Phillibert Commerson is a French Naturalist who graduated as Doctor in Medicine at Montpellier in 1754.
In 1767, Commerson; Médecin Botaniste de Sa Majesté, accompagnied Bougainville on an expedition around the world to visit the South American continent, the Pacific islands, the South East Asian countries before venturing in the Indian Ocean.
On arrival in Isle de France in 1768, on board of “L’Etoile”, Commerson was warmly welcomed by Pierre Poivre; the Intendant of Isle de France who was the also a botanist and owner of the estate of Mon Plaisir in Pamplemousses.
Phillibert Commerson was ordered to stay on Isle de France and was offered an attractive salary to research on fauna and flora. Along with his assistant, Jeanne Barette, he resided in Mon Plaisir and conducted extensive studies on botany as well as the fish species of the Mascarene Islands and Madagascar.
Commerson discovered 60 new genera amongst 3000 thousand of plant species and collaborated with Paul Philippe Sanguin de Jossigny to produce illustrations of 500 plants from the Mascarene Islands and Madagascar.
In 1773, Phillibert Commerson at the age of 46, passed away on Isle de France, leaving behind 32 cartons containing his manuscripts, illustrations and a rich herbarium that were sent to the Museum of Natural History in Paris. His manuscripts were however never published but were later used by Lamarck, Print et Willdenow
The introduction of the “ l’arbre de cythere “(Spondias dulcis) from Tahiti to Mauritius is due to Philibbert Commerson. More than a 100 plant species including the native Cylindrocline commersonii and other fish species; like the Commerson’s dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii) and a volcanic crater le Cratère Commerson in Reunion Island are named after Commerson
A monument in honour of Phillibert Commerson has been erected by Francois Lienard at Grande Retraite in the district of Flacq where Commerson lived.