French, Charles Snr. (1840 - 1933)

Was originally a plant propagator under von Mueller at the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, then for many years Government Entomologist.

He travelled all over Victoria, making ferns and orchids his chief interest. After Bentham's treatment of Orchidaceae in Flora Australiensis (Vol. VI, 1873), it was Mr. French who first brought together a description of every species then known to occur within the Colony - published in 11 parts of the Victorian Naturalist (1884-87) under the title Victorian Orchids. The information was incorporated the next year in Mueller's Key to the System of Victorian Plants (1888) wherein 78 species are recognized.

Commemorated by:
Prasophyllum frenchii F.Muell.
Oligochaetochilus frenchii D.L.Jones

Source: Willis, J.H. (1949) Botanical pioneers in Victoria-II. Victorian Naturalist 66:103-109