Frans A. Stafleu

Rose and Britton: From Brittonrosea to Cassia

Joseph Nelson Rose (1862-1928) was a very retiring, hardworking individual whose “Leitmotif” was botany. Trips to Mexico with Edward Palmer aroused in him an interest in the Cactaceae and Leguminosae, an interest that would eventually lead him to work with Nathaniel Lord Britton on these groups. The correspondence here discussed, pertaining to their years of collaboration, provides insight into their taxonomic concepts and decisions, especially their generic segregations.