Caroline Bingham Explained

Caroline Priscilla Bingham
Nationality:American
Field:Botanist
Known For:Discovery of several new species of algae

Caroline Priscilla Bingham (née Lord, 1831–1932) was an American botanist who was one of the earliest American women to publish scientific papers on botany. She was an influential collector of botanical specimens discovering a new genus and several new species. As a result of her discoveries Bingham had a genus and several algae species named in her honor.[1]

Biography

Early life and marriage

Bingham was born in 1831 in Pennsylvania. She and her family shifted to Ohio around 1836. She married her husband, Richard Fitch Bingham in Ohio and subsequently the couple moved to California in 1873. At around this time she took up the study of botany.[2]

Botany work

Bingham was one of the earliest American women to publish a scientific paper on botany. She is one of only six American women listed in the London Royal Society Catalogue of Science Papers 1800 - 1900 whose journal articles predate 1880.[3] Her first known article was published in the Botanical Gazette in 1879.[4]

Bingham was a member of the Santa Barbara Natural History Society and held the position of Secretary of the Society.[5] She was also a member of the publication committee for the Bulletin of the Santa Barbara Society and published an article in that journal in March 1887.[6]

As well as publishing papers on her botany work Bingham collaborated with botanists such as Alpheus Hervey, William Gilson Farlow[7] and Jacob Georg Agardh. Bingham assisted their work by providing specimens, lists of plants she collected, notes on special habitat, seasons of growth and frequency of appearance.[8]

Bingham also corresponded with Joseph Dalton Hooker at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew on botanical matters.[9]

Her specimens continue to be studied[10] and are held at various herbaria including the United States National Herbarium,[11] the Gray Herbarium, the Steere Herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden, the University of Notre Dame herbarium, the University of California herbarium, the California Academy of Sciences herbarium and the Farlow Herbarium at Harvard University[12]

Death

Her husband died in 1895 and she subsequently moved to New Bedford where she died aged 101.

Published works

Eponymous taxa

Bingham had the algal genus Binghamia named after her along with several algae species including Dictyota binghamiae, Endarachne binghamiae, Gigartina binghamiae and Leptocladia binghamiae

Notes and References

  1. Book: Hollenberg. George J.. Abbott. Isabella A.. Marine Algae of California. 1992. Stanford University Press. Stanford, California. 9780804721523. 24.
  2. Web site: Charters. Michael L. bing'hamiae. www.calfora.net. April 30, 2015.
  3. Book: Creese. Mary R. S.. Ladies in the laboratory? : American and British women in science, 1800-1900 : a survey of their contributions to research. 1998. Scarecrow. Lanham, Md.. 081083287-9. 3.
  4. Common and troublesome weeds near Santa Barbara. Botanical Gazette. 1879. IV. 11. 226. April 30, 2015. 10.1086/325297. Gray. A.. 85396559.
  5. Scientific Societies of California. The West-American Scientist. 1885. 1. 10. 75. April 30, 2015.
  6. Bingham. R. F., Mrs. Flora Near Santa Barbara California. Bulletin of the Santa Barbara Society of Natural History. March 1887. 1. 18–21. April 30, 2015.
  7. Setchell. W. A.. Dawson. E. Y.. Binghamia, the Alga, versus Bighamia, the Cactus.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 1941. 27. 8. 10.1073/pnas.27.8.376. 16588473. 376–381. 1941PNAS...27..376S. 1078343. free.
  8. Book: Hervey. A. B.. Sea mosses, a collector's guide and an introduction to the study of marine Algae.. 1893. B Whidden. Boston. x. April 30, 2015.
  9. Web site: Letter from Mrs R.F. Bingham to Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker; from Santa Barbara, California, United States of America; 3 Nov 1885; two page letter comprising two images; folio 54. JSTOR Global Plants. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. May 1, 2015.
  10. Brummitt. R. K.. White. Scott D.. Wood. Justin M.. Status of Bingham's Morning-Glory in the Light of its Rediscovery. Madroño. 59. 25–27. 10.3120/0024-9637-59.1.25. January 2012. 85731112.
  11. Web site: Search of Botany Collections. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Smithsonian Institution. May 1, 2015.
  12. Web site: Catalog #: FH00777061. Macroalgae Herbarium Portal. Harvard University. May 1, 2015.

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