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Emile Laurent (1861-1904) was one of the first to explore the flora central Africa on a large scale. He died as a victim of his scientific travels, when returning from his third Congo trip, on the steamer between Accra and Sierra Leone. About 3500 specimens (mainly from the third voyage) are conserved in the African herbarium of BR. He travelled with his cousin Marcel Laurent, who arranged the collection of the third travel after his uncle's death.
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| E. Laurent, professor at the agricultural institute in Gembloux, was actively engaged in tropical agriculture and was convinced that central Africa's potential of coffee culture was comparable to that of Brazil. This explains his particular attention for the indigeneous Coffea species of Africa. He also collected many data about myrmecophilous plants, e.g. in 'Plectronia' laurentii named after him by De Wildeman.
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