Ellen Hutchins

Ellen Hutchins was an early 19th C. Irish botanist. She specialised in seaweeds, lichens, mosses and liverworts. Hutchins is known for finding several plants new to science, identifying hundreds of species, and her extensive botanical illustrations in contemporary publications. Her ability to find specimens was renowned and her work informed that of leading botanists with whom she corresponded and shared specimens. In the 21st century, Hutchins' work continues to be valued because contrasts between the species she was able to collect and those present today in the same locations provide insights into the effects of agriculture and changing climate on biodiversity.