Alfred Wesmael

Who was Alfred Wesmael?

Alfred Wesmael was a Belgian professor of botany. His outstanding work in taxonomy saw him invited to become Visiting Professor at the University of Washington.

He worked as a répétiteur of courses in botany at the Ecole d’horticulture de Vilvorde, later being named director of the botanical gardens in Mons. At Mons he was also director of the Société d’Agriculture, d’Horticulture et de Zoologie. In 1867, with Daniel Rapin, he participated in plant collection activities in Switzerland.

His taxonomic findings were mainly published in the Bulletin de la Société Royale de Botanique de Belgique. His treatment of the genus Populus was included in Candolle's "Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis".