A. F. W. (Andreas Franz Wilhelm) Schimper

Born in Strasbourg in 1856, Andreas Franz Wilhelm Schimper became one of the most influential botanists of the late 19th century. He studied plants from several angles at once, combining anatomy, physiology, ecology, and geography in a way that was unusually broad for his time.

Schimper is especially remembered for major work on plant geography and ecology. He was among the first scientists to divide the continents into floral regions, and he also carried out important research on chloroplasts and plant physiology. His interest in vegetation as it exists in real environments helped lay foundations for modern ecological botany.

He traveled widely, including in the tropics, and brought those observations into his scientific writing. Schimper died in Basel in 1901, but his work continued to influence the study of plants, habitats, and global vegetation patterns long after his lifetime.