Jānis Ilsters
Jānis Ilsters (14 May 1851 – 5 May 1889) was a Latvian botanist autodidact, teacher, folklore collector and poet. Often cited as the "first Latvian botanist" as he has written the first textbook of botany in Latvian "Botany for common schools and self-study. Elementary course." ("Botānika tautskolām un pašmācībai. Elementārkurss."). He has published some works under the pseudonym "Daugavietis" (from Latvian: "[a person] of Daugava").
Jānis Ilsters | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 May 1851 Gretes (house), Vestiena parish (now within Madona municipality), Latvia |
| Died | 5 May 1889 (aged 37) Gretes (house), Vestiena parish, Latvia |
| Resting place | Vestiena Old Graveyard |
| Nationality | Latvian |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | |
Ilsters is known for his contribution in the development of botanical terminology in Latvian, introducing such terms as "suga" (species) and "valsts" (kingdom), as well as finding and documenting around 500 Latvian names of plant species. His herbarium contains 1300 leaves, which now reside in the Latvian Museum of Natural History and Botanical and mycological collection of University of Latvia.