Biography

Australian resident collector, Mrs J.G. Smith is sometimes known as Charlotte Smith (née Macdonald) who is also cited as Charlotte MacDonald-Smith. Little is known about her other than she was married to a local shopkeeper at Circular Head, north western Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) and collected on the coast in this locality. Both Charlotte and John Smith were keen local naturalists who assisted Gunn with local knowledge of the flora and Charlotte also assisted Gunn with drying and processing specimens while he was out collecting.

Algal specimens from Hooker's herbarium were subsequently transferred to BM under the Morton Agreement. This same collector also sent algal material to W.H. Harvey whose herbarium and types are mainly at TCD. The orchid genus Macdonaldia Gunn ex Lindl. was named in her honour by Gunn and published by Lindley, and the species Macdonaldia smithiana Gunn ex Lindl. is based on a specimen from Circular Head.