David Don
David Don (21 December 1799 – 15 December 1841) was an English botanist, Professor of Botany at King's College, London from 18361841, and librarian at the Linnean Society of London from 18221841.
He described several of the major conifers discovered in the period, including first descriptions of Coast Redwood (Taxodium sempervirens D. Don; now Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endlicher), Bristlecone Fir (Pinus bracteata D. Don, now Abies bracteata (D. Don) A. Poit.), Grand Fir (Pinus grandis Douglas ex D. Don; now Abies grandis (Douglas ex D. Don) Lindl.) and Coulter Pine (Pinus coulteri D. Don), and was the first to treat Sugi (Cupressus japonica Thunberg; now Cryptomeria japonica (Thunberg) D. Don) in a new genus.
He also named the orchid genus Pleione in 1825.
Categories: 1799 births | 1841 deaths | Pteridologists | Botanists with author abbreviations | English botanists | Mycologists