Benjamin Matlack Everhart (born 24 April 1818; died 22 September 1904) was a

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

mycologist Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungus, fungi, including their genetics, genetic and biochemistry, biochemical properties, their Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy and ethnomycology, their use to humans, including as a so ...

Biography

His father,

William Everhart William Everhart (May 17, 1785 – October 30, 1868) was an entrepreneur and wealthy businessman from Pennsylvania. He was responsible for developing much of West Chester, Pennsylvania, West Chester and stimulating its economic growth. He was a ...

, the son of a

Revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor. ...

soldier, was a merchant, and a member of

congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

in 1853-55. Benjamin was educated in private schools in West Chester, and spent his early life in mercantile business there and in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

, making a comfortable fortune. From boyhood, he was an ardent student of

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

, and after retiring from business in 1867 he devoted himself almost entirely to that science, particularly to cryptogamic botany. In connection with J. B. Ellis, of

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, he was active in issuing yearly fifty volumes, called ''The Century of North American Fungi'', each volume describing 100 species. At the same time, with William A. Kellerman, of

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, they published the ''Journal of Mycology''. He discovered many new fungi. The genus ''Everhartia'' was named by Pier Andrea Saccardo in Everhart's honour (in 1888), as well as the following species: * ''Everhartia hymenuloides'' Sacc. et Ellis * ''Melanconis Everhartii'' Ellis * ''Myrioccoccum Everhartii'' Ellis & Sacc. * ''Ophionectria Everhartii'' Ellis & Gal. * ''Mucronoporus Everhartii'' Ellis & Gal. * ''Pestalozzia Everhartii'' Sacc. & Syd. * ''Sorosporium Everhartii'' Ellis & Gal. * ''Dothiorella Everhartii'' Sacc. & Syd. * ''Gloeosporium Everhartii'' Sacc. & Syd. * ''Myxosporium Everhartii'' Sacc. & Syd. * ''Phyllosticta Everhartii'' Sacc. & Syd. * ''Physalospora Everhartii'' Sacc. & Syd. * ''Septoria Everhartii'' Sacc. & Syd.

Family

His brother

James Bowen Everhart James Bowen Everhart (July 26, 1821 – August 23, 1888) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district from 1883 to 1887. He also s ...

was a member of congress.

Notes

References

* Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Everhart, Benjamin Matlack 1818 births 1904 deaths American mycologists People from West Chester, Pennsylvania 19th-century American businesspeople