> [!cite] BHL link: this entry starts at [page 102](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33066442) of TL-2 Vol. VII > Author links: [IPNI](https://www.ipni.org/a/11437-1) LSID 11437-1, [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q960820) QID Q960820 > Support pages: [[Abbreviations|abbreviations]], [[Layout key|layout key]], [[Cite TL-2|cite TL-2]] ### Author Watson, Sereno (1826-1892), American botanist; trained as a physician; secretary of the Planter's Insurance Company in Greensboro, Alabama 1856-1861; employed with the Journal of Education at Hartford, Conn. 1861-1866; to California 1867; joined C. King's Geological Exploration of the fortieth parallel as a volunteer 1867; official botanist of the expedition 1868; studied his collections at Yale 1869 and Harvard 1870-1874; assistant with A. Gray at the Gray Herbarium 1874-1888; curator ib. 1888-1892; travelled in N.W. United States 1880, Guatemala 1885 and Europe 1886. **Abbreviated name**: *S. Wats.* \[standard form in IPNI: *S.Watson*\] #### Herbarium and types [[Collection US|US]] (2000; orig. King's survey) and [[Collection GH|GH]]; further material in [[Collection B|B]] (mainly destr.), [[Collection FH|FH]] (James), [[Collection FI|FI]], [[Collection K|K]], [[Collection NY|NY]], [[Collection YU|YU]]. – *Manuscripts*; note-books: [[Collection GH|GH]]; also at [[Collection NY|NY]] and [[Collection US|US]]. – *Letters* e.g. at [[Collection FH|FH]], [[Collection G|G]], [[Collection GH|GH]], [[Collection NY|NY]] (see Lenley), [[Collection UPS|UPS]]-UB. #### Bibliography and biography Barnhart 3: 465; BJI 1: 62; BL 2: 86, 152, 153, 160, 161; BM 1: 711, 5: 2273, 8: 1400; Bossert p. 427; CSP 8: 1203, 11: 759-760, 19: 490-491; DAB 19: 547-548 (b. 1 Dec 1826, d. 9 Mar 1892) (B.L. Robinson); DSB 14: 192-193 (E.N. Shor); Ewan ed. 1: 43, 154, 201, 332-334, 335, ed. 2: 233; Herder p. 227, 228, 283, 342, 435; Hortus 3: 1206; IF p. 737; IH 1 (ed. 3): 41, (ed. 6): 365, (ed. 7): 345; Jackson p. 357) 358, 509; Langman p. 792-793; Lenley p. 429, 471; ME 3: 159, 163; Morren ed. 2, p. 37, ed. 10, p. 122; NAF 28B(2): 364-365; NI 2111; NW p. 61; PH 132, 164, 567, 906; PR 10669; Rehder 5: 904-905; RS p. 147; SIA see indexes; TL-1/431, 436; TL-2/2124, 2132, 4421, see indexes; Tucker 1: 14, 734-735, 2: xl, 3: 327; Urban-Berl. p. 272; Zander ed. 10, p. 730, ed. 11, p. 833. #### Biofile - Anon., Amer. J. Sci. 143: 338. 1892 (d.); Bot. Gaz. 17: 99. 1892 (d.); Bot. Jahrb. 15 (Beibl. 34): 18. 1892 (d.); J. Bot. 30: 223. 1892 (obit. not.); Natl. cycl. Amer. biogr. 6: 423. 1896; Nature 45: 494. 1892 (obit.); Österr. bot. Z. 42: 188. 1892 (d.); Who was who Amer., Hist. vol. 566. 1963. - Barnhart, J.H., J. New York Bot. Gard. 28: 137-138. 1927 (biogr. sketch), 32: 37-38. 1931 (id.). - Bessey, C.E., Amer. Natural. 26(304): 358-359. 1892 (obit.). - Brewer, W.H., Amer. J. Sci. 143: 441-442. 1892; Biogr. Mem. Natl. Acad. Sci.. 5: 267-290. 1903. - Coulter, J.M., Bot. Gaz. 17: 137-141. 1892 (obit., portr.). - Deane, W., Bull. Torrey bot. Club 19(4): 125-128. 1892 (obit.). - Elliott, C.A., Biogr. dict. Amer. sci. 268. 1979. - Geiser, S.W., Natural. frontier 221-222, 224. 1948. - Goodale, G.L., Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts Sci. 27: 403-416. 1893 (portr., obit., bibl. by J.A. Allen). - Gray, J.L., Letters A. Gray 838 \[index\]. 1893. - Humphrey, H.B., Makers N. Amer. bot. 258-259. 1940; John Torrey 279, 298-301, 1942; Amer. bot. 1873-1892. 399 (index). 1944. - Jones, M.E., Contr. Western Bot. 18: 139-140. 1935. - Kibbe, A.L., ed., Afield with plant lovers and collectors, bot. corr. H.N. Patterson, Quincy, Ill. 1953, p. 59. - Lowden, R.M., Taxon, index pers. names vols. 1-30. 778. 1985. - M.B., Sci. Amer. 65: 233. 