Clara Larter facts for kids

Clara Ethelinda Larter (born June 27, 1847 – died May 13, 1936) was an English botanist. She was well-known for her studies of the plants and flowers found in Devon, England.

Her Life

Clara Larter was born in Leeds, England. She was the oldest daughter of Thomas Larter, who was a language teacher. Around 1857, when Clara was about ten years old, her family moved to Torquay, in South Devon.

Later in her life, she lived in different places. From 1885, she lived in Barmouth, north Wales, for a while. Then, she moved to Combe Martin, in North Devon, where she lived from at least 1899 until 1909. After that, she returned to Torquay. She passed away there on May 13, 1936.

She was also a member of the Belgrave Congregational Church in Torquay.

Her Work with Plants

Clara Larter started studying plants in 1897. She joined the Devon Association in 1906. This was a group for people interested in the natural world of Devon. From 1909, she became the secretary for their new plant committee. She helped put together their reports in 1914 and again from 1920 to 1923. From 1930 to 1936, she was the first person to lead the association's plant section.

She also joined the Torquay Natural History Society in 1909. She was an important member of their committee for many years. She was even a vice-president in 1917, 1918, 1928, and 1929. From 1925 to 1936, she led the society's plant section. In 1932, the society made her an honorary member, which is a special recognition.

In 1912, Clara Larter was recognized as a fellow of the Linnean Society of London. This is a very important honor for scientists who study nature. She was also the official botanical recorder for Devon in 1924 and 1925. This meant she kept track of all the plants found in the county.

Her last big project was for the Flora of Devon. This was a book about all the plants that grow in Devon. She was the main editor for this book from 1930 to 1935. Sadly, she had to stop due to poor health, and the book was published after she died.

Clara Larter gave her collection of dried plants, called a herbarium, to the Torquay National History Museum. She also gave her other plant collections to Oxford University. This way, other scientists could continue to study them.

A type of seaweed, Kallymenia larterae (Holmes, 1907), was named in her honor. This shows how important her work was in the world of botany.