Ekman was a Swedish-born botanist best known for his botanical collection endeavors in the Caribbean, particularly on the islands of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and Cuba. He his research on tropical plants in Argentina and Brazil where he studied various grasses and various members of the Compositae family. Ekman began collecting in Haiti in 1917. Due to a bought with malaria, he was forced to return to Cuba three months later. He stayed to study the plants of Cuba until he departed for Haiti in 1924, and is credited with having discovered hundreds of new species on the island of Hispaniola during his 7 year stay there. Ekman collected in Haiti from 1924-1928 and in the Dominican Republic from 1928 until his death in Santiago de los Cabelleros on January 15, 1931 at the age of 46.
Smithsonian Institution Archives Field Book Project: Person : Description : rid_187_pid_EACP184
