Paul Henri Lecomte

Who was Paul Henri Lecomte?

Paul Henri Lecomte was a French botanist.

In 1884, after attaining a number of degrees, Lecomte became a professor at Lycée Saint-Louis in Paris. In addition to his teaching duties, he worked in the botany laboratory of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle under Philippe van Tieghem. Lecomte obtained his doctorate in 1889 and subsequently took part in scientific expeditions to North Africa, Egypt, the Antilles, French Guiana and French Indo-China.

In 1906, after having volunteered his time for some twenty years at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, Lecomte was formally appointed to head the Spermatophyte Department, a paid position, succeeding Louis Édouard Bureau. In 1917, he was elected a member of the French Academy of Sciences. He authored over 15 books including: Notions de botanique, Formation de la vanilline dans la vanille, Les bois d’Indochine and Madagascar: les bois de la forêt d'Analamazaotra. He retired in 1931.