William Henry Harvey
William Henry Harvey ( born February 5, 1811 in Summerville near Limerick in Ireland, † May 15 1866 in Torquay in the English county of Devon ) was a professor of botany, algae researcher, artist, illustrator and lithographer. Its official botanical author abbreviation is " Harv. ".
Life
Born the youngest child of a wealthy Quaker merchant, Harvey was already interested from his youth for Nature Research. At 15, he was already a specialist in algae research. In 1836 he succeeded his brother as a colonial administrator to South Africa, put there but also continued his scientific work. He wrote the first scientific description of the flora of the country. After his return in 1844 he obtained a position at Trinity College in Dublin and was appointed to a professorship little later. In the years 1854-1856 he undertook in Australia a large collection and research travel. Many new species have been discovered by him.
Despite Harvey's critical attitude towards Charles Darwin's theory of evolution that it valued as a great botanist. The in dealing with fellow human beings rather restrained Harvey was also a great artist and illustrator, who documented his finds himself so carefully that the images are still considered as exemplary even today. The suffering of a weak health Harvey died early from tuberculosis.
Ehrentaxon
To him, the genus of the plant family Harveya Hook the broomrape family ( Orobanchaceae ) was named in honor.