Endlicher, Stephan Ladislaus (1804–1849)

Austrian botanist who developed an important system of plant classification in which plants were arranged into Genera. His system was especially useful in its division of the plant kingdom into thallophytes (algae, fungi, and lichens) and cormophytes (mosses, ferns, and seed plants).

Outlined in Genera Plantarum Secundum Ordines Naturales Disposita 1836–40, Endlicher's system was adopted throughout Europe for half a century, despite the erroneous basis for the classification of some of the 6,835 plants that were included.

Endlicher was born in Pressburg, Hungary. He originally went to Budapest University to study theology, but later changed to medicine and natural history, which he also studied at Vienna University, gaining his MD 1840. During this time he was the curator of the Vienna Museum of Natural History and was appointed professor of botany at Vienna University 1840. However, he spent all of his financial resources on specimens and the publication of his work, and committed suicide.

His own collection of botanical specimens contained about 30,000 plants, which he donated to the museum's herbarium on his death.