1800-1884

English botanist who was one of the most prolific botanists of his time. Among his many written contributions was Genera Plantarum, in which he and Joseph Dalton Hooker described and classified the flowering plants and gymnosperms. Although their classification scheme was replaced by one that recognized evolution, their generic descriptions were excellent and many of their familial and generic categories remain valid today. During his lifetime, Bentham donated as many as 100,000 botanical specimens to the Royal Botanic Garden.