Wilhelm Hofmeister
Wilhelm Hofmeister | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 May 1824 |
| Died | 12 January 1877 (aged 52) |
| Nationality | Germany |
| Alma mater | none |
| Known for | discovering the alternation of generations in plants |
| Spouse | 1. Muriel Agnes Lurgenstein (died) 2. Johanna Schmidt |
| Children | 9 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | botany, biology |
| Institutions | University of Heidelberg, University of Tübingen |
| Doctoral advisor | none |
Wilhelm Friedrich Benedikt Hofmeister (18 May 1824 – 12 January 1877) was a German biologist and botanist. He "stands as one of the true giants in the history of biology and belongs in the same pantheon as Darwin and Mendel." Largely self-taught he was the first to study and establish alternation of generations and the details of sexual reproduction in the bryophytes.