William Eleroy Curtis

Scolopendrium vulgare, from William Curtis's Flora Londinensis

William Curtis (January 11, 1746 - July 7, 1799) was an English botanist who was born at Alton, Hampshire.

Curtis was demonstrator of plants and Praefectus Horti at the Chelsea Physic Garden from 1771 to 1777. He published The Botanical Magazine (founded in 1787) and Flora Londinensis (6 volumes, 1777-1798) - a pioneering work in that it devoted itself to urban nature. He established his own London Botanic Garden at Lambeth in 1779, moving to Brompton in 1789.

The genus Curtisia is named in his honour.

References

• Curtis, William (2006). The Botanical Magazine, Vol. 1. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.
• Curtis, William (2006). The Botanical Magazine, Vol. 2. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.
• Curtis, William (2006). The Botanical Magazine, Vol. 3. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.
• Curtis, William (2006). The Botanical Magazine, Vol. 4. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation