Cuban botanist. Born in Havana, José Antonio de la Ossa entertained Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland during their stay in Cuba in 1800. He was the first director of the botanic gardens of Havana in 1817, after an initial attempt by Mariano Espinosa failed in 1813 due to the lack of an adequate location. Ossa was granted a rectangular plot of swampy land near Prado street on which he soon established the gardens with very little financial support from the authorities; after just four years it supported 377 species from 102 families. By 1821 he directed 20 men although this was still too few to adequately run the gardens while he undertook expeditions and taught. Ossa sent and received material from all over the world and was in contact with botanists from abroad for some time. In 1819 José Pavón of the botanical expedition to Peru wrote several times to Mariano Lagasca (then professor at the botanic gardens of Madrid), requesting that he make Ossa a corresponding member for the great benefit that his seeds and plants would bring. He directed the garden for seven years until Ramón de la Sagra took over in 1824. From his collections, made over several years in the vicinity of the city, Ossa created an overview of a Flora Havanensis, which was published in full over 50 years later by R. Cowley. The genus Ossaea (Melastomataceae) was named for him by A. P. de Candolle. In his letters Pavón also refers to Ossa as a Brigadier.

Sources:
Herrera Oliver, P. P., 1995, "The first botanic garden of Havana and José Antonio de la Ossa", Fontqueria 42:173-189
Archives:
Archivos Real Jardín Botánico Madrid. Letters from José Pavon to Mariano Lagasca. Dated September 1819. I,56,9,2; I,56,9,25 and I,56,9,26.