John Harriman (botanist) facts for kids

John Harriman (born 1760, died 1831) was an English priest and a keen botanist. Botanists are scientists who study plants.

Life Story

John Harriman was born in a town called Maryport in Cumberland, England. His family originally had a German background. When he was 17, he started studying medicine, but after two years, he decided to change his path. He went back to studying classical subjects and then became a priest in the church.

In 1787, he started working as a curate (a type of assistant priest) in Bassenthwaite. Over the years, he moved to several other places, including Barnard Castle, Egglestone, and Gainford in County Durham. He also worked in Long Horseley in Northumberland, Heighington, and Croxdale. His last job was as a priest in Satley, Durham.

Plant Discoveries

John Harriman loved studying the plants in an area called Teesdale. Even though he didn't publish any books himself, he regularly wrote letters to other botanists, sharing his discoveries and knowledge.

He was especially good at identifying and understanding lichens, which are a type of fungus that grows on rocks and trees. He even found new species of lichens! He also collected plants for another famous botanist, James Edward Smith, to use in his book English Botany. For example, Harriman found a plant called Bartsia alpina in Teesdale.

Harriman was the very first botanist to discover the rare plant Gentiana verna growing in England. He also found other unusual plants in areas like Westmorland and Cumberland. He sent a large collection of lichens from Egglestone to James Edward Smith.

John Harriman was a member of the Linnaean Society, a famous group for natural scientists. After he passed away on December 3, 1831, James Edward Smith, who was the president of the Linnaean Society, named a tiny lichen lichen Harrimanni in his honor. Another plant, Verrucaria harrimanii, was also named after him by a scientist named Erik Acharius.