User:Pjrich/Eric Walther

Eric Edward Walther (b. 1892, d. 1959) was botanist at the Golden Gate Park Botanic Gardens in San Francisco in the early 1900s.

He was a major contributor to knowledge of the genus echevaria, describing 20 new species. Walther was born in Dresden, Germany, emigrated to America in 1909, horticulturist at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco from 1917 to 1957. Also director of the Strybing Arboretum. After his retirement he became a research associate of the California Academy of Sciences. He had a heart attack and died while still working on his monograph of the echeveria, which was eventually published in 1972.

Discovered burro tail in Veracruz in 1935 Dr. Meredith Morgan induced it to bloom in 1937 - Walther named it for him appeared in Vol. 10, No. 3,of the CSSA Journal, September 1938

Eric Walther, who had been working in Golden Gate Park for a number of years when funds from Mrs. Strybing's bequest were received in the mid-1930's, was put in charge of development of the Arboretum and remained in that position until his retirement in 1957. Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Garden’s third director, Roy L. Hudson supervised the completion of the Succulent Garden which was dedicated April 14, 1971.

http://www.inetours.com/Pages/SFNbrhds/GGP_Strybing.html

The chi cactus gymnocalycium waltheri is named for him.