Ernst Hugo Heinrich Pfitzer (1846 - 1906) was a German botanist. In the year 1872 Pfitzer became professor of botany and director of the botanical garden in Heidelberg (Germany) and started to invent a new Orchidaceae system. His new orchid system observed vegetative as well as floral characteristics of the orchids and improved the scientific structure of Sir John Lindley. In his opus “Morphologische Studien über die Orchideenblüthe” (1886) Pfitzer labeled numerous Orchid genera, like the genus Paphiopedilum (Lady Slipper, Venus Slipper).
He was also a botanical correspondent of the famous british naturalist Charles Darwin.
Ernst Hugo Heinrich Pfitzer died at 03.12.1906 in Heidelberg.
His author abreviation: Pfitzer