Margaret Levyns
Encyclopedia
Margaret Rutherford Bryan Levyns (née Michell, born 24 October 1890 in Cape Town
- died 11 November 1975 in Cape Town) was an eminent South African phytogeographer
, botanist and taxonomist.
Margaret Levyns was initially educated at home by her mother and later attended Ellerslie Girls' School. She obtained a first class matriculation and was awarded two bursaries. In 1908 she enrolled at the South African College
intending to study mathematics, geology and chemistry, with botany for her honours year. Prof. Harold Pearson persuaded her to take botany as a major subject. After winning two scholarships, the Queen Victoria Scholarship and the 1851 Exhibition
Memorial Scholarship and spending 1912-14 at Newnham College, she returned to South Africa and was promptly awarded another scholarship to the John Innes Institute
where she chose to study genetics. On returning to South Africa for the second time, she took up a lecturing post in the Botany Department at the South African College
which later became the University of Cape Town
. She was the first woman to receive a D.Sc. degree from University of Cape Town
, for her 1932 thesis 'A taxonomic study of Lobostemon and Echiostachys. Her publications included A Guide to the Flora of the Cape Peninsula in 1929, and substantial sections of Flora of the Cape Peninsula by Adamson & Salter in 1950.
After her retirement in 1945, she remained active in the botanical field and published numerous papers on taxonomy
and phytogeography
. She revised a number of South African genera e.g. Muraltia. In 1923 she married John Levyns, later Assistant Provincial Secretary of the Cape Province and who served on the council of the Botanical Society of South Africa.
Margaret Levyns is commemorated in Thamnochortus levynsiae Pillans, Nivenia levynsiae H. Weimarck and Crassula levynsiae Adamson. Some 12 000 of her collected specimens are lodged with BOL, CT, PRE, K and other herbaria. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Levyns when citing
a botanical name
.
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
- died 11 November 1975 in Cape Town) was an eminent South African phytogeographer
Phytogeography
Phytogeography , also called geobotany, is the branch of biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution of plant species...
, botanist and taxonomist.
Margaret Levyns was initially educated at home by her mother and later attended Ellerslie Girls' School. She obtained a first class matriculation and was awarded two bursaries. In 1908 she enrolled at the South African College
South African College
The South African College was an educational institution in Cape Town, South Africa, which developed into the University of Cape Town and the South African College Schools .-History:...
intending to study mathematics, geology and chemistry, with botany for her honours year. Prof. Harold Pearson persuaded her to take botany as a major subject. After winning two scholarships, the Queen Victoria Scholarship and the 1851 Exhibition
The Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October...
Memorial Scholarship and spending 1912-14 at Newnham College, she returned to South Africa and was promptly awarded another scholarship to the John Innes Institute
John Innes Centre
The John Innes Centre located in Norwich, Norfolk, England is an independent centre for research and training in plant and microbial science...
where she chose to study genetics. On returning to South Africa for the second time, she took up a lecturing post in the Botany Department at the South African College
South African College
The South African College was an educational institution in Cape Town, South Africa, which developed into the University of Cape Town and the South African College Schools .-History:...
which later became the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
. She was the first woman to receive a D.Sc. degree from University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
, for her 1932 thesis 'A taxonomic study of Lobostemon and Echiostachys. Her publications included A Guide to the Flora of the Cape Peninsula in 1929, and substantial sections of Flora of the Cape Peninsula by Adamson & Salter in 1950.
After her retirement in 1945, she remained active in the botanical field and published numerous papers on taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
and phytogeography
Phytogeography
Phytogeography , also called geobotany, is the branch of biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution of plant species...
. She revised a number of South African genera e.g. Muraltia. In 1923 she married John Levyns, later Assistant Provincial Secretary of the Cape Province and who served on the council of the Botanical Society of South Africa.
Margaret Levyns is commemorated in Thamnochortus levynsiae Pillans, Nivenia levynsiae H. Weimarck and Crassula levynsiae Adamson. Some 12 000 of her collected specimens are lodged with BOL, CT, PRE, K and other herbaria. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Levyns when citing
Author citation (botany)
In botanical nomenclature, author citation refers to citing the person who validly published a botanical name, i.e. who first published the name while fulfilling the formal requirements as specified by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature...
a botanical name
Botanical name
A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and, if it concerns a plant cultigen, the additional cultivar and/or Group epithets must conform to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants...
.
Honours and awards
- President of Section B of the South African Association for Advancement of Science 1952/53
- South African Medal 1958
- President of the Royal Society of South Africa 1962/63 (first woman to hold this seat)