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Thu 05 May 2004Naturalist's name preserved in plantsEllen Hutchins was an outstanding Irishwoman. By the time she died at the age of 30 she had excelled in botanical discovery in an era long before women were accepted in the sciences, writes Mary MulvihillGlance down any scientific listing of mosses, lichens, liverworts or seaweeds, and you will see Ellen Hutchins's name. Many of the rare and unusual species she found are named in her honour: a lichen Lecania hutchinsiae, a fern she discovered in Kerry, Jubula hutchinsiae, a moss, Ulota hutchinsiae . . . the list goes on.