Who are some famous or influential Botanists?
A good bet is to check out who is leading the primary professional and academic organizations in this field as well as professors who are teaching at prestigious institutions in this area. For example, Pamela Soltis the 2007-2008 President of the Botanical Society of America is professor of the University of Florida and is associated with the Florida Museum of Natural History. Historically, there are many famous early figures in East Indian, Arabia, Greece, and China who hold the honor of being some of the world’s first formal botanists. Some of their names are Ibn al-Baitar (13th Century), Al-Dinawari (9th Century), Abu al-Abbas al-Nabati (13th Century), Huangdi Neijing and Zhang Zhongjing (3rd Century), and Theophrastus (4th Century). Interestingly, Leonardo da Vinci is also considered a key botanist for his time.
