560)

Described the emetic action of ipecac, the antiseptic and cicatrizant properties of copaiba balsam and other properties of a number of Brazilian medicinal plants (1560)

Described the poisonous honey

Observed the function of marsupium in Marsupialia independently of Portuguese Antonio Galvão

Showed the affinity of Tapirus to Equidae recognized later

Described the piracema, capybara, jararaca, tamandua and iça

HONORS

Anchietea A. Saint-Hilaire 1824 (Violaceae)

Anchieta Navás 1909 (Neuroptera)

Anchieta Bechyné 1954 (Coleoptera)