author
E. (Ernest) Cosson
1819–1889
Best known for exploring and documenting the plants of North Africa, this 19th-century French botanist helped lay the groundwork for the study of Algerian, Tunisian, and Moroccan flora. His fieldwork and publications made him an important name in botanical history.
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About the author
Born in Paris on July 22, 1819, Ernest Saint-Charles Cosson was a French botanist whose work centered on plant life in North Africa. He became especially associated with Algeria, where he took part in eight research trips and built a reputation as a careful field botanist.
Cosson also worked on the flora around Paris and published with other botanists, including Jacques Nicolas Ernest Germain de Saint-Pierre. His research career brought him major recognition in France: he served as president of the Société botanique de France in 1863 and was a member of the Académie des Sciences from 1873 until his death.
He died in Paris on December 31, 1889. Today he is remembered above all for the depth of his studies of North African plants and for books such as Compendium florae atlanticae, which helped record the rich botanical life of Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco.