André Thouin

André Thouin (10 February 1746 – 24 October 1824) was a French botanist born in Paris. His younger brother, Gabriel Thouin (1747–1829), was a noted landscape architect.

He studied botany under Bernard de Jussieu (1699–1777), 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 denoted by the author abbreviation Thouin when citing a botanical name.

Thouin is remembered for contributions made in the field of agronomy, including scientific studies that involved improved grafting techniques and seed selection. He was a pioneer conservationist, stressing the importance of replacing woodlands to compensate for their destruction due to human encroachment.

The plat genus Thouinia (family Sapindaceae) is named after him. As a taxonomist he described the genus Celanthera (1786; family Marattiaceae).

Selected publications