Otto Renner

{{Short description|German botanist, geneticist and university teacher (1883–1960)}}

{{Infobox scientist

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date |1883|4|25|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Neu-Ulm, Swabia, Bavaria, Germany

| death_date = {{death date and age |1960|7|18|1883|4|25|df=yes}}

| death_place =

| fields = Plant genetics

| workplaces = University of Munich, University of Jena

| education = University of Munich, University of Leipzig

| academic_advisors = Karl von Goebel, Ludwig Radlkofe, Wilhelm Pfeffer

| known_for = Establishing the theory of maternal plastid inheritance

| awards =

| author_abbrev_bot = Renner

}}

Otto Renner {{post-nominals|post-noms=ForMemRS}}{{Cite journal | last1 = Darlington | first1 = C. D. | author-link = C. D. Darlington| doi = 10.1098/rsbm.1961.0016 | title = Otto Renner. 1883-1960 | journal = Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society | volume = 7 | pages = 206–226 | year = 1961 | doi-access = | s2cid = 62156916 }} (25 April 1883 in Neu-Ulm – 8 July 1960) was a German plant geneticist. Following the work of Erwin Baur, Renner established the theory of maternal plastid inheritance as a widely accepted genetic theory.

He studied botany under Karl von Goebel and Ludwig Radlkofer at the University of Munich, and with Wilhelm Pfeffer at the University of Leipzig. From 1913 to 1920 he served as an associate professor of plant physiology at Munich, and afterwards, succeeded Christian Ernst Stahl as chair of botany at the University of Jena, where he was also director of the botanical gardens.[http://www.deutsche-biographie.de/sfz105317.html Renner, Otto Johann Nepomuk] Deutsche Biographie In 1946, he returned as a professor to the University of Munich.[https://books.google.com/books?id=JkoK_108xJkC&dq=%22Renner%2C+Otto%22+1883+Jena&pg=PT289 Plett – Schmidseder] edited by Walther Killy

Renner worked with plants from the genus Oenothera (evening primroses). His research of hybrid forms of Oenothera contributed significantly to the understanding of mutations.

From 1932 to 1943 he was editor of the botanical journal Flora. He was elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society

and an International member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,{{Cite web |title=Otto Renner |url=https://www.amacad.org/person/otto-renner |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=American Academy of Arts & Sciences |language=en}} the United States National Academy of Sciences,{{Cite web |title=Otto Renner |url=http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/deceased-members/20001263.html |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=www.nasonline.org}} and the American Philosophical Society.{{Cite web |title=APS Member History |url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=Otto+Renner&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=search.amphilsoc.org}} The plant genus Rennera (family Asteraceae) was named in his honor by Hermann Merxmüller.[https://books.google.com/books?id=zIOvJSJs-IkC&dq=%22Otto+Renner%22+1883+Jena&pg=PA2285 CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms ...] by Umberto Quattrocchi