Ira Waddell Clokey  Ira Waddell Clokey (1878-1950) was an American mining engineer and botanist active in the western United States. He first studied at the University of Illinois, then moved to Harvard University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in mining engineering in 1903. From 1904 to 1915, Clokey worked as a mining engineer in Mexico. In his spare time he collected plant specimens for his personal herbarium, which, however, was almost completely destroyed during a fire in 1912. In 1921, Clokey completed a Master of Science in plant pathology from Iowa State University. Clokey began intensive studies of the flora of the Charleston Mountains in southern Nevada in 1935. His book, "Flora of the Charleston Mountains, Clark County, Nevada" was accepted for publication just prior to his death in 1950. The International Plant Names Index lists 44 plant names published by Ira Waddell Clokey. A number of plants have been named in his honor: