Jan., 1901] 
Armstrong — Ohio Botanists. 
33 
PLANT NAMES COMMEMORATIVE OF OHIO BOTANISTS. 
Clara Armstrong. 
I 
Though Ohio has had fewer botanists than many other States, 
some of these became known wherever botany was cultivated. 
Riddell was one of the pioneer botanists of the west and for six years 
he was a resident of this State. By the publication of his Synojjsis 
lie contributed largely to Ohio Botany. The names of Sullivan t and 
Lesquereux shed still greater luster on our state. Most of the work 
of the former aud all of that of the latter was done in Ohio. Several 
others whose names are given below have been industrious students 
of our Flora, and have spent many years if not all their lives within 
our territory. It is a long and interesting list of botanical names 
which commemorates their scientific labors. In the preparation of 
this paper I have been aided materially by Prof. W. A. Kellerman. 
John Leonard Riddell. — Born in Leyden, Mass., Feb. 20th, 1807 ; 
died in New Orleans, La., Oct. 7, 1863. He graduated from Rensseler 
Institute, Troy, N. Y. He came to Ohio in 1830 and became professor 
of Botany and ad junct Professor of Chemistry in the Medical College 
of Cincinnati. He was an enthusiastic and industrious botanist, and 
collected extensively in many parts of our State. Scarcely any of 
his specimens seem now to be in existance though he prepared sets 
for sale and accumulated a large herbarium. His most important 
publication was the Synopsis of the Flora of the Western States. 
He also published a Supplementary Catalogue of Ohio Plants. In 
1836 he left Ohio, carrying his botanical specimens to New Orleans 
where he became professor in a Medical College; he was also in the 
employ of the government until his death. He furnished many notes 
and longer articles to scientific journals and was the author of many 
new species of plants. The following have been named in his honor: 
Riddellia, synonym of Psilostrophe, a genus of the Compositae 
family. 
Solidago Riddellii, a species of Golden Rod. 
Senecio Riddellii, synonym of S. Douglasii, a species of Com- 
positae. 
William Starling Sullivant. — Born in Franklinton, Ohio, 
Jan. 18, 1803, died in Columbus, Ohio, April 30, 1873. He was educated 
at Ohio University and Yale. The death of his father at the 
time of his graduation prevented him from studying for one of the 
learned professions and he became a surveyor and practical engineer, 
which occupation he followed until late in life. During this time he 
collected and studied the plants of central Ohio, and in 1840 he began 
