Charlotte Cortlandt Ellis facts for kids

Charlotte Cortlandt Ellis (born June 27, 1874, died March 17, 1956) was an American plant collector. She loved exploring the outdoors in New Mexico. She found many new types of plants and collected hundreds of plant samples. These samples helped scientists learn more about nature.

Who Was Charlotte Ellis?

Charlotte was born into a family living on the frontier. She did not have much formal schooling. However, in 1892, she got a chance to attend the new University of New Mexico. She started in a special program to help students catch up to high school level.

Early Life and Learning

It was at the university that Charlotte made her very first plant collection. But after only eight months, her father needed her help. She left college to help her family start a new ranch in the remote Sandia Mountains.

Even though she left school, Charlotte kept her interest in plants. In the late 1890s, she connected with two important scientists. Their names were Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell and Elmer Ottis Wooton. They worked at the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts in Las Cruces.

Charlotte kept in touch with these scientists for many years. She wrote letters to them and other famous plant experts. This helped her continue her passion for studying plants.

Her Amazing Plant Discoveries

Charlotte Ellis collected over 980 plant samples. These samples came from at least 345 different kinds of plants. Some of her discoveries were so important that they helped scientists officially name new plant species.

Where Her Collections Are Kept

Charlotte did not use a special numbering system for her plants. Her samples are now spread out in many different plant collections. These collections are called herbaria.

Some of her plant samples are at the University of New Mexico. Others are at New Mexico State University. You can also find her plants in big collections like the United States National Herbarium. The New York Botanical Garden and the Missouri Botanical Garden also have some of her specimens.

Most of Charlotte's plant collecting happened in the Sandia Mountains. She was very active there between the 1900s and 1910s. Her work continues to be useful today. As of 2021, her collected plants have been used in 18 recent science papers.

Plants Named After Her

Charlotte Ellis discovered some plants that were later named in her honor. This is a special way to recognize a collector's important work.

Some of the plants named after her include:

• Primula ellisiae (a type of P. rusbyi)
• Dodecatheon ellisiae (now called D. dentatum subsp. ellisiae)
• Astragalus praelongus var. ellisiae

She also collected other important plant samples. These included Achillea laxiflora (a type of A. millefolium) and Tium stenolobum (a type of Astragalus scopulorum). In 1910, she sent a Opuntia cactus sample to scientist Joseph Nelson Rose. She found this cactus in the mountains near Placitas.