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Ellen’s scientific achievements

Ellen was a pioneering botanist who specialised in a difficult branch of botany, that of the non-flowering plants or cryptogams. She discovered many plants new to science and made a significant contribution to the understanding of these plants. She was highly respected by her fellow botanists and many named plants after her in recognition of her scientific achievements.

 

In addition to being an outstanding scientist, Ellen was also a talented botanical artist. Botanical drawings serve science in a very important way.

On this page you can find:

 

Information about

Ellen the scientist

 

You can browse round a panel, Ellen, A Natural History Pioneer, from the exhibition, Ellen Hutchins: the young woman, her work and her world

Read about Ellen's artistic talents and see some of her drawings

Learn about plants named after Ellen

significan scientist

ELLEN HUTCHINS: SIGNIFICANT SCIENTIST

a short piece serving as a useful introduction - see here

natural history pioneer panel

NATURAL HISTORY PIONEER

Below is a panel from the exhibition, Ellen Hutchins: the Young Woman, her Work and and her World, first shown in Bantry Library in 2015 and then in the School of Natural Sciences at Trinity College Dublin in 2017. Explore around the panel for information about Ellen’s scientific achievements and the plants (and shells) that she found. You can view and download a high resolution of the panel here.

sea weed drawings

DRAWINGS OF SEAWEED

 

(1) Fucus asparagoides, 1811 (HFC) 

(2) Conferva pedicellata, in Lewis Dillwyn’s book British Confervae (KEW)

(3) Conferva Brodiaei, in Lewis Dillwyn’s book British Confervae (KEW)

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

Plants named after Ellen

PLANTS NAMED AFTER ELLEN

Lichen:

Enterographa hutchinsiae

 

Photo: Jenny Seawright

www.irishlichens.ie

Liverwort:

Hutchins’ Hollywort

(Jubula hutchinsiae)

 

Photo:

Robert Thompson

Moss:

Hutchins’ Pincushion

(Ulota hutchinsiae)

 

Photo : Rory Hodd

Liverwort:

Herbertus hutchinsiae with Polytrichum commune (stars)

 

Photo: Robert Thompson

Liverwort:

Herbertus hutchinsiae

 

Photo: Rory Hodd

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