Samuel Botsford Buckley (May 9, 1809 – February 18, 1884) was an American botanist, geologist, and
naturalist.
He graduated from
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...
in 1836.
Buckley investigated the botany of the southern United States and discovered many new species of plants and mollusks. The plant genus ''
Buckleya
''Buckleya'' is an Asian and American genus of hemiparasitic shrubs in the sandalwood family.
It is named for Samuel Botsford Buckley. Buckleya is also known as Piratebush. Plants of this species are dioecious, meaning they are either bear ei ...
'' was named in his honor. He also was the state geologist of Texas (1860–1861); determined the height of
Mount Buckley
Mount Buckley () is an ice-free peak, high, which is the central and highest summit of Buckley Island, a mountain massif at the head of Beardmore Glacier. It was discovered by the British Antarctic Expedition, 1907–09, and named for George Buc ...
in the
Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains (, ''Equa Dutsusdu Dodalv'') are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge ...
(named in his honor), in
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
, and several other summits; and was the scientific editor of the ''State Gazette'' in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
(1871-1872). He wrote numerous scientific papers and a book on the trees and shrubs of the United States.
References
Wesleyan University alumni
American naturalists
American botanists
People from Yates County, New York
1809 births
1884 deaths
Scientists from New York (state)
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