VEN TEN AT, ETIENNE-PIERRE (1757-1808), French botanist, was born in Limoges in 1757. He entered the congrega tion of St. Genevieve and had charge of their library, but at the time of the Revolution abandoned his religious connections in order to follow his taste for botany. His writings caused him to be named professor in the Republican lyceum of Paris and made a member of the Institute. His principal works are Principes de botanique Tableau du regne vegetal (1794); Le botaniste voyageur aux environs de Paris (1803); Le jardin de la malmaison (1803) ; Choix de placates (1803-1808). These were noted above
all fcr the beauty of the plates executed under the author's direc tion by Redoute, Sallier, Plee, etc. Among a number of memoirs dealing with the problems of his science the Dissertation sur les parties des mousses qui ont ete regardees comme fleurs males et comme fleurs femelles and Sur les meilleurs moyens de distinguer le calici de la corolle are notable.