Eduard Lucas

Eduard Lucas (19 July 1816, in Erfurt – 23 June 1882, in Reutlingen) was a German pomologist.

He worked at the botanical gardens in Munich (from 1838) and Regensburg (from 1841), and from 1843 taught classes at the Agricultural and Forestry Institute in Hohenheim. Around 1860 he founded the Pomological Institute in Reutlingen.

With Johann Georg Conrad Oberdieck, he was editor of the ''Monatsschrift für Pomologie und praktischen Obstbau'' ("Monthly journal of pomology and practical fruit growing", 1855–64); later known as the ''Illustrirte Monatshefte für Obst- und Weinbau'' (1865–74) and the ''Pomologische Monatshefte'' (from 1875 onward). With Oberdieck and Friedrich Jahn, he was editor of the 8-volume ''Illustrirtes Handbuch der Obstkunde'' ("Illustrated Handbook of Pomology"; 1859–75).

He is credited for improving and expanding upon the fruit classification system earlier developed by Adrian Diel. Several fruit varieties bear his name, such as the ''Lucas Gestreifter Rosenapfel'' (Lucas striped rose apple), ''Lucas Königspflaume'' (Lucas king plum) and ''Lucas Taubenapfel'' (Lucas pigeon apple). The ''Eduard-Lucas-Medaille'' is an award offered by the ''Verein zur Erhaltung und Förderung alter Obstsorten'' (Association for the Conservation and Promotion of Old Fruit Varieties).

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