 Candolle's initiation to botany happened in 1794 thanks to Pierre Etienne Vaucher in Geneva. He spent then four years at the Geneva Academy, studying science and law according to his father's wishes. In 1798, he moved to Paris after Geneva had been annexed to the French Republic. His botanical career began with the help of René Louiche Desfontaines, who recommended de Candolle for work in the herbarium of Charles Louis L 'Héritier de Brutelle during the summer of 1798. The position elevated de Candolle's reputation and also led to valuable instruction from Desfontaines himself. de Candolle established his first genus, Senebiera, in 1799.
