Antoine Duss

Antoine Düss (August 14, 1840 – May 5, 1924) was a Swiss botanist, Catholic priest, and educator who made contributions to the study of Caribbean flora. Born in Hasle, Switzerland, he joined the Congregation du Saint-Esprit in Paris and was ordained in 1871. Düss taught at educational institutions in Martinique and Guadeloupe, where he conducted botanical research, collecting and cataloguing plant specimens throughout the French Antilles. His major work, "Flore des Antilles françaises," published in 1897, documented the phanerogamic flora of the region, and he later produced catalogues of cryptogams. For his scientific contributions, he was made an Officer of the Academy in 1898, an Officer of Public Instruction in 1905, and was appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honour shortly before his death.

Early life

Antoine Düss was born in Hasle, Switzerland, on 14 August 1840. He graduated from the Gymnasium in Luzern and continued his studies in Fribourg. In 1863, he entered the et du Saint-Coeur de Marie in Paris and became a student at the seminary of Chevilly, near Paris. Titled variably as Abbé, Père (Father) or Reverend, he was ordained and made his profession on 1 October 1871.