1892 (obit., portr.). - McKelvey, S.D., Bot. expl. Trans. Mississippl West 878, 978. 1955. - McVaugh, R., Edward Palmer 429 \[index\]. 1956. - Morot, L., J. Bot. 6: 464. 1892 (B.L. Robinson succeeds S.W. as curator GH). - Reifschneider, O., Biogr. Nevada botanists 44-47. 1964 (biogr. sketch, portr.). - Reveal, J., *in* A. Cronquist et al., Intermountain flora 1: 53-54. 1972. - Sayre, G., Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 19(3): 410. 1975 (coll.); Bryologist 80(3): 520. 1977 (musci FH-James); Cryptogamie, Bryol. Lichénol., Paris 5: 58. 1984 (S.W. and Th.P. James). - Sutton, S.B., Charles Sprague Sargent 382 \[index\]. 1970. - Tiehm, A., Brittonia 37(4): 400-424. 1985 (A guide to the botany of Clarence King's Exploration of the fortieth parallel 1867-1869 (material mainly named by S. Watson; revision, typlfication)). - Urban, I., Ber. deut. bot. Ges. 10: (33)-(35). 1892. - Watson, S., Bot. Gaz. 17: 169-170. 1892 ("On nomenclature" in defense of Kew rule, "There is nothing whatever of an ethical character inherent in a name through any priority of publication or position..."). #### Composite works - (1) With J.T. Rothrock, *Cat. pl.* 1874, see TL-2/9657, Watson author of text on p. 5-19. *Copies*: G, HH, NY, PH, US(2), USDA. - (2) With J.T. Rothrock et al., *Rep. U.S. geogr. surv., Wheeler* 1878 (publ. Jun-Aug 1879), see TL-2/9658. - (3) With A.Gray and B.L. Robinson, *Syn. fl. N. Amer.* 1(1). 1895, see TL-2/2132. - (4) Co-author A. Gray, *Manual* ed. 6. 1890, see TL-2/2124. #### Handwriting Bartonia 28: *pl. 8.* 1957; Candollea 34: 197-198. 1979. #### Note Watson graduated from Yale college in the class of 1847 together with H.G. Jesup and J.D. Smith. #### Eponymy *Watsonamra* O. Kuntze (1891). ### Publications ##### n.16.812. United States geological expolration **Title** *United States geological expolration* \[sic\] of the *fortieth parallel*. Clarence King, geologist-in-charge \[vol. 5\] *Botany*. By Sereno Watson, aided by prof. Daniel C. Eaton, and others... Washington (Government Printing Office) 1871. Qu. **Abbreviated title**: *Botany* \[*fortieth parallel*\]. **Notes** *Collaborators*: D.C. Eaton, A. Gray, J. Torrey, G. Engelmann, S.T. Olney (*Carex*), J.W. Robbins (*Potamogeton*), T.P. James (musci), E. Tuckerman (lichenes). *Publ*.: Sep-Dec 1871 (p. liii: 26 Aug 1871; rev. A. Gray Amer. J. Sci. Arts Jan 1872; Bull. Torrey bot. Club Jan 1872), p. \[i\]-liii, map, \[1\]-525, *pl. 1-40* (uncol. liths.; J.H. Emerton). *Copies*: B, HH, L, NY, PH, US; IDC 7638. – Prof. Papers Engineer Dept. U.S. Army no. 18, vol. 5. *Ref*.: True, G.H., Mentzelia 2: 11-13. 1976. ##### n.16.813. List of plants collected in Nevada and Utah 1867-'69 **Title** United States geological exploration of the 40th parallel. Clarence King, U.S. Geologist, in charge. *List of plants collected in Nevada and Utah 1867-'69*; numbered as distributed. Sereno Watson, collector \[Washington, D.C,...1871\]. Oct. **Abbreviated title**: *List pl. Nevada Utah*. **Notes** *Publ*.: 1871 (p. 43: Mai 1871), p. \[1\]-43. *Copies*: FH, G, HH, MO, NY, US(2). ##### n.16.814. Contributions to American botany **Title** *Contributions to American botany*. I.-XVIII.... 1873-1891. Oct. **Notes** *1*: Mai 1873, p. \[1\]-7. Reprinted and to be cited from Amer. Natural. 7(5): 299-303. 1873. – *New plants of Northern Arizona*. *2*: Nov 1873 (Proc. for 13 Mai 1873, t.p. reprint: "issued September 1873", corrected by hand to "issued Nov. 1873"), p, \[517\]-618. – Id. Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts Sci. 8: \[517\]-618. 1873. – *Revisions of... Luplnus, Potentilla, and Oenothera*. *3*: Nov 1873, p. \[i\], \[662\]-665. – Id. Amer. Natural. 7(11): \[662\]-665. 