Antoine Nicolas Duchesne

Who was Antoine Nicolas Duchesne?

Antoine Nicolas Duchesne was a French botanist known for his keen observation of variation within species, and for demonstrating that species are not immutable, because mutations can occur. "As Duchesne's observations were unaided by knowledge of modern concepts of genetics and molecular biology, his insight was truly remarkable." His particular interests were in strawberries and gourds.

Duchesne worked in the gardens of Versailles, where he was a student of Bernard de Jussieu, and where he established a notable collection of strawberries in the botanical garden of the Petit Trianon.

The genus Duchesnea Sm. was named after him.