Ynes Mexia

Late-blooming botanical explorer who collected groundbreaking plant specimens across Americas

Ynes Mexia (1870–1938) began her extraordinary second career at age 55, becoming one of history's most prolific plant collectors despite starting botanical work post-menopause. The Mexican-American explorer discovered over 500 new species during daring expeditions through:

• Amazon rainforests
• Andes Mountains
• Alaskan glaciers
• Mexican Sierra Madre

Her most famous discovery - the Mexianthus mexicanus genus - came after surviving a 50-foot fall from a cliff in Peru. Mexia's collections fundamentally expanded understanding of neotropical flora, with 50 species bearing her name.

As one of few female explorers in 1920s-30s, she challenged age and gender stereotypes through grueling field expeditions that often involved camping in hostile environments for months. Her meticulous specimens now form crucial climate change baselines in university herbariums worldwide.