William Nylander

William Nylander was a Finnish botanist and lichenologist, the first professor of botany at the University of Helsinki, and one of the foremost lichen researchers of the 19th century. He devoted most of his scientific career to the systematics of lichens and was the first to consistently apply microscopy and chemical reagents to lichen taxonomy. In 1863 he settled in Paris, where he worked as an independent researcher until his death.