Johann Baptist Ziz  Johann Baptist Ziz (1779–1829) was a German botanist, born in Mainz in the Rhineland on October 8, 1779. He died in Mainz on December 1, 1829. The genus "Zizia", which the USDA mentions has three species "Zizia aptera", "Zizia aurea" and "Zizia trifoliata", was named for him.