Jens Vahl

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Jens Laurentius Moestue Vahl (1796-1854) was a Danish botanist and pharmacist. He was son of the Danish-Norwegian botanist and zoologist Martin Vahl.

Jens Vahl graduated as a pharmacist in 1819 and then started studying botany and chemistry. Vahl participated 1828-1829 in the expedition to East Greenland lead by V.A. Graah (1793-1863). Financial support from king Christian VIII of Denmark enabled Vahl to continue his investigations and to also explore West Greenland. He returned to Copenhagen in 1836. His extensive collection, which he later donated to the University of Copenhagen laid the foundation of the knowledge about the flora of Greenland. Vahl later participated in a French expedition to Nordkapp and Spitsbergen.

Together with Salomon Drejer and Joakim Frederik Schouw, Vahl was the publisher of Flora Danica fasc. 38.

Two plant genera have been named in his honour:

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