Biography

American botanist and illustrator who worked as assistant to Alice Eastwood at the herbarium of the California Academy of Sciences. Born in Star Lake, Minnesota, Nina Floy Bracelin (known to many as Bracie) was schooled by private tutors before attending the University of California in Berkeley. Later, while working as an assistant researcher in the university's herbarium she met the acquaintance of Mexican-American plant collector Ynes Mexia and Bracelin set to work on her vast but disorganised herbarium. From 1928 she labelled specimens and sent them to experts for identification, developing a large network of correspondents.

In her will Mexia left the California Academy of Sciences $3,000 in order that Bracelin could be employed there as an assistant to the Canadian botanist Alice Eastwood. Beginning this role in 1940 she was named a lifetime member of the academy in 1953. During those years Bracelin was responsible for the academy's acquisition of many important collections. During the 1950s she worked at the Department of Agriculture's Western Agricultural Laboratory producing scientific illustrations. Bracelin remained in Berkeley until her death in 1973 from a long illness. The epithets Fuchsia bracelinae Munz. and Salix lasiolepis bracelinae C.R. Ball were named in her honour.

Sources:
J. Radcliffe, "Nina Floy Perry Bracelin (1890-1973)", California Academy of Sciences:
http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/library/special/bios/Bracelin.pdf, accessed 7 Mach 2011.