Naturalist and nurseryman from Luxembourg who moved to Brussels as a youth. He became perhaps the most important nineteenth century orchid-grower who introduced over a thousand species to Europe and cultivated them in his nursery Horticulture Internationale at Ghent. Linden was one of the first students graduating from the Faculty of Sciences of the newly established University of Brussels and as a young man (19-27) made extensive collections in Central and South America on behalf of the Belgian government. On his return to Ghent in 1845 he built up a large orchid nursery, later joined by his son Lucien with whom he published 17 volumes of Iconographie des Orchidées or Lindenia. Linden's name is sometimes cited on specimens at BM as 'I. Linden' and material from Colombia is given the Spanish colonial name of 'Nlle. Grenade' or New Grenada.