Charles Wilkins Short  Charles Wilkins Short (October 6, 1794 – March 7, 1863) was an American botanist. He primarily worked in the state of Kentucky. Short discovered several species of plants and has six species of plants named after him. He attended Transylvania University and the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to being a botanist, he practiced medicine and taught materia medica. Short also owned a sizable herbarium. Short retired from teaching in 1849. Short was born on October 6, 1794, in Woodford County, Kentucky. His parents were Peyton Short and Maria Symmes Short. Short had four siblings and four half-siblings. Two of his grandparents were John Cleves and Anna Tuthill Symmes. He lived on his father's farm during his early life. Short received his primary education from the well-known teacher Joshua Fry. Short attended Transylvania University and received a Bachelor of Arts in 1810 and a Master of Arts in 1813. In 1813, he studied under Caspar Wistar in Philadelphia. He then attended the University of Pennsylvania and became a Doctor of Medicine in 1815. Shortly after 1810, Short began practicing medicine under his uncle, Frederick Ridgely. Between 1815 and 1825, Short practiced medicine in Woodford County. Between 1825 and 1837, he was a professor of medical botany. In 1838, Short helped establish a medical school in the University of Louisville. He was a professor there between 1838 and 1849. Upon retiring, the university's Board of Trustees named him Professor Emeritus of Materia Medica and Medical Botany. Short made a botanical expedition along the Ohio River between March 1845 and April 1845. Short has a total of five species and one genus of plants named after him. They are the genus "Shortia", the species "Vesicaria shortii", the species "Phaca shortiana", the species "Aster shortii", the species "Solidago shortii", and the species "Carex shortiana". Short was considered to be the most well-known botanist west of the Alleghenies during the middle of the 19th century. In addition, Short discovered a number of species of plants. These include the Kentucky pearlwort ("Stellaria fontinalis") and the top-pod water lilly ("Ludwigia polycarpia"). He also discovered "Carex shortiana" and "Solidago shortii", which are both named after him.