Anselme Riedlé (1775–1801) was gardener at the Jardin des Plantes who was invited to join the Nicolas Baudin scientific expedition (1800–1804) in the corvettes Géographe and Naturaliste to chart the coast of New Holland (Australia), make scientific observations and collect natural history specimens. This was possibly the largest such voyage of its kind in the early nineteenth century, with a team of 22 savants (scientists, artists and engineers). He was Head Gardener to a team of 5 gardeners that served on the voyage, the others being Antoine Sautier, Cagnet, Merlot (listed as 'an African') and Antoine Guichenot. Baudin is listed as his friend on this expedition as they had worked previously together collecting in the West Indies (U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico).[1]
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Born in Irsee, Schwaben, Germany in 1775 and his death in Timor where he collected specimens in the region of Kupang until his death on 23 September 1801. Baudin also died later on the same expedition.[2][1]
His collecting localities were Indonesia (Nusa Tenggara Timur); Canary Islands; Mauritius; Australia (Western Australia); Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Virgin Islands (USA).[1] His plant collections are held in herbaria in Paris, Geneva, the British Museum, Kew and Berlin and wood samples he collected with Guichenot are stored in Paris. Herbaria B, BM, FI, FI-W, G?, G-DC, G-DEL, H, K, L, MO, MPU, NY, P, PC, P-JU.[1] A manuscript journal he maintained for part of the voyage is stored at the Natural History Museum in Paris.[2]
Commemorated in the names Riedleia A.P.DC. and Riedléja Hassk.[2]