Charles Christopher Parry

Parry was born in Gloucestershire, England, but moved to the United States with his parents in 1832, settling first in Washington County, New York.

He studied medicine at Columbia University, and botany under John Torrey, Asa Gray and George Engelmann.

He moved to Davenport, Iowa in 1846 where he practiced as a doctor for a short time before joining the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey (1848–1855) as surgeon and botanist.

He made extensive plant collections along the U.S.-Mexico border in California, and later in Colorado, Utah and other western states, many of which proved to be new species.

Important plants he was the first to describe include the Torrey pine and Engelmann spruce, which he named in honour of his mentors.