Elizabeth Britton was an American Botanist specialising in Bryology (mosses).
She was one of the founders of the American Bryological Society and of the Wild Flower Preservation Society of America.
Following a visit to Kew Gardens, Britton was inspired to set up a similar garden in New York leading to the opening of the New York Botanical Gardens in 1888.
Britton wrote over 340 scientific papers during her career.
http://www.physics.purdue.edu/wip/herstory/britton.html