Elizabeth Gertrude Britton (née
Elizabeth Gertrude Knight) (January 9, 1858 – February 25, 1934) was an
American botanist,
bryologist, and educator. She and her husband,
Nathaniel Lord Britton played a significant role in the fundraising and creation of the
New York Botanical Garden. She was a co-founder of the predecessor to the
American Bryological and Lichenological Society. She was an activist for protection of wildflowers, inspiring local chapter activities and the passage of legislation. Elizabeth Britton made major contributions to the literature of mosses, publishing 170 papers in that field.