Brian Lawrence Burt

Today is the birthday of the English botanist Brian Lawrence Burt who went by "Bill."

Burtt died in 2008. He is remembered for his contributions to the family Gesneriaceae, the family that includes African violets.
When Burtt started going on and plant expeditions in 1951, the Gesneriaceae family was poorly represented. Thanks to his work, plants were sent to Edinburgh which became the hub for the family. Burtt's collections started trends in England, making both the African violet and the Streptocarpus household plants. The common name of Streptocarpus or "Streps" as they are called is the Cape primrose.