Sir James Edward Smith (2 December 1759 – 17 March 1828) was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society.

[2] He moved to London in 1783 to continue his studies and became a friend of Sir Joseph Banks, who was offered the entire collection of books, manuscripts and specimens of the Swedish natural historian and botanist Carl Linnaeus following the death of his son Carolus Linnaeus the Younger.

[2] Between 1786 and 1788, Smith made the grand tour through the Netherlands, France, Italy and Switzerland visiting botanists, picture galleries and herbaria.

His library and botanical collections acquired European fame and was visited by numerous entomologists and botanists from all over the Continent.

A fruitful collaboration was found through descriptions Smith supplied to publisher and illustrator, James Sowerby with whom he subsequently developed as passionate interest in mosses and lichens.

[7] Smith's friendship with William Roscoe (after whom he named the genus Roscoea) saw him contribute 5000 plants, between 1806 and 1817, to supplement the Roylean Herbarium.