Friedrich Traugott Kützing

Friedrich Traugott Kützing (8 December 1807 in Ritteburg – 9 September 1893) was a German pharmacist, botanist and phycologist.

Despite his limited background in regard to higher education, Kützing made significant scientific contributions. In 1833, he demonstrated differences between diatoms and desmids, thus separating the two groups into families of their own. Also, independent of Charles Cagniard-Latour (1777–1859) and Theodor Schwann (1810–1882), he was among the first to provide comprehensive answers in regard to yeast and the role it played in fermentation. In 1849, he published Species Algarum, a large work that provided descriptions for 6000 species of algae.

He is the taxonomic authority of the genera Syringodium (family Cymodoceaceae) and Phlebothamnion (family Ceramiaceae).