(Prospero), a famous physician and botanist, born in the Venetian territory, in 1553. He travelled in Egypt to acquire a knowledge of exotic plants, and was the first who explained the fructification and generation of plants by the sexual system. Upon his return to Venice, in 1586, Andrea Doria, prince of Melos, appointed him his physician; and he distinguished himself so much in this capacity, that he was esteemed the first physician of his age. The republic of Venice began to be uneasy, that a subject of theirs, of so great merit as Alpini, should continue at Genoa, when he might be of so much service and honour to their state: they therefore recalled him in 1593, to fill the professorship of botany at Padua; and he had a salary of 200 florins, which was afterwards raised to 750. He discharged this office with great reputation; but his health became very precarious, having been much broke by the voyages he had made. According to the register of the university of Padua, he died the 5th of February 1617, in the 64th year of his age; and was buried the day after, without any funeral pomp, in the church of St Anthony.—Alpini wrote the following works in Latin: 1. Of the physic of the Egyptians, in four books. Printed at Venice, 1591, in 4to. 2. A treatise concerning the plants of Egypt. Printed at Venice, 1592, in 4to. 3. A dialogue concerning balsams. Printed at Venice, 1592, in 4to. 4. Seven books concerning the method of forming a judgment of the life or death of patients. Printed at Venice, 1601, in 4to. 5. Thirteen Books concerning methodical Physic. Padua, 1611, folio; Leyden, 1719, in 4to. 6. A Disputation held in the school at Padua, concerning the Raphonticum. Padua, 1612, and 1629, 4to. 7. Of exotic plants, in two books. Venice, 1609, in 4to. He left several other works, which have never been printed; particularly, 8. The fifth book concerning the physic of the Egyptians. 9. Five books concerning the natural history of things observed in Egypt, adorned with a variety of draughts of plants, stones, and animals.