Talk:Ruth Mary Tristram

Text of Watsonia obit

Ruth Mary Tristram (nee Cardew) (1886-1950). Miss R. M. Cardew was born on April 25th, 1886, and became interested in botany at a very early age. The discovery of Holosteum umhellatum, previously known in this country only from Suffolk and Norfolk, in Surrey in 1905 by this " young and enthusiastic botanist " brought her to the notice of well-known workers of the day (1905, J. Bot., 43, 189). A little later she turned her attention to a study of Plantago in colla- boration with the late E. G. Baker and with a view to an account of the genus for Moss's Camhridge British Flora. This resulted in the joint publication of P. coronopiis var. Sahrinae [P. Sahrinae (Baker & Cardew) Druce] in 1911, Pep. Bot. Soc. E.G., 3, 28-29, and Notes on Plantago, 1912, J. Bot., 50, 55-58.

Meanwhile Miss Cardew had been elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society on December 7th, 1911 (the same meeting at which our late member, Mr. A. J. Wilmott, was elected). As only six years had passed since the Linnean had first admitted women, and as she was only 25 at the time of election, the honour was a very considerable one of which she remained proud until the end of her days.

She was an early member of the Wild Flower Society but did not join the B.E.C. until 1934, resigning under the stress of war in 1940. She married Major G. H. Tristram, R.A., in 1919, and had four chil- dren. Mrs. Tristram died on October 22nd, 1950, and her husband and two children survive her.

J. W. Cardew and J. E. Lousley.

All the best: Rich Farmbrough, 20:09, 17 January 2018 (UTC).