André Thouin


André Thouin was a French botanist.
Thouin studied botany under Bernard de Jussieu, and in 1793 attained the chair of horticulture at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris. He was a good friend of U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, and the godfather of Jean Baptiste Lamarck's son Andre.
He is remembered for contributions made in the field of agronomy, including scientific studies that involved improved grafting techniques and seed selection. He played an important role in the reshaping of Natural History in France during the revolution. He was a pioneer conservationist, stressing the importance of replacing woodlands to compensate for their destruction due to human encroachment.
The plant genus Thouinia is named after him. As a taxonomist he described at least 15 new species.

Selected publications