Carolyn Wilson Harris (December 8, 1849 – May 3, 1910) was vice president of the

Sullivant Moss Society The American Bryological and Lichenological Society is an organization devoted to the scientific study of all aspects of the biology of bryophytes and lichen-forming fungi and is one of the nation's oldest botanical organizations. It was originall ...

during 1904–1905 and charge of the

Lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

and

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

. She was known for being an indefatigable worker, and did much to popularize the study of lichens; her help was always given freely and cheerfully to those who applied to her for assistance in their studies.

Early life

Harris was born Carolyn Wilson in

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. Around 1885, Harris and her husband purchased land on Chilson Lake, in Essex County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Career

The Sullivant Moss Society

Harris was an active member of the Sullivant Moss Chapter, originally formed as a Moss Chapter of the Agassiz Association, and founded by

Abel Joel Grout Abel Joel Grout (1867–1947) was an American bryologist, an expert on pleurocarpous mosses, and founding member of the Sullivant Moss Society. Biography Grout was born near Newfane, Vermont. In 1890, he received his Bachelor of Philosophy fro ...

and Elizabeth Gertrude Knight Britton, and eventually renamed the Sullivant Moss Society. Harris contributed new plants to the Society from around Chilson Lake and helped to determine the classification of other members' submissions. She served as organizer and first head of the Society's Lichen Department from 1901 to 1905, and its Vice-President from 1904-1905. She donated many specimens to the Society's lichen

herbarium A herbarium (plural: herbaria) is a collection of preserved plant specimens and associated data used for scientific study. The specimens may be whole plants or plant parts; these will usually be in dried form mounted on a sheet of paper (called ...

. The Sullivant Moss Chapter is now known as the

American Bryological and Lichenological Society The American Bryological and Lichenological Society is an organization devoted to the scientific study of all aspects of the biology of bryophytes and lichen-forming fungi and is one of the nation's oldest botanical organizations. It was origina ...

''The Bryologist''

Harris was the first to publish about lichens in ''

The Bryologist ''The Bryologist'' is a peer reviewed scientific journal specializing in bryology. It is published quarterly by the American Bryological and Lichenological Society (ABLS). It began as a department of '' The Fern Bulletin'' devoted to the study o ...

'', a scientific journal devoted primarily to mosses, which was edited by Abel Joel Grout and Annie Morrill Smith. Harris published a series of 12 papers on lichens (see Publications), which provided beginners with an overview of their

physiology Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...

and directions on how to identify and distinguish them from

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

es. With careful textual descriptions, illustrations, and photographs, Harris hoped to describe lichens well enough that they could be recognized with a simple hand lens.

Personal life

Harris was married to Isaac Harris (1838–1907) of

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York. They had one son, Wilson Park Harris. In 1905, Harris contracted a serious illness which prevented her from continuing her work with the Sullivan Moss Society. She died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

on May 3, 1910 in

Lakewood, New Jersey Lakewood Township is the most populous township in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A rapidly growing community as of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 135,158 representing an increase of 41,415 (+45.5% ...

Works and publications

''Note'': Those marked with an (*) were published anonymously * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Carolyn Wilson American lichenologists 1849 births 1910 deaths Deaths from pneumonia in New Jersey People from Springfield, Ohio Women bryologists Women lichenologists Scientists from Ohio American women botanists