Carl Peter Thunberg

Carl Peter Thunberg
Born(1743-11-11)11 November 1743
Jönköping, Sweden
Died8 August 1828(1828-08-08) (aged 84)
NationalitySwedish
Other names
  • Carl Pehr Thunberg
  • Carl Per Thunberg
  • Thunb.
OccupationNaturalist
Scientific career
Author abbrev. (botany)Thunb.

Carl Peter Thunberg, also known as Karl Peter von Thunberg, Carl Pehr Thunberg, or Carl Per Thunberg (11 November 1743 – 8 August 1828), was a Swedish naturalist and an "apostle" of Carl Linnaeus. After studying under Linnaeus at Uppsala University, he spent seven years travelling in southern Italy and Asia, collecting and describing people and animals new to European science, and observing local cultures. He has been called "the father of South African botany", "pioneer of Occidental Medicine in Japan", and the "Japanese Linnaeus".