Cronquist, Arthur (John) (born Franklin Arthur Beers) (1919-1992)

US botanist. He made major contributions to the taxonomy of American species of composite flowers, the systematics of flowering plants, and studies of the flora of the USA and southern Canada. His system of classifying plants by their evolutionary relationships, known as the Cronquist system, has become definitive for botanists.

He was born in San Jose, California. He was a staff member at the New York Botanical Garden 1943-46, taught at the University of Georgia 1946-48, moved to the State College of Washington 1948-52, then returned to the New York Botanical Garden 1952-92.