Elsie Elizabeth Esterhuysen facts for kids
Elsie Elizabeth Esterhuysen (born April 11, 1912 – died January 1, 2006) was a famous South African botanist. People called her "the best collector of South African plants ever." She gathered an amazing 36,000 plant samples for scientific study!
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Her Early Life and School
Elsie Elizabeth Esterhuysen was born in Observatory, a part of Cape Town, South Africa. Her parents were Johannes Petrus le Roux Esterhuysen and Florence Ethel Larkin. Her father and brother both worked as lawyers.
Elsie went to Wynberg Girls High School. Later, she studied at the University of Cape Town. In 1933, she earned her master's degree in botany, which is the study of plants. After that, she continued her plant studies with a special scholarship at Kirstenbosch, a famous botanical garden.
Her Amazing Career as a Botanist
In 1936, Elsie started working at the McGregor Museum in Kimberley. She was an assistant to Maria Wilman, another important scientist.
Two years later, in 1938, Elsie began working at the Bolus Herbarium. This herbarium, a place where dried plant samples are kept, is the oldest one in South Africa, started in 1856. For many years, her job was not official. But in 1956, the University of Cape Town created a permanent position just for her.
Collecting Plants in High Places
Elsie loved collecting plants from high up in the mountains of the Cape region. She was also a very good mountaineer, which helped her reach these difficult places. It is believed that she discovered about 150 new types of plants!
Many plants and even two groups of plants (called genera) have been named after her. For example, in 1967, another South African botanist named Louisa Bolus named a group of plants Esterhuysenia in her honor. These plants belong to the Aizoaceae family and are found in the Cape Provinces.
Discovering Rare Flowers
In 1984, Elsie made a very special discovery. She found and collected a sample of Protea nubigena, also known as the Cloud Protea. This flower is extremely rare and grows in only one high-altitude spot.
In 1989, the University of Cape Town gave Elsie an honorary Masters of Science Degree. This was to celebrate her amazing contributions to botany. Many students at the university also received her help and support while working in the herbarium.
Her Personal Life
Elsie Elizabeth Esterhuysen was known for riding her bicycle to and from her office every day. She was also a talented pianist and created many beautiful botanical drawings. She lived a long life, passing away in 2006 at the age of 93.
