Six Favorite Plants Named for People – and Some May Surprise You
"Wisteria is named in honor of Caspar Wistar, ("Wiss-Star") a distinguished physician, and scientist of Philadelphia.
Leonard Fuchs, a German botanist, discovered the plant known as fuchsia, while William Forsyth, a Scotch botanist, is responsible for the name of forsythia."
August 1, 1950
The Ithaca Journal out of Ithaca, New York, published a question from a reader.
The reader wanted an answer to this question:
Please list a few plants that are named for people.
Here is the answer:
The poinsettia was named for Joel R. Poinsett, a famous statesman.
Wisteria is named in honor of Caspar Wistar, ("Wiss-Star") a distinguished physician, and scientist of Philadelphia.
Leonard Fuchs, a German botanist, discovered the plant known as fuchsia, while William Forsyth, a Scotch botanist, is responsible for the name of forsythia.
The name of Louis Antoine de Bougainville, a French soldier and explorer, is perpetuated in the bougainvillea.
The Paulownia is named for the Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna, daughter of Czar Paul I."