1873. – *On section Avicularia of.... Polygonum*. *4*: Apr 1874, p. \[i\], 82-186. – Preprinted or reprinted from Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts Sci. 9: 82-126. 1874. – *Revision of the North American Chenopodiaceae*. *5*: Apr 1875, p. \[i\], 333-350. – Id. 10: 333-350. 1875. – *Revision of the genus Ceanothus*. *6*: Feb 1876, p. \[i\], 105-148. – Id. 11: 105-148. 1876. – Three papers. *7*: 13 Jun 1877 (date on cover err. "June 13, 1876"), p. \[i\], 246-278. – Id. 12: 246-278. 1877. – *Descriptions of new species of plants*. *8*: Feb 1878, p. \[1\]-3. – Reprinted and to be cited from Amer. J. Sci. 15: 135-136. 1878. – *The poplars of North America*. *9*: Jul 1879, p. \[i\], 213-303, \[i-viii, index\]. – Preprinted or reprinted from Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts Sci. 14: 213-303. 1879. – Two papers. *10*: 10 Aug 1882, p. \[i\], 316-382, \[1\]-6, index. – Id. 17: 316-382. 1882. – Two papers. *11*: 15 Aug 1883, p. \[i\], 96-196, \[1\]-3, index. – Id. 18: 96-196. – Two papers. *12*: 21 Feb 1885, p. \[i\], 324-378, \[i\]-ii, index. – Id. 20: 324-378. 1885. – Two papers. *13*: 2 Jun 1886, p. \[i\], 414-468, \[1\]-2, index. – Id. 21: 414-468. 1886. – Four papers. *14*: 25 Jun 1887, p. \[i\], 396-481, \[i\]-ii, index. – Id. 22: 396-481. 1887. – Two papers. – *Erratum to Contribution xiv*: Bot. Gaz. 13: 322. 1888. *15*: 29 Mai 1888, p. \[i\], 249-287, \[i, index\]. – Id. 23: 249-287. 1888. – Three papers. *15*: 29 Mai 1888, p. \[i\], 249-287, \[i, index\]. – Id. 23: 249-287. 1888. – Three papers. *16*: 31 Jan 1889, p. \[i\], 36-86, \[1\]-2, index. – Id. 24: 36-87. 1889. – Two papers. *17*: 25 Sep 1890, p. \[i\], 124-163, \[i, index\]. – Id. 25: 124-163. 1890. – Two papers. *18*: 31 Jul 1891, p. \[i\], 124-163, \[i, index\]. – Id. 26: 124-163. 1891. *Copies*: B, BR, FH, G, HH, M, MO, NY, PH, US. ##### n.16.815. Botany **Title** (Uniform with the publications of the) Geological Survey of California. J.D. Whitney, State Geologist. *Botany*... Cambridge, Mass. (Welch, Bigelow, & Co.,...) \[vol. 2: John Wilson and son,...\]) 1876-1880. 2 vols. Qu. **Abbreviated title**: *Bot. California*. **Notes** *Authorship*: vol. 1, Polypetalae by W.H. Brewer and S. Watson; Gamopetalae by Asa Gray; vol. 2: S. Watson with contributions by e.g. M.S. Bebb, G. Engelmann, W. Boott, G. Thurber, D.C. Eaton. *1*: Mai-Jun 1876 (p. ix: 15 Apr 1876; Amer. J. Sci. rev. by A. Gray Jul 1876 "has... made its appearance", inf. J.W. Landon; Bot. Zeit. 20 Oct 1876; J. Bot. 1876; Bull. Torrey bot. Club Jul-Aug 1876), p. \[i\]-xx, \[1\]-628. *2*: Jul-Dec 1880 (p. viii: 1 Jul 1880; Bull. Torrey bot. Club Feb 1881; Amer. J. Sci. Mar 1881; Bot. Zeit. 25 Mar 1881; J. Bot. Mar 1881; Nat. Nov. Jan(2) 1881), p. \[i\]-xv, \[1\]-559. *Copies*: BR, G, HH, K, MO, NY, US. *Ed. 2 of vol. 1*: 1880 (issued simultaneously with vol. 2; minor corrections; major additions in vol. 2), p. \[i\]-xx, \[1\]-628. *Copies*: BR, MO. *Note* (1) Referred to in other papers as *Botany of California*. - (2) J.W. Landon informs us that preprints of the contributions by Michael Schuck Bebb (2: 82-90) were available on 10 Jul 1879; id. by G. Engelmann (2: 93-99, 104-107) on 1 Oct 1879. ##### n.16.816. Bibliographical index to North American botany **Title** Smithsonian miscellaneous collections. 258. *Bibliographical index to North American botany*; or citations of authorities for all the recorded indigenous and naturalized species of the flora of North America, with a chronological arrangement of the synonymy ...Part i. Polypetalae. Washington (published by the Smithsonian Institution) March 1878. Oct. †. **Abbreviated title**: *Bibl. index N. Amer. bot.* **Notes** *Publ*.: Mar 1878 (t.p.), p. \[i\]-vi, \[vii\], \[1\]-476. *Copies*: B-S, FAS, FH, G, HH, M, MICH, MO, NY, PH(2), U, US(2), USDA; IDC 8861.