Manton, Irene (1904–1988)
Manton, Irene (1904–1988)
English botanist. Born April 17, 1904, in London, England; died May 31, 1988; younger dau. of George Manton (dental surgeon); sister of Sidnie Manton (1902–1979, zoologist); Girton College, Cambridge, MA in botany, 1926, PhD, 1930, DSc, 1940.
The Linnean Society of London's 1st woman president and the creator of the squash technique (to count chromosomes more efficiently), studied with Professor Otto Rosenberg at University of Stockholm (1926–27); worked as assistant lecturer (1928–30) and lecturer (1930–46) at University of Manchester; employed as botany professor at University of Leeds (1946–48); discovered new species of watercress; with help of cryptogramic botany professor W.H. Lang, studied fern development, including Osmunda regalis (royal fern); discovered the thylakoid structure of chloroplasts and details of cell ultrastructure; was honorary research fellow in Electron Microscopy at Lancaster University (1971–88); developed large collection of original art works; bequeathed nearly £250,000 to Linnean Society of London.