Anders Dahl

[4] In 1761 Dahl began school in Skara, and found several schoolmates who shared his interest in natural science.

In conjunction with the parish priest and naturalist Clas Bjerkander, Dahl, Johan Abraham, entomologist Leonard Gyllenhaal,[5] chemist Johan Afzelius, Daniel Næzén and Olof Knös founded "The Swedish Topographic Society in Skara" on 13 December 1769.

After his father's death in 1771, Dahl's family fell into financial straits and he had to leave school; prematurely ending his formal education.

On a recommendation from Linnaeus, Dahl served as curator at the private natural museum and botanical garden of Clas Alströmer, a Linnaean disciple, at Kristinedal in Gamlestaden, outside Gothenburg.

Dahl's employment involved several journeys in Sweden and abroad, where he collected natural history specimens both for Alströmer and himself.

Inspired by Linnaeus, Dahl wrote a Horologium Florae, a "flower-clock" of Skara, which was posthumously published in Ny Journal uti Hushållningen, in May–June 1790.

Johan Abraham Gyllenhaal's collections in the university library at Uppsala also contain some papers written by Dahl.

Waste from the manufacturing of herring oil was a major problem, causing polluted water and sea bed organism death.

Dahl was one of three members of a commission who studied the issue and wrote regulations regarding waste products from the try houses.

During his short time at Turku Dahl published his most important work: Observationes botanicae circa systema vegetabilium divi a Linne Gottingae 1784 editum, quibus accedit justae in manes Linneanos pietatis specimen (Kopenhagen, 1787).

It is most probable that first attempt to scientifically define the genus was done by Abbe Antonio Jose Cavanilles, Director of the Royal Gardens of Madrid, who received the first specimens from Mexico in 1791, two years after Dahl's death.

[8] Dahl was also honoured in the 1780s, Carl Peter Thunberg, a friend from Uppsala, named a species of plant from the family Hamamelidaceae after him.