Carl Johan Fredrik Skottsberg (1 December 1880 – 14 June 1963) was a Swedish botanist and explorer of Antarctica.

Skottsberg was born in Karlshamn

Karlshamn

Karlshamn is a locality and the seat of Karlshamn Municipality in Blekinge County, Sweden with 12,957 inhabitants of the city core and 30 918 in the municipality ....

, began his academic studies at Uppsala University

Uppsala University

Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...

 in 1898 and received his doctorate and a docentship there in 1907. He participated in the Swedish Antarctic Expedition

Swedish Antarctic Expedition

The Swedish Antarctic Expedition was led by Otto Nordenskjöld and Carl Anton Larsen.-Background:Otto Nordenskjöld, a Swedish geologist and geographer, organized and lead a scientific expedition of the Antarctic Peninsula...

 of 1901 to 1903 on the ship Antarctic

Antarctic (ship)

The Antarctic was a Swedish steamship built in Drammen, Norway in 1871. She was used on several research expeditions to the Arctic region and to Antarctica through 1898-1903. In 1895 the first confirmed landing on the mainland of Antarctica was made from this ship.-The ship:Antarctic was a barque...

, and was leader of the Swedish Magellanic expedition

Swedish Magellanic Expedition

The Swedish Magellanic expedition, 1907–09 was an scientific expedition undertaken by Carl Skottsberg, Percy Quensel and Thore Halle to study the geography, geology and flora of Patagonia. Other areas studied include Tierra del Fuego, Falkland Islands, Juan Fernández Islands, Chiloé...

 to Patagonia

Patagonia

Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...

, 1907 to 1909. Carl Skottsberg is believed to have been the last to have seen the Santalum fernandezianum

Santalum fernandezianum

Santalum fernandezianum was a species of plant in the Santalaceae family. It was endemic to Chile. Last seen in 1908 by Carl Skottsberg, the species was cut to extinction for its aromatic wood.-Source:...

 tree alive when he visited the Juan Fernández Islands

Juan Fernández Islands

The Juan Fernández Islands are a sparsely inhabited island group reliant on tourism and fishing in the South Pacific Ocean, situated about off the coast of Chile, and is composed of three main volcanic islands; Robinson Crusoe Island, Alejandro Selkirk Island and Santa Clara Island, the first...

 in 1908.

He was conservator at the Uppsala University Botanical Museum 1909 to 1914, but led the work on the new Botanical Garden in Gothenburg

Gothenburg

Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...

 from 1915, and was appointed professor and director of the garden there, Göteborg Botanical Garden

Göteborg Botanical Garden

The Gothenburg Botanical Garden is located in Gothenburg, Sweden, and one of the leading botanical gardens in Europe.-History:It was planned by the city council, created thanks to generous donors, and inaugurated in 1923 when Gothenburg celebrated its 300th anniversary.One of the prominent...

, in 1919.

Skottsberg was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...

 and several other Swedish learned societies, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society

Royal Society

The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...

 in 1950. That same year he presided the 7th International Botanical Congress. He was awarded the Linnean Society of London

Linnean Society of London

The Linnean Society of London is the world's premier society for the study and dissemination of taxonomy and natural history. It publishes a zoological journal, as well as botanical and biological journals...

's Darwin-Wallace Medal

Darwin-Wallace Medal

The Darwin–Wallace Medal is a medal awarded by the Linnean Society of London for "major advances in evolutionary biology". Historically, the medals have been awarded every 50 years, beginning in 1908...

 in 1958 and the Linnean Medal

Linnean Medal

The Linnean Medal of the Linnean Society of London was established in 1888, and is awarded annually to alternately a botanist or a zoologist or to one of each in the same year...

 in 1959.

He is buried at Östra kyrkogården

Östra kyrkogården, Gothenburg

Östra kyrkogården is a cemetery in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is located in the parish of Örgryte, in the Diocese of Gothenburg. With its area of 25.3 hectares, and its nearly 18,000 graves, it is the third largest graveyard in the city. Including the urns, it is estimated to be the resting place of...

 in Gothenburg

Gothenburg

Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...

.