Watts, William Walter, Rev. (1856–1920)

Was probably the greatest moss authority of New South Wales, writing many articles for the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of N.S.W. during the years 1900 to 1918. His most noteworthy, if unfinished, contribution was a "Census of Australian Mosses", 1902-05, in collaboration with Thomas Whitelegge.

Rev. Watts made several collecting trips to Victoria and, four years before his death, was transferred (1916) to Wycheproof in that State – a very poor locality for mosses. The principal bryophyte specimens accumulated by Watts and Whitelegge are housed at the National Herbarium, Sydney.

Source: Willis, J.H. (1949) Botanical pioneers in Victoria-II. Victorian Naturalist 66:103-109
Portrait photo: Churchill, J. (ed) (2015), The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, the first 200 years, p. 95, Halstead Press, Ultimo, NSW [original image source indicated on p. 264 as Daniel Solander Library, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney]

Collecting localities for 'Watts, W.W.' from AVH (12/8/2021)

Data from 15,682 specimens