Adriaan van Royen

Adriaan van Royen (11 November 1704 in Leiden – 28 February 1779 in Leiden) was a Dutch botanist. He was a professor at Leiden University and worked closely with the famous scientist Carl Linnaeus.

Van Royen is especially remembered for his studies of plants in Southeast Asia. During Linnaeus's visit to the Leiden Botanic Garden in 1737 to 1738, the two scientists developed a strong working relationship.

In 1728, van Royen was honored by being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. Several plant names, like Royena and Melastoma royenii, remember his contributions to botany. When scientists name a plant today, they can use the abbreviation "Royen" to show that he was the original describer of that plant.