Carl Epling

Carl Clawson Epling (15 April 1894 – 19 November 1968) was an American botanist who is best known for being the major authority on the Lamiaceae (mint family) of the Americas from the 1920s to the 1960s. In his later years he also developed an interest in genetics. After obtaining his Ph.D. with a dissertation on the genus Monardella, he became staff member at the University of California in 1924. In 1941, he was made faculty research lecturer.

Epling published more than one hundred scientific works ranging from monographs to contributions to local floras, and described numerous species new to science—including the well known psychoactive Salvia divinorum—as well as some new genera.